The " Hawke " Legacy !

Nomatter which side of politics you support, Bob Hawke was the sort of character that stood out amongst the ranks of world leaders because he was " different ".  He came from humble beginnings and he rose to become a trade union leader.  That is not from where Australia usually selects the person handed the keys to the Lodge in Canberra.

He was a man who loved having a beer and he had a sense of humour.  He could show temper when provoked and like most Australians in this day and age he underwent  divorce and remarriage but from the time he joined the ranks of this country's former prime ministers he had the respect of the wide mainstream of Australian society.

The Hawke years in office were innovative years for this country.  Hawke was ready to implement social change and many of those innovations have passed the test of time.  He was also known as the prime minister who would gladly stop in the street and listen to the views of ordinary Australians.  Some of his interview quips were made famous.

Australians visiting London on the other side of the world may encounter a strange memorial from the time he was a student at Oxford university.  Its Turf Tavern contains a notice drawing visitors attention to the fact that Bob Hawke, former prime minister of Australia holds the record for drinking " a yard of ale " in eleven seconds, something that is confirmed in the Guinness book of records.

No doubt in the coming days this nation will offer a public funeral to his family and no doubt the television industry will search its library to bring back memories of his time in office.  Amongst them will be views of Hawke in a colourful jacket celebrating an Australian yacht winning the Americas cup from the United States. His comment chiding bosses against action against workers who stopped work to watch that race received prominence around the world.

Perhaps the greatest message that the Hawke years in office delivered is that this is an egalitarian  country where prime ministers are not drawn from a stratified elite.  It is a country which turned its back on titles at its time of joining colonies into a Federation and by opening its doors to immigration is now a melting pot that draws from the entire world.