1968 in Australia
Encyclopedia
Incumbents
- MonarchMonarchy in AustraliaThe Monarchy of Australia is a form of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign of Australia. The monarchy is a constitutional one modelled on the Westminster style of parliamentary government, incorporating features unique to the Constitution of Australia.The present monarch is...
– Elizabeth II - Governor GeneralGovernor-General of AustraliaThe Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
– The Lord CaseyRichard Casey, Baron CaseyRichard Gardiner Casey, Baron Casey KG GCMG CH DSO MC KStJ PC was an Australian politician, diplomat and the 16th Governor-General of Australia.-Early life:... - Prime MinisterPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
– John McEwenJohn McEwenSir John "Black Jack" McEwen, GCMG, CH , was an Australian politician and the 18th Prime Minister of Australia...
(acting, until 10 January), John GortonJohn GortonSir John Grey Gorton, GCMG, AC, CH , Australian politician, was the 19th Prime Minister of Australia.-Early life:...
(from 10 January)
State premiers
- Premier of New South Wales – Robert AskinRobert AskinSir Robert William Askin GCMG, was an Australian politician and the 32nd Premier of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975, the first representing the Liberal Party of Australia. He was born in 1907 as Robin William Askin, but always disliked his first name and changed it by deed poll in 1971...
- Premier of Queensland – Frank NicklinFrank NicklinSir George Francis Reuben Nicklin, KCMG, MM was Premier of the Australian state of Queensland from 1957 to 1968, and the first Country Party Premier since 1932.-Early life and career:...
(until 17 January), then Jack PizzeyJack PizzeyJack Charles Allan Pizzey was a Queensland Country Party politician. He was Premier of Queensland, in a coalition with the Liberal Party, from 17 January 1968 until his death on 31 July that year....
(until 31 July), then Gordon ChalkGordon ChalkSir Gordon William Wesley Chalk, KBE was Premier of Queensland for a week, from 1 to 8 August 1968. He was the first, and only, Queensland Premier from the modern Liberal Party of Australia....
(until 8 July), then Joh Bjelke-PetersenJoh Bjelke-PetersenSir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG , was an Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, a period that saw considerable economic development in the state... - Premier of South Australia – Don DunstanDon DunstanDonald Allan "Don" Dunstan, AC, QC was a South Australian politician. He entered politics as the Member for Norwood in 1953, became state Labor leader in 1967, and was Premier of South Australia between June 1967 and April 1968, and again between June 1970 and February 1979.The son of a business...
(until 17 April), then Steele HallSteele HallRaymond Steele Hall was the 36th Premier of South Australia 1968-70, a senator for South Australia 1974-77, and federal member for the Division of Boothby 1981-96.-Biography:... - Premier of Tasmania – Eric ReeceEric ReeceEric Elliott Reece, AC was Premier of Tasmania on two occasions: from 26 August 1958 to 26 May 1969, and from 3 May 1972 to 31 March 1975.-Biography:...
- Premier of Victoria – Henry BolteHenry BolteSir Henry Edward Bolte GCMG was an Australian politician. He was the 38th and longest serving Premier of Victoria.- Early years :...
- Premier of Western AustraliaPremier of Western AustraliaThe Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
– David BrandDavid BrandSir David Brand KCMG was the 19th and longest serving Premier of Western Australia and a Member of the Legislative Assembly from 1945 to 1975.-Early life:...
State governors
- Governor of New South Wales – Sir Roden CutlerArthur Roden CutlerSir Roden Cutler, was an Australian diplomat, the longest serving Governor of New South Wales and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth armed forces.-Early life:Arthur Roden Cutler was born on...
- Governor of Queensland – Sir Alan MansfieldAlan MansfieldSir Alan James Mansfield KCMG, KCVO was Governor of Queensland, Australia between 1966 and 1972.-Family:Sir Alan Mansfield was born in Brisbane and educated in Sydney. The Mansfield family had land in Gumdale. Mansfield lived in the Mount Gravatt area for many years...
- Governor of South Australia – Major-General Sir James William HarrisonJames Harrison (Australian governor)Major General Sir James William Harrison KCMG CB CBE was an Australian military officer and the first Australian-born Governor of South Australia....
