1938 In Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1938 in Australia.

Incumbents

*Monarch – George VI
*Governor-General – Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Baron Gowrie
*Prime Minister – Joseph Lyons
* Chief Justice – Sir John Latham

State Premiers

*Premier of New South Wales – Bertram Stevens
*Premier of Queensland – William Forgan Smith
*Premier of South Australia – Richard L. Butler (until 5 November), then Thomas Playford IV
*Premier of Tasmania – Albert Ogilvie
*Premier of Victoria – Albert Dunstan
*Premier of Western Australia – John Willcock

State Governors

*Governor of New South Wales – John Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst
*Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson
*Governor of South Australia – Sir Winston Dugan
*Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ernest Clark
*Governor of Victoria – William Vanneck, 5th Baron Huntingfield
*Governor of Western Australia – ''none appointed''

Events

* 26 January – Australia officially celebrates its sesquicentennial, the 150th anniversary of European settlement. Unofficially, it is a Day of Mourning for Indigenous Australians.
* 6 February – Three hundred beachgoers are dragged out to sea when three freak waves strike Bondi Beach in Sydney in an event known as "Black Sunday". A team of eighty surf lifesavers manage to rescue all but five people.
* 13 February – Nineteen people die when Sydney ferry the ''Rodney'', carrying 150 passengers, capsizes in Sydney Harbour while farewelling US Navy cruiser .
* 1 April – New monthly newspaper ''Abo Call'' begins publication in Sydney, focusing on issues of Aboriginal rights and edited by activist Jack Patten.
* 11 May – Two jockeys are killed and two are injured in a horse racing accident at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide, South Australia.
* 25 October – Eighteen people die in Australia's worst air disaster when the Douglas DC-2 ''Kyeema'' crashes in the Dandenong Ranges in thick fog.
* 15 November – Waterside workers at Port Kembla, New South Wales refuse to load a consignment of scrap iron destined for Japan, arguing that it would be used for munitions. Attorney-General Robert Menzies attempts to force the loading of the cargo, earning himself the nickname "Pig Iron Bob".
* 21 December – A direct radio-telephone link is established between Canberra and Washington D.C.
* 28 December – ''The Sydney Mail'' ceases publication.

Arts and literature

* 31 March – Xavier Herbert wins the Commonwealth 150th anniversary literary award for his novel '' Capricornia''.
* 30 December – ''The Passing of the Aborigines'' by Daisy Bates is published.

Sport

* 5 to 12 February – The 1938 British Empire Games are held in Sydney. Australia leads the medal tally at the games, winning 25 gold medals, 19 silver and 22 bronze.
* 20 August – At Royal Park, Melbourne, the Australia national netball team defeated New Zealand 40–11. This was the first netball Test between Australia and New Zealand.
* 2 September – Canterbury-Bankstown defeat Eastern Suburbs 19 to 6 in the grand final, becoming premiers of the 1938 NSWRFL season. St. George finish in last place, claiming the wooden spoon.
* 1 November – ''Catalogue'' wins the Melbourne Cup.

Births

*3 January – Alan Ramsey, journalist (died 2020)
*12 January
** Lewis Fiander, actor (died 2016)
** Noel McNamara, musician (Soft Machine) (died 2015)
*17 January – David Theile, backstroke swimmer
*21 January – Steve Dunleavy, journalist (died 2019)
*21 February – John Harvey, racing driver (died 2020)
*25 February – Herb Elliott, athlete
*28 February – Dennis Olsen, pianist, actor and director
*1 March – Henry Reynolds, historian
*5 March – Mike Walsh, television presenter
*19 March – John Winneke, judge (died 2019)
*25 March – Anthony Carwardine, naval officer
*20 April – Betty Cuthbert, athlete (died 2017)
*29 April – Jim Lenehan, rugby union player (died 2022)
*5 June – Roy Higgins, jockey (died 2014)
*18 June – Kevin Murray, Australian rules footballer (Fitzroy)
*19 June – Ian Smith, actor and screenwriter
*20 June – Joan Kirner, Premier of Victoria (1990–1992) (died 2015)
*23 June – John Gerovich, Australian rules footballer
*25 June – Mick Allen, rower (died 2021)
*27 June – Bob Baxt, lawyer (died 2018)
*28 June – Sergio Silvagni, Australian rules footballer (died 2021)
*8 July – Paul Cronin, television and film actor (died 2019)
*13 July – Ian Macphee, politician, Minister for Immigration
*15 July – Carmen Callil, publisher (died 2022)
*16 July – Colin Rice, Australian rules footballer
*23 July – Bert Newton, entertainer (died 2021)
*28 July – Robert Hughes, art critic (died 2012)
*9 August – Rod Laver, tennis player
*22 August – Roger Gyles, lawyer and judge
*30 August – Murray Gleeson, High Court judge
*2 September – Ernie Sigley, entertainer (died 2021)
*8 October – Fred Stolle, tennis player
*17 October – Les Murray, poet (died 2019)
*30 October – Morris Lurie, writer (died 2014)
*8 November – Bob Skilton, Australian rules footballer (South Melbourne)
*26 November – Rodney Jory, physicist
*4 December – Yvonne Minton, operatic soprano
*11 December – Reg Livermore, actor, singer and television presenter
*21 December – Frank Moorhouse, writer (died 2022)

Deaths

*6 January – John Gavin (born 1875), film director
*15 January – Paul Raphael Montford (born 1868), sculptor
*21 January – Will Dyson (born 1880), cartoonist
*31 January – John Barnes (born 1868), politician
*16 February – Thomas Molloy (born 1852), WA politician
*21 April – Sir Talbot Hobbs (born 1864), architect
*11 May – Lawrence Wells (born 1860), explorer
*17 May – Nora Clench (born 1867), Canadian violinist
*17 June – Ranji Hordern (born 1883), cricketer
*19 June – Jack Hides (born 1906), explorer
*22 June – C. J. Dennis (born 1876), poet
*29 June – Sir Colin Mackenzie (born 1877), anatomist and museum administrator
*30 August – Evelyn Marsden (born 1883), survivor of the ''Titanic''
*11 September – Sir Philip Whistler Street (born 1863), NSW Supreme Court judge
*12 October – Hugh Massie (born 1854), cricketer
*25 October – Charles Hawker (born 1884), politician
*29 November – John Sandes (born 1863), journalist and author

See also

* List of Australian films of the 1930s

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1938 in Australia

Australia
Years of the 20th century in Australia