1966 in Australia
Encyclopedia
Incumbents
- MonarchMonarchy in AustraliaThe Monarchy of Australia is a form of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign of Australia. The monarchy is a constitutional one modelled on the Westminster style of parliamentary government, incorporating features unique to the Constitution of Australia.The present monarch is...
– Elizabeth II - Governor-GeneralGovernor-General of AustraliaThe Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
– The Lord CaseyRichard Casey, Baron CaseyRichard Gardiner Casey, Baron Casey KG GCMG CH DSO MC KStJ PC was an Australian politician, diplomat and the 16th Governor-General of Australia.-Early life:... - Prime MinisterPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
– Sir Robert MenziesRobert MenziesSir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
(until 26 January), then Harold HoltHarold HoltHarold Edward Holt, CH was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia.His term as Prime Minister was brought to an early and dramatic end in December 1967 when he disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria, and was presumed drowned.Holt spent 32 years...
State Premiers
- Premier of New South Wales – Jack RenshawJack RenshawJohn Brophy "Jack" Renshaw AC was an Australian politician. He was Labor Premier of New South Wales from 30 April 1964 to 13 May 1965.-Early life:...
(until 1 May), then Robert AskinRobert AskinSir Robert William Askin GCMG, was an Australian politician and the 32nd Premier of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975, the first representing the Liberal Party of Australia. He was born in 1907 as Robin William Askin, but always disliked his first name and changed it by deed poll in 1971... - Premier of Queensland – Sir Francis Nicklin
- Premier of South Australia – Frank WalshFrank WalshFrancis Henry "Frank" Walsh was the 34th Premier of South Australia, serving from 10 March 1965 to 1 June 1967.-Early life:One of eight children, Walsh was born into an Irish Catholic family in O'Halloran Hill, South Australia...
- Premier of Tasmania – Eric ReeceEric ReeceEric Elliott Reece, AC was Premier of Tasmania on two occasions: from 26 August 1958 to 26 May 1969, and from 3 May 1972 to 31 March 1975.-Biography:...
- Premier of Western AustraliaPremier of Western AustraliaThe Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
– David BrandDavid BrandSir David Brand KCMG was the 19th and longest serving Premier of Western Australia and a Member of the Legislative Assembly from 1945 to 1975.-Early life:... - Premier of Victoria – Henry BolteHenry BolteSir Henry Edward Bolte GCMG was an Australian politician. He was the 38th and longest serving Premier of Victoria.- Early years :...
State Governors
- Governor of New South Wales – Sir Roden Cutler (from 20 January)
- Governor of Queensland – Sir Henry Abel SmithHenry Abel SmithColonel Sir Henry Abel Smith KCMG KCVO DSO was a British Army officer and a Governor of Queensland.-Biography:He was born in London, on 8 March 1900, the son of Francis Abel Smith and wife Madeline St. Maur Seymour...
(until 18 March), then Sir Alan MansfieldAlan MansfieldSir Alan James Mansfield KCMG, KCVO was Governor of Queensland, Australia between 1966 and 1972.-Family:Sir Alan Mansfield was born in Brisbane and educated in Sydney. The Mansfield family had land in Gumdale. Mansfield lived in the Mount Gravatt area for many years...
(from 21 March) - Governor of South Australia – Sir Edric BastyanEdric BastyanLieutenant-General Sir Edric Montague Bastyan, KCMG, KCVO, KBE, CB was Governor of South Australia from 4 April 1961 until 1 June 1968 then Governor of Tasmania from 2 December 1968 until 30 November 1973...
- Governor of Tasmania – Sir Charles GairdnerCharles GairdnerGeneral Sir Charles Henry Gairdner, GBE, KCMG, KCVO, CB was a British Army general during World War II and was Governor of Western Australia from 1951 to 1963, and Governor of Tasmania from 1963 to 1968.-Early life:...
