Former Labor leader and Governor General Bill Hayden has died at the age of 90.
Born in 1933 in the inner north of Brisbane, Hayden left school at the age of 16 and worked in various jobs including as a police officer before entering federal parliament in 1961 at the age of 28, having won the Queensland seat of Oxley for Labor.
Hayden rose to Labor party leader, serving as leader of the opposition from 1977 to 1983 during the years when the Liberal Party’s Malcolm Fraser was prime minister.
In early 1983 he resigned his position as Labor leader when the party made it clear that Bob Hawke – who would be elected prime minister shortly afterwards – was the preferred choice.
Hayden later served as Australia’s 21st governor general from February 1989 to February 1996.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a statement on Saturday in which he saluted a man who he called “a legend of our labour movement”.
“As Prime Minister and Federal Labor Leader, I mourn Bill Hayden’s passing and honour his life,” Albanese said.
“My first thoughts are with Dallas, his beloved wife of 63 years, their children and all those who knew and loved him best.
“If Bill Hayden left no other legacy than as a key architect of universal healthcare, he would still stand for all time as a legend of our labour movement and a great contributor to our nation.
“Of course, in his lifetime of service, Bill gave so much more to the country he loved. Indeed in every role he held: Governor-General, Minister for Social Security, Treasurer, Foreign Minister and Labor Leader, Bill Hayden gave his utmost.
“In a time of forceful personalities, Bill Hayden was notable for his humility. Yet there was nothing modest about his ambition for Labor or Australia.”
