1964 in Australia

Infobox Australian year
monarch = Elizabeth II
governor-general = William Sidney
pm =Robert Menzies
population = 11,166,702
australian = Dawn Fraser
elections =Senate, TAS, VIC"See also:"
1963 in Australia,
other events of 1964,
1965 in Australia and the
Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

*Prime Minister - Robert Menzies
*Governor General - William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle
*Premier of New South Wales - Robert Heffron (til April 30), then Jack Renshaw
*Premier of South Australia - Sir Thomas Playford
*Premier of Queensland - Frank Nicklin
*Premier of Tasmania - Eric Reece
*Premier of Western Australia - David Brand
*Premier of Victoria - Henry Bolte

Events

* January 29 - The Royal Australian Air Force takes delivery of its first two Mirage fighter jets
* February 3 - The first double-decker carriages begin trial runs on the Sydney rail network
* February 4 - Cyclone Dora strikes north west Queensland
* February 10 - Melbourne-Voyager collision: The aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne and the destroyer HMAS Voyager collide, with the loss of 82 lives
* March - There is a split in the Communist Party of Australia and the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) is formed
* April - The Menzies government refuses to ratify the International Labor Organisation convention on equal pay for women.
* April - The editors of Sydney satirical "Oz" magazine - Richard Neville, Richard Walsh and Martin Sharp - are charged with printing an obscene publication
* April 8 - The Jackson-Moonie-Brisbane oil pipeline opens
* April 24 - Melbourne woman Judy Hanrahan becomes the first female teller appointed by the Bank of NSW since WWII
* April 27 Sir Garfield Barwick resigns as Minister for External Affairs to take up his appointment as the new Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia
* June - Macquarie University is founded.
* July 6 - Warrant Officer Class 2, Kevin Conway of the Australian Army Training Team died; he was Australia's first Vietnam War battle casualty.
* July 15 - The first edition of The Australian is published in Canberra. It is Australia's first national daily newspaper, published by Rupert Murdoch's News Limited.
* July 17 - Donald Campbell sets new land speed record of 429 miles per hour in his jet-propelled car "Bluebird" at Lake Eyre, South Australia
* August - The Tasman Bridge across the Derwent River opens in Hobart.
* October 26 - Notorious Perth serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke is executed at Fremantle Prison; he is the last person to be hanged in Western Australia
* November 10 - Prime Minister Robert Menzies announces the reintroduction of National Service
* December 10 - The Queensland government declares a state of emergency in an attempt to end the Mt Isa Mines dispute
* December 16 - Melbourne's La Trobe University is founded
* December 31 -- Donald Campbell sets new water speed record of 276 miles per hour at Dumbleyung Lake, Western Australia
* The Beatles tour Australia
* Sir Percy Spender is appointed President of the International Court of Justice
* Swimmer Dawn Fraser is named Australian of the Year

cience & Technology

*2 October - Gladesville Bridge opened - the world's longest concrete arch at the time.

Arts and literature

*Donald Horne's "The Lucky Country" published.
*Kath Walker's "We Are Going" published.
*"My Brother Jack" by George Johnston is awarded the Miles Franklin Literary Award.

Film

Television

* The launch of ATV-0 marks the birth of the third commercial television network
* Police drama "Homicide" begins a 12-year run and sets the pace for Australian television drama
* Singer Johnny Chester hosts a new ABC TV show called Teen Scene, which also features his backing group The Chessmen as the house band.
* "The Mavis Bramston Show" premieres on HSV 7 in Melbourne (November 11)

port

* May 17 Bernard "Midget" Farrelly wins the first World Surfboard Championship at Manly Beach
*July 18 - Robert Vagg wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:24:06.2 in Sydney.
* "Polo Prince" wins the Melbourne Cup
* South Australia wins the Sheffield Shield
* "Freya" wins the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
* Australia places 8th in the 1964 Olympic Games with 6 gold medals
*St. George Dragons win the Australian Rugby League Grand Final
* Melbourne Football Club wins the Victorian Football League Grand Final

Births

* January 16 – Chris Dittmar, squash player
* March 4 – Karen Knowles, entertainer
* April 15 – Lee Kernaghan, country singer/songwriter
* April 30 – Ian Healy, cricket player and commentator
* May 28 – Jeff Fenech, boxer and trainer
* June 3 — Matthew Ryan, equestrian
* June 7 – Gia Carides, actress
* June 9 – Jane Kennedy, actress and comedian
* August 4 – Andrew Bartlett, politician
* August 10 – Andy Caldecott, motorcycle racer (d. 2006)
* August 14 – Jason Dunstall, Australian Rules football player
* August 19 – Dermott Brereton, Australian Rules football player
* September 5 – Frank Farina, soccer player and manager
* September 11 – Kathy Watt, cyclist
* October 27 – Mark Taylor, cricket player and commentator
* October 29 – Eddie McGuire, businessman and television presenter
* October 29 – Jackie Pereira, field hockey striker
* December 9 – Larry Emdur, television presenter
* December 16 – Georgie Parker, actress

Deaths

* February 12 - Arthur Upfield, author (b. 1890)
* October 19 - Nettie Palmer, author (b. 1885)

ee also

*1964
*1960s