Australia lost one of its greats last Thursday with the death of Bob Hawke.
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Mr Hawke was Australia's longest serving Labor prime minister from 1983 to 1991 and he died aged 89, two days before Labor's shock loss in the federal election.
Former Labor state minister and two times mayor of Mount Isa Tony McGrady has shared his memories and photographs of Hawke.and he said Australia and the Labor Party had lost a great hero and he has lost of long-time friend.
"He stayed at our home one night when he was president of the ACTU (Australian Council of Trade Unions), and we always kept in contact," Mr McGrady said.
"Bob was a beautiful person, the way he is portrayed in the media was exactly how he was - he'd talk to anyone."
Mr McGrady said he had met many prime ministers but Hawke was "one on his own."
"He walked the international and domestic stage and everyone had a good word for him. He had no airs and graces," he said.
Mr McGrady shared his photos of Hawke with the North West Star from his many visits to Mount Isa.
One showed Mr McGrady as a state MP with former Mayor Franz Born in the background resplendent in a safari suit.
"I think Bob was here to open the lights at the junior soccer grounds," Mr McGrady said.
Another was taken at the Irish Club which featured Rob Hulls, then Labor member for Kennedy as well as Mr McGrady and his younger brother Terry who was over from England on holidays and who was seated next to Hawke .
"Bob Hawke was the only Australian politician well known in the UK and when Terry went home and showed his mates the photo, everyone thought Bob was a cardboard cut-out," Mr McGrady said.
"No one would believe he would sit down next to the prime minister of Australia."
Mr McGrady recalled that he and Ben Gillic arranged to play Gerry and the Pacemakers You'll Never Walk Alone as Hawke entered the Irish Club.
"Journalist Richard Carleton was there and he recalled it as one of the best political functions he'd ever been to," he said.
Another one taken in Mount Isa between 1990 and 1991 showed five Labor leaders: Bob Hawke, federal member Rob Hulls, state premier Wayne Goss, Mount Isa MP Tony McGrady and Mount Isa Mayor Ron McCullough.
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