- Governor of Western AustraliaGovernor of Western AustraliaThe Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
– Sir Douglas KendrewDouglas KendrewMajor General Sir Douglas Anthony Kendrew, KCMG, CB, CBE, DSO & Three Bars, was a British rugby player and military officer, who became Governor of Western Australia 1963-1974.- Early years :... - Governor of Victoria – Sir Rohan DelacombeRohan DelacombeMajor General Sir Rohan Delacombe, KCMG, KBE, CB, DSO, KStJ was a British military officer who commanded the British occupation forces in Berlin from 1959 to 1962 at the height of the Cold War...
Events
- Robert MenziesRobert MenziesSir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
, Australia's longest-serving Prime MinisterPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, retires and is succeeded by Harold HoltHarold HoltHarold Edward Holt, CH was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia.His term as Prime Minister was brought to an early and dramatic end in December 1967 when he disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria, and was presumed drowned.Holt spent 32 years... - 14 February: DecimalisationDecimalisationDecimal currency is the term used to describe any currency that is based on one basic unit of currency and a sub-unit which is a power of 10, most commonly 100....
; the Australian DollarAustralian dollarThe Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
replaces the Australian poundAustralian poundThe pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 13 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.- Earlier Australian currencies :... - The Australian Workers' UnionAustralian Workers' UnionThe Australian Workers' Union is one of Australia's largest and oldest trade unions. It traces its origins to unions founded in the pastoral and mining industries in the 1880s, and currently has approximately 135,000 members...
affiliates with the Australian Council of Trade UnionsAustralian Council of Trade UnionsThe Australian Council of Trade Unions is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions.-History:The ACTU was formed in 1927 as the "Australian Council of Trade Unions"... - the LiberalLiberal Party of AustraliaThe Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
government of Harold HoltHarold HoltHarold Edward Holt, CH was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia.His term as Prime Minister was brought to an early and dramatic end in December 1967 when he disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria, and was presumed drowned.Holt spent 32 years...
scores a massive victory in the 1966 federal election, and is returned to power with the largest majority in the federal parliament's 65-year history - the Beaumont children are abducted during a visit to GlenelgGlenelg, South AustraliaGlenelg is a popular beach-side suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Located on the shore of Holdfast Bay in Gulf St Vincent, it has become a popular tourist destination due to its beach and many attractions, home to several hotels and dozens of restaurants.Established in 1836, it is...
beach in AdelaideAdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and are never seen again - the severe drought which has stricken large areas of Australia since 1957, particularly in rural NSW and Queensland, is finally eased by widespread rains
- Jørn UtzonJørn UtzonJørn Oberg Utzon, , AC was a Danish architect, most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia. When it was declared a World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007, Utzon became only the second person to have received such recognition for one of his works during his lifetime...
resigns as architect of the Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera HouseThe Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
, following a bitter struggle with the new Public Works Minister Davis HughesDavis HughesSir Davis Hughes was an Australian politician and bureaucrat.-Early life:Hughes was born in Launceston, Tasmania and was educated at Launceston High School and the University of Tasmania, although he did not graduate. He married Joan Johnson in 1940 and they had issue one son and two daughters...
over fees, costs and design changes - Jack BrabhamJack BrabhamSir John Arthur "Jack" Brabham, AO, OBE is an Australian former racing driver who was Formula One champion in , and . He was a founder of the Brabham racing team and race car constructor that bore his name....
is named Australian Of The Year - The first National Service conscripts fly out from Richmond RAAF base in Sydney bound for Vietnam
- NSW ALPAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
leader Arthur CalwellArthur CalwellArthur Augustus Calwell Australian politician, was a member of the Australian House of Representatives for 32 years from 1940 to 1972, Immigration Minister in the government of Ben Chifley from 1945 to 1949 and Leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1960 to 1967.-Early life:Calwell was born in...
is injured in an assassination attempt by 19-year-old Peter KocanPeter KocanPeter Raymond Kocan , Australian author and poet, is remembered in Australia for his attempt to assassinate federal Opposition Leader Arthur Calwell in 1966.-Life and career:... - JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
replaces Great Britain as Australia's largest trading partner - the Council for the Defence of Government SchoolsDefence of Government SchoolsThe Council for Defence of Government Schools was an Australian political lobby group and political party formed in 1966, which contested federal and state elections between 1969 and 1973 . The group was primarily concerned with public education but also focused on pensions and housing policy...