- Governor of Tasmania – Lieutenant General Sir Edric BastyanEdric BastyanLieutenant-General Sir Edric Montague Bastyan, KCMG, KCVO, KBE, CB was Governor of South Australia from 4 April 1961 until 1 June 1968 then Governor of Tasmania from 2 December 1968 until 30 November 1973...
- Governor of Victoria – Major General Sir Rohan DelacombeRohan DelacombeMajor General Sir Rohan Delacombe, KCMG, KBE, CB, DSO, KStJ was a British military officer who commanded the British occupation forces in Berlin from 1959 to 1962 at the height of the Cold War...
- Governor of Western AustraliaGovernor of Western AustraliaThe Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
– Major General Sir Douglas KendrewDouglas KendrewMajor General Sir Douglas Anthony Kendrew, KCMG, CB, CBE, DSO & Three Bars, was a British rugby player and military officer, who became Governor of Western Australia 1963-1974.- Early years :...
Events
- 4 January – The search for the body of Prime Minister Harold HoltHarold HoltHarold Edward Holt, CH was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia.His term as Prime Minister was brought to an early and dramatic end in December 1967 when he disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria, and was presumed drowned.Holt spent 32 years...
, who disappeared whilst swimming off Portsea, VictoriaPortsea, VictoriaPortsea is a resort town located across Port Phillip from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula....
, is called off. - 10 January – John GortonJohn GortonSir John Grey Gorton, GCMG, AC, CH , Australian politician, was the 19th Prime Minister of Australia.-Early life:...
is sworn in as Prime Minister of AustraliaPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
after the disappearance of Harold Holt. - 28 January – Members of English rock groups The WhoThe WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
and Small Faces are escorted by police from a plane at Melbourne's Essendon AirportEssendon AirportEssendon Airport is located at Essendon, in Melbourne's northern suburbs, Victoria, Australia. It is located next to the Tullamarine Freeway on , from the Melbourne Central Business District and from Melbourne Airport.-History:...
, after the pilot diverts the flight citing the bands' behaviour. - 1 April – AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
evangelistEvangelismEvangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
Billy GrahamBilly GrahamWilliam Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
begins a tour of Australia. - 17 April – A state electionSouth Australian state election, 1968State elections were held in Australia on 2 March 1968. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan was defeated by the Liberal and Country League led by Leader of the Opposition...
is held in South AustraliaSouth AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. Steele HallSteele HallRaymond Steele Hall was the 36th Premier of South Australia 1968-70, a senator for South Australia 1974-77, and federal member for the Division of Boothby 1981-96.-Biography:...
(Liberal and Country LeagueLiberal and Country LeagueThe Liberal and Country League was a major political party in South Australia throughout its forty year existence. Thirty-four years were spent in government, in part due to the electoral malapportionment known as the Playmander, introduced after coming to power.Created on 9 June 1932 as the...
) defeats Don DunstanDon DunstanDonald Allan "Don" Dunstan, AC, QC was a South Australian politician. He entered politics as the Member for Norwood in 1953, became state Labor leader in 1967, and was Premier of South Australia between June 1967 and April 1968, and again between June 1970 and February 1979.The son of a business...
(ALPAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
), and becomes Premier of South Australia. - 8 April – FluoridationWater fluoridationWater fluoridation is the controlled addition of fluoride to a public water supply to reduce tooth decay. Fluoridated water has fluoride at a level that is effective for preventing cavities; this can occur naturally or by adding fluoride...
of Sydney's water supply begins. - 30 April – Jim CairnsJim CairnsJames Ford "J. F." Cairns , Australian politician, was prominent in the Labor movement through the 1960s and 1970s, and was briefly Deputy Prime Minister in the Whitlam government...
unsuccessfully challenges Gough WhitlamGough WhitlamEdward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
for leadership of the Australian Labor PartyAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
. - 1 May – Prince Philip, Duke of EdinburghPrince Philip, Duke of EdinburghPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
arrives in Australia for a ten day visit. - 5 May – Three Australian journalists are killed by the Viet Cong in Saigon.
