1948 in Australia

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The following lists events that happened during 1948 in Australia.

1948 in Australia
MonarchyGeorge VI
Governor-GeneralWilliam McKell
Prime ministerBen Chifley
Population7,708,761
ElectionsTAS

←

Flag of Australia.svg
 1948
in
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Decades:
  • 1920s
  • 1930s
  • 1940s
  • 1950s
  • 1960s
See also:
  • Other events of 1948
  • Timeline of Australian history

Incumbents[]

Ben Chifley
  • Monarch – George VI
  • Governor General – William McKell
  • Prime Minister – Ben Chifley
  • Chief Justice – Sir John Latham

State Premiers[]

  • Premier of New South Wales – James McGirr
  • Premier of Queensland – Ned Hanlon
  • Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
  • Premier of Tasmania – Edward Brooker (until 25 February), then Robert Cosgrove
  • Premier of Victoria – Thomas Hollway
  • Premier of Western Australia – Ross McLarty

State Governors[]

  • Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Northcott
  • Governor of Queensland – Sir John Lavarack
  • Governor of South Australia – Sir Charles Norrie
  • Governor of Tasmania – Sir Hugh Binney
  • Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan
  • Governor of Western Australia – Sir James Mitchell (from 5 October)

Events[]

Launch of the first Holden
  • 23 January – De Havilland Australia conducts the first flight of its 3 engined Drover transport aircraft at Bankstown Airport.
  • 19 February – An Avro Lincoln bomber crashes at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, killing 16 Royal Australian Air Force personnel.
  • 25 February – Robert Cosgrove is reinstated as Premier of Tasmania after being cleared of corruption charges on 22 February.
  • 8 May – Margaret McIntyre becomes the first woman elected to the Parliament of Tasmania. She is killed in a plane crash later in the year.
  • 29 May – A federal referendum is held, asking one question on Rents and Prices. It is not carried.
  • 1 July – The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is introduced.
  • 21 August – A state election is held in Tasmania. The result is a hung parliament, but Robert Cosgrove and Labor retain power with the support of an independent, William Wedd.
  • 2 September – The Douglas DC-3 Lutana crashes near Nundle, New South Wales, killing all 13 on board.
  • 21 September – H.V. Evatt becomes President of the United Nations General Assembly.
  • 29 November – The first Holden car, the model 48-215, popularly known as the FX, rolls off the assembly line. The on-road cost was approximately £760.
  • 1 December – The body of an unidentified man is found on a beach in Adelaide in the Tamam Shud case.
  • 16 December – HMAS Sydney is commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy as its first aircraft carrier.

Arts and literature[]

Main article: 1948 in Australian literature
  • William Dobell wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Margaret Olley[1]
  • One of the few Australian songs to top the Australian charts "Good-Night Mister Moon" by Allan Ryan and William Flynn [2][3]


Sport[]

  • 18 September – Minor premiers Western Suburbs win the 1948 NSWRFL season, claiming their first premiership since 1934 after defeating Balmain 8–5. North Sydney finish in last place, claiming the wooden spoon.
  • Morna takes line honours and Westward wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
  • Rimfire wins the Melbourne Cup

Births[]

