NAME: ROBERT JAMES LEE HAWKE
The scale of Notoriety (how well-known they are) | Scale of Influence (how much they’ve impacted the world) as a Secret Asian...Asianish:
9/10
If you did not know who the late Bob Hawke was, are you even Australian?
Many would know Bob as the quintessential larrikin, but many would agree he was a Prime Minister of the People. It may surprise you that Hawkie was one of the greatest connectors between Australia and Asia, which incidentally makes him officially Asianish.
A brief history of his Asian contributions include:
Establishment of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation forum (APEC) in 1989 which opened regional discussion and engagement for trade opportunities.
During his first month in office, China's premier Zhao Ziyang, visited Australia. This was a significant event given Zhao was a leading pioneer of China's economic reforms.
His first visit overseas was to Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
He was the beacon of hope to many Chinese in Australia, granting asylum and visa extensions to all Chinese students in Australia during 1989 and beyond.
Under Hawke, the Foreign Minister, Gareth Evans designed a peace plan for Cambodia which was approved by the UN in 1990.
With the middle name 'Lee', we wonder if that set him on his Asian path?
Target Status:
Resting Place in Macquarie Park, Northern Suburbs, Sydney. RIP you beauty!
Genetic Make-up:
Honestly, 100% Cornish Makeup.
His paternal great-grandparents were both from Cornwall
His maternal grandparents were also all cornish.
The English ‘Lee’ family name is rumoured to be derived from the Saxon word ‘LEGH’
Sculled himself into the world on 9 December 1929.
Strengths:
Survival - He survived being the target of an assassination attempt. He survived an accident which left him in critical condition when he was young. As a politician, he was the third longest-serving prime minister in Australia, with Whitlam offering him further leadership which he declined.
Cultured: He held Honorary doctorates in Nanjing University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem AND he has an honorary Doctor of Humanities from Rikyo University Japan.
All around great guy: He has even earned the respect of Nelson Mandela while he was serving.
That Tiger Cub: He joined the Labor Party at the age of 18.
Weaknesses: (We honestly don’t know if this man has any)
Drinking: He almost collapsed and came out to the public about his issues in alcoholism and swore off alcohol for the sake of his children and underwent rehab.
Special Talents: The Bagrat Team wonders if there’s anyone who can beat his sculling record?
Drinking (again): He sank 1.3L of beer in 11 seconds after losing a bet.
The best dad: When he passed away, his daughter Sue said she still couldn’t comprehend that he was gone. She mentioned she’ll always remember ‘the gentle smiles, the grip of his hand, his pleasure in family and simple things like cauliflower cheese’. Wait what?
Super Big Ego (former): As funny as this sounds, the passing of his older brother left his mother instilling a messianic belief in Bob’s destiny, causing him to boast about becoming a Prime Minister when he was 15.
Near-death Awakening: No this isn’t an episode of TV troupes. Bob Hawke became who he is after a near-death accident while riding a Panther motorcycle when he was 17. He came to appreciate his own time talents a lot more after the incident and was determined not to waste his life.
Nadya Labiba is an Indonesian-Australian currently in her fourth year of Journalism and Languages and Cultures at University of Technology Sydney. Aside from interning at Captain Bagrat, Nadya is an avid community volunteer and a published contributor at Central News. LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadya-labiba-42141a15b/ Instagram @nadrlabiba Bevin Liu is an ABC (Australian-born Chinese) in every sense of the word. Thinking that her life was set on a law degree, she is now going into the third year of her undergraduate degree in Journalism and International Studies (Majoring in China). On top of occasionally dropping into Captain Bagrats, she is working as a journalist for a regional newspaper, as the planning editor for Central News and trying to balance it with her new responsibilities as a member of UTS’s Academic Board. She would dabble in her love for animals and strange things through the university’s Cat Society and StartUp Link in her spare time. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bevin-liu/
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