1948 in Australia

Infobox Australian year
monarch = George VI
governor-general = William McKell
pm =Ben Chifley
population = 7,708,761
australian =
elections =TAS"See also:"
1947 in Australia,
other events of 1948,
1949 in Australia and the
Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

*Monarch – King George VI
*Governor General – William McKell
*Prime Minister – Ben Chifley

tate Premiers

*Premier of New South Wales – James McGirr
*Premier of Queensland – Ned Hanlon
*Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
*Premier of Tasmania – Edward Brooker (until February 25), then Robert Cosgrove
*Premier of Victoria – Thomas Hollway
*Premier of Western Australia – Ross McLarty

tate Governors

*Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Northcott
*Governor of Queensland – Sir John Lavarack
*Governor of South Australia – Sir Charles Norrie
*Governor of Tasmania – Sir Hugh Binney
*Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan
*Governor of Western Australia – Sir James Mitchell (from October 5)

Events

* January 23 – De Havilland Australia conducts the first flight of its 3 engined "Drover" transport aircraft at Bankstown Airport.
* February 19 – An Avro Lincoln bomber crashes at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, killing 16 Royal Australian Air Force personnel.
* February 25 – Robert Cosgrove is reinstated as Premier of Tasmania after being cleared of corruption charges on February 22.
* May 8 – Margaret McIntyre becomes the first woman elected to the Parliament of Tasmania. She is killed in a plane crash later in the year.
* May 29 – A federal referendum is held, asking one question on Rents and Prices. It is not carried.
* July 1 – The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is introduced.
* August 21 – A state election is held in Tasmania. The result is a hung parliament, but Robert Cosgrove and Labor retain power with the support of an independent, William Wedd.
* September 2 – Australian National Airways (ANA) DC3 VH-ANK "Lutana" crashes near Quirindi, New South Wales, killing 13.
* September 21 – H.V. Evatt becomes President of the United Nations General Assembly.
* November 29 – The first Holden car, the model 48-215, popularly known as the FX, rolls off the assembly line. The on-road cost was approximately £760.
* December 1 – The body of an unidentified man is found on a beach in Adelaide in the Taman Shud Case.
* December 16 – HMAS "Sydney" is commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy as its first aircraft carrier.

cience & Technology

Arts and literature

* William Dobell wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Margaret Olley

Film

port

* "Morna" takes line honours and "Westward" wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
* "Rimfire" wins the Melbourne Cup

Births

* January 5 – Wally Foreman, football commentator (d. 2006)
* January 23 – Glenn Wheatley, musician and manager
* January 25 – Ros Kelly, politician
* February 10 – Mike Pratt, politician
* March 2 – Jeff Kennett, Premier of Victoria (1992–1999)
* March 13 – Rick Amor, artist
* March 27 – Rosemary Follett, Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (1989, 1991–1995)
* March 31 – Graham Cornes, Australian rules footballer
* April 2 – Jennifer Rowe, children's author
* April 29 – Leslie Howard, musician
* May 15 – Muriel Porter, Anglican laywoman
* May 28 – Michael Field, Premier of Tasmania (1989–1992)
* June 11 – Pat Wilson, singer and journalist
* June 21 – Lionel Rose, boxer
* June 30 – Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Aboriginal leader
* July 15 – Richard Franklin, film director (d. 2007)
* July 24 – Joan London, writer
* August 7 – Greg Chappell, cricketer
* August 19 – Robert Hughes, actor
* August 20 – John Noble, actor
* September 12 – Max Walker, cricketer and VFL footballer
* September 18 – Christopher Skase, fugitive businessman (d. 2001)
* September 22 – Denis Burke, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory (1999–2001)
* September 25 – Vicki Viidikas, poet
* October 3 – Rob Langer, cricketer
* October 4 – Bob Morris, racing driver
* October 8 – Warren Truss, leader of the National Party
* October 19 – Meg Lees, Democrat senator for South Australia
* October 30 – Garry McDonald, actor
* November 5 – Malcolm Milne, Olympic skier
* November 6 – Geoff Prosser, politician
* November 14 – Ian Stanley, golfer
* November 15 – James Kemsley, cartoonist (d. 2007)
* November 22 – Gary Dempsey, Australian rules footballer
* December 1 – John Quigley, WA politician
* December 5 – Cheryl Kernot, politician
* December 12 – Kim Beazley, politician
* December 15 – Cassandra Harris, actor (d. 1991)
* December 29 – Michael White, psychotherapist (d. 2008)

Deaths

* February 12 – Sir Isaac Isaacs (b. 1855), Governor-General of Australia (1931–1936)
* March 23 – Lou Cunningham (b. 1889), politician
* March 24 – Sydney Sampson (b. 1863), politician
* April 9 – George Carpenter (b. 1872), General of the Salvation Army (1939–1946)
* April 15 – Eric Harrison (b. 1880), soldier and politician
* May 20 – Marie Pitt (b. 1869), poet
* June 8 – Thomas Crawford (b. 1865), politician
* June 18 – Edward Brooker (b. 1891), Premier of Tasmania (1947–1948)
* July 18 – May Moss (b. 1869), women's rights activist
* July 21 – Francis Joseph Bayldon (b. 1872), master mariner
* July 24 – Stanley Goble (b. 1891), Chief of the Air Staff
* July 31 – Nigel Barker (b. 1883), track and field athlete
* September 2 – Margaret McIntyre (b. 1886), politician (first woman elected to the Parliament of Tasmania)
* September 9 – Francis Foster (b. 1872), politician
* October 18 – George Cann (b. 1871), politician
* October 18 – Philip Collier (b. 1873), Premier of Western Australia (1924–1930)
* December 8 – Matthew Charlton (b. 1866), politician

ee also

*1948
*1940s