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See also: 1945 in Australia, other events of 1946, 1947 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

• Monarch – King George VI
• Governor-General – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
• Prime Minister – Ben Chifley

State Premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – William McKell
• Premier of Queensland – Frank Cooper (until March 7), then Ned Hanlon
• Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
• Premier of Tasmania – Robert Cosgrove
• Premier of Victoria – John Cain
• Premier of Western Australia – Frank Wise

State Governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Northcott (from August 1)
• Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson (until April 23), then Sir John Lavarack (from October 1)
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Charles Norrie
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir Hugh Binney
• Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan
• Governor of Western Australia – none appointed

Events

• January 26 – Foundation Day is renamed Australia Day.
• February 18 – The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr. Norman Gilroy, becomes Cardinal Gilroy, the first Australian born member of the College of Cardinals
• March 10 – An Australian National Airways (ANA) DC3 aircraft crashes near Hobart, killing 25 people.
• May 1 – At least 800 Aboriginal pastoral workers walk off the job in Northwest Western Australia, starting one of the longest industrial strikes in Australia.
• June 6 – The ABC makes the first national broadcast of a federal parliamentary debate.
• July 19 – Orange, New South Wales is proclaimed a city.
• September 9 – Trans Australia Airlines makes its first flight.
• September 28 – A federal election is held. The Australian Labor Party and Prime Minister Ben Chifley are returned to power. A three-question referendum is also held: the question on Social Services is carried; questions on Marketing and Industrial Employment are not.
• November 23 – A general election is held in Tasmania. The Labor Party lead by Robert Cosgrove is returned to power with a reduced majority.
• December 13 – The United Nations grants Australia trusteeship of Territory of New Guinea and Territory of Papua.

Science and technology

• August 7 - Overseas Telecommunications Commission established by an Act of Parliament in August 1946. It inherited facilities and resources from Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Limited (AWA) and Cable & Wireless, and was charged with responsibility for all international telecommunications services into, through and out of Australia.

Arts and literature

• William Dargie wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of L. C. Robson

Film

• The Overlanders is released, starring Chips Rafferty

Sport

• Morna takes line honours and Christina wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
• Russia wins the Melbourne Cup
• New Zealand defeats Australia 2-0 in a Rugby union test

Births

• January 29 - Ian Meldrum, music personality
• February 8 - Bob Collins, politician
• February 24 - Bob Pearce, politician
• March 3 - Tim Fischer, politician
• April 4 - Colin Coates, ice speed skater
• April 17 - Kerry O'Brien, middle-distance runner
• May 22 - David Graham, golfer
• July 9 - Bon Scott, singer (d. 1980)
• August 1 - Fiona Stanley, epidemiologist
• September 16 - Mike Reynolds, Qld Parliament Speaker
• October 10 - Anne Boyd, composer
• October 28 - John Hewson, politician
• November 2 - Alan Jones, racing driver
• December 20 - John Bertrand, yachtsman

Deaths

• 2 January - Joe Darling, Australian Test cricket captain (b, 1870)
• March 20 - Ethel Richardson, writer (b. 1870)
• September 13 - William Watt, Premier of Victoria (b. 1871)

See also

• 1946
• 1940s