1973 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1973 in Australia.

1973 in Australia

Monarch| Elizabeth II
Governor-General| Sir Paul Hasluck
Prime minister| Gough Whitlam
Population| 13,303,664
Australian of the Year| Patrick White
Elections| SA, VIC, NSW, Referendum

* 1972
* 1971
* 1970
*   *

|  | 1973

Australia |

* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
*   *

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|
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Decades:|

* 1950s
* 1960s
* 1970s
* 1980s
* 1990s

See also:|

* 1973 in Australian literature
* Other events of 1973
*   * Timeline of Australian history

## Incumbents

[edit]

Sir Paul Hasluck Gough Whitlam

* Monarch – Elizabeth II
* Governor-General – Sir Paul Hasluck
* Prime Minister – Gough Whitlam
* Deputy Prime Minister – Lance Barnard
* Opposition Leader – Billy Snedden
* Chief Justice – Sir Garfield Barwick

### State and territory leaders

[edit]

* Premier of New South Wales – Sir Robert Askin
* Opposition Leader – Pat Hills (until 17 November), then Neville Wran
* Premier of Queensland – Joh Bjelke-Petersen
* Opposition Leader – Jack Houston
* Premier of South Australia – Don Dunstan
* Opposition Leader – Bruce Eastick
* Premier of Tasmania – Eric Reece
* Opposition Leader – Max Bingham
* Premier of Victoria – Rupert Hamer
* Opposition Leader – Clyde Holding
* Premier of Western Australia – John Tonkin
* Opposition Leader – Sir Charles Court

### Governors and administrators

[edit]

* Governor of New South Wales – Sir Roden Cutler
* Governor of Queensland – Sir Colin Hannah
* Governor of South Australia – Sir Mark Oliphant
* Governor of Tasmania – Lieutenant General Sir Edric Bastyan (until 30 November), then Sir Stanley Burbury
* Governor of Victoria – Major General Sir Rohan Delacombe
* Governor of Western Australia – Major General Sir Douglas Kendrew
* Administrator of Norfolk Island – Edward Pickerd
* Administrator of the Northern Territory – Frederick Chaney (until 10 December), then Jock Nelson
* Administrator/High Commissioner of Papua New Guinea – Les Johnson

## Events

[edit]

* 10 February – Australia's first casino, the Wrest Point Hotel Casino, opens in Hobart[1]
* 28 February – The federal voting age is lowered from 21 to 18.[2] The state of New South Wales had already enacted such a change in 1970.
* 2 March – Wellington Street bus station in Perth is opened by Western Australia's premier John Tonkin[3]
* 8 March – Whiskey Au Go Go fire[4]
* 1 June – The first General Dynamics F-111 aircraft is delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force[5]
* 9 June – Disappearance of Jason Shannon[6][7]
* 19 July – Lois D'Arcy was the first independent civil marriage celebrant ever appointed – by Attorney-General Lionel Murphy.
* 25 August - Disappearance of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon[8]
* 9 October - The fifty-dollar note was introduced
* 20 October – Sydney Opera House officially opened by Elizabeth II[9]
* 1 December – Papua New Guinea is granted self-government prior to independence
* 31 December – AC/DC perform their first major gig in Sydney.
* Removal of the "White Australia Policy".

## Arts and literature

[edit]

Main article: 1973 in Australian literature

* Patrick White is announced as Australian of the Year[10]
* 21 September – The Jackson Pollock painting Blue Poles is controversially purchased by the Whitlam government for US$2 million (A$1.3 million).[11]
* "No award" was made for the Miles Franklin Award[12]

## Film

[edit]

* Alvin Purple[13]

## Television

[edit]

* Certain Women (TV series) commences[14]
* The novel Seven Little Australians adapted for television (10 part series)[15]
* The New South Wales Rugby Football League negotiates its first television deal with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.[16]

## Sport

[edit]

* 8 September – Derek Clayton wins his fourth men's national marathon title, clocking 2:12:07.6 in Perth.
* 15 September – Manly-Warringah defeated Cronulla-Sutherland 10–7 in the 1973 NSWRFL season Grand Final, claiming their second straight premiership.[17] Penrith finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon.
* Gala Supreme wins the Melbourne Cup[18]
* Western Australia wins the Sheffield Shield[19]
* Helsall takes line honours in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Ceil III is the handicap winner[20]
* Australia defeats South Africa 3–0 in the Federation Cup

## Births

[edit]

