1946 in Australia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following lists events that happened during 1946 in Australia.

1946 in Australia
MonarchyGeorge VI
Governor-GeneralPrince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
Prime ministerBen Chifley
Population7,465,157
ElectionsFederal, TAS

←

Flag of Australia.svg
 1946
in
Australia

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Decades:
  • 1920s
  • 1930s
  • 1940s
  • 1950s
  • 1960s
See also:

Incumbents[]

Ben Chifley
  • Monarch – George VI
  • Governor-General – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
  • Prime Minister – Ben Chifley
  • Chief Justice – Sir John Latham

State Premiers[]

State Governors[]

  • Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Northcott (from 1 August)
  • Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson (until 23 April), then Sir John Lavarack (from 1 October)
  • Governor of South Australia – Sir Charles Norrie
  • Governor of Tasmania – Sir Hugh Binney
  • Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan
  • Governor of Western Australia – none appointed

Events[]

  • 26 January – Foundation Day is renamed Australia Day.
  • 18 February – The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr. Norman Gilroy, becomes Cardinal Gilroy, the first Australian born member of the College of Cardinals
  • 10 March – An Australian National Airways DC-3 aircraft crashes near Hobart, killing 25 people.
  • 1 May – At least 800 Aboriginal pastoral workers walk off the job in Northwest Western Australia, starting one of the longest industrial strikes in Australia.
  • 6 June – The ABC makes the first national broadcast of a federal parliamentary debate.
  • 19 July – Orange, New South Wales is proclaimed a city.
  • 30 August – Lismore, New South Wales is proclaimed a city.
  • 9 September – Trans Australia Airlines makes its first flight.
  • 28 September – A federal election is held. The Australian Labor Party and Prime Minister Ben Chifley are returned to power. A three-question referendum is also held: the question on Social Services is carried; questions on Marketing and Industrial Employment are not.
  • 23 November – A general election is held in Tasmania. The Labor Party led by Robert Cosgrove is returned to power with a reduced majority.
  • 13 December – The United Nations grants Australia trusteeship of Territory of New Guinea and Territory of Papua.

Science and technology[]

  • 7 August – Overseas Telecommunications Commission established by an Act of Parliament in August 1946. It inherited facilities and resources from Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Limited (AWA) and Cable & Wireless, and was charged with responsibility for all international telecommunications services into, through and out of Australia.

Arts and literature[]

Main article: 1946 in Australian literature
  • William Dargie wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of L. C. Robson

Film[]

Politics[]

  • establishment of the

Sport[]

  • 14 September – Balmain win the 1946 NSWRFL season, defeating St. George 13–12 in the grand final. South Sydney, after not winning a game all season, finish in last place, claiming the wooden spoon for the second year in a row.
  • Morna takes line honours and Christina wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
  • Russia wins the Melbourne Cup
  • New Zealand defeats Australia 2–0 in a Rugby union test

Births[]

  • 29 January – Ian Meldrum, music personality
  • 8 February – Bob Collins, politician (died 2007)
  • 24 February – Bob Pearce, politician
  • 3 March – Tim Fischer, politician (died 2019)
  • 4 April – Colin Coates, ice speed skater
  • 17 April – Kerry O'Brien, middle-distance runner
  • 22 May – David Graham, golfer
  • 3 June – Tristan Rogers, Australian-American actor
  • 9 July – Bon Scott, singer (died 1980)
  • 1 August – Fiona Stanley, epidemiologist
  • 15 August – Victor Salvemini, Paralympic athlete (died 2020)
  • 1 September – Barry Gibb, musician-songwriter (Bee Gees)
  • 16 September – Mike Reynolds, Qld Parliament Speaker
  • 10 October – Anne Boyd, composer
  • 18 October – Penelope Wensley, Governor of Queensland (2008–2014)
  • 28 October – John Hewson, politician
  • 30 October – Doug Parkinson, singer (died 2021)
  • 2 November – Alan Jones, racing driver
  • 20 December – John Bertrand, yachtsman

Deaths[]

  • 2 January – Joe Darling, test cricket captain (b. 1870)
  • 12 February – Sir David Gordon, South Australian politician (d. 1946)[1]
  • 20 March – Ethel Richardson, writer (b. 1870)
  • 13 September – William Watt, Premier of Victoria (b. 1871)

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Rob Van Den Hoorn (1983). Bede Nairn; Geoff Serle (eds.). Gordon, Sir David John (1865–1946). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 9. Melbourne University Press. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
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