1974 in Australia
Encyclopedia
Incumbents
- Queen of Australia – Elizabeth II
- Governor General – Sir Paul Hasluck (til 11 July), then Sir John Kerr
- 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...
– Gough WhitlamGough WhitlamEdward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the... - Premier of New South Wales – Sir 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 South Australia – Don DunstanDon DunstanDonald Allan "Don" Dunstan, AC, QC was a South Australian politician. He entered politics as the Member for Norwood in 1953, became state Labor leader in 1967, and was Premier of South Australia between June 1967 and April 1968, and again between June 1970 and February 1979.The son of a business...
- Premier of Queensland – Sir Joh Bjelke-PetersenJoh Bjelke-PetersenSir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG , was an Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, a period that saw considerable economic development in the state...
- 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...
– John TonkinJohn TonkinJohn Trezise Tonkin AC , popularly known as "Honest John", was the 20th Premier of Western Australia , taking power after the almost 12 year term of Liberal Sir David Brand....
(til 8 April), then Charles CourtCharles CourtSir Charles Walter Michael Court, was a Western Australian politician, 21st Premier of Western Australia and member for the seat of Nedlands for the Liberal Party for nearly 30 years.-Early life:... - Premier of Victoria – Rupert HamerRupert HamerSir Rupert James Hamer, AC, KCMG, ED , generally known until he was knighted in 1982 as Dick Hamer, Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 39th Premier of Victoria, serving from 1972 to 1981.-Early years:...
Events
- January – Cyclone Wanda makes landfall near Double Island PointDouble Island PointDouble Island Point is a coastal headland in Queensland, Australia. It's the next headland north of Noosa and is within the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park, at the southern end of Wide Bay....
. Large parts of south east 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...
, including BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, and northern New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
are flooded. - 26 February – Mungo Man, a human skeleton estimated to be 40,000 years old, uncovered at Lake MungoLake MungoLake Mungo is a dry lake in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is located about 760 km due west of Sydney and 90 km north-east of Mildura. The lake is the central feature of Mungo National Park, and is one of seventeen lakes in the World Heritage listed Willandra Lakes Region...
- 28 February - Stanley von Knie of Germany discovered that prolonged periods on ones knees causes irreparable cartilage damage and invents KneePads, suspecting that their use will be patroned by those with the dominant Bushy gene.
- 18 May – John HowardJohn HowardJohn Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
enters Parliament as an Opposition backbencher for the electorate of BennelongBennelongWoollarawarre Bennelong was a senior man of the Eora, an Aboriginal people of the Port Jackson area, at the time of the first British settlement in Australia, in 1788... - 17 August - Ray & Alyda get married.
- October – The first Australian credit cardCredit cardA credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
, BankcardBankcard (credit card)Bankcard was a shared-brand credit card issued by financial institutions in Australia and New Zealand between 1974 and 2006. It was managed by the Bankcard Association of Australia, a joint venture of Australia's largest banks, and was the nation's first mass-market credit card...
, is introduced - 24 December – Cyclone TracyCyclone TracyCyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, 1974...
devastates the city of DarwinDarwin, Northern TerritoryDarwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
. The official death toll was 71
Arts and literature
- Conductor Bernard HeinzeBernard HeinzeSir Bernard Thomas Heinze, AC was an Australian Professor of Music, conductor, and Director of the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music....
is announced as Australian of the YearAustralian of the YearSince 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual... - Ronald McKieRonald McKieRonald Cecil Hamlyn McKie is an Australian novelist. He was born in 1909 in Toowoomba, Queensland. After receiving his education at the Brisbane Grammar School and the University of Queensland, he worked as a journalist on newspapers in Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore and China...
's novel The Mango TreeThe Mango TreeThe Mango Tree is a Miles Franklin Award winning novel by Australian author Ronald McKie.-References:...
wins the Miles Franklin AwardMiles Franklin AwardThe Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize for the best Australian ‘published novel or play portraying Australian life in any of its phases’. The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin , who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career ...
Television
- The long running popular music program Countdown first screens
- Soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s The BoxThe Box (TV series)The Box was an Australian soap opera than ran on Network Ten from February 1974 until 1977.The Box was produced by Crawford Productions who at the time was having great success producing police procedural television series in Australia...
and Class of '74 begin
Sport
- 14 September – John FarringtonJohn FarringtonJohn Allan Farrington is a former long-distance runner from Australia, who represented his native country in the men's marathon at the 1968 Summer Olympics. There he finished in 43rd position, clocking 2:50:16.8. He came fifth in the same event at the 1974 Commonwealth Games...
wins his third men's national marathon title, clocking 2:17:23 in Gawler.
- Think BigThink Big (horse)Think Big was a Thoroughbred racehorse who raced in Australia, winning the Melbourne Cup in both 1974 and 1975. Bred by the estate of the late L. A...
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... - Victoria wins the Sheffield ShieldPura CupThe Sheffield Shield is the domestic cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Prior to the Shield being established, a number of intercolonial matches were played. The Shield, donated by Lord Sheffield, was first contested during...
- Apollo takes line honours in 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...
