1944 in Australia explained
The following lists events that happened during 1944 in Australia.
Incumbents
State Premiers
State Governors
Events
- 14 January – Meat rationing begins in Australia.[3]
- 20 January – Seventeen people are killed at Brooklyn, New South Wales when a mail train and a bus collide at a level crossing. There is only one survivor, Gloria Iren Silvia.[4]
- 15 February – Bushfires in the Western District, Gippsland and Yallourn regions of Victoria kill 51 people.
- 15 April – 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.
- 30 June – 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.[5]
- 5 August – The Cowra breakout occurs, with 545 Japanese prisoners of war escaping from the camp.[6]
- 19 August – 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.[7]
- 21 October – 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.
- 25 November – Reg Saunders becomes the first Aboriginal commissioned officer in the Australian Army.
- 14 December – The Liberal Party of Australia is formed, replacing the United Australia Party.
Arts and literature
See main article: 1944 in Australian literature.
Film
Sport
Births
- 1 January – Barry Beath, rugby league player
- 7 January – Tony Whitlam, lawyer, judge, and politician
- 14 January – Graham Marsh, golfer
- 18 January – Paul Keating, Prime Minister of Australia (1991–1996)
- 19 January – Paul Gibson, NSW politician
- 3 February – Trisha Noble, singer and actress (died 2021)
- 9 February – Derryn Hinch, media personality
- 10 February – Peter Allen, entertainer (died 1992)
- 17 February – Robert Dessaix, writer
- 18 March – Dick Smith, businessman
- 21 April – Adrian Hurley, basketball player and coach
- 22 April – Damien Broderick, science fiction author
- 4 May - Steve Liebmann, journalist
- 22 May – John Flanagan, author
- 23 May – John Newcombe, tennis player
- 26 May – Andrew Jones, politician (died 2015)
- 28 May – Paul D. Scully-Power, oceanographer and astronaut
- 6 June – Matt Carroll, film and television producer
- 6 June – Rene Rivkin, businessman (died 2005)
- 4 July – Ray Meagher, actor
- 23 July – Alex Buzo, playwright and author (died 2006)
- 31 July – James Strong, businessman, CEO of Qantas (died 2013)
- 17 August – Nicholas John Vine-Hall, genealogist (died 2006)
- 21 August – Peter Weir, film director
- 3 September – Ray Groom, Premier of Tasmania (1992–1996)
- 8 September – Terry Jenner, cricketer (died 2011)
- 5 September – Gareth Evans, politician
- 11 September – Alan Gilbert, academic and university Vice-Chancellor (died 2010)
- 13 September – Midget Farrelly, surfer (died 2016)
- 16 September – Peter Harvey, journalist and television presenter (died 2013)
- 19 September – Colin Dibley, tennis player
- 25 October – Ron Coote, rugby league footballer
- 21 November – Kay Patterson, Liberal Senator for Victoria
- 4 December – Lawrie Peckham, high jumper
- 20 December – Ray Martin, television presenter (60 Minutes – 1979–1985, A Current Affair – 1994–1998 & 2003–3005, Midday – 1985–1993)
- 27 December – Bob Brown, politician
Deaths
- 1 January – Charles Turner, cricketer (b. 1862)
- 3 January – Tom Brennan, Victorian politician, journalist and lawyer (b. 1866)
- 15 January – Patrick Lynch, Western Australian politician (born in Ireland) (b. 1867)
- 31 March – Maurice Blackburn, Victorian politician (b. 1880)
- 10 April – Constance Kent, convicted murderer (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1844)
- 5 May – George John Bell, Tasmanian politician (b. 1872)
- 10 May – Digby Denham, 18th Premier of Queensland (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1859)
- 11 May – John Balmer, air force bomber pilot (died in Belgium) (b. 1910)
- 24 May – William Butcher, Western Australian politician and pastoralist (b. 1858)
- 9 June – William Angwin, Western Australian politician (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1863)
- 28 June – Anton Breinl, medical scientist and practitioner (born in Austria) (b. 1880)
- 1 July – Zara Aronson, journalist and philanthropist (b. 1864)
- 29 July – Walter Price, cricketer (b. 1886)
- 5 August
- 24 August – Alfred Carson, journalist and social worker (b. 1859)
- 6 September – Evelyn Conyers, matron-in-chief of the Australian Army Nursing Service, awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal (born in New Zealand) (b. 1870)
- 21 October – Emile Dechaineux, naval officer (died in Leyte Gulf) (b. 1902)
- 5 November – Grace Benny, South Australian politician (b. 1872)
- 10 November – John Clemons, Tasmanian politician and lawyer (died in the United Kingdom) (b. 1862)
- 12 November – Roy Agnew, composer and pianist (b. 1891)
- 18 November – Sir James Blair, 6th Chief Justice of Queensland (b. 1870)
- 20 November – Charles Frederick Cox, New South Wales politician and military officer (b. 1863)
- 12 December – Claude Corbett, sports journalist (b. 1885)
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: Archived copy . 18 December 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151027054045/https://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/KingsandQueensoftheUnitedKingdom/TheHouseofWindsor/GeorgeVI.aspx . 27 October 2015 .
- Web site: John Curtin. naa.gov.au. 19 October 2014. 26 July 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100726084256/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/curtin/. dead.
- Web site: Rationing of food and clothing during the Second World War. awm.gov.au.
- Web site: 21 Jan 1944 - 15 KILLED IN NSW CROSSING TRAGEDY Mail Train Wre.... nla.gov.au.
- Web site: 01 Jul 1944 - ANTONIO AGOSTINI. SENTENCE OF SIX YEARS. "Jury M.... nla.gov.au. July 1944 .
- Web site: Cowra breakout. awm.gov.au.
- Web site: Referendum dates and results. Australian Electoral Commission.
