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Robert J. Hawke
Robert James Lee Hawke is one of the great men of Australian public life, and his story, much of it never before revealed, makes compelling reading.
Hawke was a Rhodes Scholar, educated in three universities, before rejecting an academic career to commit himself to the trade union movement. Son of devout Christian parents, he had been reared to public duty and to the ambition of political leadership.
He first came to prominence in 1959 as the new union wages advocate, and before the age of thirty he had established a reputation for brilliance in that arena. To unionists he was a giant killer; employers saw him as a crypto-Communist bent upon their destruction.
In his decade as the Australian Council of Trade Unions advocate, he confronted the inadequacies of Australia's wage fixing system, forcing reform upon that central sphere of economic life. The same role took him to Papua New Guinea, where he helped germinate the seeds of independence.
As President of the ACTU from 1970 to 1980 he was a master negotiator and peacemaker in industrial life. He agitated for social and economic reforms, becoming a folk hero and the most popular Australian of his time. In the International Labour Organisation he led the workers of the Western World in opposition to atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in the Pacific, and was acclaimed as a fighter for human rights—and, champion of his great love, Israel. Hawke's devotion to Israel nearly destroyed his career.
While he was president of the Australian Labor Party he sought to heal its wounds after the sacking of the Whitlam government—and in his capacity as union leader he held back potentially violent industrial action over this most divisive issue.
Those who read this biography will come to know Hawke intimately. A fine writer, Blanche d'Alpuget's sensitivity and psychological insight illuminate this complex and enigmatic man—a man whose greatest challenges still lie ahead.
Hawke was a Rhodes Scholar, educated in three universities, before rejecting an academic career to commit himself to the trade union movement. Son of devout Christian parents, he had been reared to public duty and to the ambition of political leadership.
He first came to prominence in 1959 as the new union wages advocate, and before the age of thirty he had established a reputation for brilliance in that arena. To unionists he was a giant killer; employers saw him as a crypto-Communist bent upon their destruction.
In his decade as the Australian Council of Trade Unions advocate, he confronted the inadequacies of Australia's wage fixing system, forcing reform upon that central sphere of economic life. The same role took him to Papua New Guinea, where he helped germinate the seeds of independence.
As President of the ACTU from 1970 to 1980 he was a master negotiator and peacemaker in industrial life. He agitated for social and economic reforms, becoming a folk hero and the most popular Australian of his time. In the International Labour Organisation he led the workers of the Western World in opposition to atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in the Pacific, and was acclaimed as a fighter for human rights—and, champion of his great love, Israel. Hawke's devotion to Israel nearly destroyed his career.
While he was president of the Australian Labor Party he sought to heal its wounds after the sacking of the Whitlam government—and in his capacity as union leader he held back potentially violent industrial action over this most divisive issue.
Those who read this biography will come to know Hawke intimately. A fine writer, Blanche d'Alpuget's sensitivity and psychological insight illuminate this complex and enigmatic man—a man whose greatest challenges still lie ahead.
418 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1982
About the author
Blanche d'Alpuget
29 books10 followersBlanche d’Alpuget has returned to fiction with the publication of ‘The Young Lion’, the first novel in a compelling new series about the House of Plantagenet, the mightiest royal dynasty in English history.
An acclaimed novelist, biographer and essayist Blanche has won numerous literary awards including the prestigious Australasian Prize for Commonwealth Literature in 1987. Her previous novels include Monkeys in the Dark (1980); Turtle Beach (1981) which won the Age book award in 1981; Winter in Jerusalem (1986) and White Eye (1993). Turtle Beach became a successful feature film in 1992 and all her novels have been translated into other languages. Her non-fiction books include Mediator: a biography of Sir Richard Kirby (1977) and Robert J Hawke: a biography (1982). Her essays include Lust (1993) and On Longing (2008).
An acclaimed novelist, biographer and essayist Blanche has won numerous literary awards including the prestigious Australasian Prize for Commonwealth Literature in 1987. Her previous novels include Monkeys in the Dark (1980); Turtle Beach (1981) which won the Age book award in 1981; Winter in Jerusalem (1986) and White Eye (1993). Turtle Beach became a successful feature film in 1992 and all her novels have been translated into other languages. Her non-fiction books include Mediator: a biography of Sir Richard Kirby (1977) and Robert J Hawke: a biography (1982). Her essays include Lust (1993) and On Longing (2008).
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