Blanche d'Alpuget: key obituary facts
Is Blanche d'Alpuget dead? Yes. Blanche d'Alpuget died on September 9, 2026, at age 82.
Cause of death: Blanche d'Alpuget's cause of death was reported as influenza.
What was Blanche d'Alpuget known for?
She was an Australian writer.
More about Blanche d'Alpuget
Born: 3 January 1944.
Place of birth: Sydney.
Gender: female.
Occupation: writer, novelist, biographer, journalist.
Nationality: Australia.
Education: University of Sydney.
Notable work: The Young Lion.
Awards: Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction.
Spouse: Bob Hawke.
Also known as: Josephine Blanche d'Alpuget.
Occupations: Biographer, novelist, activist.
Years active: 1973–2026.
Genres: Biography, drama, romance.
Blanche d’Alpuget, the Australian writer and widow of former prime minister Bob Hawke, died on September 9, 2026, aged 82, after complications from influenza.
Born Josephine Blanche d’Alpuget in Sydney on January 3, 1944, she built a career as a novelist, biographer and journalist. Her books included “The Young Lion,” and she was also recognized for her work in non-fiction, winning the Douglas Stewart Prize.
Educated at the University of Sydney, d’Alpuget was known publicly both for her writing and for her marriage to Hawke, Australia’s 23rd and longest-serving prime minister.