1946 in Australia
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| 1946 in Australia | |
| Monarch | George VI |
|---|---|
| Governor-General | Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester |
| Prime Minister | Ben Chifley |
| Population | 7,465,157 |
| Elections | Federal, TAS |
See also: 1945 in Australia, other events of 1946, 1947 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.
Contents |
[edit] Incumbents
- Prime Minister - Ben Chifley
- Governor General - Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
- Premier of New South Wales - William McKell
- Premier of South Australia - Thomas Playford IV
- Premier of Queensland - Frank Cooper (until March 7) then Ned Hanlon
- Premier of Tasmania - Robert Cosgrove
- Premier of Western Australia - Frank Wise
- Premier of Victoria - John Cain
[edit] Events
- January 26 - Foundation Day is renamed Australia Day
- February 18 - The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr. Norman Gilroy, becomes Cardinal Gilroy, the first Australian born member of the College of Cardinals
- March 10 - An Australian National Airways (ANA) DC3 aircraft crashes near Hobart, killing 25
- May 1 - At least 800 Aboriginal pastoral workers walk off the job in Northwest Western Australia, starting one of the longest industrial strikes in Australia
- July 19 - Orange, New South Wales is proclaimed a city
- September 9 - Trans Australia Airlines makes its first flight
[edit] Science & Technology
- August 7 - 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.
[edit] Arts and literature
- William Dargie wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of L. C. Robson
[edit] Film
- The Overlanders is released, starring Chips Rafferty
[edit] Sport
- 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
[edit] Births
- January 29 - Ian Meldrum, music personality
- February 8 - Bob Collins, politician
- March 3 - Tim Fischer, politician
- April 4 - Colin Coates, ice speed skater
- April 17 - Kerry O'Brien, middle-distance runner
- May 22 - David Graham, golfer
- July 9 - Bon Scott, singer (d. 1980)
- August 1 - Fiona Stanley, epidemiologist
- September 16 - Mike Reynolds, Qld Parliament Speaker
- October 10 - Anne Boyd, composer
- October 28 - John Hewson, politician
- November 2 - Alan Jones, racing driver
- December 20 - John Bertrand, yachtsman
[edit] Deaths
- March 20 - Ethel Richardson, writer (b. 1870)
- September 13 - William Watt, Premier of Victoria (b. 1871)
