Yesterday, Australia lost one of its giants. Throughout our short history we have counted a handful of truly towering figures, people whose existence has sharply shaped the destiny of our nation. And towering above them all was Bob Hawke, our country’s 23rd prime minister. He served in that office from 1983 to 1991, an eight year span that enchanted, at times transfixed, and ultimately transformed this country.

It’s hard in 2019 to convey how omnipresent Bob Hawke was in the life of Australia from the late 1960s right through to the 1990s. No one before or since has had such a profound impact on this country (with the only possible exceptions: Gough Whitlam and war-time prime minister John Curtin). In 1970 he was the most popular and respected person in the country and by 1984 he had also become the most popular prime minister in history with sustained approval at an astonishing 75%. No one has come close since.

In the coming days and weeks, many words will be written and even more will be spoken, lauding this wonderful and great man. I don’t have any great insight into his life and work so I won’t add mine to the many eulogies to come, but I would like to relate my brief impression of him.

In 1975 I met (soon to be prime minister) Malcolm Fraser just before he delivered the first Menzies oration at the University of Western Australia and was impressed by how he turned an innate nervousness backstage into a confident and polished performance on stage. Great (and tall) as he appeared, he was all too human and didn’t fill me with awe the way meeting Bob Hawke did.

In 1981 I met ex-prime minister Gough Whitlam and formed an unlikely friendship with him that lasted several years. While my first meeting with Gough was exhilarating, it still didn’t fill me with awe the way meeting Bob Hawke did.

In 1983 when I met Bob Hawke for the first time, I felt my whole body tingle in a way I hadn’t experienced before or since. I know there were a lot of people around me on that day who also had that strange otherworldly feeling. Bob Hawke had that weird effect on people wherever he appeared.

There were some questionable actions that he took both publicly and privately but when it comes right down to it, who could compare with the way he made us all feel. We could sorely use some of that authenticity and electric raw charisma right now.

There’s a very good case to suggest he was our greatest prime minister. I wouldn’t argue with that.

It will be a very long time before we see his like again.

What a life.

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Although Bob was out of office for more than 25 years, he was adored by new generations of young people. Who can forget the chant ‘Hawkie, Hawkie’ at the cricket, when he would skol a beer.

Do you have any recollections or impressions of Bob that you’d like to share?

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