* 8 January – Jason Stevens, rugby league player and sportscaster
* 17 January – Chris Bowen, politician
* 22 January – Abi Tucker, actor and singer
* 31 January – Portia de Rossi, actress
* 4 February – James Hird, Australian footballer and coach
* 5 February – Luke Ricketson, rugby league player[21]
* 15 February – Sarah Wynter, actress
* 16 February – Catherine Freeman, athlete
* 20 February – Kimberley Davies, actor
* 28 February – Rodger Corser, Actor
* 26 March – Matt Burke, rugby union footballer
* 13 April – Tammy Cole, field hockey defender
* 19 April – George Gregan, rugby union player
* 26 April – Stephanie Graf, middle distance athlete
* 29 May – Malcolm Allen, swimmer
* 12 June – Darryl White, Australian rules footballer
* 21 June – Alyson Annan, field hockey player
* 24 June – Matt Drummond, film director, screenwriter and visual effects supervisor
* 27 July – Gorden Tallis, rugby league footballer
* 2 August – Susie O'Neill, swimmer
* 14 August – Kieren Perkins, swimmer
* 20 August – Scott Goodman, swimmer
* 22 August – Mark Hickman, field hockey goalkeeper
* 2 September – Matthew Dunn, swimmer
* 5 September – Jennifer Whittle, basketball player
* 18 September – Louise Sauvage, wheelchair athlete
* 22 September – Craig McRae, footballer
* 8 October – Toby Haenen, swimmer
* 14 October – Steven Bradbury, speed skater
* 18 October – Stephen Allan, golfer
* 23 October – David Beard, volleyball player
* 31 October – Andrew Constance, politician
* 1 November – Peta Murphy, politician (d. 2023)
* 6 November – Greg Warren, politician
* 20 November
* Sav Rocca, American football player and Australian rules footballer
* Matthew Smith, field hockey player
* 4 December – Steve Menzies, rugby league footballer
* 24 December – Kerry Nettle, politician
* 28 December – Alex Dimitriades, actor
* (Date Unknown) – Ann Shoebridge, milliner

## Deaths

[edit]

* 18 January – Beatrice Bligh, gardener (b. 1916)[22]
* 5 April – John Coleman (born 1928), Australian rules footballer[23]
* 21 April – Arthur Fadden (born 1894), former Prime Minister[24]
* 8 July – Arthur Calwell (born 1896), politician[25]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "First casino opens doors for public". The Canberra Times. 12 February 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
2. ^ "Bill to give vote at age 18". The Canberra Times. 1 March 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
3. ^ Acott, Kent (4 January 2014). "End of line for city bus station". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
4. ^ "Petrol bomb fire kills 15 in Brisbane nightclub". The Canberra Times. 9 March 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
5. ^ "The controversial F111 touches down at last". The Canberra Times. 1 June 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
6. ^ "Man dies after abducting his son - now baby missing". The Age. 11 June 1973. p. 1\. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
7. ^ Schipp, Debbie (21 August 2016). "Cold case: Four decades on, what happened to baby Jason?". news.com.au. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
8. ^ "Fears held for safety of missing SA girls". The Canberra Times. 27 August 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
9. ^ Rees, Jacqueline (22 October 1973). "Opera House opening was spectacular". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
10. ^ "Award to Patrick White". The Canberra Times. 15 January 1974. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
11. ^ "Australia buys $1.3m painting". The Canberra Times. 24 September 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
12. ^ "No award". The Canberra Times. 27 March 1974. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
13. ^ MacDonald, Dougal (19 December 1973). "Pacy but shallow". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
14. ^ "Family conflicts in "Certain Women"". Australian Women's Weekly. 3 October 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
15. ^ Newton, Gloria (8 August 1973). "A man of two cultures". Australian Women's Weekly. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
16. ^ "Live RL on TV". The Canberra Times. 12 April 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
17. ^ "Premierships decided". The Canberra Times. 17 September 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
18. ^ Hourigan, John (7 November 1973). "Fate has a hand in Gala Supreme's game win". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
19. ^ "WA's shield". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 7 March 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
20. ^ "Sydney-Hobart race to Ceil III". The Canberra Times. 31 December 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
21. ^ "Like father like son". Sydney Morning Herald. 23 July 2003. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
22. ^ Rutledge, Martha (1993). "Rosemary Beatrice (Bea) Bligh (1916–1973)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 13\. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
23. ^ "John Coleman dead". The Canberra Times. 7 April 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
24. ^ Margaret Bridson Cribb (1996). John Ritchie (ed.). Fadden, Sir Arthur William (1894–1973). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 14\. Melbourne University Press. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
25. ^ "Arthur Calwell: Australian first, politician second". The Canberra Times. 9 July 1973. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

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Timeline of Australian history

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1973 in Oceania

Sovereign states|

* Australia
* Federated States of Micronesia
* Fiji
* Indonesia
* Kiribati
* Marshall Islands
* Nauru
* New Zealand
* Palau
* Papua New Guinea
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Associated states
of New Zealand|

* Cook Islands
* Niue

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