1970 in Australia

← 1969 1968 1967 1970 in Australia → 1971 1972 1973
Decades:	1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
See also:	Other events of 1970 Timeline of Australian history

Incumbents

• Prime Minister – John Gorton
• Governor-General – Paul Hasluck
• Premier of New South Wales – Robert Askin
• Premier of South Australia – Steele Hall; Don Dunstan
• Premier of Queensland – Joh Bjelke-Petersen
• Premier of Tasmania – Angus Bethune
• Premier of Western Australia – David Brand
• Premier of Victoria – Henry Bolte

Events

• 1 January - Newcastle, New South Wales suffers a fierce hailstorm.
• 3 January - Police in Liverpool, Sydney conduct a high speed car chase after Wally Mellish, a central figure in the July 1968 Glenfield siege.
• 4 January - The Victorian Government appoints William Kaye, QC to investigate allegations that some senior police officers took bribes from abortionists.
  • 1,000 New South Wales state powerhouse operators go on strike.
• 5 January - Federal Opposition Leader Gough Whitlam tells a meeting of Wewak Councillors in Port Moresby that the Territory House of Assembly was a "rubber stamp" for policies formulated in Canberra.
• 7 January - The U.S. seismic survey vessel Polaris catches fire at Port Adelaide, causing $750,000 worth of damage.
  • Federal Opposition Leader Gough Whitlam announces in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea that a New Guinean would be appointed as Administrator of the Territory immediately if Labor won the next election.
  • The Australian Wheatgrowers' Federation recommends a national wheat quota reduction for the 1970-71 season.
• 8 January - The Army Minister Andrew Peacock denies the statement made the previous day by Dr. Cairns of the Victorian Labor Party that Australian officers in Vietnam had suggested to troops that they would be home by June.
  • Queensland Labor Senator G. Georges rejects oil company assurances that drilling in the Great Barrier Reef area could be done in such away that the reef would be preserved in an untouched state.
• 12 January - Prime Minister John Gorton announces the number of cannons to be distributed and the locations of these cannons for the Captain Cook celebrations. New South Wales, Canberra and Queensland will each receive one of the six cannons jettisoned by Captain Cook from the Endeavour on the Great Barrier Reef in 1770.
  • National Development Minister R.W.C. Swartz announces that an Australian team is in San Francisco drawing up specifications for Australia's first nuclear power station to be stationed at Jervis Bay.
  • Three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer vanishes from Fairy Meadow Beach near Wollongong.
• 13 January - US Vice-President Spiro Agnew arrives in Canberra. 14 are arrested during protests outside Parliament House over Mr. Agnew's visit on 14 January.
• 14 January - Prime Minister Gorton announces that Ampol Exploration Ltd. is not proceeding with its intention to drill for oil in the Great Barrier Reef pending a thorough examination of whether there might be damage to the reef.^[1]
• 15 January - Sydney police receive a $10,000 ransom note for the return of missing three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer.
  • Canberra police investigate possibly dangerous chemicals thrown into the swimming pool of the Prime Minister's Lodge which appeared to be eating into the tiled walls of the pool in which Prime Minister Gorton swims every morning.
• 17 January – Cyclone Ada hits Central Queensland, killing 14.
• 19 January - Queensland Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen agrees to a Commonwealth-State inquiry into oil-drilling on the Great Barrier Reef.
  • Prime Minister John Gorton announces that Federal Cabinet has accepted the recommendation of a Senate select committee for Australia to adopt the metric system of weights and measures.
  • The six Premiers unanimously agree in Adelaide to approach Prime Minister John Gorton with a long-range plan aimed at States levying their own income-tax.
• 21 January - A thunderstorm in Brisbane causes damage to 1,000 homes, widespread power blackouts and peak-hour traffic chaos.
  • Dr. R.E.Klugman, Labor MP for Prospect, reveals that a middle-aged Ukrainian migrant, Mr. Bronislaw Chyrzynski, had been held in Long Bay Gaol for nearly four weeks because he could not speak English.
• 22 January - Seven men, including high-ranking Victorian police officers are named in connection with an alleged abortion protection racket at the Victorian Government's Board of Inquiry into allegations of police corruption over abortions.
  • Federal Cabinet reaches a final agreement on the introduction of common health fees acceptable to the Australian Medical Association.
  • Primary Industry Minister Mr. J.D. Anthony, announces at Casino that Australia has agreed to sell about 30,000 tons of meat - worth about $25 million- to Russia within the next six months.
• 21 April – The Hutt River Province Principality is established.
• 3 May – A new international terminal is opened at Sydney Airport
• 1 July – Melbourne Airport is officially opened.
• 15 October – A portion of the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne collapses, killing 35
• Pope Paul VI visits Australia.
• Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family tour Australia.

Arts and literature

• Germaine Greer publishes her book, The Female Eunuch.
• Eric Smith wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait Gruzman – Architect
• Frederick Bates wins the Wynne Prize for landscape with his painting Redfern – Southern Portal
• Dal Stivens's novel A Horse of Air wins the Miles Franklin Award

Film

• The Naked Bunyip
• The Set

\\* Squeeze a Flower

Sport

• 26 September - Carlton defeats Collingwood by 10 points in the VFL Grand Final. In other Australian rules football leagues Clarence defeated New Norfolk in the TFL, Sturt defeated Glenelg in the SANFL and it was South Fremantle defeating Perth in the WANFL.
• 19 September — The South Sydney Rabbitohs defeated Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the NSWRL Grand Final at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Souths captain John Sattler played most of the game with a broken jaw.
• 26 September – John Farrington wins his second men's national marathon title, clocking 2:15:27 in Werribee.
• Baghdad Note wins the Melbourne Cup.
• Victoria wins the Sheffield Shield.
• Buccaneer takes line honours and Pacha wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
• The US yacht Intrepid defeats the Australian yacht Gretel II in the America's Cup.
• Australia defeats Germany 3-0 in the Federation Cup.
• Margaret Court becomes the second woman to win the Grand Slam of tennis.
• John Newcombe wins both the singles and doubles championships at Wimbledon.
• Johnny Famechon defeats Fighting Harada to retain the WBC featherweight championship.

Births

• 8 January – Rachel Friend, actress
• 27 January – Bradley Clyde, rugby league footballer
• 9 February – Glenn McGrath, cricketer
• 10 February – Melissa Doyle, television personality
• 25 February – Peter Lew, businessman
• 4 April – Jason Stoltenberg, tennis player
• 11 May – Dean Capobianco, track and field sprinter
• 25 May – Danni Roche, field hockey player
• 8 June – Stephen Renouf, rugby league footballer
• 4 July – Tony Vidmar, soccer player
• 8 July – Lisa Powell, field hockey forward
• 10 July – Adam Hills, comedian and television presenter
• 13 July – Sandon Stolle, tennis player
• 19 July – Ashley Paske, actor
• 27 August – Andy Bichel, cricketer
• 4 September – Deni Hines, singer
• 8 October - Simon Lunn, rugby player and long distance runner
• 17 November – Tania Zaetta, television personality
• 18 November – Peta Wilson, actress
• 26 November – Dave Hughes, comedian

Deaths

• 17 February – John Jensen (born 1884), public servant
• 1 May – Nan Chauncy (born 1900), children's author
• 13 May – William Dobell (born 1899), artist and sculptor
• 21 May – E. L. Grant Watson (born 1885), writer and anthropologist
• 2 July – Jessie Street (born 1889), suffragette and feminist
• 12 December – Doris Blackburn (born 1889), women's rights activist and politician
• 14 December – William Slim (born 1897), former Governor General

References