(DOGS) is formed in Melbourne - the QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
government grants sand mining leases on Fraser Island without holding the required public hearings - NSW repeals the Sunday Observance Act, allowing theatres and cinemas to open, sporting events to charge admission and clubs to sell alcohol on Sundays
- General Motors Holden becomes the first local car manufacturer to instal seat belts as standard equipment in all its new vehicles.
- Western Mining Corporation discover rich nickel ore deposits at KambaldaKambalda, Western AustraliaKambalda is a small mining town about 60 kilometres from the mining city of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, within the Goldfields. It is split into two townsites 4 kilometres apart, Kambalda East and Kambalda West; and is located on the western edge of a giant salt lake, Lake Lefroy...
in Western Australia's Goldfields region. - Prince Charles arrives in Australia to attend Geelong Grammar SchoolGeelong Grammar SchoolGeelong Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, co-educational, boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located at Corio, on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners Bay....
's exclusive Timbertop preparatory school. - the Federal government announces the formation of a military Task Force (including conscripts), increasing Australia's commitment to the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
to 4,500. - US Vice-President Hubert HumphreyHubert HumphreyHubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...
visits Australia to assure the Australian government that the war is being directed by Hanoi and Peking, and that it represents one of China's numerous offensives in Asia - Victoria extends hotel trading hours from 6pm to 10pm, ending the infamous "Six O'Clock SwillSix o'clock swillThe six o'clock swill was an Australian and New Zealand slang term for the last-minute rush to buy drinks at a hotel bar before it closed. During a significant part of the 20th century, most Australian and New Zealand hotels shut their public bars at 6 p.m. A culture developed of heavy drinking...
". Driving with a blood alcohol level over 0.05% becomes a criminal offence. - On advice from Immigration Minister Hubert OppermanHubert OppermanSir Hubert Ferdinand Opperman, OBE , referred to as Oppy by Australian and French crowds, was an Australian cyclist and politician, whose endurance cycling feats in the 1920s and 1930s earned him international acclaim....
, federal cabinet reverses a decision of September 1964, agreeing that non-Europeans could be selected on an individual basis to enter as immigrants with permanent resident status and naturalisation on an equal basis with European applicants - The Arbitration Commission introduces a minimum weekly wage for adult male employees under federal awards
- Australian forces engage in their first major battle in Vietnam at the Battle of Long TanBattle of Long TanThe Battle of Long Tân was fought between the Australian Army and Viet Cong forces in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tân, about north east of Vũng Tàu, South Vietnam...
, inflicting heavy losses on NLF troops - 23 August – two hundred Gurindji peopleGurindji peopleGurindji are a group of Indigenous Australians living in northern Australia, 460 km southwest of Katherine in the Northern Territory's Victoria River region....
walk off Wave Hill Station in the Northern TerritoryNorthern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
in protest at low wages and poor conditions - US President Lyndon Johnson arrives for a 3-day visit of Australian east coast cities, sparking rowdy demonstrations by anti-war protesters
- The Liberal Reform GroupLiberal Reform GroupThe Liberal Reform Group, later known as the Australian Reform Movement, was a minor Australian political party and predecessor to the Australia Party, which in turn was a predecessor to the Australian Democrats...
(which later evolves into the Australian PartyAustralian PartyThe Australian Party can refer to a number of political parties in Australia's history, most recently to the party started by Queensland independent MP Bob Katter known as Katter's Australian Party...
