By Lucas


* Robert Hawke was born on the 9th of December 1929 at Bordertown, South Australia.
* His father was a church minister and his mother was a school teacher.
* His Uncle Albert was the Premier for Western Australia in the Labor Party for six years.
* Hawke went to a school in Perth.
* He graduated with an Arts/Law Degree from University of Western Australia in 1952.
* He won a scholarship for Economics at Oxford University, England.
* In 1956 he married Hazel Marsterson, and had three children.
* Hawke became President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).
* He enjoyed great popularity as the President of the ACTU for ten years.



* Elected Federal Parliament in 1980.
* In 1983 he became Prime Minister replacing Malcolm Fraser.
* His Labor Government was re-elected 1984, 1987 and 1990 becoming the first Australian Labor Prime Minister to be elected four times making him longest serving Labor Prime Minister and Australia's second longest serving Prime Minister.
* His legacy includes :
     * The Accord, resulting in better industrial relations.
     * The beginning of industry restructuring, and financial deregulation.
* The 1980s saw a change of direction in the government, resulting in a much more competitive, outward looking, independent Australia.


A Century of Prime Ministers, by Scott Brodie, published by Watts Publishing.
Internet Sites
http://www.nma.gov.au/primeministers/12.htm