- 21 May – Indian Prime MinisterPrime Minister of IndiaThe Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
Indira GandhiIndira GandhiIndira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
visits Australia. - 14 June – Journalist Simon TownsendSimon TownsendSimon Townsend is an Australian journalist who became a popular television host during the 1980s. He is currently a tutor in journalism.-Vietnam War Conscientious Objector:...
, future host of Simon Townsend's Wonder WorldSimon Townsend's Wonder WorldSimon Townsend's Wonder World! was a multi-award–winning Australian children's television show that aired on the Ten Network from 1979 until 1986...
, is granted exemption from military serviceConscription in AustraliaConscription in Australia, or mandatory military service also known as National Service, has a controversial history dating back to the first years of nationhood...
after lodging a fifth appeal against his imprisonment and court martial for conscientious objectionConscientious objectorA conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
. - 18 June – The first stage of the Warringah FreewayWarringah FreewayThe Warringah Freeway is a major road in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. This freeway forms part of the Sydney Orbital Network to provide access to most of the suburbs in Sydney and is also a major route to the north, south, east and west of the metropolis.-History:Planning began in 1951...
opens in Sydney. - 24 June – BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedian Tony HancockTony HancockAnthony John "Tony" Hancock was an English actor and comedian.-Early life and career:Hancock was born in Southam Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, England, but from the age of three was brought up in Bournemouth, where his father, John Hancock, who ran the Railway Hotel in...
commits suicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in his Sydney hotel room. - 2 July – Fifty students are arrested during an anti-Vietnam War protestOpposition to the Vietnam WarThe movement against US involvment in the in Vietnam War began in the United States with demonstrations in 1964 and grew in strength in later years. The US became polarized between those who advocated continued involvement in Vietnam, and those who wanted peace. Peace movements consisted largely of...
in Martin Place, Sydney. - 4 July – Forty five people are arrested during an anti-war protest outside the U.S. consulate in St Kilda RoadSt Kilda Road, MelbourneSt Kilda Road is a street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is part of the locality of Melbourne which has the postcode of 3004 and along with Swanston Street forms a major spine of the city....
, Melbourne. - 31 July – The Premier of Queensland, Jack PizzeyJack PizzeyJack Charles Allan Pizzey was a Queensland Country Party politician. He was Premier of Queensland, in a coalition with the Liberal Party, from 17 January 1968 until his death on 31 July that year....
, dies in office. - 1 August – Jack Pizzey's deputy, Gordon ChalkGordon ChalkSir Gordon William Wesley Chalk, KBE was Premier of Queensland for a week, from 1 to 8 August 1968. He was the first, and only, Queensland Premier from the modern Liberal Party of Australia....
, is sworn in as his successor until the appointment of Joh Bjelke-PetersenJoh Bjelke-PetersenSir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG , was an Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, a period that saw considerable economic development in the state...
as Premier a week later. - 3 August – The standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
rail line between PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and KalgoorlieKalgoorlie, Western AustraliaKalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
is completed. - 20 August – The National Gallery of VictoriaNational Gallery of VictoriaThe National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
is opened in MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. - 14 October – The town of Meckering, Western AustraliaMeckering, Western AustraliaMeckering is a town 130 km east of Perth, Western Australia along the Great Eastern Highway. Meckering is located within the Shire of Cunderdin.A railway line was completed in the area in 1895 and Meckering was selected as a station site...
, is badly damaged by an earthquakeEarthquakeAn earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
. - 28 October – The Postmaster-General's DepartmentPostmaster-General's DepartmentThe Postmaster-General's Department was created at Federation in 1901 to control all postal services within Australia. Its minister was the Postmaster-General. In mid-1975 it was disaggregated into the Australian Telecommunications Commission and the Australian Postal Commission...
decreases the number of mail deliveries per day from two to one. - 31 October – Minister for the Army Phillip LynchPhillip LynchSir Phillip Reginald Lynch KCMG was an Australian Liberal politician.Lynch held the House of Representatives seat of Flinders from 1966 to 1982. Between 1968 and 1972, he served variously as Minister for the Army, Minister for Immigration, and Minister for Labour and National Service, under Prime...
admits that Australian ArmyAustralian ArmyThe Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
troops may have breached the Geneva Convention by using water tortureWater torture-Forced ingestion:In this form of water torture, water is forced down the throat and into the stomach. It was used as a legal torture and execution method by the courts in France in the 17th and 18th century, was employed against Americans and Chinese during World War II by the Japanese, and was...