) is founded - Conscientious objectorConscientious objectorA conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
William WhiteWilliam White (conscientious objector)William "Bill" White was a Sydney schoolteacher during the Vietnam War. In July 1966, White defied a notice to report for duty at an army induction centre. White was the first Australian to publicly stand as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War. This initial application for total exemption...
is forcibly taken from his home in Sydney and inducted into the army - Australia negotiates an agreement for an American spy satellite base to be established at Pine GapPine GapPine Gap is the commonly used name for a satellite tracking station at, some south-west of the town of Alice Springs in the centre of Australia which is operated by both Australia and the United States. The facility has become a key part of the local economy.It consists of a large computer complex...
in the Northern TerritoryNorthern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions... - Ansett-ANA Flight 149Ansett-ANA Flight 149On 22 September 1966 a Vickers Viscount aircraft departed from Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia for a 73 minute flight to Longreach. Forty-four minutes after takeoff a fire started in one of the engines. The crew were unable to extinguish the fire or feather the propeller so made an emergency...
crashes near Winton, QueenslandWinton, Queensland-Qantas:Winton was one of the founding towns of the Australian airline Qantas. The first board meeting was held at the Winton Club on 10 February 1921.-Waltzing Matilda:...
, killing all 24 people on board.
Science and technology
- Sydney industrial designer Harry Widmer wins the prestigious F.H. Edwards Laurel Award for his design for the Kriesler Mini 41–47 portable radio. The 41-47's innovative polypropylenePolypropylenePolypropylene , also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes...
plastic casing is the first use of this material anywhere in the world in consumer electronics
- Australia's first satellite communications earth station opens at CarnarvonCarnarvon, Western AustraliaCarnarvon is a coastal town situated approximately 900 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia. It lies at the mouth of the Gascoyne River on the Indian Ocean. The popular Shark Bay world heritage area lies to the south of the town and the Ningaloo Reef lies to the north...
in WA
Arts and literature
- Jon MolvigJon MolvigJon Molvig was an Australian expressionist artist, considered a major developer of 20th century Australian expressionism, even though his career 'only' lasted 20 years...
's portrait of Charles BlackmanCharles BlackmanCharles Blackman is one of the best known Australian artists still living today, especially for the famous Schoolgirl and Alice in Wonderland series of the 1950s...
wins the Archibald PrizeArchibald PrizeThe Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after a bequest from J. F. Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin who died in 1919... - Fred WilliamsFred WilliamsFrederick Ronald Williams OBE was an Australian painter and printmaker. He was one of Australia’s most important artists, and one of the twentieth century’s major painters of the landscape...
' Upwey Landscape is awarded the Wynne PrizeWynne PrizeThe Wynne Prize is an Australian landscape painting or figure sculpture art prize. One of Australia's longest running art prizes, it was established in 1897 from the bequest of Richard Wynne... - John CargherJohn CargherPinchas Cargher AM, known professionally as John Cargher , was a British-born Australian music and ballet journalist and radio broadcaster....
's Singers Of Renown begins on ABC Radio; Cargher is still presenting the show in 20072007 in Australia-Incumbents:* Monarch – Queen Elizabeth II* Governor-General – Michael Jeffery* Prime Minister – John Howard , then Kevin Rudd-Premiers and Chief Ministers:* Premier of New South Wales – Morris Iemma* Premier of South Australia – Mike Rann... - both Sydney's and Melbourne's Tivoli Theatres are closed
- Marion Street Theatre opens in Sydney
- Confectionery manufacturer HoadleyAbel HoadleyAbel Hoadley was the inventor of the popular Australian confectionery bar, the Violet Crumble.He was born in Willingdon, Sussex, England, the son of Peter Hoadley and Elizabeth Ann Wheeler. Hoadley arrived in Australia in 1865...