  • 5 January – Wally Foreman, football commentator (died 2006)
  • 23 January – Glenn Wheatley, musician and talent manager (died 2022)
  • 25 January – Ros Kelly, politician
  • 10 February – Mike Pratt, politician
  • 2 March – Jeff Kennett, Premier of Victoria (1992–1999)
  • 13 March – Rick Amor, artist
  • 19 March – Vince Lovegrove, singer, journalist and band manager (died 2012)
  • 27 March – Rosemary Follett, Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (1989, 1991–1995)
  • 31 March – Graham Cornes, Australian rules footballer
  • 2 April – Jennifer Rowe, children's author
  • 29 April – Leslie Howard, musician
  • 15 May – Muriel Porter, Anglican laywoman
  • 28 May – Michael Field, Premier of Tasmania (1989–1992)
  • 11 June – Pat Wilson, singer and journalist
  • 21 June – Lionel Rose, boxer (died 2011)
  • 30 June – Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Aboriginal leader
  • 15 July – Richard Franklin, film director (died 2007)
  • 24 July – Joan London, writer
  • 7 August – Greg Chappell, cricketer
  • 18 August – Richard Tracey, Australian military and civil judge and barrister (died 2019)
  • 19 August – Robert Hughes, actor
  • 20 August – John Noble, actor
  • 12 September – Max Walker, cricketer and VFL footballer (died 2016)
  • 18 September – Christopher Skase, fugitive businessman (died 2001)
  • 22 September – Denis Burke, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory (1999–2001)
  • 25 September – Vicki Viidikas, poet (died 1998)
  • 26 September – Olivia Newton-John, entertainer
  • 3 October – Rob Langer, cricketer
  • 4 October – Bob Morris, racing driver
  • 5 October – Jim Waley, journalist
  • 8 October – Warren Truss, leader of the National Party
  • 19 October – Meg Lees, Democrat senator for South Australia
  • 30 October – Garry McDonald, actor
  • 5 November – Malcolm Milne, Olympic skier
  • 6 November – Geoff Prosser, politician
  • 14 November – Ian Stanley, golfer (died 2018)
  • 15 November – James Kemsley, cartoonist (died 2007)
  • 22 November – Gary Dempsey, Australian rules footballer
  • 1 December – John Quigley, WA politician
  • 2 December – Patricia Hewitt, British Labour Party politician[4]
  • 5 December – Cheryl Kernot, politician
  • 12 December – Kim Beazley, politician
  • 15 December – Cassandra Harris, actor (died 1991)
  • 29 December – Michael White, psychotherapist (died 2008)

Deaths[]

Sir Isaac Isaacs
Philip Collier
  • 12 February – Sir Isaac Isaacs, 9th Governor-General of Australia and 3rd Chief Justice of Australia (b. 1855)
  • 23 March – Lou Cunningham, New South Wales politician (b. 1889)
  • 24 March – Sydney Sampson, Victorian politician and newspaper proprietor (b. 1863)
  • 9 April – George Carpenter, 5th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1872)
  • 15 April – Eric Fairweather Harrison, Victorian politician and soldier (b. 1880)
  • 20 May – Marie Pitt, poet and journalist (b. 1869)
  • 8 June – Thomas Crawford, Queensland politician (b. 1865)
  • 18 June – Edward Brooker, 31st Premier of Tasmania (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1891)
  • 18 July – May Moss, welfare worker and suffragette (b. 1869)
  • 21 July – Francis Joseph Bayldon, master mariner and nautical instructor (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1872)
  • 24 July – Stanley Goble, 2nd Chief of the Air Staff (b. 1891)
  • 31 July – Nigel Barker, Olympic track and field athlete (b. 1883)
  • 28 August – Jack Lumsdaine, singer, songwriter and soldier (b. 1895)
  • 2 September – Margaret McIntyre, Tasmanian politician (b. 1886)
  • 9 September – Frank Foster, New South Wales politician (b. 1872)
  • 18 October
    • George Cann, New South Wales politician (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1871)
    • Philip Collier, 14th Premier of Western Australia (b. 1873)
  • 8 December – Matthew Charlton, 7th Federal Leader of the Opposition (b. 1866)

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Winner: Archibald Prize 1948 - William Dobell". artgallery.nsw.gov.au. Art Gallery of NSW. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  2. ^ "Allan's7th Song Hit Folio". Allan's Song Hit Folio series. Vol. VII, no. 1. New South Wales, Australia. 1 January 1948. p. 6. Retrieved 18 November 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "THESE TWO ARE AUSTRALIA'S ACE SONG-WRITING TEAM". Smith's Weekly. Vol. XXXI, no. 42. New South Wales, Australia. 17 December 1949. p. 6. Retrieved 18 November 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Ms Patricia Hewitt (Hansard)". api.parliament.uk.
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