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See also: 1944 in Australia, other events of 1945, 1946 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

• Monarch – King George VI
• Governor-General – Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Baron Gowrie (until January 30), then the Duke of Gloucester
• Prime Minister – John Curtin (died in office July 5), then Frank Forde (until July 13), then Ben Chifley

State Premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – William McKell
• Premier of Queensland – Frank Cooper
• Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
• Premier of Tasmania – Robert Cosgrove
• Premier of Victoria – Albert Dunstan (until October 2), then Ian McFarlan (until November 21), then John Cain
• Premier of Western Australia – John Willcock (until July 31), then Frank Wise

State Governors

• Governor of New South Wales – John Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst (until June 6)
• Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Charles Norrie
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ernest Clark (until August 4), then Sir Hugh Binney (from December 24)
• Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan
• Governor of Western Australia – none appointed

Events

• January 30 – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester becomes Australia's first royal Governor-General.
• May 9 – Germany surrenders to the Allies, ending World War II in Europe.
• June 26 – Dr H. V. Evatt signs the United Nations Charter on behalf of Australia.
• July 5 – Prime Minister John Curtin dies in office from heart problems at The Lodge in Canberra.
• July 6 – Frank Forde is sworn in as Prime Minister of Australia, following the death of John Curtin. He will serve Australia's shortest term as Prime Minister, being replaced by Ben Chifley a week later.
• July 7 – The Australian 7th Division commences operations in the Battle of Balikpapan. Operations are completed by July 21.
• July 13 – Ben Chifley is elected as leader of the Australian Labor Party, becoming the 16th Prime Minister of Australia.
• August 15 – Japan surrenders to the Allies, ending World War II. The day is known as V-P Day (Victory in the Pacific).
• November 10 – A general election is held in Victoria.

Science and technology

• December 12 – Howard Florey shares the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on penicillin.

Arts and literature

• William Dargie wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Edmund Herring

Film

• May 1 – The Australian National Film Board is established.

Sport

• September 1 – Eastern Suburbs defeats Balmain 22–18 in the final of the 1945 New South Wales Rugby Football League season.
• September 29 – The 1945 VFL Grand Final is held, and becomes known as the "Bloodbath" due to the wet, muddy conditions and frequent violence between players and amongst the spectators. Carlton defeats South Melbourne 15.13 (103) to 10.15 (75).
• November 6 – Rainbird wins the Melbourne Cup.
• December 26 – The first Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race begins. The British yacht Rani wins both line honours and the handicap, arriving in Hobart on January 3.

Births

• January 1 – Peter Duncan, politician
• January 2 – Diane Fahey, poet
• January 2 – Byron Lamont, botanist
• January 8 – Jeannie Lewis, musician
• January 10 – John Fahey, Premier of New South Wales (1992–1995)
• January 15 – John Peard, rugby league player and coach
• January 19 – Judith Clingan, composer and musician
• January 22 – Arthur Beetson, rugby league player and coach
• January 22 – Ken Ticehurst, politician
• January 26 – John Coates, mathematician
• February 11 – Ralph Doubell, Olympic athlete
• February 23 – Robert Gray, poet
• February 26 – Peter Brock, racing driver (d. 2006)
• March 3 – George Miller, film director and producer
• March 16 – Michael Cobb, politician
• April 10 – Kevin Berry, butterfly swimmer (d. 2006)
• April 13 – Judy Nunn, actress
• May 8 – Janine Haines, politician (d. 2004)
• May 17 – Tony Roche, tennis player
• May 22 – Bob Katter, politician
• May 29 – Chris Barrie, Chief of the Defence Force
• June 2 – Michael Leunig, cartoonist.
• July 5 – Johnny Famechon, boxer
• July 8 – Graeme Blundell, actor
• July 13 – Ashley Mallett, cricketer
• July 17 – Athena Starwoman, astrologer
• July 18 – Max Tolson, soccer player
• July 21 – Geoff Dymock, cricketer
• August 1 – Ken Aldred, politician
• August 2 – Alex Jesaulenko, Australian rules football player
• August 7 – Graham Ramshaw, Australian rules football player
• August 12 – Mal Washer, politician
• August 18 – Gillian Bouras, writer
• August 27 – Kerry O'Brien, television journalist
• October 25 – Peter Ledger, illustrator (d. 1994)
• October 26 – John Romeril, playwright
• November 1 – John Williamson, singer
• November 15 – Roger Donaldson, New Zealand film director
• November 19 – Barry Haase, politician
• November 26 – Roger Price, politician
• November 28 – John Hargreaves, actor
• December 5 – Joanne Burns, poet
• December 15 – Thaao Penghlis, actor
• December 22 – Sam Newman, Australian rules football player and media personality
• December 31 – Vernon Wells, actor

Deaths

• January 28 – Samuel Dennis (b. 1870), politician
• March 4 – Harry Chauvel (b. 1865), soldier
• March 5 – Rupert Downes (b. 1885), soldier
• April 15 – Tom Collins (b. 1884), politician
• June 5 – Albert Piddington (b. 1862), High Court judge
• July 5 – John Curtin (b. 1885), Prime Minister of Australia (1941–1945)
• July 29 – Henry Burrell (b. 1873), naturalist
• August 20 – Sir Macpherson Robertson (b. 1859), confectioner
• December 6 – Sir Edmund Dwyer-Gray (b. 1870), Premier of Tasmania (1939)

See also

• 1945
• 1940s