True to her own life, Blanche d’Alpuget leaves a rule to live by: ‘Love one another’
Blanche d’Alpuget, a celebrated Australian author and the wife of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, has died at age 82. Colleagues and political figures are remembering her as a fierce intellectual and a significant public figure in her own right.
Why it matters
D’Alpuget was a prominent cultural figure whose life and work intersected significantly with Australian political history.
Blanche d'Alpuget, pictured in 2006, has died at the age of 82. Blanche d'Alpuget, pictured in 2006, has died at the age of 82. Australian politics True to her own life, Blanche d’Alpuget leaves a rule to live by: ‘Love one another’ D’Alpuget was a successful author who brought her own star power to her relationship with her ‘great love’, Bob Hawke
Blanche d’Alpuget, writer and wife of Bob Hawke, dies aged 82
Craig Emerson: ‘Blanche d’Alpuget wasn’t just Bob Hawke’s wife. She was a fierce intellect who only saw the good in people’
Tory Shepherd Wed 9 Sep 2026 11.00 EDT Last modified on Wed 9 Sep 2026 18.09 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google Long before “Bob & Blanche” was scrawled on a three-tier wedding cake in red icing, Blanche d’Alpuget was a star in her own right.
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