From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
List of events
The following lists events that happened during 1939 in Australia .
Incumbents
Lord Gowrie
State Premiers
State Governors
Events
13 January – The bushfires of
Black Friday kill 70 people in Victoria.
27 March – The first
CAC Wirraway training aircraft, A20-3, takes to the air at
Fishermans Bend, Victoria .
7 April – Prime Minister
Joseph Lyons dies of a sudden heart attack, the first Prime Minister to die in office.
Sir Earle Page , the leader of the
Country Party is appointed caretaker Prime Minister until the
United Australia Party can elect a new leader.
26 April –
Robert Menzies is elected leader of the
United Australia Party , and is sworn in as Prime Minister.
10 June –
Premier of Tasmania
Albert Ogilvie dies in office.
Edmund Dwyer-Gray acts as Premier until he is officially elected as leader of the
Labor Party in
Tasmania on 6 July.
3 September –
World War II begins. Australia
declares war on Germany, following the United Kingdom and British
Dominions ' declaration of same, after the
German invasion of Poland .
15 September –
Robert Menzies announces a new
War Cabinet .
1 December – Australia agrees to take 15,000
Jewish refugees fleeing
Europe , following the German occupation of
Austria and
Czechoslovakia .
18 December –
Edmund Dwyer-Gray steps aside as
Premier of Tasmania , by prior arrangement with
Robert Cosgrove to assume the premiership.
Arts and literature
Sport
Births
January
Murray Rose
Germaine Greer
3 January –
Janice Crosio , New South Wales politician
4 January –
J. S. Harry , poet (d.
2015 )
6 January
9 January
10 January –
Jill Kitson , radio broadcaster and literary journalist (d.
2013 )
12 January –
John Gregg , actor (d.
2021 )
15 January –
Ken Doolan , rear admiral and author
20 January –
Paul Braddy , 28th
Deputy Premier of Queensland
23 January –
Peter Richardson , Western Australian politician
29 January –
Germaine Greer , academic and feminist
30 January –
Dale Baker , 34th
South Australian Leader of the Opposition (d.
2012 )
31 January –
Paddy Guinane , Australian rules footballer (
Richmond ) (d.
2019 )
February
Andrew Peacock
1 February –
John Haslem , Australian Capitol Territory politician
5 February –
Ian Norman , businessman and retail executive (d.
2014 )
7 February
11 February –
Gary Hooper , Paralympian athlete
12 February –
Nita Cunningham , Queensland politician (d.
2015 )
13 February –
Andrew Peacock , 22nd
Federal Leader of the Opposition (d.
2021 )
16 February –
Peter Heerey , Federal Court judge (d.
2021 )
19 February –
Beatrice Faust , co-founder of
Women's Electoral Lobby and author (d.
2019 )
23 February –
Elaine Lee , actress (born in
South Africa ) (d.
2014 )
25 February –
Gerald Murnane , writer
27 February –
Harry Roberts , rugby union player
28 February –
Ron Leeson , Western Australian politician
March
Michael Kirby
April
David de Kretser
May
Peter Wilenski
Tony Staley
June
Elaine Schreiber
Gordon Bilney
1 June –
Ernie Tuck , mathematician (d.
2009 )
3 June –
Colin Youren , Australian rules footballer (
Hawthorn ) (d.
2015 )
4 June –
Elaine Schreiber , Paralympian athlete (d.
2017 )
5 June –
Ron Baensch , racing cyclist (d.
2017 )
6 June –
John Oswald , South Australian politician
10 June
20 June –
Rodger Head , Australian rules footballer (
St Kilda ) (d.
2012 )
21 June
22 June –
Paul Winkler , film director (born in
Germany )
23 June –
David Hannay , film producer (born in
New Zealand ) (d.
2014 )
24 June –
Annette Andre , actress
25 June
27 June –
Neil Hawke , test cricketer and Australian rules footballer (
Port Adelaide ) (d.
2000 )
29 June –
Alan Connolly , cricketer
July
Phillip Adams
Helen Firth
David Connolly
John Howard
August
Roger Ryan
September
George Lazenby
Mike Dancis
3 September –
John Langmore , Australian Capitol Territory politician
4 September –
Richard Lewis , Western Australian politician (d.
2019 )
5 September –
George Lazenby , actor
7 September –
John McGrath , Victorian politician (d.
2021 )
8 September –
Lew Mander , organic chemist (born in
New Zealand ) (d.
2020 )
9 September
10 September –
Mike Dancis , basketball player (born in
Latvia ) (d.
2020 )
13 September –
Kevin Rozzoli , New South Wales politician
15 September –
Ron Walker , businessman, former
Lord Mayor of Melbourne (d.
2018 )
18 September –
Gerry Harvey , entrepreneur
19 September –
Jim Lisle , rugby union and rugby league player (d.
2003 )
24 September –
Tony Messner , South Australian politician and former
Administrator of Norfolk Island
October
Paul Hogan
Nick Dondas
1 October –
Philip Cox , architect
3 October –
Dave Barsley , rugby league player (d.
2021 )
4 October –
Ivan Mauger , motorcycle speedway racer (born in
New Zealand ) (d.
2018 )
5 October –
Scott Ashenden , South Australian politician
7 October –
Clive James , writer and broadcaster (d.
2019 )
8 October
9 October –
John Pilger , journalist and filmmaker (d.
2023 )
12 October –
Michael Clyne , linguist, academic, and intellectual (d.
2010 )
25 October –
Terry Gill , actor (born in the
United Kingdom ) (d.
2015 )
26 October
27 October –
Hurtle Lupton , Victorian politician
November
December
Glenda Adams
Deaths
Joseph Lyons
14 February –
James Webb , New South Wales politician (b.
1887 )
9 March –
Edwin Greenslade Murphy , journalist and poet (b.
1866 )
11 March –
William Miller , athlete (born in the
United Kingdom and died in the
United States ) (b.
1846 )
7 April –
Joseph Lyons , 10th
Prime Minister of Australia and 26th
Premier of Tasmania (b.
1879 )
25 April –
Sir Charles Powers , High Court judge (b.
1853 )
18 May –
Francis Clarke , New South Wales politician (b.
1857 )
10 June –
Albert Ogilvie , 28th
Premier of Tasmania (b.
1890 )
13 June –
Arthur Coningham , cricketer (b.
1863 )
6 August –
James MacCallum Smith , Western Australian politician (born in the
United Kingdom ) (b.
1868 )
11 August –
Margaret Windeyer , librarian and feminist (b.
1866 )
30 August –
Edward Sydney Simpson , mineralogist and geochemist (b.
1875 )
3 October –
Henry Augustus Ellis , physician and federalist (born in
Ireland and died in the
United Kingdom ) (b.
1861 )
22 October –
Sir Langdon Bonython , South Australian politician and journalist (born in the
United Kingdom ) (b.
1848 )
15 November –
William Hill , Victorian politician (b.
1866 )
6 December –
Sir Ernest Scott , historian (born in the
United Kingdom ) (b.
1867 )
See also
References
1939 in Oceania
Sovereign states Associated states of New Zealand