. Love and War is the handicap winner - Australia defeats the USA 2-1 in the Federation CupFed CupFed Cup is the premier team competition in women's tennis, launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the International Tennis Federation...
- The Australian teamAustralia national football (soccer) teamThe Australia national association football team represents Australia in international association football competitions. Its official nickname is the "Socceroos"...
makes its first World Cup appearance when it competes in the 1974 FIFA World Cup1974 FIFA World CupThe 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded... - Eastern Suburbs wins the NSW Rugby League Premiership
- Rothmans medal awarded to Graham EadieGraham EadieGraham "Wombat" Eadie , is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s who has been named amongst the nation's finest of the 20th century...
- RichmondRichmond Football ClubThe Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
wins the 78th VFL Premiership (Richmond 18.20 (128) d North MelbourneNorth Melbourne Football ClubThe North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
13.9 (87)) - Brownlow MedalBrownlow MedalThe Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
awarded to Keith GreigKeith GreigKeith Greig played on the wing for the Australian rules football North Melbourne Football Club from 1971 to 1985. He is considered as one of the most exciting players of the era, earning the nickname "Racehorse" because of his blistering speed on the field.Greig was recruited from Brunswick in 1971...
(North MelbourneNorth Melbourne Football ClubThe North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
)
Births
- 5 April – Deborah SosimenkoDeborah SosimenkoDeborah Sosimenko is a retired female hammer thrower from Australia, who represented her native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 2000. She won a total number of eight national titles during the 1990s and early 2000s.-Achievements:-References:* *...
, hammer thrower - 19 May – Andrew JohnsAndrew JohnsAndrew Gary "Joey" Johns is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time. He was heralded as the world's best halfback for a number of years...
, rugby league footballer - 12 June – Scott FerrierScott FerrierScott Ferrier is a former decathlete from Australia, who represented his native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1996...
, decathlete - 13 June – Tristram WoodhouseTristram WoodhouseTristram Woodhouse is a former field hockey forward from Australia, who made his debut for the Men's National Team in 2003 in a Test series against The Netherlands. That was in the second match of the test series in Canberra. Woodhouse scored his maiden goal in Australia's 3-3 draw in Buderim...
, field hockey forward - 2 July – Matthew ReillyMatthew ReillyMatthew John Reilly is an Australian action thriller writer. His novels are noted for their fast pace, twisting plots and intense action.- Biography :...
, writer - 6 July – James Swan, boxer
- 15 July – Chris TaylorChris Taylor (comedian)Christopher Thornton "Chris" Taylor is an Australian comedian, writer and former radio host from Sydney. As a member of The Chaser, he is best known for co-writing and appearing on satirical ABC Television shows CNNNN and The Chaser's War on Everything...
, comedian - 16 July
- Michelle ChandlerMichelle ChandlerMichelle Louise Chandler is a retired female basketball player from Australia, who played for the Melbourne Tigers. She was a member of the national women's team that won the bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.-References:*...
, basketball player - Wendell SailorWendell SailorWendell Jermaine Sailor is an Australian former professional rugby football player who represented his country in both rugby league and rugby union – a dual code international. He is an Australian Torres Strait Islander.Sailor's large frame and bullocking style changed the way wingers played rugby...
, rugby league footballer
- Michelle Chandler
- 4 September – Andrew HansenAndrew HansenAndrew John Hansen is an Australian comedian and musician, best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser...
, comedian and musician - 28 September – Shane WebckeShane WebckeShane Webcke is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer, who spent his entire top-grade career playing for the Brisbane Broncos. His position of choice was at prop forward and at his peak he was renowned as the best front rower in the world...
, rugby league footballer - 1 November – Emma GeorgeEmma George-World records:*4.25 m - Melbourne, Australia 30 November 1995*4.28 m - Perth, Australia 17 December 1995*4.30 m - Perth, Australia 28 January 1996*4.41 m - Perth, Australia 28 January 1996*4.42 m - Reims, France 29 June 1996*4.45 m - Sapporo, Japan 14 July 1996...
, pole vaulter - 19 December – Ricky PontingRicky PontingRicky Thomas Ponting , nicknamed Punter, is an Australian cricketer, a former captain of the Australian cricket team between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very...
, cricketer
Deaths
- 6 April – Hudson FyshHudson FyshSir Wilmot Hudson Fysh KBE, DFC was an Australian aviator and businessman. A founder of the Australian airline company Qantas, Fysh was born in Launceston, Tasmania. Serving in the Battle of Gallipoli and Palestine Campaign as a lieutenant of the Australian Light Horse Brigade, Fysh later became...
(b.1895), co founder of QantasQantasQantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport... - 1 May – Frank PackerFrank PackerSir Douglas Frank Hewson Packer, KBE , was an Australian media proprietor who controlled Australian Consolidated Press and the Nine Network.-Biography:...
(b.1906), publisher - 10 June – Prince Henry, Duke of GloucesterPrince Henry, Duke of GloucesterThe Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester was a soldier and member of the British Royal Family, the third son of George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary....
(b.1900), former Governor General of Australia