Bert Hawke
A pragmatic and folksy Labor premier who modernized Western Australia, championing industrial development and social housing with relentless energy.
1900–1986 (age 86)·Australian politician·Birthday: December 3·The Lost Generation
Biography
Bert Hawke, a cousin of a future prime minister, was a force of nature in Western Australian politics. His style was not that of a distant statesman but of a hands-on, back-slapping campaigner who connected deeply with ordinary voters. As state Labor leader and premier for six years in the 1950s, he presided over a period of ambitious modernization. Hawke was a builder in the most literal sense; his government aggressively pursued industrial projects to diversify the economy beyond agriculture and mining, and he launched a massive public housing program to address a severe postwar shortage. His approach was fundamentally practical: identify a problem, find the resources, and get it done. While his tenure ended before the mining boom that would transform the state, Hawke's efforts in infrastructure and social policy laid crucial groundwork, cementing his reputation as one of Western Australia's most consequential and energetically effective leaders.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Bert was born in 1900, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1900
Bert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1900Born
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1905Started school
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Became a teenager
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1916Could drive
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Could vote
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Turned 21
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1930Turned 30
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 40
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 50
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 60
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 70
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 80
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1986Died at 86
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
Key Achievements
- Served as the 18th Premier of Western Australia, leading the state from 1953 to 1959.
- Oversaw a major expansion of public housing, constructing thousands of homes to alleviate a critical shortage.
- Actively promoted industrial development, including the establishment of the Kwinana industrial area south of Perth.
Did You Know?
He was the first cousin of Bob Hawke, who later became Prime Minister of Australia.
Before entering politics full-time, he worked as a railway clerk and a trade union official.
He was known for his exceptional memory for names and faces, a key asset in his retail political style.
“The best policy is the one that puts a meal on a worker's table.”
