Former prime minister Bob Hawke was “more than prepared” for death, his wife Blanche d'Alpuget has revealed.

In her first interview since Hawke’s death, d’Alpuget told Leigh Sales on ABC’s 7.30 that he was ready for the end of his life as he could not “make any further contribution”.

The country’s 23rd prime minister died last week at the age of 89.

She said, “In fact two days before he died, we had a friend over here, a very old friend, and he said, ‘Well, it’s not long now. It’s very soon.’

“He said to me, ‘I can’t make any further contribution. I’ve got no contribution to make now.’ Which was one of the reasons he wanted to die because he thought of his life as contributing to society.”

d’Alpuget revealed that the former Labor leader did not vote in the federal election before he died. “He decided he wasn’t going to postal vote,” she said. “He was going to go up in his wheelchair and vote, but he didn’t get there.”

Given Labor’s shocking loss, she said it was “probably a good thing that he died when he did”.

She said while the final year of Hawke’s life was difficult, it was also “one of the best times of our lives”.

d’Alpuget shared that being her husband’s carer gave her a new perspective on their relationship. 

“We often said to each other, we’ve been blessed to have this period together,” she said.

“We had the joy of mature love and then the love of old age.

“People don’t realise — now I really am not going to cry — how wonderful it can be to look after somebody you love when they’re old and dying.

“There’s a great deal of intimacy. There, there are no secrets, there are no pretenses. You’re getting the true human being on both sides.”

.@leighsales: How do you think the love of old age does differs to young love? Because people don't talk about this very often.
Blanche: There's a great deal of softness. There's a great deal of intimacy. There are no secrets, there are no pretenses. #abc730 #auspol pic.twitter.com/5wUgkJqqqx

— abc730 (@abc730) May 23, 2019

When discussing Hawke’s public achievements, d’Alpuget said her husband was most proud of his role in helping end apartheid, ban mining on Antarctica and the release of Nelson Mandela.

The rivalry between Hawke and Paul Keating had also dissolved in recent years, d’Alpuget said. “Paul really wanted to come over and see him, it was lovely. And it was great. They sat and they yarned about old times. Paul came a few times.

“They always took each other’s phone calls, where there were party issues to discuss. So it wasn’t as the press presented this. It wasn’t at all like that.”

d’Alpuget released the statement on Hawke’s death last week. “Bob was dearly loved by his family, and so many friends and colleagues. We will miss him,” she wrote.

“The golden bowl is broken.”