1947 in Australia
| 1947 in Australia | |
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| Monarchy | George VI |
| Governor-General | Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, then William McKell |
| Prime minister | Ben Chifley |
| Population | 7,579,358 |
| Elections | VIC, NSW, QLD, WA, SA |
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Incumbents
- Monarch – King George VI
- Governor-General – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (until 11 March), then William McKell
- Prime Minister – Ben Chifley
State Premiers
- Premier of New South Wales – William McKell (until 6 February), then James McGirr
- Premier of Queensland – Ned Hanlon
- Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
- Premier of Tasmania – Robert Cosgrove (until 18 December), then Edward Brooker
- Premier of Victoria – John Cain (until 20 November), then Thomas Hollway
- Premier of Western Australia – Frank Wise (until 1 April), then 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 – none appointed
Events
- 1 January – A massive hailstorm strikes Sydney, causing hundreds of injuries and an estimated ₤1 million damage.[1]
- 6 February – William McKell stands down as Premier of New South Wales following royal approval of his appointment as Governor-General. The Labor Party elects James McGirr as its leader and the new Premier.[2]
- 15 March – A state election is held in Western Australia. The Labor government of Frank Wise is defeated by the Liberal/Country coalition led by Ross McLarty.[3]
- 3 May – A state election is held in Queensland. Ned Hanlon's Labor government is returned for its sixth term in government.[4]
- 1 April – The Woomera rocket range is established in South Australia as a testing site for British and Australian missiles.
- 5 May – A train derails in the Camp Mountain rail accident in Queensland, killing 16 people.
- 15–17 June – Major flooding in Tasmania.
- 30 June – The Australian government assumes control of Qantas.[5]
- 1 July – Real estate company L. J. Hooker is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.
- 5 August – Australia becomes a member of the International Monetary Fund.
- 30 August – The Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration grants workers a 40-hour week.
- 8 November – A state election is held in Victoria, after the upper house blocks supply.[6] The Labor minority government of John Cain is defeated by a Liberal–Country coalition led by Thomas Hollway.[7]
- 18 November – Australia reduces its trade tariffs after ratifying the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in Geneva.
- 18 December – Robert Cosgrove resigns as Premier of Tasmania after being indicted on charges of bribery and corruption. Edward Brooker is sworn in as his replacement the next day.[8]
- 26 December – Heard Island and McDonald Islands in Antarctica are transferred from British control to Australian territories.
Arts and literature
- 17 January – William Dargie wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Marcus Clarke.[9]
Sport
- 30 August – Fred Fanning, in his last league match, kicks a VFL/AFL record of eighteen goals against St. Kilda[10]
- 27 September – Carlton 13.8 (86) defeats Essendon 11.19 85 to win the 51st VFL Premiership in the 1947 VFL Grand Final.
- 4 November – Hiraji wins the Melbourne Cup.[11]
- 30 December – Morna takes line honours and Westward wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.[12][13]
- The Parramatta rugby league club is formed in Sydney's West.
Births
- 10 January – David Irvine, diplomat, Director-General of ASIS and ASIO
- 19 June – James Mason, field hockey player
- 28 July – Peter Cosgrove, Chief of the Defence Force (2002–05)
- 28 August – Jennie George, politician and trade unionist
- 28 September – Bob Carr, Premier of New South Wales (1995–2005); Senator and Minister for Foreign Affairs (2012–13)
- 2 November – David Ahern, composer (died 1988)
Deaths
- 16 January – Traugott Bernhard Zwar (born 1876), surgeon
- 27 February – Charles Hoadley (born 1887), geologist
- 25 April – Rupert Bunny (born 1864), artist
- 26 April – Hector Lamond (born 1865), federal politician
- 27 April – Robert Barr (born 1862), Victorian politician
- 27 April – Roland Green (born 1885), federal politician
- 16 May – William McCormack (born 1879), Premier of Queensland (1925–1929)
- 28 May – Walter Duncan (born 1883), New South Wales Senator
- 1 July – Edward Harold Davies (born 1867), musician, conductor and teacher
- 30 July – Joseph Cook (born 1860), Prime Minister of Australia
- 28 August – Matthew Reid (born 1856), Queensland politician, Senator
- 14 September – John Feetham (born 1873), Anglican Bishop of North Queensland (1913–1947)
- 26 October – John Bailey (born 1871), New South Wales politician
- 19 December – Arthur Wilson (born 1888), Australian rules footballer
References
- ↑ "Sydney's Hail Storm.". The Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA: National Library of Australia). 4 January 1947. p. 7. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
- ↑ "MR. J. McGIRR NEW PREMIER.". The Sydney Morning Herald (National Library of Australia). 6 February 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
- ↑ "Mr. Wise Resigns.". Geraldton Guardian and Express (WA: National Library of Australia). 1 April 1947. p. 5. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
- ↑ "LOSS OF 2 SEATS IN Q' LAND.". The Mail (Adelaide: National Library of Australia). 3 May 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
- ↑ "QANTAS AIRWAYS TAKEN OVER.". The Canberra Times (ACT: National Library of Australia). 3 July 1947. p. 6. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
- ↑ "SUPPLY REFUSED TO VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT.". The Canberra Times (National Library of Australia). 2 October 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
- ↑ "'I HAVE BEEN DEFEATED'—CAIN LABOR LANDSLIDE IN VICTORIAN ELECTION.". The Sunday Times (Perth: National Library of Australia). 9 November 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
- ↑ "DEVELOPMENTS IN TASMANIAN POLITICS.". The Canberra Times (ACT: National Library of Australia). 19 December 1947. p. 4. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
- ↑ "ARCHIBALD PRIZE TO VICTORIA.". The Argus (Melbourne: National Library of Australia). 18 January 1947. p. 4. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
- ↑ "Most Goals in a Game"
- ↑ "HIRAJI WINS MELBOURNE CUP.". The Advocate (Burnie, Tas.: National Library of Australia). 6 November 1947. p. 3. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
- ↑ "MORNA YACHT VICTORY.". The Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW: National Library of Australia). 31 December 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
- ↑ "PLACEGETTERS FINISHING.". The Mercury (Hobart, Tas.: National Library of Australia). 4 November 1947. p. 17. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
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