during the interrogation of a female Viet Cong suspect. - 1 November – The airline Ansett-ANA is renamed AnsettAnsett AustraliaAnsett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
. - 14 December – A referendumTasmanian casino referendum, 1968The Tasmanian casino referendum was a one-question referendum held on 14 December 1968, which concerned the granting of Australia's first casino licence to the Federal Group to operate the Wrest Point Hotel Casino in Sandy Bay.-Background:...
is held in TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
to allow the granting of Australia's first casino license to the Wrest Point HotelWrest Point Hotel CasinoThe Wrest Point Hotel Casino was Australia's first legal casino, opening in the suburb of Sandy Bay in Hobart, Tasmania, on 10 February 1973.-History:...
. The referendum is passed. - 31 December – MacRobertson Miller Airlines Flight 1750MacRobertson Miller Airlines Flight 1750On 31 December 1968 a Vickers Viscount aircraft departed from Perth, Western Australia for a flight of 724 nautical miles to Port Hedland. The aircraft crashed 28 nautical miles short of its destination with the loss of all twenty-six people on board...
crashes south of Port Hedland, Western AustraliaPort Hedland, Western AustraliaPort Hedland is the highest tonnage port in Australia and largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with a population of approximately 14,000 ....
, killing all 26 people on board.
Non-specific dates
- Australia's population is estimated to have reached 12 million in 1968.
Arts and literature
- 17 January – The SeekersThe SeekersThe Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop music group which were originally formed in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States...
are named Australians of the YearAustralian of the YearSince 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
for 1967. - 19 January – Judy CassabJudy CassabJudy Cassab CBE AO is an Australian painter. She has twice won the Archibald Prize.Judy Cassab was born Judit Kaszab in Vienna, Austria in 1920 to Hungarian parents...
wins her second Archibald PrizeArchibald PrizeThe Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after a bequest from J. F. Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin who died in 1919...
for her portrait of Margo Lewers. - 1 July – The Copyright Act 1968Australian copyright lawThe copyright law of Australia defines the legally enforceable rights of creators of creative and artistic works under Australian law. The scope of copyright in Australia is defined in the Australian Copyright Act 1968 , which applies the national law throughout Australia...
replaces the existing 1911 copyright legislation. - Thomas Keneally's novel Three Cheers for the ParacleteThree Cheers for the ParacleteThree Cheers for the Paraclete is a Miles Franklin Award winning novel by Australian author Thomas Keneally.-Awards and nominations:*Miles Franklin Literary Award, 1968: winner*C. Weichhardt Award for Australian Literature, 1969: winner-External links:...
wins the Miles Franklin AwardMiles Franklin AwardThe Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize for the best Australian ‘published novel or play portraying Australian life in any of its phases’. The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin , who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career ...
Film
- 2 December – At the Australian Film Institute AwardsAustralian Film Institute AwardsThe Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
ceremony, Prime Minister John GortonJohn GortonSir John Grey Gorton, GCMG, AC, CH , Australian politician, was the 19th Prime Minister of Australia.-Early life:...
announces the creation of the Australian Film Development Corporation.
Television
- 25 May – An episode of the ABCAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
series BellbirdBellbird (TV series)Bellbird was an Australian soap opera set in a small Victorian rural township. The series was produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation at its Ripponlea TV studios in Elsternwick, Melbourne, Victoria. The series was produced between 28 August 1967 and December 1977...
stops the nation when the character of Charlie Cousins (played by Robin RamsayRobin Ramsay (actor)Robin Ramsay is an Australian actor of television, film and stage.Ramsay is the grandson of Kiwi shoe polishfounder William Ramsay and father of Robina Ramsay, an internationally ranked dressage rider, and Dr Tamasin Ramsay....
) dies in a fall from a silo.
