From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

See also: 1947 in Australia, other events of 1948, 1949 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

• Monarch – King George VI
• Governor General – William McKell
• Prime Minister – Ben Chifley

State Premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – James McGirr
• Premier of Queensland – Ned Hanlon
• Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
• Premier of Tasmania – Edward Brooker (until February 25), then Robert Cosgrove
• Premier of Victoria – Thomas Hollway
• Premier of Western Australia – Ross McLarty

State Governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Northcott
• Governor of Queensland – Sir John Lavarack
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Charles Norrie
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir Hugh Binney
• Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir James Mitchell (from October 5)

Events

Launch of the first Holden

• January 23 – De Havilland Australia conducts the first flight of its 3 engined Drover transport aircraft at Bankstown Airport.
• February 19 – An Avro Lincoln bomber crashes at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, killing 16 Royal Australian Air Force personnel.
• February 25 – Robert Cosgrove is reinstated as Premier of Tasmania after being cleared of corruption charges on February 22.
• May 8 – Margaret McIntyre becomes the first woman elected to the Parliament of Tasmania. She is killed in a plane crash later in the year.
• May 29 – A federal referendum is held, asking one question on Rents and Prices. It is not carried.
• July 1 – The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is introduced.
• August 21 – A state election is held in Tasmania. The result is a hung parliament, but Robert Cosgrove and Labor retain power with the support of an independent, William Wedd.
• September 2 – Australian National Airways (ANA) DC3 VH-ANK Lutana crashes near Quirindi, New South Wales, killing 13.
• September 21 – H.V. Evatt becomes President of the United Nations General Assembly.
• November 29 – The first Holden car, the model 48-215, popularly known as the FX, rolls off the assembly line. The on-road cost was approximately £760.
• December 1 – The body of an unidentified man is found on a beach in Adelaide in the Taman Shud Case.
• December 16 – HMAS Sydney is commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy as its first aircraft carrier.

Science and technology

Arts and literature

• William Dobell wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Margaret Olley

Film

Sport

• Morna takes line honours and Westward wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
• Rimfire wins the Melbourne Cup

Births

• January 5 – Wally Foreman, football commentator (d. 2006)
• January 23 – Glenn Wheatley, musician and manager
• January 25 – Ros Kelly, politician
• February 10 – Mike Pratt, politician
• March 2 – Jeff Kennett, Premier of Victoria (1992–1999)
• March 13 – Rick Amor, artist
• March 27 – Rosemary Follett, Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (1989, 1991–1995)
• March 31 – Graham Cornes, Australian rules footballer
• April 2 – Jennifer Rowe, children's author
• April 29 – Leslie Howard, musician
• May 15 – Muriel Porter, Anglican laywoman
• May 28 – Michael Field, Premier of Tasmania (1989–1992)
• June 11 – Pat Wilson, singer and journalist
• June 21 – Lionel Rose, boxer
• June 30 – Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Aboriginal leader
• July 15 – Richard Franklin, film director (d. 2007)
• July 24 – Joan London, writer
• August 7 – Greg Chappell, cricketer
• August 19 – Robert Hughes, actor
• August 20 – John Noble, actor
• September 12 – Max Walker, cricketer and VFL footballer
• September 18 – Christopher Skase, fugitive businessman (d. 2001)
• September 22 – Denis Burke, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory (1999–2001)
• September 25 – Vicki Viidikas, poet
• October 3 – Rob Langer, cricketer
• October 4 – Bob Morris, racing driver
• October 8 – Warren Truss, leader of the National Party
• October 19 – Meg Lees, Democrat senator for South Australia
• October 30 – Garry McDonald, actor
• November 5 – Malcolm Milne, Olympic skier
• November 6 – Geoff Prosser, politician
• November 14 – Ian Stanley, golfer
• November 15 – James Kemsley, cartoonist (d. 2007)
• November 22 – Gary Dempsey, Australian rules footballer
• December 1 – John Quigley, WA politician
• December 5 – Cheryl Kernot, politician
• December 12 – Kim Beazley, politician
• December 15 – Cassandra Harris, actor (d. 1991)
• December 29 – Michael White, psychotherapist (d. 2008)

Deaths

• February 12 – Sir Isaac Isaacs (b. 1855), Governor-General of Australia (1931–1936)
• March 23 – Lou Cunningham (b. 1889), politician
• March 24 – Sydney Sampson (b. 1863), politician
• April 9 – George Carpenter (b. 1872), General of the Salvation Army (1939–1946)
• April 15 – Eric Harrison (b. 1880), soldier and politician
• May 20 – Marie Pitt (b. 1869), poet
• June 8 – Thomas Crawford (b. 1865), politician
• June 18 – Edward Brooker (b. 1891), Premier of Tasmania (1947–1948)
• July 18 – May Moss (b. 1869), women's rights activist
• July 21 – Francis Joseph Bayldon (b. 1872), master mariner
• July 24 – Stanley Goble (b. 1891), Chief of the Air Staff
• July 31 – Nigel Barker (b. 1883), track and field athlete
• September 2 – Margaret McIntyre (b. 1886), politician (first woman elected to the Parliament of Tasmania)
• September 9 – Francis Foster (b. 1872), politician
• October 18 – George Cann (b. 1871), politician
• October 18 – Philip Collier (b. 1873), Premier of Western Australia (1924–1930)
• December 8 – Matthew Charlton (b. 1866), politician

See also

• 1948
• 1940s