1926 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1926 in Australia.

Incumbents

Monarch – George V
Governor-General – Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster of Lepe then John Baird, 1st Viscount Stonehaven
Prime Minister – Stanley Bruce
Chief Justice – Adrian Knox

State premiers

Premier of New South Wales – Jack Lang
Premier of Queensland – William McCormack
Premier of South Australia – John Gunn, then Lionel Hill
Premier of Tasmania – Joseph Lyons
Premier of Victoria – John Allan
Premier of Western Australia – Philip Collier

State governors

Governor of New South Wales – Sir Dudley de Chair
Governor of Queensland – none appointed
Governor of South Australia – Sir Tom Bridges
Governor of Tasmania – Sir James O'Grady
Governor of Victoria – George Rous, 3rd Earl of Stradbroke, then Arthur Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron Somers
Governor of Western Australia – Sir William Campion

Events

19 April – The High Court of Australia finds in the case of Clyde Engineering Co Ltd v Cowburn that the Forty-Four Hours Week Act 1925 was incompatible with Commonwealth legislation.
3 September – The Canberra Times is first published.
4 September – A federal referendum is held, containing two questions: Industry and Commerce and Essential Services. Neither question is passed.
13 September – Twenty-six people are killed in the Murulla railway accident.
Helen Wayth wins the first Miss Australia Quest
Ballerina Anna Pavlova tours Australia

Science and technology

22 June – The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research is founded, the precursor to today's CSIRO.

Arts and literature

William McInnes wins the Archibald Prize

Sport

18 September – South Sydney Rabbitohs defeat University 11–5, becoming premiers of the New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1926.
25 September – Melbourne defeat Collingwood 17.17 to 9.8 at the VFL grand final, becoming premiers of the 1926 VFL season.
2 November – Spearfelt wins the Melbourne Cup.
New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield

Births

7 January – Joe Marston, soccer player
11 January – Baillieu Myer, businessman and philanthropist
3 February – Raymond Martin, chemist
4 February – Dave Sands, boxer
6 February – Bruce Ruxton, former soldier and president of the RSL
8 February – Tony Street, politician
10 February – Arvi Parbo, businessman
16 February – Rayene Stewart Simpson, soldier and Victoria Cross recipient
6 March – Ray O'Connor, Premier of Western Australia
15 March – Thelma Keane, wife of cartoonist Bil Keane and inspiration for the "Mommy" character in The Family Circus
2 April – Jack Brabham, racing driver
13 April – Neil Betts, rugby union player
11 May – Frank Thring, actor
9 June – Don Ritchie, anti-suicide campaigner
18 June – Shirley McKechnie, dancer, choreographer and dance educator
25 June – Kep Enderby, Esperantist and politician
27 June – Bruce Tozer, cricketer
1 July – Stan Obst, Australian rules footballer
3 July – Laurence Street, jurist and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales
4 July – Stuart Thomas Butler, nuclear physicist
9 July – Peter Mullins, decathlete
12 July – Al Grassby, politician, Minister for Immigration
20 July – Russ Gorman, politician
31 July – Jack Pollard, sports writer and cricket historian
5 August – Doug McClelland, politician
15 August – Ted Allsopp, race walker
27 August – Reg Watson, television producer and screenwriter
8 September – Keith Adams, adventurer
16 September – Sir William Cole, public servant
18 September – Deirdre Jordan, academic and educator
30 September – Frank O'Neill, swimmer
11 October – Neville Wran, Premier of New South Wales
20 October – Peter Durack, politician, Attorney-General
7 November – Joan Sutherland, opera singer
15 November – Ivor Greenwood, politician, Attorney-General
31 December – Sir Billy Snedden, politician, Leader of the Liberal Party

Deaths

9 January – William Henry Warren, engineer
12 January – Sir Austin Chapman, New South Wales politician
30 April – Sir Tim Coghlan, New South Wales statistician, engineer and diplomat
11 May – Sir Hugh Dixson, businessman and philanthropist
15 May – Joseph James Fletcher, biologist
16 May – Joe Slater, composer and music publisher
21 May – Hugh Victor McKay, industrialist
4 June – Fred Spofforth, cricketer
23 June – Lowther Clarke, Anglican archbishop
28 June – William Archibald, South Australian politician
14 July – Sir Charles Mackellar, New South Wales politician and surgeon
19 July – Ada Cambridge, author
14 September – Charles Hedley, naturalist
3 October – Samuel James Mitchell, 1st Chief Justice of the Northern Territory
11 December
* Sir William McMillan, New South Wales politician and businessman
* Gottlieb Schuler, journalist
13 December – William Spence, trade union leader and politician