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

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