1973 in Australia
Encyclopedia
Incumbents
- Queen of Australia – Elizabeth II
- Governor General – Sir Paul Hasluck
- 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...
– 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... - Premier of New South Wales – Sir 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 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...
- Premier of Queensland – Sir 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 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 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...
– John TonkinJohn TonkinJohn Trezise Tonkin AC , popularly known as "Honest John", was the 20th Premier of Western Australia , taking power after the almost 12 year term of Liberal Sir David Brand.... - Premier of Victoria – Rupert HamerRupert HamerSir Rupert James Hamer, AC, KCMG, ED , generally known until he was knighted in 1982 as Dick Hamer, Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 39th Premier of Victoria, serving from 1972 to 1981.-Early years:...
Events
- 10 February – Australia's first casino, the Wrest Point Hotel CasinoWrest 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:...
, opens in HobartHobartHobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as... - 28 February – The federal voting ageVoting ageA voting age is a minimum age established by law that a person must attain to be eligible to vote in a public election.The vast majority of countries in the world have established a voting age. Most governments consider that those of any age lower than the chosen threshold lack the necessary...
is lowered from 21 to 18. The state of New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
had already enacted such a change in 1970. - 8 March – Whiskey Au Go Go fireWhiskey Au Go Go fireThe Whiskey Au Go Go fire was a fire that occurred at 2.10 a.m. on Thursday 8 March 1973, in the Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Australia that killed 15 people...
- 1 June – The first General Dynamics F-111General Dynamics F-111The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...
aircraft is delivered to the Royal Australian Air ForceRoyal Australian Air ForceThe Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts... - 20 October – Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera HouseThe Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II - 1 December – Papua New GuineaPapua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
is granted self government prior to independence - 31 December – AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
perform their first major gig in Sydney Australia.
Arts and literature
- Patrick WhitePatrick WhitePatrick Victor Martindale White , an Australian author, is widely regarded as an important English-language novelist of the 20th century. From 1935 until his death, he published 12 novels, two short-story collections and eight plays.White's fiction employs humour, florid prose, shifting narrative...
is announced as Australian 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... - 21 September – The Jackson PollockJackson PollockPaul Jackson Pollock , known as Jackson Pollock, was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety. He was regarded as a mostly reclusive artist. He had a volatile personality, and...
painting Blue PolesBlue PolesBlue Poles is an abstract painting from 1952 by the American artist Jackson Pollock, more properly known as Blue Poles: Number 11, 1952, and is considered to be Pollock's most important painting...
is controversially purchased by the 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...
government for US$2 million (A$1.3 million). - "No award" was made for 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 ...
Television
- Certain WomenCertain WomenCertain Women was an Australian television soap opera created by prominent Australian TV dramatist Tony Morphett and produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation between 1973 and 1976....
(TV series) commences - The novel Seven Little AustraliansSeven Little AustraliansSeven Little Australians is a classic Australian children's novel by Ethel Turner. Set mainly in Sydney in the 1880s, it relates the adventures of the seven mischievous Woolcot children, their stern army father Captain Woolcot and flighty stepmother Esther.In 1994 the novel was the only book by an...
adapted for television (10 part series)
Sport
- 8 September – 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 fourth men's national marathon title, clocking 2:12:07.6 in 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....
. - Gala Supreme 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...
- Western Australia wins the Sheffield ShieldPura CupThe Sheffield Shield is the domestic cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Prior to the Shield being established, a number of intercolonial matches were played. The Shield, donated by Lord Sheffield, was first contested during...
- Helsall 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...
. Ceil III is the handicap winner - Australia defeats South Africa 3-0 in the Federation Cup
Births
- 31 January — Portia de RossiPortia de RossiPortia Lee James DeGeneres , known professionally as Portia de Rossi , is an Australian-American actress, best known for her roles as lawyer Nelle Porter on the television series Ally McBeal and Lindsay Bluth Fünke on the sitcom Arrested Development...
, actress - 15 February — Sarah WynterSarah WynterSarah Wynter is an Australian actress, most widely known for her roles on American television – such as Kate Warner on the television drama 24 and as Beth on Windfall.-Personal life:...
, actress - 16 February — Cathy FreemanCathy FreemanCatherine Astrid Salome "Cathy" Freeman, OAM is former Australian sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. She became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame.Freeman was the first ever Aboriginal...
, athlete - 20 February — Kimberley DaviesKimberley DaviesKimberley Davies is an Australian actress most famous for playing Annalise Hartman on the Australian soap opera Neighbours from 1993 to 1996...
, actor - 26 March — Matt BurkeMatt BurkeMatthew Burke is a retired Australian rugby union player. He grew up in Carlingford, New South Wales, and was schooled at St Gerard Majella Catholic Primary School, Carlingford and St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill...
, rugby union footballer - 13 April — Tammy ColeTammy ColeTammy Cole is a retired female field hockey defender from Australia. She made her debut for the Australian women's national team in 1994 when Australia won the Tri Test series in Christchurch against Argentina and New Zealand.Nicknamed TC she returned to international competition after a two-year,...
