Bob Hawke – aka Australia’s Last And Possibly Only Prime Minister That The Majority Of Australians Genuinely Liked – was farewelled on Friday 14 June in a state memorial held, naturally, at the Opera House.
Like the state funeral for his predecessor Gough Whitlam music was played an integral role, including a truly stunning rendition of ‘Down Under’ – the song most associated with the outward looking, optimistic Hawke years – opening with didge before unfolding into a complete orchestral performance by the Sydney Symphony.
Turn this up, friends, and just try not to choke up.
And as befits the man and his legacy, the event included a performance of the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ (no, not the Leonard Cohen song – you know, the thing from Handel’s Messiah) for which he even turned up to conduct – in video form, at least
The footage came from this 80th birthday celebrations, when he got to wave the baton for the Australian Symphony Orchestra.
Rest well, Bob. You did good.