1942 in Australia
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See also: 1941 in Australia, other events of 1942, 1943 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.
Contents |
[edit] Incumbents
- Monarch - King George VI
- Prime Minister - John Curtin
- Governor General - Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie
- Premier of New South Wales - William McKell
- Premier of South Australia - Thomas Playford
- Premier of Queensland - William Forgan Smith (until September 16) then Frank Cooper
- Premier of Tasmania - Robert Cosgrove
- Premier of Western Australia - John Willcock
- Premier of Victoria - Albert Dunstan
[edit] Events
- February 15 - Singapore falls to the Japanese, with approximately 15000 Australian troops taken prisoner
- February 19 - Darwin is bombed by Japanese forces for the first time. At least 243 persons were killed
- March 20 - At Terowie, South Australia, American General Douglas MacArthur makes his famous speech which included the words I came out of Bataan and I shall return
- May 4 - The Battle of the Coral Sea begins
- May 19 - The prototype CAC Boomerang, an Australian designed and built fighter aircraft, takes to the air for the first time.
- May 31 - During the Attack on Sydney Harbour, a Japanese midget submarine sinks the converted Sydney ferry, HMAS Kuttabul, killing 21
- July 6 - Elements of the Australian 9th Division arrive in El Alamein. The Division subsequently takes part in the First and Second Battle of El Alamein
- December 1 - HMAS Armidale, a corvette of the Royal Australian Navy, is sunk with the loss of 100 men
[edit] Science & Technology
[edit] Arts and literature
- William Dargie wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of James Heather Gordon VC
[edit] Film
[edit] Sport
- Colonus wins the Melbourne Cup
[edit] Births
- January 2 - Mike Ahern, Premier of Queensland
- January 17 - Ita Buttrose, journalist
- February 19 - David Williamson, playwright
- February 24 - Colin Bond, racing driver
- May 13 - Richard Butler, diplomat and Governor of Tasmania
- May 15 - Doug Lowe, Premier of Tasmania
- May 16 - Margaret Smith Court, tennis player
- May 21 - John Konrads, swimmer
- July 7 - Carmen Duncan, actress
- July 25 - Bruce Woodley, musician
- October 19 - Bronwyn Bishop, politician
[edit] Deaths
- April 27 - Julian Ashton (b. 1851), painter
- September 3 - Mungo MacCallum - (b. 1854), scholar