1944 in Australia

Infobox Australian year
monarch = George VI
governor-general = Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie
pm =John Curtin
population = 7,309,711
australian =
elections =SA, QLD, NSW"See also:"
1943 in Australia,
other events of 1944,
1945 in Australia and the
Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

*Monarch – King George VI
*Governor-General – Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Baron Gowrie
*Prime Minister – John Curtin

tate Premiers

*Premier of New South Wales – William McKell
*Premier of Queensland – Frank Cooper
*Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford
*Premier of Tasmania – Robert Cosgrove
*Premier of Victoria – Albert Dunstan
*Premier of Western Australia – John Willcock

tate Governors

*Governor of New South Wales – John Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst
*Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson
*Governor of South Australia – Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey (until April 26), then Sir Charles Norrie (from December 19)
*Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ernest Clark
*Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan
*Governor of Western Australia – "none appointed"

Events

*January 17 – Meat rationing begins in Australia.
*January 20 – Seventeen people are killed at Brooklyn, New South Wales when a mail train and a bus collide at a level crossing.
*February 15 – Bushfires in the Western District, Gippsland and Yallourn regions of Victoria kill 51 people.
*April 15 – Fred Paterson is elected to the Parliament of Queensland, representing the seat of Bowen. He remains the only member of the Communist Party of Australia to ever be elected to an Australian Parliament.
*June 30 – Sydney waiter Antonio Agostini is sentenced to six years prison for the manslaughter of his wife, Linda Agostini, in what was known as the "Pyjama Girl" murder.
*August 5 – The Cowra breakout occurs, with 545 Japanese prisoners of war escaping from the camp.
*August 19 – A referendum is held, concerning Post-War Reconstruction and Democratic Rights. It proposes to grant the government power to legislate over 14 points of law for a five-year period. The referendum, asked in a single question, is not carried.
*October 21 – The heavy cruiser HMAS "Australia", operating in the Philippines, is hit by a kamikaze aircraft, killing 20 and wounding 54, in what is believed to be the first attack of its kind.
*November 25 – Reg Saunders becomes the first Aboriginal commissioned officer in the Australian Army.
*December 14 – The Liberal Party of Australia is formed, replacing the United Australia Party.

Arts and literature

* Joshua Smith wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Sol Rosevear

Film

* The film of the story of "The Rats of Tobruk" is released, directed by Charles Chauvel

port

* "Sirius" wins the Melbourne Cup

Births

* January 14 – Graham Marsh, golfer
* January 18 – Paul Keating, Prime Minister of Australia (1991–1996)
* January 19 – Paul Gibson, NSW politician
* February 3 – Trisha Noble, singer and actress
* February 9 – Derryn Hinch, media personality
* February 10 – Peter Allen, entertainer (d. 1992)
* February 17 – Robert Dessaix, writer
* March 18 – Dick Smith, businessman
* April 22 – Damien Broderick, science fiction author
* May 22 – John Flanagan, author
* May 23 – John Newcombe, tennis player
* May 26 – Andrew Jones, politician
* May 28 – Paul D. Scully-Power, oceanographer and astronaut
* June 6 – Matt Carroll, film and television producer
* June 6 – Rene Rivkin, businessman (d. 2005)
* July 4 – Ray Meagher, actor
* July 23 – Alex Buzo, playwright and author (d. 2006)
* August 17 – Nicholas John Vine-Hall, genealogist
* August 21 – Peter Weir, film director
* September 2 – Ray Groom, Premier of Tasmania (1992–1996)
* September 8 – Terry Jenner, cricketer
* September 5 – Gareth Evans, politician
* September 11 – Alan Gilbert, academic and university Vice-Chancellor
* September 13 – Midget Farrelly, surfer
* September 19 – Colin Dibley, tennis player
* November 21 – Kay Patterson, Liberal Senator for Victoria
* December 4 – Lawrence Peckham, high jumper
* December 20 – Ray Martin, television personality
* December 27 – Bob Brown, politician

Deaths

* January 1 – Charles Turner (b. 1862), cricketer
* January 3 – Thomas Brennan (b. 1866), Victorian politician
* January 15 – Patrick Lynch (b. 1867), Labor Senator for Western Australia
* March 5 – George John Bell (b. 1872), politician
* March 31 – Maurice Blackburn (b. 1880), politician
* May 10 – Digby Denham (b. 1859), Premier of Queensland (1911–1915)
* May 24 – William Butcher (b. 1858), WA politician
* July 29 – Walter Price (b. 1886), cricketer
* August 5 – Ralph Jones (b. 1900), soldier killed during the Cowra breakout
* October 21 – Emile Dechaineux (b. 1902), naval officer, captain of HMAS "Australia"
* November 12 – Roy Agnew (b. 1891), composer and pianist
* November 18 – James Blair, politician and judge
* November 20 – Charles Frederick Cox (b. 1863), soldier

ee also

*1944
*1940s