1934 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1934 in Australia.

Incumbents

State Premiers

Premier of New South Wales – Bertram Stevens
Premier of Queensland – William Forgan Smith
Premier of South Australia – Richard L. Butler
Premier of Tasmania – John McPhee, then Walter Lee, then Albert Ogilvie
Premier of Victoria – Sir Stanley Argyle
Premier of Western Australia – Philip Collier

State Governors

Governor of New South Wales – Sir Philip Game
Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson
Governor of South Australia – Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven, then Sir Winston Dugan
Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ernest Clark
Governor of Victoria – William Vanneck, 5th Baron Huntingfield
Governor of Western Australia – ''none appointed''

Events

18 January – Qantas and Imperial Airways join forces and establish Qantas Empire Airways.
12 March – An intense cyclone crosses the Queensland coast near Innisfail, 75 people were confirmed dead.
21 March to 14 June – The Australian Eastern Mission, led by deputy prime minister John Latham, visited a number of countries in East Asia and South-East Asia, the first Australian diplomatic mission outside the British Empire.
June – During the Great Depression, Frank W. Davey opens his auto-electrical repairs business in a small shop in Carlton, Victoria, Australia with a staff of five. Recognising a market niche during poor economic times, Mr Davey expands his humble business into an electric motor and generator manufacturer and finally the manufacturer of Australia’s own world famous, iconic brand.
1 September – Body of the "Pyjama Girl" found in Albury, New South Wales.
15 September – A federal election is held. Joseph Lyons is returned as Prime Minister, leading a United Australia Party-Country Party coalition to victory over the Australian Labor Party.
3 October – Qantas de Havilland DH.50 Atalanta, registration VH-UHE, crashes near Winton, Queensland, killing the pilot and 2 passengers.
15 October – Captain Cook's cottage is opened to the public, after being dismantled in England, then shipped to Australia and reassembled in Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne.
18 October – Charles Prince of Morphettville is found guilty of fraud for the "ring in" of Redlock at the Murray Bridge Racing Club on 28 July.
24 October – Charles William Anderson Scott and Tom Campbell Black cross the finishing line and win the MacRobertson Air Race, flying from London to Melbourne in an elapsed time of 71 hours.
6 November – The Australian government attempts to stop left-wing writer Egon Erwin Kisch from entering the country, using the language provisions of the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 which allowed a test in any European language. The multi-lingual Kisch was tested in Scottish Gaelic, although the decision to block his entry was later overturned by the High Court.
11 November – The Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne is dedicated.
15 November – Qantas de Havilland DH86 crashes after departing from Longreach Airport during its delivery flight.

Unknown dates

The first ute is produced by Ford in Geelong
CMV Group founded

Arts and literature

Henry Hanke wins the Archibald Prize with his self-portrait
Eleanor Dark's Prelude to Christopher is published. The author was later awarded the ALS Gold Medal.
Martin Boyd publishes his first novel Scandal of Spring
Christina Stead publishes her first novel ''Seven Poor Men of Sydney''

Film

Strike Me Lucky, starring Roy Rene and directed by Ken G. Hall, is released

Sport

8 September - The 1934 NSWRFL season culminates in Western Suburbs' 15–12 victory against Eastern Suburbs in the final. University finish in last place, claiming the wooden spoon.Peter Pan wins the Melbourne Cup
Victoria wins the Sheffield Shield
Australia defeats England 2–1 in The Ashes series, held in England

Births

6 January – Harry M. Miller, promoter and publicist
11 January – Peter Badcoe, soldier and Victoria Cross recipient
20 January – Barry Fisher, cricketer
26 January – Ruby Langford Ginibi, Indigenous author and historian
31 January – Gil Jamieson, painter
6 February – Hugh Cornish, media personality
15 February – Graham Kennedy, entertainer
17 February – Barry Humphries, entertainer
24 February – Frank Brazier, Olympic cyclist
20 March – David Malouf, writer
31 March – Stewart West, politician
16 April
* Robert Stigwood, impresario and film producer
* Barrie Unsworth, Premier of New South Wales
17 April – Sir Peter Morris, surgeon
27 April – Colin Holt, Australian rules footballer
1 May – John Meillon, actor
5 May – Victor Garland, politician and high commissioner to the UK
6 May – Chris Wallace-Crabbe, poet and academic
20 May – Gerald Ridsdale, sex offender and defrocked priest
2 June – Ian Brooker, botanist
27 June – Bill Hay, Australian rules footballer
6 July – Tony Burreket, politician
7 July – Brian Davis, politician
11 July – Barney Cooney, politician
16 July – Marjorie McQuade, swimmer
18 July – Alan Ridge, politician
12 August – Ian George, Anglican Archbishop of Adelaide
17 August – Ben Humphreys, politician
25 August – Jimmy Hannan, television presenter
14 September – Bob Maguire, Roman Catholic priest and media personality
15 September – Fred Nile, clergyman and politician
29 September – Alan Hopgood, actor and writer
7 October – Howard Olney, judge and Western Australian politician
9 October – Jill Ker Conway, author and academic
10 October – Julian Beale, politician
19 October – Des Hoare, cricketer
24 October – Margie Masters, golfer
2 November – Ken Rosewall, tennis player
16 November – Peter Ross Sinclair, Governor of New South Wales
21 November – Peter Philpott, cricketer
4 December – Bill Collins, film critic
24 December – Alan Beaumont, Chief of the Australian Defence Force,

Deaths

1 January – Sir Robert Gibson, businessman
14 January – Staniforth Smith, Western Australian politician
22 January – Arthur Jose, historian
30 January – Edward Heitmann, Western Australian politician
21 February – Sydney Smith, New South Wales politician
27 February – George Temple-Poole, architect and public servant
17 March – Walter Rosenhain, metallurgist
23 March – Thomas Brown, New South Wales politician
29 March – Sir Josiah Symon, South Australian politician
30 March – Ronald Munro Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar, 6th Governor-General of Australia
12 April – Bertram Steele, scientist
12 May – Agar Wynne, Victorian politician
25 May – Percy Coleman, New South Wales politician and union organiser
5 June - Emily Dobson, philanthropist
6 June – William Holman, 19th Premier of New South Wales
19 June – John McDonald, Western Australian politician
30 June – David Charleston, South Australian politician
14 July – John Thomson, New South Wales politician
31 July – Charles McGrath, Victorian politician
6 August – Alexander Leeper, educationist
18 August – Sir John Sulman, architect
27 August – Linda Agostini, murder victim
28 August – Sir Edgeworth David, geologist and explorer
5 September – Sidney Myer, businessman and philanthropist
10 September – Fred Bamford, Queensland politician
7 October – William Sutherland Dun, palaeontologist and geologist
16 October – James Mathews, Victorian politician
21 November – John Scaddan, 10th Premier of Western Australia
3 December – Charles Ulm, aviator