Sport
- 26 February – Boxer Lionel RoseLionel RoseLionel Edmund Rose MBE was an Australian bantamweight boxer, the first Indigenous Australian to win a world title.-Early life:...
beats Japan's Fighting HaradaFighting HaradaMasahiko Harada , better known as Fighting Harada, is a former world boxing champion. He is currently the president of the Japanese boxing commission....
in TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
to become world bantamweightBantamweightBantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
champion. - 25 May – Derek ClaytonDerek ClaytonDerek Clayton is a former Australian long-distance runner, born in Cumbria, England and raised in Northern Ireland. He set a marathon world best in the Fukuoka Marathon, Japan on 3 December 1967 in 2:09:36.4, in what is considered a classic race, the first marathon race ever run in less than two...
wins his second men's national marathon title, clocking 2:14:47.8 in Hobart. - 26 May – AustraliaAustralia Fed Cup teamThe Australia Fed Cup team represents Australia in Fed Cup tennis competition and are governed by Tennis Australia. They currently compete in the World Group I.-History:...
wins the 1968 Federation Cup1968 Federation Cup (tennis)The 1968 Federation Cup was the 6th edition of what is now known as the Fed Cup. 23 nations participated in the tournament, which was held at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, from 21–26 May...
in women's tennis, defeating the NetherlandsNetherlands Fed Cup teamThe Netherlands Fed Cup team represents the Netherlands in Fed Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Lawn Tennis Bond. They currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group I.-History:...
(3–0). - 10 June – Australia wins the 1968 Rugby League World Cup1968 Rugby League World Cup- Final standings :-Final:The final had been billed a 'debacle' following Great Britain's inexplicable loss to France in Auckland, leaving them to contest the final despite being beaten by Australia seven tries to none two days prior....
when it beats FranceFrance national rugby league teamThe France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...
(20–2) in the final at the SCGSydney Cricket GroundThe Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
. - 21 September – The South Sydney RabbitohsSouth Sydney RabbitohsThe South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
defeated Manly-Warringah Sea EaglesManly-Warringah Sea EaglesThe Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
in the NSWRL Grand Final at the Sydney Cricket Ground. - 28 September – The Carlton BluesCarlton Football ClubThe Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
narrowly beat Essendon BombersEssendon Football ClubThe Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
by 3 points (56–53) in the grand final of the 1968 VFL season1968 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1968.-Premiership season:In 1968, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
, winning their first flag in 21 years. - 12 October – 27 October – Australia participates in the 1968 Summer Olympics1968 Summer OlympicsThe 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
in Mexico CityMexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, coming ninth in the medal tally with 5 gold, 7 silver and 5 bronze medals (17 in total). - 15 October – Ralph DoubellRalph DoubellRalph Douglas Doubell AM is an Australian former athlete, and gold medallist at the 1968 Summer Olympics.-Biography:...
equals Peter SnellPeter SnellSir Peter George Snell, KNZM, MBE is a former New Zealand athlete, now resident in Texas, United States. He had one of the shortest careers of world famous international sportsmen, yet achieved so much that he was voted New Zealand’s "Sports Champion of the Century"...
's world recordWorld recordA world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
(2:04.3) in the men's 800 metres800 metresThe 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
, clocking 1:44.3 at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. - 5 November – Rain LoverRain LoverRain Lover was a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the very few horses to win the Melbourne Cup more than once. Rain Lover was sired by the good racehorse, Latin Lover his dam Rain Spot was by Valognes .He was owned and bred by Clifford A. Reid, who won the 1945 Melbourne...
wins the Melbourne CupMelbourne CupThe Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
. - 26 December – Ondine II takes line honours in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht RaceSydney to Hobart Yacht RaceThe Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart. The race distance is approximately...
. Koomooloo is the handicap winner
Births
- 7 February – Phillip TahmindjisPhillip TahmindjisPhillip Tahmindjis is a former ice speed skater from Australia, who represented his native country in three consecutive Winter Olympics, starting in 1988 in Calgary, Canada.-Achievements:...
, ice speed skater - 12 February – Nathan ReesNathan ReesNathan Rees MP, , an Australian politician, was the 41st Premier of New South Wales and parliamentary leader of the New South Wales division of the Australian Labor Party from September 2008 to December 2009...
, Premier of New South Wales (2008–2009) - 7 April – Duncan ArmstrongDuncan ArmstrongDuncan John D'Arcy Armstrong, OAM, is a former Australian swimmer and Olympic gold medalist.Armstrong was a freestyle swimmer in international competition during the 1980s, who won gold in the 200-metre freestyle at the 1988 Seoul Olympics...
