1914 In Australia

1914 in Australia was dominated by the outbreak of World War I. Andrew Fisher, who became Prime Minister a month after Australia entered the war vowed that Australia would "stand beside our own to help and defend Britain to the last man and the last shilling." In 1914, the Australian war effort was dominated by recruiting and equipping a force to fight overseas.

The southern winter rainfall zone of the continent suffered its worst rainfall failure until 1982. This led to record low wheat yields and exacerbated the problems caused by outbreak of World War I.

Incumbents

* Monarch – George V
*Governor-General – Thomas Denman, 3rd Baron Denman (until 18 May), then Ronald Munro Ferguson
* Prime Minister – Joseph Cook (until 17 September), then Andrew Fisher
* Chief Justice – Samuel Griffith

State premiers

* Premier of New South Wales – William Holman
* Premier of Victoria – William Alexander Watt (until 18 June), then Alexander Peacock
* Premier of Queensland – Digby Denham
* Premier of South Australia – Archibald Peake
* Premier of Western Australia – John Scaddan
* Premier of Tasmania – Albert Solomon (until 6 April), then John Earle

State governors

*Governor of New South Wales – Gerald Strickland
* Governor of Victoria – Sir John Fuller, 1st Baronet (until 31 January), then Arthur Stanley (from 23 February)
* Governor of Queensland – William MacGregor
* Governor of South Australia – Day Bosanquet (until 22 March), then Henry Galway (from 18 April)
* Governor of Western Australia – Harry Barron
* Governor of Tasmania – William Ellison-Macartney

Events

* 27 January – Thomas Denman resigns as Governor-General.
* 9 February – Ronald Munro Ferguson, a landholder and provost of Kirkcaldy appointed as the new Governor-General.
* 16 February – Charles Heydon of the New South Wales Industrial Court finds that a " living wage" for a family of four would be 48 shillings a week but more than a living wage should be paid. His recommendation was a minimum wage of 8s 6d for unskilled workers and 9s for heavy work.
* 1 March – The first military aircraft in Australia are flown.
* 18 May – Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson commences duties as Governor-General.
* 8 June – Joseph Cook persuades Ferguson to hold Australia's first double dissolution election after the Government Preference Bill prohibiting preference to unionists in Australian Government employment was twice rejected by the Senate of Australia.
* 16 July – Maurice Guillaux leaves Melbourne to fly to Sydney in a Blériot monoplane in the first delivery of airmail. He arrived in Sydney on 18 July after nine and a half hours of flying time.
* 31 July – As the likelihood of Britain being involved in a European war became more likely, the leaders of both major parties pledge their support. Opposition Leader Andrew Fisher states in a speech at Colac, Victoria ''Australians will stand beside her own to help and defend her to our last man and our last shilling.'' Prime Minister Joseph Cook states in Horsham, Victoria "All of our resources in Australia are ... for the preservation and the security of the empire".
* 4 August – The United Kingdom declares war on Germany – as a consequence Australia enters the war.
* 5 August – Australia fires its first shot in World War I at Fort Nepean in Victoria. The German merchant ship ''Pfalz'' was leaving Port Phillip Bay at 12.10am when news of involvement in the war had just reached the fort. The battery fired shots across its bows forcing the ship to surrender. This is believed to be the first shots fired in anger