ONE of the city’s greatest statesmen Bill Hayden will be farewelled with a State Funeral to honour his life.
Mr Hayden died on Saturday at the age of 90.
Born in Brisbane, he grew up in Ipswich as one of five children in a poor family.
He attended Brisbane State High School, leaving at 15. Soon after leaving school his father died and in 1953 Bill joined the Queensland police, partly to help support his mother.
He served in the Police force for eight years while he studied economics and politics at the University of Queensland.
In 1961 he won the seat of Oxley from Liberal Donald Cameron, who had served as a Minister in the Menzies Government, with a large swing and held the seat without loss until his retirement from politics in 1988. He served as Governor-General from 1989 to 1996.
Bill was Leader of the Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition in the aftermath of the Dismissal in 1975 when he was the last Labor MP left standing in Queensland.
He served as Leader from 1977 to 1983 when he relinquished the leadership to allow Bob Hawke to lead the party to an election many believed he would have won.
He was the Federal Treasurer in 1975 and Minister for Social Security under Gough Whitlam and served as Foreign Affairs Minister under Bob Hawke from 1983 to 1988.
Mr Hayden went on to become Australia’s Governor-General from 1989 to 1996.
One of his greatest achievements was in creating Medicare’s forerunner, Medibank. He also introduced the single mother’s pension and is known for promoting greater representation of women in the Labor Party.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remembered Bill Hayden 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,” Mr Albanese said.
“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. This was the quiet strength of character he brought to the cause of progress.”
As Leader of the Opposition Bill Hayden stood aside to allow Bob Hawke to lead the party to the 1983 election. Photo: LYLE RADFORD
Member for Blair Shayne Neumann described Bill Hayden as “one of the greatest Prime Ministers we never had”.
“A humble man from a working-class background, he went on to become a giant of the Labor Party and one of the greatest politicians of his generation,” Mr Neumann said.
“Bill Hayden was a selfless team player, and servant of the Australian people and our party.
“Indeed, as Opposition Leader following the Whitlam years, he rebuilt the modern Labor Party, putting in place reforms that allowed subsequent Labor governments – and the country – to succeed.
“He was my first Federal Member and served as the Member for Oxley for 27 years.
“Later, he and his wife Dallas became my constituents and long-term Somerset Region residents when they moved to Bryden in my electorate after Bill’s retirement
from public life.
“Most importantly, Bill was my mentor and my friend. He was a source of sage advice. He was a great Queenslander and a great Australian who changed our party and our country for the better.”
