1923 in Australia

Incumbents

• Monarch – George V
• Governor General – Henry Forster
• Prime Minister – Billy Hughes, then Stanley Bruce
• Chief Justice – Adrian Knox

State premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – George Fuller
• Premier of Queensland – Ted Theodore
• Premier of South Australia – Henry Barwell
• Premier of Tasmania – John Hayes, then Sir Walter Lee, then Joseph Lyons
• Premier of Victoria – Harry Lawson
• Premier of Western Australia – James Mitchell

State governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir Walter Davidson
• Governor of Queensland – Sir Matthew Nathan
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Tom Bridges
• Governor of Tasmania – none appointed
• Governor of Victoria – George Rous, 3rd Earl of Stradbroke
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir Francis Newdegate

Events

• 8 February – Billy Hughes resigns as Prime Minister, after the Country Party refuses to govern in coalition with him as the leader of the Nationalist Party. Hughes is succeeded by his Treasurer, Stanley Bruce.
• 25 April – The first Anzac Day dawn service is held in Albany, Western Australia.
• 28 April – Construction commences on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• 1 to 30 April – A uniquely dry month over southeastern Australia due to a persistent block sees the driest month on record over Victoria with only and Tasmania with only. Melbourne has its only rainless month since at least 1855.
• 1 to 31 May – Following on the record dry April, Tasmania's weather reverses so abruptly that May remains the state's wettest month since at least 1900 with a statewide average of. The wet weather would continue for another eleven months so that May 1923 to April 1924 received a statewide average rainfall of – the wettest twelve months on record over Tasmania.
• 14 August – John Hayes resigns as Premier of Tasmania after failing to resolve Tasmania's financial crisis. Sir Walter Lee becomes Premier for the second time.
• 28 August – Construction begins on the Provisional Parliament House in Canberra.
• 7 September – Harry Lawson assumes office for a second term as Premier of Victoria, forming a National-Country Party ministry.
• 10 October – Telephone link between Sydney and Brisbane officially opened.
• 12 October – Cairns, Queensland is proclaimed a city.
• 14 October – Severe floods in Melbourne, two people drown.
• 25 October – Sir Walter Lee is defeated in a no-confidence motion, and Joseph Lyons becomes Premier of Tasmania.
• 31 October – The Marble Bar heat wave begins, which by 7 April 1924 will hold the world record for the longest number of consecutive days in which a temperature above was recorded.
• 1 November – The 1923 Victorian Police strike begins, with half of the Victoria Police force standing down over the use of labour spies. Rioting and looting takes place in the Melbourne city centre.

Arts and literature

• D. H. Lawrence publishes Kangaroo, his first novel with an Australian setting.

Sport

• 20 October – Essendon wins the Premiership of the 1923 VFL season, defeating Fitzroy 8.15 to 6.10 at the MCG.Bitalli wins the Melbourne CupWynette wins the Caulfield Cup
• New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield
• The 1923 NSWRFL Premiership culminates in Eastern Suburbs' 15–12 victory over South Sydney in the final.

Births

• 3 January – Bud Tingwell, actor
• 1 February – John Perceval, artist
• 4 February – James Dibble, journalist
• 18 February – Donald Dunstan, army officer and Governor of South Australia
• 1 March – Guy Griffiths, naval officer
• 15 March – Lou Richards, Australian Rules footballer and media personality
• 25 April – Eric Rolls, writer
• 5 May – Helen Cutler, charity worker and patron
• 21 May – Dorothy Hewett, poet and playwright
• 3 June – June Newton, actress and photographer
• 15 June – Ninian Stephen, Governor General of Australia
• 24 June – Margaret Olley, painter
• 25 June – Harry Seidler, architect
• 9 July – Beryl Nashar, geologist
• 28 July – Theo Bruce, long jumper
• 4 August – Reg Grundy, media owner
• 30 August – Charmian Clift, writer
• 4 September – Peter Ryan, writer
• 7 September
• * Nancy Keesing, poet
• * Bill Nankivell, politician
• 20 September – Eleanor Witcombe, screenwriter
• 24 September – Beryl Beaurepaire, political activist, feminist and philanthropist
• 15 October – Lindsay Thompson, Premier of Victoria
• 23 October – Don Banks, composer
• 26 November – Tom Hughes, barrister and Attorney-General
• 27 November – Joan Bielski, women's rights activist
• 28 November – Lorna Beal, cricketer
• 13 December – Edward Clancy, Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal

Deaths

• 18 January – James Walker, New South Wales politician
• 23 January – Alicia O'Shea Petersen, suffragist and social reformer
• 14 February – Margaret McLean, temperance and women's rights advocate
• 20 February – Abraham Tobias Boas, rabbi
• 22 February – John Jenkins, 22nd Premier of South Australia
• 13 March – Flora Mary Campbell, botanist
• 18 March – Thomas Allwright Dibbs, banker
• 2 June – Ted Banfield, naturalist and author
• 4 June – Hume Nisbet, novelist and artist
• 6 June – Sir Denison Miller, banker
• 30 June – John Henry Nicholson, teacher and writer
• 26 July – Bella Guerin, feminist and suffragist
• 22 August – Sir James Burns, businessman, shipowner and philosopher
• 30 August – Sir Pope Cooper, 4th Chief Justice of Queensland
• 14 September – Edward Millen, New South Wales politician
• 26 September – Charles Scrivener, surveyor and public servant
• 27 October – Brigid McGuigan, superior general of the Sisters of Charity of Australia
• 5 November – Dowell O'Reilly, New South Wales politician, poet and writer
• 27 November – Penleigh Boyd, artist
• 15 December – Frank Morton, journalist and poet
• 23 December – Sir John Gordon, South Australian politician and judge