1906 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1906 in Australia.

Incumbents

• Monarch – Edward VII
• Governor General – Henry Northcote, 1st Baron Northcote
• Prime Minister – Alfred Deakin
• Chief Justice – Samuel Griffith

State premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – Joseph Carruthers
• Premier of South Australia – Thomas Price
• Premier of Queensland – Arthur Morgan (to 19 January), then William Kidston
• Premier of Tasmania – John Evans
• Premier of Western Australia – Cornthwaite Rason (to 7 May), then Newton Moore
• Premier of Victoria – Thomas Bent

State governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir Harry Rawson
• Governor of South Australia – Sir George Ruthven Le Hunte
• Governor of Queensland – Frederic Thesiger, 3rd Baron Chelmsford (from 30 November)
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir Gerald Strickland
• Governor of Western Australia – Admiral Sir Frederick Bedford
• Governor of Victoria – Major General Sir Reginald Talbot

Events

• 27 January – A cyclone damages Cairns and Innisfail in Queensland.
• 6 February – The world's first surf lifesaving club is formed at Bondi Beach.
• 5 May – The first electric trams begin running in Melbourne from St Kilda to Brighton.
• 16 June – The town of Roma, Queensland becomes the first town in Australia to be lit and powered by natural gas, however the gas reserve only lasts ten days.
• 16 July – The Australian Army Cadet Corps is formed.
• 1 September – Control of British New Guinea is formally transferred to Australia from Britain.
• 12 December – 1906 Australian federal election: The government of Prime Minister Alfred Deakin is returned to power, however voter turn-out is low.

Science and technology

• 12 July – The first wireless radio transmission is made from the Australian mainland between Point Lonsdale, Victoria and Devonport, Tasmania.

Arts and literature

Film

• 26 December – The national premiere of The Story of the Kelly Gang, generally regarded as the world's first feature length film, takes place at the Athenaeum Hall in Melbourne.

Sport

• 26 January – New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield.
• 26 April – 2 May – The 1906 Intercalated Games are held in Athens, Greece – Australia wins three bronze medals.
• 22 September – Carlton wins the VFL grand final, beating Fitzroy 15.4 (94) to 6.9 (45).
• 6 November – Poseidon wins the Melbourne Cup.

Births

• 19 January – Rachel Cleland, community worker (died 2002)
• 5 February – Alexander Spence, soldier (died 1983)
• 16 May – Ernie McCormick, cricketer (died 1991)
• 27 May – Raymond Ferrall, businessman, author and cricketer (died 2000)
• 9 July – Roy Leaper, Australian rules footballer (died 2002)
• 14 July – Stan Devenish Meares, obstetrician and gynaecologist (died 1994)
• 17 July – Dunc Gray, Olympic cyclist (died 1996)
• 12 August – Harry Hopman, tennis player and coach (died 1985)
• 22 August – Lotus Thompson, silent film actress (died 1963)
• 31 August – Edwin Sherbon Hills, geologist (died 1986)
• 2 October – Thomas Hollway, Premier of Victoria (died 1971)
• 21 November – Tom Clarke, VFL footballer for Essendon (died 1981)
• 30 November – Mabel Miller, lawyer and politician (died 1978)
• 3 December – Frank Packer, media proprietor and father of Kerry Packer (died 1974)
• 9 December – Douglas Nicholls, Aboriginal pastor and Governor of South Australia (died 1988)
• 22 December – Clive Turnbull, Tasmanian author and journalist (died 1975)

Deaths

• 1 January – Sir Hugh Nelson, 11th Premier of Queensland (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1833)
• 4 January – Jessie Rooke, suffragette and temperance reformer (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1845)
• 14 January – Henry Yelverton, Western Australian politician (b. 1854)
• 6 February – James Bonwick, writer (born and died in the United Kingdom) (b. 1817)
• 5 March – Hugh Ramsay, artist (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1877)
• 7 March – Frederick William Haddon, journalist (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1839)
• 14 March – George Coppin, Victorian politician, actor and entrepreneur (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1819)
• 21 March – Thomas Macdonald-Paterson, Queensland politician (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1844)
• 30 March – John Ferguson, Queensland politician (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1830)
• 10 April – Sir Adye Douglas, 15th Premier of Tasmania (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1815)
• 16 April – William Farrer, agronomist (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1845)
• 6 August – George Waterhouse, 6th Premier of South Australia and 7th Premier of New Zealand (born and died in the United Kingdom) (b. 1824)
• 8 August – William Purkiss, Western Australian politician (b. 1844)
• 3 September – Sir Samuel Davenport, South Australian politician (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1818)
• 31 October – Charles Troedel, printer (born in Germany) (b. 1836)
• 22 November – Henry Brand, 2nd Viscount Hampden, 19th Governor of New South Wales (born and died in the United Kingdom) (b. 1841)

See also

• List of Australian films before 1910

References