1964 in Australia

1964 in Australia
The following lists events that happened during 1964 in Australia.
Incumbents
Monarch – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – Viscount De L'Isle
Prime Minister – Sir Robert Menzies
Opposition Leader – Arthur Calwell
Chief Justice – Sir Owen Dixon (until 13 April), then Sir Garfield Barwick
State and territory leaders
Premier of New South Wales – Bob Heffron (until 30 April), then Jack Renshaw
Opposition Leader – Robert Askin
Premier of Queensland – Frank Nicklin
Opposition Leader – Jack Duggan
Premier of South Australia – Sir Thomas Playford IV
Opposition Leader – Frank Walsh
Premier of Tasmania – Eric Reece
Opposition Leader – Angus Bethune
Premier of Victoria – Henry Bolte
Opposition Leader – Clive Stoneham
Premier of Western Australia – David Brand
Opposition Leader – Albert Hawke
Governors and administrators
Governor of New South Wales – Lieutenant General Sir Eric Woodward
Governor of Queensland – Colonel Sir Henry Abel Smith
Governor of South Australia – Lieutenant General Sir Edric Bastyan
Governor of Tasmania – General Sir Charles Gairdner
Governor of Victoria – Major General Sir Rohan Delacombe
Governor of Western Australia – Major General Sir Douglas Kendrew
Administrator of Nauru – Reginald Leydin
Administrator of Norfolk Island – Robert Wordsworth, then Roger Nott
Administrator of the Northern Territory – Roger Nott (until 1 October), then Roger Dean
Administrator of Papua and New Guinea – Sir Donald Cleland
Events
29 January – The Royal Australian Air Force takes delivery of its first two Mirage fighter jets
3 February – The first double-decker carriages begin trial runs on the Sydney rail network
4 February – Cyclone Dora strikes north west Queensland
10 February – Melbourne–Voyager collision: The aircraft carrier and the destroyer 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 Labour Organization 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
8 April – The Moonie oil pipeline to Lytton Oil Refinery opens
24 April – Melbourne woman Judy Hanrahan becomes the first female teller appointed by the Bank of NSW since World War II
27 April 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.
12–30 June – The Beatles' 1964 world tour in Australia and New Zealand.
6 July – Warrant Officer Class 2, Kevin Conway of the Australian Army Training Team died; he was Australia's first Vietnam War battle casualty.
15 July – 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.
17 July – 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.
26 October – Notorious Perth serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke is executed at Fremantle Prison; he is the last person to be hanged in Western Australia
10 November – Prime Minister Robert Menzies announces the reintroduction of National Service
10 December – The Queensland government declares a state of emergency in an attempt to end the Mount Isa Mines dispute
16 December – Melbourne's La Trobe University is founded
31 December – 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
Science and 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.
Television
The launch of ATV-0 marks the birth of the third commercial television network, now known as Network Ten
Singer Johnny Chester hosts a new ABC TV show called Teen Scene, which also features his backing group The Chessmen as the house band.
20 October – Police drama Homicide begins a 12-year run and sets the pace for Australian television drama.
11 November – The Mavis Bramston Show premieres on HSV 7 in Melbourne.
Sport
17 May Bernard "Midget" Farrelly wins the first World Surfboard Championship at Manly Beach
18 July – 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 win the 1964 NSWRFL season Grand Final, winning their ninth straight premiership after defeating Balmain 11–6. Canterbury-Bankstown finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon.
Melbourne Football Club wins the Victorian Football League Grand Final
Births
15 January – Scott Emerson, politician
16 January – Chris Dittmar, squash player
25 January – Mark McPhee, cricketer (died 1999)
25 February – Dale Last, politician
3 March – Sandy Bolton, politician
4 March – Karen Knowles, entertainer
13 March
Stephen Bennett, politician
Trevor Gillmeister, rugby league player
26 March – Martin Bella, rugby league player
8 April – Michael Caltabiano, politician
15 April – Lee Kernaghan, country singer/songwriter
19 April – Peter Jackson (died 1997), Australian rugby league footballer
30 April – Ian Healy, cricket player and commentator
2 May – John Hathaway, politician
19 May – Peter Jackson, rugby league player (died 1997)
28 May – Jeff Fenech, boxer and trainer
3 June – Matthew Ryan, equestrian
7 June – Gia Carides, actress
9 June – Jane Kennedy, actress and comedian
11 June – Carl Barron, comedian
22 June – Tom Crebbin, Australian rules footballer
23 June – Tara Morice, actress, singer, and dancer
1 July – Clayton Lamb, Australian rules footballer
4 July – Martin Flood, quiz show winner
13 July – Leanne Benjamin, ballet dancer
3 August – Michael Healy, politician
4 August – Andrew Bartlett, politician
5 August – Dale Shuttleworth, politician
10 August – Andy Caldecott, motorcycle racer (died 2006)
14 August – Jason Dunstall, Australian Rules football player
19 August – Dermott Brereton, Australian Rules football player
5 September – Frank Farina, soccer player and manager
11 September – Kathy Watt, cyclist
16 September – Chris Franklin, comedian
27 October – Mark Taylor, cricket player and commentator
28 October – Darius Perkins, actor (died 2019)
29 October – Eddie McGuire, businessman and television presenter
29 October – Jackie Pereira, field hockey striker
9 November – Mark Dalton, basketball player
19 November – Peter Rohde, footballer (Carlton F.C.)
23 November – Marilyn Kidd, rower
9 December – Larry Emdur, television presenter
16 December
Georgie Parker, actress
Gabrielle Upton, politician
22 December – Sam Cox, politician
Deaths
15 January – Harry Sunderland, rugby league administrator (born 1889)
23 January – Claude Hulbert, British actor (born 1900)
12 February – Arthur Upfield, author (born 1890)
27 February – Orry-Kelly, costume designer (born 1897)
18 April – Wilfred Mibus, Victorian politician (born 1900)
19 October – Nettie Palmer, author (born 1885)
See also
List of Australian films of the 1960s
References
Australia
Years of the 20th century in Australia