In pictures: Bob Hawke’s 80 years

Bob Hawke, recently celebrated his 80th birthday. The former Labor Prime Minister of Australia was Australia’s 23rd Prime Minister and the country’s longest serving Labor Party Prime Minister.

Throughout his political career, Bob Hawke welcomed a number of the world’s most fascinating and influential people to Australia. This included Princess Diana when she visited Canberra in 1983.

Bob Hawke welcomed Pope John Paul II during his Papal tour of Australia in 1986.

Bob Hawke welcomed Queen Elizabeth II to Australia alongside his wife Blanche and John Howard at the Opening Ceremony for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Bob Hawke with Margaret Thatcher at the Australian War Memorial in 1988.

Bob Hawke faces the media scrum during his 1987 Labor Campaign. He held his postion from 1983 to 1991.

Bob married Blanche D’Alpuget in 1995 at a ceremony in Sydney.

After only being in politics for three years Bob became Prime Minister of Australia. He went on to achieve the very unlikely position of winning four consecutive federal elections.