1964 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1964 in Australia.

Incumbents

Monarch – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – Viscount De L'Isle
Prime Minister – Sir Robert Menzies
* Opposition Leader – Arthur Calwell
Chief Justice – Sir Owen Dixon, then Sir Garfield Barwick

State and territory leaders

Premier of New South Wales – Bob Heffron, then Jack Renshaw
* Opposition Leader – Robert Askin
Premier of Queensland – Frank Nicklin
* Opposition Leader – Jack Duggan
Premier of South Australia – Sir Thomas Playford IV
* Opposition Leader – Frank Walsh
Premier of Tasmania – Eric Reece
* Opposition Leader – Angus Bethune
Premier of Victoria – Henry Bolte
* Opposition Leader – Clive Stoneham
Premier of Western Australia – David Brand
* Opposition Leader – Albert Hawke

Governors and administrators

Events

January

29 January – The Royal Australian Air Force takes delivery of its first two Mirage fighter jets.
31 January – Seven infants are killed in the nursery fire tragedy in the Melbourne suburb of Templestowe.

February

3 February –
*Cyclone Dora strikes the west coast of Cape York Peninsula causing extensive damage to the Edward River and Mitchell River Aboriginal missions.
*The first double-decker carriages begin trial runs on the Sydney rail network.
10 February –
*82 people are killed in the Melbourne–Voyager collision in Jervis Bay when the aircraft carrier and the destroyer collide.
*A 16-year-old boy drowns when he is caught in a rip at Bilgola Beach.

March

5 March – 25-year-old Barry Rodrick is found guilty by a jury of murdering 12-year-old Monica Ann Schofield near the Sydney suburb of Hammondville on 17 June 1963 and is sentenced to life imprisonment.
10 March – Sir Percy Spender is appointed President of the International Court of Justice.
27 March – There is a split in the Communist Party of Australia and the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) is formed.

April

2 April – 49-year-old UWA lecturer Maurice Bernard Benn is found guilty by a jury of murdering his four-year-old son Bernard Wolfgang Benn and is sentenced to death. His sentence is later commuted to ten years imprisonment. Instead of condemning his actions, the university instead offers their support to Benn vowing to offer continued employment upon his release from prison.
9 April – The Menzies government refuses to ratify the International Labour Organization convention on equal pay for women.
8 April – The Moonie oil pipeline to Lytton Oil Refinery opens
21 April –
*Hanna Neumann is named professor and chair of pure mathematics at the Australian National University in Canberra, becoming the first female professor of pure mathematics at an Australian university and the first woman to be appointed to a chair at ANU.
*Judy Hanrahan becomes the first female bank teller appointed by the Bank of NSW since World War II, taking up the position at the Collins Street branch in Melbourne.
23 April — Federal Liberal Party politician Sir Garfield Barwick is announced as the new Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, succeeding Sir Owen Dixon who resigned on 13 April. Prime minister Robert Menzies said Barwick had already resigned from the House of Representatives and is "taking steps" to resign as the Minister for External Affairs.
29 April — Lake Burley Griffin reaches filled maximum level for the first time.

May

14 May – A Royal Australian Navy helicopter with a crew of four onboard makes a forced landing on a sports oval in the Wollongong suburb of Cringila after its engine cuts out flying over the Port Kembla steelworks.

June

June – Macquarie University founded
12–30 June – The Beatles' 1964 world tour in Australia and New Zealand.
13 June – Two gasfitters and a co-proprietor of a Sydney coffee shop in George Street are killed when a gas pipe ruptured as they were attempting to identify a gas leak in the cellar of the Cuba Coffee Inn. Five others are hospitalised including two ambulance officers while eight others were treated for slight gas poisoning.

July

6 July – Warrant Officer Class 2, Kevin Conway of the Australian Army Training Team becomes the first Vietnam War battle casualty when he is killed during a Viet Cong attack on the Nam Đông special forces post in Thừa Thiên Huế province.
15 July – The first edition of The Australian is published in Canberra, Australia's first national daily newspaper, published by Rupert Murdoch's News Limited.
17 July – Donald Campbell sets new land speed record of 429 miles per hour in his jet-propelled car "Bluebird" at Lake Eyre, South Australia.

August

4 August – 25-year-old railway porter David Herman Mason is found guilty by a jury of murdering his 15-month-old daughter Rowena Dorelle Mason in Lithgow, New South Wales on 16 April 1964 and is sentenced to life imprisonment.
8 August – The 1964 Waratah state by-election is held in New South Wales which was triggered by the death of Labor's Edward Greaves. The by-election is won by independent candidate Frank Purdue, the lord mayor of Newcastle.
17 August – The Tasman Bridge across the Derwent River opens in Hobart.

September

23 September – The publishers of Sydney's satirical Oz magazine are all convicted with printing an obscene publication. Neville and Walsh are both sentenced to six months gaol, Sharp is sentenced to four months gaol while James is fined £50. However, they successfully appeal their sentences and have their convictions quashed on 11 February 1966.

