From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following lists events that happened during 1944 in Australia .
List of events
Incumbents
John Curtin
State Premiers
State Governors
Events
14 January –
Meat
rationing begins in Australia.
[3]
20 January – Seventeen people are killed at
Brooklyn, New South Wales when a mail train and a bus collide at a
level crossing . There is only one survivor, Gloria Iren Silvia.
[4]
15 February –
Bushfires in the
Western District ,
Gippsland and
Yallourn regions of
Victoria kill 51 people.
15 April –
Fred Paterson is elected to the
Parliament of Queensland , representing the seat of Bowen. He remains the only member of the
Communist Party of Australia to ever be elected to an Australian Parliament.
30 June – Sydney waiter Antonio Agostini is sentenced to six years prison for the
manslaughter of his wife,
Linda Agostini , in what was known as the "
Pyjama Girl " murder.
[5]
5 August – The
Cowra breakout occurs, with 545 Japanese prisoners of war escaping from the camp.
[6]
19 August – A
referendum is held, concerning Post-War Reconstruction and Democratic Rights. It proposes to grant the government power to legislate over 14 points of law for a five-year period. The referendum, asked in a single question, is not carried.
[7]
21 October – The
heavy cruiser
HMAS Australia , operating in the Philippines, is hit by a
kamikaze aircraft, killing 20 and wounding 54, in what is believed to be the first attack of its kind.
25 November –
Reg Saunders becomes the first
Aboriginal
commissioned officer in the
Australian Army .
14 December – The
Liberal Party of Australia is formed, replacing the
United Australia Party .
Arts and literature
Film
Sport
Births
1 January –
Barry Beath , rugby league player
7 January –
Tony Whitlam , lawyer, judge, and politician
14 January –
Graham Marsh , golfer
18 January –
Paul Keating , Prime Minister of Australia (1991–1996)
19 January –
Paul Gibson , NSW politician
3 February –
Trisha Noble , singer and actress (died 2021)
9 February –
Derryn Hinch , media personality
10 February –
Peter Allen , entertainer (died 1992)
17 February –
Robert Dessaix , writer
18 March –
Dick Smith , businessman
21 April –
Adrian Hurley , basketball player and coach
22 April –
Damien Broderick , science fiction author
4 May –
Steve Liebmann , journalist
22 May –
John Flanagan , author
23 May –
John Newcombe , tennis player
26 May –
Andrew Jones , politician (died 2015)
28 May –
Paul D. Scully-Power , oceanographer and astronaut
6 June –
Matt Carroll , film and television producer
6 June –
Rene Rivkin , businessman (died 2005)
4 July –
Ray Meagher , actor
23 July –
Alex Buzo , playwright and author (died 2006)
31 July –
James Strong , businessman, CEO of Qantas (died 2013)
17 August –
Nicholas John Vine-Hall , genealogist (died 2006)
21 August –
Peter Weir , film director
3 September –
Ray Groom , Premier of Tasmania (1992–1996)
8 September –
Terry Jenner , cricketer (died 2011)
5 September –
Gareth Evans , politician
11 September –
Alan Gilbert , academic and university Vice-Chancellor (died 2010)
13 September –
Midget Farrelly , surfer (died 2016)
16 September –
Peter Harvey , journalist and television presenter (died 2013)
19 September –
Colin Dibley , tennis player
25 October –
Ron Coote , rugby league footballer
21 November –
Kay Patterson , Liberal Senator for Victoria
4 December –
Lawrie Peckham , high jumper
20 December –
Ray Martin , television presenter (60 Minutes – 1979–1985, A Current Affair – 1994–1998 & 2003–3005, Midday – 1985–1993)
27 December –
Bob Brown , politician
Deaths
1 January –
Charles Turner , cricketer (b.
1862 )
3 January –
Tom Brennan , Victorian politician, journalist and lawyer (b.
1866 )
15 January –
Patrick Lynch , Western Australian politician (born in
Ireland ) (b.
1867 )
31 March –
Maurice Blackburn , Victorian politician (b.
1880 )
10 April –
Constance Kent , convicted murderer (born in the
United Kingdom ) (b. 1844)
5 May –
George John Bell , Tasmanian politician (b.
1872 )
10 May –
Digby Denham , 18th
Premier of Queensland (born in the
United Kingdom ) (b.
1859 )
11 May –
John Balmer , air force bomber pilot (died in
Belgium ) (b.
1910 )
24 May –
William Butcher , Western Australian politician and pastoralist (b.
1858 )
9 June –
William Angwin , Western Australian politician (born in the
United Kingdom ) (b.
1863 )
28 June –
Anton Breinl , medical scientist and practitioner (born in
Austria ) (b.
1880 )
1 July –
Zara Aronson , journalist and philanthropist (b.
1864 )
29 July –
Walter Price , cricketer (b.
1886 )
5 August
24 August –
Alfred Carson , journalist and social worker (b.
1859 )
6 September –
Evelyn Conyers , matron-in-chief of the
Australian Army Nursing Service , awarded the
Florence Nightingale Medal (born in
New Zealand ) (b.
1870 )
21 October –
Emile Dechaineux , naval officer (died in
Leyte Gulf ) (b.
1902 )
5 November –
Grace Benny , South Australian politician (b.
1872 )
10 November –
John Clemons , Tasmanian politician and lawyer (died in the
United Kingdom ) (b.
1862 )
12 November –
Roy Agnew , composer and pianist (b.
1891 )
18 November –
Sir James Blair , 6th
Chief Justice of Queensland (b.
1870 )
20 November –
Charles Frederick Cox , New South Wales politician and military officer (b.
1863 )
12 December –
Claude Corbett , sports journalist (b.
1885 )
See also
References
1944 in Oceania
Sovereign states Associated states of New Zealand