1928 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1928 in Australia.

Incumbents

• Monarch – George V
• Governor-General – John Baird, 1st Viscount Stonehaven
• Prime Minister – Stanley Bruce
• Chief Justice – Adrian Knox

State premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – Thomas Bavin
• Premier of Queensland – William McCormack
• Premier of South Australia – Richard Layton Butler
• Premier of Tasmania – Joseph Lyons (until 15 June), then John McPhee
• Premier of Victoria – Edmond Hogan (until 22 November), then William McPherson
• Premier of Western Australia – Philip Collier

State governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir Dudley de Chair
• Governor of Queensland – Sir John Goodwin
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven (from 14 May)
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir James O'Grady
• Governor of Victoria – Arthur Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron Somers
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir William Campion

Events

• 27–28 January – Bundaberg tragedy: 12 children die in Bundaberg, Queensland, after being inoculated with a diphtheria vaccine contaminated with the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium.
• 22 February – Bert Hinkler arrives in Darwin, Northern Territory after flying solo from London on 7 February, and then, later, he arrives in his hometown of Bundaberg on 27 February.
• 17 May – The Royal Flying Doctor Service makes its first official flight from Cloncurry to Julia Creek
• 8 June – Charles Kingsford Smith and his crew arrive in Brisbane, after completing the first flight across the Pacific Ocean in the "Southern Cross" after leaving the United States on 31 May.
• 14 August – The Coniston massacre begins.
• 20 December – Hubert Wilkins makes the first flight over Antarctica in his Lockheed Vega San Francisco
• The first Speedos are produced

Arts and literature

• John Longstaff wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Dr Alexander Leeper
• Arthur Streeton wins the Wynne Prize with his landscape Afternoon Light, Goulburn Valley

Film

• 29 December – The Jazz Singer becomes the first sound film screened in Australia. It premieres at the Lyceum Theatre in Sydney http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/J/JazzSinger1927.html

Sport

• 15 September - The 1928 NSWRFL season culminates in South Sydney's 26–5 victory over Eastern Suburbs in the final.
• 6 November – Statesman wins the Melbourne Cup.
• Victoria wins the Sheffield Shield
• Bobby Pearce wins Australia's only gold medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics. He won the men's 200m sculls
• The first Australian Grand Prix is held at Phillip Island

Births

• 17 January – Ken Archer, cricketer (died 2023)
• 19 January – John Treloar, track and field athlete (died 2012)
• 21 January – James Achurch, javelin thrower (died 2015)
• 29 February – Terry Lewis, police officer and convicted fraudster (died 2023)
• 14 March – June Maston, sprinter and athletics coach (died 2004)
• 2 April – Denis Flannery, rugby league footballer of the 1940s and 1950s (died 2012)
• 30 May – Pro Hart, artist (died 2006)
• June – Mike Williamson, sports commentator (died 2019)
• 3 June – Beryl Kimber, violinist and educator (died 2022)
• 12 June – Bob Davis, Australian rules footballer (died 2011)
• 15 June – Joan Croll, physician and radiologist (died 2022)
• 18 June – Michael Blakemore, actor and director (died 2023)
• 1 July – Robert Wemyss, Australian football (soccer) player
• 7 July – Henry Sommerville, fencer (died 2010)
• 17 July – David Leach, senior officer of the Royal Australian Navy (died 2020)
• 18 July – Russell Mockridge, cyclist (died 1958)
• 8 August – Don Burrows, jazz musician (died 2020)
• 12 August – Charles Blackman, painter (died 2018)
• 31 August – A. W. Pryor, physicist (died 2014)
• 8 October – Leonard French, glass artist (died 2017)
• 26 October – Shirley Abicair, actress, musician and author (died 2025 in UK)
• 27 October – Thomas Perrin, cricketer
• 16 November – Patricia Giles, activist (died 2017)
• 17 November – Colin McDonald, cricketer (died 2021)
• 18 November – Bruce Rosier, Anglican bishop (died 2019)
• 30 November – Steele Hall, Premier of South Australia (died 2024)
• 15 December – Peter Coleman, politician and writer (died 2019)
• 26 December – Maureen Brunt, economist (died 2019)
• 27 December – Phillip Bennett, Governor of Tasmania (died 2023)
• date unknown – John Challis, gay rights activist

Deaths

• 9 February – William Gillies, 21st Premier of Queensland (b. 1868)
• 1 April – Andrew Lang Petrie, Queensland politician (b. 1854)
• 19 May – John Barrett, Victorian politician (b. 1858)
• 19 July – Norman Ewing, Tasmanian Opposition Leader (b. 1870)
• 22 October – Andrew Fisher, 5th Prime Minister of Australia (born and died in the United Kingdom) (b. 1862)
• Unknown, possibly August – Bert Rache, composer (b. unknown)

See also

• List of Australian films of the 1920s

References