October

2 October – The Gladesville Bridge, then the world's longest concrete arch is officially opened in Sydney by Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark.
17 October — Prime Minister Robert Menzies inaugurates Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra.
26 October – Notorious Perth serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke is executed at Fremantle Prison becoming the last person to be hanged in Western Australia.

November

10 November – Prime Minister Robert Menzies announces the reintroduction of National Service.

December

10 December – The Queensland government declares a state of emergency in an attempt to end the Mount Isa Mines dispute.
16 December – Melbourne's La Trobe University is founded
31 December – Donald Campbell sets new water speed record of 276 miles per hour at Dumbleyung Lake, Western Australia.

Arts and literature

Donald Horne's The Lucky Country published.
Kath Walker's We Are Going published.
My Brother Jack by George Johnston is awarded the Miles Franklin Literary Award.

Television

1 August – The launch of ATV-0 marks the birth of the third commercial television network, now known as Network Ten.
3 October – Singer Johnny Chester hosts a new show on Melborne's ABV-2 called Teen Scene, which also features his backing group The Chessmen as the house band.
20 October – Police drama Homicide premieres on Melbourne's HSV-7, beginning a 12-year run setting the pace for Australian television drama.
11 November – The Mavis Bramston Show premieres on ATN-7 in Sydney.

Sport

23 February – South Australia wins the 1963–64 Sheffield Shield season, defeating Victoria by an innings and 46 runs.
17 May – Midget Farrelly wins the first World Surfboard Championship at Manly Beach while Phyllis O'Donnell wins the women's title.
18 July – Robert Vagg wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:24:06.2 in Sydney.
19 September –
*St. George win the 1964 NSWRFL season Grand Final, winning their ninth straight premiership after defeating Balmain 11–6 at the SCG. Canterbury-Bankstown finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon.
*Melbourne win the 1964 VFL grand final defeating Collingwood by four points.
13 October – Dawn Fraser wins Australia's first gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics when she wins the women's 100 metre freestyle event.
15 October – Ian O'Brien wins gold in the men's 200 metre breastroke event at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
17 October –
*Robert Windle wins gold in the men's 1500 metre freestyle event at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
*Betty Cuthbert wins gold in the women's 400 metre athletics event at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
18 October – Kevin Berry wins gold in the men's 200 metre butterfly event at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
21 October – William Northam, Peter O'Donnell and James Sargeant win gold in the men's 5.5 metre sailing event at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
24 October –
*Australia places 8th in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics with a total of 18 medals .
*Dawn Fraser becomes the first Australian athlete to carry the Australian flag at an Olympics closing ceremony.
3 November – Polo Prince wins the Melbourne Cup.
30 December – Freya is declared the winner of the 1964 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race while Astor takes line honours.

Births

15 January – Scott Emerson, politician
16 January – Chris Dittmar, squash player
25 January – Mark McPhee, cricketer
25 February – Dale Last, politician
3 March – Sandy Bolton, politician
4 March – Karen Knowles, entertainer
13 March
* Stephen Bennett, politician
* Trevor Gillmeister, rugby league player
26 March – Martin Bella, rugby league player
8 April – Michael Caltabiano, politician
15 April – Lee Kernaghan, country singer/songwriter
19 April – Peter Jackson, rugby league player
30 April – Ian Healy, cricket player and commentator
2 May – John Hathaway, politician
19 May – Peter Jackson, rugby league player
28 May – Jeff Fenech, boxer and trainer
3 June – Matthew Ryan, equestrian
7 June – Gia Carides, actress
9 June – Jane Kennedy, actress and comedian
11 June – Carl Barron, comedian
22 June – Tom Crebbin, Australian rules football player
23 June – Tara Morice, actress, singer, and dancer
1 July – Clayton Lamb, Australian rules football player
4 July – Martin Flood, quiz show winner
13 July – Leanne Benjamin, ballet dancer
3 August – Michael Healy, politician
4 August – Andrew Bartlett, politician
5 August – Dale Shuttleworth, politician
10 August – Andy Caldecott, motorcycle racer
14 August – Jason Dunstall, Australian Rules football player
19 August – Dermott Brereton, Australian Rules football player
5 September – Frank Farina, soccer player and manager
11 September – Kathy Watt, cyclist
16 September – Chris Franklin, comedian
27 October – Mark Taylor, cricket player and commentator
28 October – Darius Perkins, actor
29 October
* Eddie McGuire, businessman and television presenter
* Jackie Pereira, field hockey striker
9 November – Mark Dalton, basketball player
19 November – Peter Rohde, Australian Rules football player
23 November – Marilyn Kidd, rower
9 December – Larry Emdur, television presenter
16 December
* Georgie Parker, actress
* Gabrielle Upton, politician
22 December – Sam Cox, politician

Deaths

15 January – Harry Sunderland, rugby league administrator
23 January – Claude Hulbert, British actor
12 February – Arthur Upfield, author
27 February – Orry-Kelly, costume designer
18 April – Wilfred Mibus, Victorian politician
19 October – Nettie Palmer, author