's inaugurates Australia's first national pop band competition, the Hoadley's Battle of the SoundsHoadley's Battle of the SoundsHoadley's Battle of the Sounds was an annual national rock/pop band competition held in Australia from 1966 to 1972.-History:Australia's Battle of the Sounds was originally established by Australian tabloid magazine Everybody’s in 1965 as a talent quest for new unsigned bands in Sydney, Melbourne... - TrapTrap (novel)Trap is a Miles Franklin Award winning novel by Australian author Peter Mathers....
by Peter MathersPeter MathersPeter Mathers was an Australian author and playwright.He came to Australia with his family as a child. He attended state school in Sydney and Sydney Technical College, where he studied agriculture...
is awarded the Miles Franklin Literary Award - Patrick WhitePatrick WhitePatrick Victor Martindale White , an Australian author, is widely regarded as an important English-language novelist of the 20th century. From 1935 until his death, he published 12 novels, two short-story collections and eight plays.White's fiction employs humour, florid prose, shifting narrative...
: The Solid Mandala - Geoffrey BlaineyGeoffrey BlaineyGeoffrey Norman Blainey AC , is a prominent Australian historian.Blainey was born in Melbourne and raised in a series of Victorian country towns before attending Wesley College and the University of Melbourne. While at university he was editor of Farrago, the newspaper of the University of...
: The Tyranny of Distance - The first edition of the pop magazine Go-SetGo-SetGo-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble...
is published in Melbourne - The SeekersThe SeekersThe Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop music group which were originally formed in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States...
return to Australia for a triumphant concert tour. - The Rolling StonesThe Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
return to Australia for their second tour - Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
makes his first tour of Australia, supported by The BandThe BandThe Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm... - The EasybeatsThe EasybeatsThe Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
leave for London
Film
- The Admiral's Cup wins the AFI Best Film award
- Bruce BeresfordBruce BeresfordBruce Beresford is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 40-year career.-Early life:...
is appointed secretary of the British Film InstituteBritish Film InstituteThe British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
's Film Production Board
Sport
- 21 May – Anthony Cook wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:20:44.6 in Ballarat.
- St Kilda defeats CollingwoodCollingwood Football ClubThe Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in the VFL Grand Final - Galilee wins the Melbourne CupMelbourne CupThe Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
- NSW yacht Cadence wins the Sydney to Hobart Yacht RaceSydney to Hobart Yacht RaceThe Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart. The race distance is approximately...
- The St George Dragons win their 11th consecutive NSWRL premiership defeating the Balmain TigersBalmain TigersThe Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
Births
- 1 January – Anna BurkeAnna BurkeAnna Elizabeth Burke , Australian politician, has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since October 1998, representing the Division of Chisholm, Victoria...
, politician - 22 February – Brian GreigBrian GreigBrian Andrew Greig OAM , Australian politician, was an Australian Democrats member of the Australian Senate from 1999 to 2005, representing the state of Western Australia....
, politician - 9 March – Tony LockettTony LockettAnthony Howard "Tony" Lockett is a former Australian rules football player. Lockett is the highest goal scorer in the history of the VFL/AFL with 1,360 goals in a career of 281 games, that commenced in 1983 with the St Kilda Football Club, and finished in 2002 with the Sydney Swans...
, AFL football player - 1 July – Simon ArkellSimon ArkellSimon Arkell is an Olympic pole vaulter from Australia, who competed in two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1992. During his career he was Commonwealth Champion, NCAA All-American , WAC Conference Champion and broke 9 Australian and 4 Commonwealth records...
, pole vaulter - 30 July – Allan LangerAllan LangerAllan "Alfie" Langer AM is an Australian former multi-award-winning rugby league footballer of the 1980s, 90s and 2000s who works as an assistant coach for the Australian national team and Brisbane Broncos...
, rugby league footballer - 3 August – Simon ShirleySimon ShirleySimon Shirley is a retired decathlete from Australia, who finished in fifteenth place at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He is a two-time national champion in the men's decathlon.-Achievements:...
, decathlete - 4 September – Gary NeiwandGary NeiwandGary Neiwand is a retired Australian track cyclist, a former world champion, who won four Olympic medals during his career.-Early life and career:...
, track cyclist
Deaths
- 21 January – Richard Layton ButlerRichard Layton ButlerSir Richard Layton Butler KCMG was the 31st Premier of South Australia, serving two disjunct terms in office: from 1927 to 1930, and again from 1933 to 1938....
(b. 1885), Premier of South Australia