1928 in Australia
The following lists events that happened during 1928 in Australia.
Incumbents
- Monarch – George V
- Governor-General – John Baird, 1st Viscount Stonehaven
- Prime Minister – Stanley Bruce
- Chief Justice – Adrian Knox
State premiers
- Premier of New South Wales – Thomas Bavin
- Premier of Queensland – William McCormack
- Premier of South Australia – Richard Layton Butler
- Premier of Tasmania – Joseph Lyons, then John McPhee
- Premier of Victoria – Edmond Hogan, then William McPherson
- Premier of Western Australia – Philip Collier
State governors
- Governor of New South Wales – Sir Dudley de Chair
- Governor of Queensland – Sir John Goodwin
- Governor of South Australia – Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven
- Governor of Tasmania – Sir James O'Grady
- Governor of Victoria – Arthur Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron Somers
- Governor of Western Australia – Sir William Campion
Events
- 27–28 January – Bundaberg tragedy: 12 children die in Bundaberg, Queensland, after being inoculated with a diphtheria vaccine contaminated with the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium.
- 22 February – Bert Hinkler arrives in Darwin, Northern Territory after flying solo from London on 7 February, and then, later, he arrives in his hometown of Bundaberg, Queensland on 27 February.
- 17 May – The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia makes its first official flight from Cloncurry to Julia Creek
- 8 June – Charles Kingsford Smith and his crew arrive in Brisbane, Queensland, after completing the first flight across the Pacific Ocean in the "Southern Cross" after leaving the United States on 31 May.
- 14 August – The Coniston massacre begins.
- 20 December – Hubert Wilkins makes the first flight over Antarctica in his Lockheed Vega San Francisco
- The first Speedos are produced
Arts and literature
- John Longstaff wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Dr Alexander Leeper
- Arthur Streeton wins the Wynne Prize with his landscape ''Afternoon Light, Goulburn Valley''
Film
- 29 December – The Jazz Singer becomes the first sound film screened in Australia. It premieres at the Lyceum Theatre in Sydney
Sport
- 15 September - The 1928 NSWRFL season culminates in South Sydney's 26–5 victory over Eastern Suburbs in the final.
- 6 November – Statesman wins the Melbourne Cup.
- Victoria wins the Sheffield Shield
- Bobby Pearce wins Australia's only gold medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics. He won the men's 200m sculls
- The first Australian Grand Prix is held at Phillip Island
Births
- 17 January – Ken Archer, cricketer
- 19 January – John Treloar, track and field athlete
- 21 January – James Achurch, javelin thrower
- 29 February – Terry Lewis, police officer and convicted fraudster
- 14 March – June Maston, sprinter and athletics coach
- 2 April – Denis Flannery, rugby league footballer of the 1940s and 1950s
- 30 May – Pro Hart, artist
- June – Mike Williamson, sports commentator
- 3 June – Beryl Kimber, violinist and educator
- 12 June – Bob Davis, Australian rules footballer
- 15 June – Joan Croll, physician and radiologist
- 18 June – Michael Blakemore, actor and director
- 1 July – Robert Wemyss, Australian football player
- 7 July – Henry Sommerville, fencer
- 17 July – David Leach, senior officer of the Royal Australian Navy
- 18 July – Russell Mockridge, cyclist
- 8 August – Don Burrows, jazz musician
- 12 August – Charles Blackman, painter
- 31 August – A. W. Pryor, physicist
- 8 October – Leonard French, glass artist
- 26 October – Shirley Abicair, actress, musician and author
- 27 October – Thomas Perrin, cricketer
- 16 November – Patricia Giles, activist
- 17 November – Colin McDonald, cricketer
- 18 November – Bruce Rosier, Anglican bishop
- 30 November – Steele Hall, Premier of South Australia
- 15 December – Peter Coleman, politician and writer
- 26 December – Maureen Brunt, economist
- 27 December – Phillip Bennett, Governor of Tasmania
- date unknown – John Challis, gay rights activist
Deaths
- 9 February – William Gillies, 21st Premier of Queensland
- 1 April – Andrew Lang Petrie, Queensland politician
- 19 May – John Barrett, Victorian politician
- 19 July – Norman Ewing, Tasmanian Opposition Leader
- 22 October – Andrew Fisher, 5th Prime Minister of Australia
- Unknown, possibly August – Bert Rache, composer