1948 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1948 in Australia.

Incumbents

State Premiers

Premier of New South Wales – James McGirr
Premier of Queensland – Ned Hanlon
Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
Premier of Tasmania – Edward Brooker, then Robert Cosgrove
Premier of Victoria – Thomas Hollway
Premier of Western Australia – Ross McLarty

State Governors

Events

23 January – De Havilland Australia conducts the first flight of its 3 engined Drover transport aircraft at Bankstown Airport.
19 February – An Avro Lincoln bomber crashes at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, killing 16 Royal Australian Air Force personnel.
25 February – Robert Cosgrove is reinstated as Premier of Tasmania after being cleared of corruption charges on 22 February.
8 May – Margaret McIntyre becomes the first woman elected to the Parliament of Tasmania. She is killed in a plane crash later in the year.
29 May – A federal referendum is held, asking one question on Rents and Prices. It is not carried.
1 July – The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is introduced.
21 August – A state election is held in Tasmania. The result is a hung parliament, but Robert Cosgrove and Labor retain power with the support of an independent, William Wedd.
2 September – The Douglas DC-3 Lutana crashes near Nundle, New South Wales, killing all 13 on board.
21 September – H.V. Evatt becomes President of the United Nations General Assembly.
29 November – The first Holden car, the model 48-215, popularly known as the FX, rolls off the assembly line. The on-road cost was approximately £760.
1 December – The body of an unidentified man is found on a beach in Adelaide, becoming known as the Somerton Man.
16 December – HMAS Sydney is commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy as its first aircraft carrier.

Arts and literature

William Dobell wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Margaret Olley
One of the few Australian songs to top the Australian charts "Good-Night Mister Moon" by Allan Ryan and William Flynn

Sport

18 September – Minor premiers Western Suburbs win the 1948 NSWRFL season, claiming their first premiership since 1934 after defeating Balmain 8–5. North Sydney finish in last place, claiming the wooden spoon.Morna takes line honours and Westward wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht RaceRimfire wins the Melbourne Cup

Births

5 January – Wally Foreman, football commentator
23 January – Glenn Wheatley, musician and talent manager
24 January – Brian Langton, NSW politician
25 January – Ros Kelly, politician
3 February – Les Twentyman, social campaigner
10 February – Mike Pratt, politician
16 February – Jeff Guess, poet
2 March – Jeff Kennett, Premier of Victoria
13 March – Rick Amor, artist
19 March – Vince Lovegrove, singer, journalist and band manager
27 March – Rosemary Follett, Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
31 March – Graham Cornes, Australian rules footballer
2 April – Jennifer Rowe, children's author
29 April – Leslie Howard, musician
15 May – Muriel Porter, Anglican laywoman
28 May – Michael Field, Premier of Tasmania
11 June – Pat Wilson, singer and journalist
21 June – Lionel Rose, boxer
30 June – Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Aboriginal leader
15 July – Richard Franklin, film director
24 July – Joan London, writer
7 August – Greg Chappell, cricketer
18 August – Richard Tracey, Australian military and civil judge and barrister
19 August – Robert Hughes, actor
20 August – John Noble, actor
24 August - Richard Norden, soldier and police officer
12 September – Max Walker, cricketer and VFL footballer
18 September – Christopher Skase, fugitive businessman
22 September – Denis Burke, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
25 September – Vicki Viidikas, poet
26 September – Olivia Newton-John, entertainer
3 October – Rob Langer, cricketer
4 October – Bob Morris, racing driver
5 October - Jim Waley, journalist
8 October – Warren Truss, leader of the National Party
19 October – Meg Lees, Democrat senator for South Australia
30 October – Garry McDonald, actor
5 November – Malcolm Milne, Olympic skier
6 November – Geoff Prosser, politician
14 November – Ian Stanley, golfer
15 November – James Kemsley, cartoonist
22 November – Gary Dempsey, Australian rules footballer
1 December – John Quigley, WA politician
2 December – Patricia Hewitt, British Labour Party politician
5 December – Cheryl Kernot, politician
12 December – Kim Beazley, politician
15 December – Cassandra Harris, actor
29 December – Michael White, psychotherapist

Deaths

12 February – Sir Isaac Isaacs, 9th Governor-General of Australia and 3rd Chief Justice of Australia
23 March – Lou Cunningham, New South Wales politician
24 March – Sydney Sampson, Victorian politician and newspaper proprietor
9 April – George Carpenter, 5th General of The Salvation Army
15 April – Eric Fairweather Harrison, Victorian politician and soldier
20 May – Marie Pitt, poet and journalist
8 June – Thomas Crawford, Queensland politician
18 June – Edward Brooker, 31st Premier of Tasmania
18 July – May Moss, welfare worker and suffragette
21 July – Francis Joseph Bayldon, master mariner and nautical instructor
24 July – Stanley Goble, 2nd Chief of the Air Staff
31 July – Nigel Barker, Olympic track and field athlete
28 August – Jack Lumsdaine, singer, songwriter and soldier
2 September – Margaret McIntyre, Tasmanian politician
9 September – Frank Foster, New South Wales politician
18 October
* George Cann, New South Wales politician
* Philip Collier, 14th Premier of Western Australia
8 December – Matthew Charlton, 7th Federal Leader of the Opposition