, swimmer - 26 May – Rachael SpornRachael SpornRachael Pamela Sporn is a former Australian basketball player. She played for Adelaide Lightning in Australia's Women's National Basketball League where she was twice league MVP and seven times selected in the WNBL All-Star Five. She heads the all-time points scoring and rebound list for the WNBL...
, basketball player - 28 May – Kylie MinogueKylie MinogueKylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, entertainer - 1 June – Jason DonovanJason DonovanJason Donovan is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his début album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989...
, actor - 4 June – Rachel GriffithsRachel GriffithsRachel Anne Griffiths is an Australian film and television actress who came to prominence in the 1994 film Muriel's Wedding and her Academy Award nominated performance in the 1997 film Hilary and Jackie....
, actress - 27 July – Julian McMahonJulian McMahonJulian Dana William McMahon is an Australian actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayals of Cole Turner in The WB hit series Charmed, womanizing plastic surgeon Christian Troy on the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning TV show Nip/Tuck, and Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four and...
, actor - 9 August – Eric BanaEric BanaEric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
, actor - 30 September – Sharon JaklofskySharon JaklofskySharon Maria Suzanne Jaklofsky is a retired Dutch long jumper, who was born in Australia. A former heptathlete, she represented the Netherlands at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia...
, track and field athlete - 12 October – Hugh JackmanHugh JackmanHugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
, actor
Deaths
- 14 January – Dorothea MackellarDorothea MackellarIsobel Marion Dorothea Mackellar, OBE was an Australian poet and fiction writer.The only daughter of noted physician and parliamentarian Sir Charles Mackellar, she was born in Sydney in 1885...
(b. 1885), poet - 21 February – Howard Florey, Baron Florey (b. 1898), Nobel Prize-winning pharmacologist
- 24 June – Tony HancockTony HancockAnthony John "Tony" Hancock was an English actor and comedian.-Early life and career:Hancock was born in Southam Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, England, but from the age of three was brought up in Bournemouth, where his father, John Hancock, who ran the Railway Hotel in...
(b. 1924), British comedian - 31 July – Jack PizzeyJack PizzeyJack Charles Allan Pizzey was a Queensland Country Party politician. He was Premier of Queensland, in a coalition with the Liberal Party, from 17 January 1968 until his death on 31 July that year....
(b. 1911), Premier of Queensland - 19 August – William McCallWilliam McCall (Australian politician)William Victor "Bill" McCall was an Australian politician.-Early life:McCall was born on 24 May 1908 at Chatswood in Sydney to bank officer William James McCall and Hilda Mary, née Bowman. He attended Sydney Grammar School, but left in 1924 to support his family after his father's death...
(b. 1908), politician - 28 September – Sir Norman BrookesNorman BrookesBrookes was also an Australian rules footballer in his youth, playing two matches for Victorian Football League club St Kilda Football Club in 1898, kicking two goals.-Honours:Norman Brookes was knighted "in recognition of service to public service" in 1939...
(b. 1877), tennis player - 10 October – Gavin LongGavin LongGavin Merrick Long OBE was an Australian journalist and military historian. He was the general editor of the Australia in the War of 1939–1945 and the author of three of the 22 volumes in the series....
(b. 1901), journalist and military historian - 13 October – Dame Jean MacnamaraJean MacnamaraDame Jean Macnamara, DBE was an Australian medical doctor and scientist, best-known for her contributions to children's health and welfare.-Early life:...
(b. 1899), medical scientist - 27 October – James HunterJames Hunter (Australian politician)James Aitchison Johnston Hunter was an Australian politician.Hunter was born at Springburn, near Glasgow, Scotland and migrated with his family to Brisbane in 1884 educated there. He joined the state public service and became an accountant in the Queensland Railways...
(b. 1882), politician - 20 December – John JenningsJohn Jennings (Australian politician)John Thomas Jennings was an Australian politician. Born in Melbourne, he attended state schools before becoming a retailer of dental supplies. He underwent military service 1899-1901. In 1931, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the United Australia Party member for South...
(b. 1878), politician