1941 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1941 in Australia.

Incumbents

Monarch – George VI
Governor-General – Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Baron Gowrie
Prime Minister – Robert Menzies, then Arthur Fadden, then John Curtin
Chief Justice – Sir John Latham

State Premiers

State Governors

Governor of New South Wales – John Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst
Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson
Governor of South Australia – Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey
Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ernest Clark
Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan
Governor of Western Australia – ''none appointed''

Events

25 March – The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force is formed.
31 March – The Siege of Tobruk begins.
7 April – The Women's Royal Australian Naval Service is formed.
10 May – A general election is held in New South Wales. The ALP led by William McKell defeats the incumbent United Australia Party and Premier Alexander Mair.
12 May – The Daily Mirror newspaper is first published in Sydney.
30 June – HMAS Waterhen sinks off Libya – the first Australian naval vessel lost in the war.
3 October – Prime Minister Arthur Fadden resigns following the rejection of his budget by two independent MPs.
7 October – John Curtin is sworn in as Prime Minister after Arthur Fadden's government loses majority support in the House of Representatives.
11 November – The Australian War Memorial is opened in Canberra.
19 November – The light cruiser HMAS Sydney engages the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran in an hour-long battle off the coast of Western Australia. Both ships are sunk, the Sydney going down with 645 crew.
9 December – Australia declares war on Japan, and the Axis powers of Finland, Hungary and Romania.
13 December – A general election is held in Tasmania. The Labor Party led by Robert Cosgrove is returned to power.

Arts and literature

William Dargie wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Sir James Elder, KBEThe Timeless Land by Eleanor Dark is published.

Sport

30 August – St. George win the 1941 NSWRFL season for their first premiership after the club's founding in 1920, defeating Eastern Suburbs 31–14. North Sydney finish in last place, claiming the wooden spoon.
27 September – Melbourne wins the 45th VFL Premiership, defeating Essendon 19.13 to 13.20.
4 November – Skipton wins the Melbourne Cup.Velocity wins the Caulfield CupBeau Vite wins the Cox Plate
The Sheffield Shield is not contested due to war

Births

3 January – Roger Rogerson, detective and convicted murderer
14 January – Peter Ingham, Roman Catholic bishop
23 January – Jock R. Anderson, economist and academic
29 January – Maggie Kirkpatrick, actress
4 February – Russell Cooper, Premier of Queensland
24 February – Clive Doyle, Australian-born Branch Davidian
2 March – John Cornell, film producer
11 March – Kim Santow, NSW Supreme Court judge
29 March – Michael Thornhill, film producer, screenwriter and film director
31 March – Faith Leech, swimmer
10 April – Wendy Fatin, politician
13 April – Alan Jones, radio personality
17 April – Bill Landeryou, politician
24 April – John Williams, classical guitarist
6 May – Peter Corrigan, architect
11 May – Ian Redpath, cricketer
18 May – Lobby Loyde, rock music guitarist
30 May – Kevin Coombs, Paralympic athlete
31 May – Julian Croft, poet
4 June – Kenneth G. Ross, playwright
8 June – George Pell, cardinal
23 June – Margaret Hamilton, publisher and author
24 June – Graham McKenzie, cricketer
25 June – Kenneth Walker, cricketer
28 June – Harry Quick, politician
1 July
* Alf Duval, rower
* Denis Michael Rohan, Australian citizen who, on 21 August 1969, set fire to the pulpit of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in Jerusalem
3 July – Merv Cross, orthopaedic surgeon and rugby league player
9 July – Jan Lehane, tennis player
13 July – Grahame Corling, cricketer
21 July – Ron Corry, football player, coach
31 July – Heather McKay, squash player
28 August – Tony Barry, actor
1 September – Graeme Langlands, rugby league footballer and coach
22 September – Murray Bail, writer
27 September – Gay Kayler, country music singer
3 October – John Elliott, businessman
5 October – Earle Bailey, politician
14 October – David Kemp, politician
16 October – Genevieve Lloyd, philosopher and feminist
25 October – Helen Reddy, singer
28 October – Fred Chaney, WA politician
7 November – Willi Sawall, race walker
16 November – Max Gillies, actor
13 December – Dixie Willis, middle distance runner
15 December – Richard Neville, writer

Deaths

20 January – Raimund Pechotsch, musical composer
5 February – Banjo Paterson, bush poet, journalist and author
18 March – Harry Boan, Western Australian politician and businessman
1 April – Jack Chamberlain, cricketer
12 April – James Boyd, Victorian politician
15 April – Emily Pelloe, botanical illustrator
4 May – Chris McKivat, Olympic rugby union and league player
8 May – Alexander Hay, New South Wales politician
15 June – John Lynch, New South Wales politician
24 June – Sir Francis Anderson, philosopher
1 July – Francis Birtles, adventurer
7 July – Randolph Bedford, Queensland politician and writer
27 July – James Ronald, Victorian politician
31 July – Ron Barassi Sr., Australian rules footballer and soldier
1 August – James Drake, Queensland politician
23 August – Jack O'Connor, cricketer
30 August – Gregan McMahon, actor and theatrical producer
31 August – Sir Thomas Bavin, 24th Premier of New South Wales
1 September – Millice Culpin, Queensland politician
5 September – George Marchant, soft drink manufacturer and philanthropist
1 October – Sir John Longstaff, artist
18 November – Chris Watson, 3rd Prime Minister of Australia
19 November – Joseph Burnett, naval captain
28 November - Elwyn Roy King, fighter ace and military officer
22 December – Cyril Cameron, Tasmanian politician and soldier