1946 in Australia
 |
The following lists events that happened during 1946 in Australia.
| 1946 in Australia | |
|---|---|
| Monarch | George VI |
| Governor-General | Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester |
| Prime minister | Ben Chifley |
| Population | 7,465,157 |
| Elections | Federal, TAS |
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| Decades: | |||||
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| See also: | |||||
Incumbents
- Monarch – King George VI
- Governor-General – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
- Prime Minister – Ben Chifley
- Chief Justice – Sir John Latham
State Premiers
- Premier of New South Wales – William McKell
- Premier of Queensland – Frank Cooper (until 7 March), then Ned Hanlon
- Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
- Premier of Tasmania – Robert Cosgrove
- Premier of Victoria – John Cain
- Premier of Western Australia – Frank Wise
State Governors
- Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Northcott (from 1 August)
- Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson (until 23 April), then Sir John Lavarack (from 1 October)
- 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
- 26 January – Foundation Day is renamed Australia Day.
- 18 February – The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr. Norman Gilroy, becomes Cardinal Gilroy, the first Australian born member of the College of Cardinals
- 10 March – An Australian National Airways DC-3 aircraft crashes near Hobart, killing 25 people.
- 1 May – At least 800 Aboriginal pastoral workers walk off the job in Northwest Western Australia, starting one of the longest industrial strikes in Australia.
- 6 June – The ABC makes the first national broadcast of a federal parliamentary debate.
- 19 July – Orange, New South Wales is proclaimed a city.
- 9 September – Trans Australia Airlines makes its first flight.
- 28 September – A federal election is held. The Australian Labor Party and Prime Minister Ben Chifley are returned to power. A three-question referendum is also held: the question on Social Services is carried; questions on Marketing and Industrial Employment are not.
- 23 November – A general election is held in Tasmania. The Labor Party led by Robert Cosgrove is returned to power with a reduced majority.
- 13 December – The United Nations grants Australia trusteeship of Territory of New Guinea and Territory of Papua.
Science and technology
- 7 August – 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.
Arts and literature
- William Dargie wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of L. C. Robson
Film
- The Overlanders is released, starring Chips Rafferty
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
Births
- 7 March- Carmel Patricia Pattison, MAD KEEN SEWER
- 29 January – Ian Meldrum, music personality
- 8 February – Bob Collins, politician
- 24 February – Bob Pearce, politician
- 3 March – Tim Fischer, politician
- 4 April – Colin Coates, ice speed skater
- 17 April – Kerry O'Brien, middle-distance runner
- 22 May – David Graham, golfer
- 3 June – Tristan Rogers, Australian-American actor
- 9 July – Bon Scott, singer (died 1980)
- 14 July - Michael Johnstone (died 2017)
- 1 August – Fiona Stanley, epidemiologist
- 1 September – Barry Gibb, musician-songwriter (Bee Gees)
- 7 September - Margaret Prophet, trained nurse.
- 16 September – Mike Reynolds, Qld Parliament Speaker
- 10 October – Anne Boyd, composer
- 18 October – Penelope Wensley, Governor of Queensland (2008-Incumbent)
- 28 October – John Hewson, politician
- 2 November – Alan Jones, racing driver
- 20 December – John Bertrand, yachtsman
Deaths
- 2 January – Joe Darling, Australian Test cricket captain (b, 1870)
- 20 March – Ethel Richardson, writer (born 1870)
- 13 September – William Watt, Premier of Victoria (born 1871)
- Clement Scott (born 1880) composer