, field hockey defender - 19 April — George GreganGeorge GreganGeorge Musarurwa Gregan AM is an Australian rugby union halfback who has made more appearances for his national team than any other player in the sport's history....
, rugby union player - 26 April — Stephanie GrafStephanie GrafStephanie Graf is a former Austrian middle distance runner.She finished second to Maria de Lurdes Mutola in the women's 800 meters at both the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and the 2001 World Athletics Championships in Edmonton, Alberta.Her time from the 2000 Olympics, 1:56.64 minutes, is the current...
, middle distance athlete - 29 May — Malcolm Allen, swimmer
- 21 June — Alyson AnnanAlyson AnnanAlyson Regina Annan OAM in Wentworthville, New South Wales is a former field hockey player from Australia, who earned a total number of 228 international caps for the Women's National Team, in which she scored 166 goals....
, field hockey player - 1 July - Dean Farrow, Ozzie Legend
- 27 July — Gorden TallisGorden TallisGorden James Tallis is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played from 1992 to 2004. He captained Australia and Queensland as well as the Brisbane Broncos club, with whom he won three premierships and one Clive Churchill Medal...
, rugby league footballer - 2 August — Susie O'Neill, swimmer
- 14 August — Kieren PerkinsKieren PerkinsKieren John Perkins OAM , is a former Australian professional swimmer. One of the world's best-ever long-distance swimmers, he won two Olympic gold medals in 1992 and 1996 in the 1500-metre freestyle, and a silver medal in 2000....
, swimmer - 20 August — Scott GoodmanScott GoodmanScott Goodman is an Australian butterfly swimmer, who competed at the Atlanta Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the 200m butterfly....
, swimmer - 22 August — Mark HickmanMark HickmanMark Christopher Hickman OAM is a field hockey goalkeeper from Australia. He was a part of the team that won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece....
, field hockey goalkeeper - 2 September — Matthew DunnMatthew DunnMatthew Dunn is a former Olympic freestyle and medley swimmer swimmer who competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics for Australia, starting in 1992....
, swimmer - 5 September — Jennifer WhittleJennifer WhittleJennifer "Jenny" Hazel Whittle is an Australian female basketball player who played for the Bulleen Boomers and the Canberra Capitals. Whittle was also a member of the Australia women's national basketball team that claimed the Bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympic games and the Silver medal...
, basketball player - 18 September — Louise SauvageLouise SauvageAlix Louise Sauvage OAM is an Australian paralympic wheelchair racer.Sauvage is often regarded as the most renowned disabled sportswoman in Australia. She won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic games in front of a home crowd...
, wheelchair athlete - 8 October — Toby HaenenToby HaenenToby Christian Haenen is an Australian backstroke swimmer of the 1990s, who won a bronze medal in the 4 × 100 m medley relay at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics...
, swimmer - 14 October — Steven BradburySteven BradburySteven John Bradbury OAM is a former Australian short track speed skater and four-time Olympian, who won the 1,000 m event at the 2002 Winter Olympics after all of his opponents were involved in a last corner pile-up...
, speed skater - 23 October — David BeardDavid Beard (volleyball)David Beard is an Australian volleyball player, who twice competed for the Men's National Team at the Summer Olympics: Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. Playing as a passer or power hitter, Beard was the captain of the national squad for several years and competed professionally in Germany and Italy.-...
, volleyball player - 20 November — Matthew SmithMatthew Smith (field hockey)Matthew John Smith is a former field hockey player from Australia, who was a member of the Men's National Hockey Team that won the bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. He played club hockey for the North Coast Raiders.-References:*...
, field hockey player - 4 December — Steve Menzies, rugby league footballer
- 24 December — Kerry NettleKerry NettleKerry Michelle Nettle is a former Australian Senator and member of the Australian Greens in New South Wales. Elected at the 2001 federal election on a primary vote of 4.36 percent with One Nation and micro-party preferences, she failed to gain re-election at the 2007 federal election, despite an...
, politician - 28 December — Alex DimitriadesAlex DimitriadesAlex Dimitriades is a Greek Australian film and television actor.-Early life:Dimitriades was born in Sydney, the son of first generation Greek immigrants and is the youngest of three siblings . He grew up in the suburb of Earlwood...
, actor
Deaths
- 5 April – John Coleman (b.1928), Australian rules footballer
- 21 April – Arthur FaddenArthur FaddenSir Arthur William Fadden, GCMG was an Australian politician and, briefly, the 13th Prime Minister of Australia.-Introduction:...
(b.1894), former Prime Minister - 8 July – Arthur CalwellArthur CalwellArthur Augustus Calwell Australian politician, was a member of the Australian House of Representatives for 32 years from 1940 to 1972, Immigration Minister in the government of Ben Chifley from 1945 to 1949 and Leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1960 to 1967.-Early life:Calwell was born in...
(b.1896), politician