A photograph of Prime Minister Bob Hawke being interviewed by the media, including Warragul Gazette journalist Carolyn Turner on the right, during a visit to Warragul in the 1980s.
Ms Turner, who went on to be a long-serving editor, recalls Mr Hawke berating a journalist with many expletives about the nature of his question. However, he turned on the charm when answering her questions on local issues.
Mr Hawke was Australia's 23rd prime minister from March 1983 to December 1991.
Elected to the position after only two years in parliament, Mr Hawke was the longest-serving Labor prime minister with four terms in office.
He visited the electorate regularly through the 1980s, both as ACTU president when he milked a cow at Farm World and as prime minister in support of election campaigns for local MP Barry Cunningham. Mr Hawke visited Warragul twice in seven months in 1989. On both occasions, he was greeted with a rowdy welcome and demonstrators.
At the West Gippsland Arts Centre in May, and later, in December, pharmacists turned out to voice opposition to the Hawke government's proposal to reduce prescription funding.
On a previous visit to Trafalgar in 1980, Mr Hawke was unimpressed when told the League of Rights had been active in the area, distributing material defending Germany's role in World War II and anti-Jewish literature. Chatting to drinkers at the Trafalgar Hotel, he was made aware of a League of Rights protestor in attendance with a huge placard attacking Mr Hawke and the Labor Party. Mr Hawke's name had been mis-spelt.
Photograph and information courtesy of the Warragul Gazette.