1913 in Australia
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The following lists events that happened during 1913 in Australia.
| 1913 in Australia | |
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| Monarch | George V |
| Governor-General | Thomas Denman, 3rd Baron Denman |
| Prime minister | Andrew Fisher, then Joseph Cook |
| Population | 4,820,172 |
| Elections | Federal, New South Wales, Tasmania |
Incumbents
- Monarch – George V
- Governor-General – Thomas Denman, 3rd Baron Denman
- Prime Minister – Andrew Fisher (until 24 June), then Joseph Cook
- Chief Justice – Samuel Griffith
State premiers
- Premier of New South Wales – James McGowen (until 29 June), then William Holman
- Premier of Queensland – Digby Denham
- Premier of South Australia – Archibald Peake
- Premier of Tasmania – Albert Solomon
- Premier of Victoria – William Watt (until 9 December), then George Elmslie
- Premier of Western Australia – John Scaddan
State governors
- Governor of New South Wales – Frederic Thesiger, 3rd Baron Chelmsford (until 11 March), then Gerald Strickland (from 14 March)
- Governor of Queensland – William MacGregor
- Governor of South Australia – Day Bosanquet
- Governor of Tasmania – Harry Barron (until 10 March), then William Ellison-Macartney (from 4 June)
- Governor of Victoria – John Fuller
- Governor of Western Australia – Gerald Strickland (until 4 March), then Harry Barron (from 17 March)
Events
- 2 January – Australian philately proper begins in early 1913 with the Kangaroo and Map series of stamps, featuring a kangaroo standing on a map of Australia, and inscribed "AUSTRALIA POSTAGE".
- 12 March – Canberra is named by Gertrude Denman
- 1 May – The first national banknotes were introduced in denominations of 10 shillings, and 1, 5, and 10 pounds.
- 31 May – Australian referendum, 1913 contained six questions: Trade and Commerce, Corporations, Industrial Matters, Trusts, Monopolies, Railway Disputes. None of these were carried.
- 21 June – HMAS Australia, commissioned at Portsmouth and sailed to Australia to become the Australian flagship.
- Royal Commission appointed to inquire into certain charges against Henry Chinn; Chinn was supervising engineer for the transcontinental railway in Western Australia.
- Royal Commission on Northern Territory railways and ports
- Royal Commission on powellised timber
- Golden Fleece Company established by HC Sleigh; acquired by Caltex in 1981
- The Workers' Educational Association founded; it is Australia's largest non-government adult community education organisation.
- From 1859 until 1913, a squadron of the Royal Navy was maintained in Australian waters.
- Norfolk Island Act 1913 meant that Norfolk Island became an Australia Territory under the authority of the Australian Commonwealth.
Science and technology
- Amalgamation took place between Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Co. Ltd and the Australian Wireless Company forming Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Limited.
- The first totalisator, an entirely mechanical system invented by the Australian George Julius of Julius Poole & Gibson Pty Ltd, was installed at Ellerslie Racecourse in New Zealand.
Arts and literature
Film
- Moondyne
- Australia Calls, Raymond Longford's last film for Cozens Spencer was released.
- Frank Hurley's actuality film, The Home of the Blizzard, about the Douglas Mawson expedition to Antarctica, was released.
Sport
- The 1913 VFL (now AFL) Premiership was won by Fitzroy
- The 1913 NSWRFL Premiership is won by Eastern Suburbs
- Posinatus wins the Melbourne Cup
- South Australia wins the 1912–13 Sheffield Shield
- The Australian cricket team toured USA and Canada in June to August, playing five matches, four in Philadelphia and one in Toronto.
Births
- 24 January – Ray Stehr (died 1983), rugby league footballer
- 20 February – Mary Durack, author and historian (died 1994)
- 5 March - Darby Munro, jockey
- 6 March – Ken Kennedy, ice speed skater (died 1985)
- 4 April – Dave Brown (died 1974), rugby league footballer
- 2 October – Roma Mitchell, Australia's first female QC, and first female judge; judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia and subsequently Governor of South Australia.
- 30 December – Elyne Mitchell, Australian author (died 2002)
