The following lists events that happened during 1948 in Australia.
Incumbents
State Premiers
State Governors
Events
- 23 January â De Havilland Australia conducts the first flight of its 3 engined Drover transport aircraft at Bankstown Airport.
- 19 February â An Avro Lincoln bomber crashes at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, killing 16 Royal Australian Air Force personnel.
- 25 February â Robert Cosgrove is reinstated as Premier of Tasmania after being cleared of corruption charges on 22 February.
- 8 May â Margaret McIntyre becomes the first woman elected to the Parliament of Tasmania. She is killed in a plane crash later in the year.
- 29 May â A federal referendum is held, asking one question on Rents and Prices. It is not carried.
- 1 July â The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is introduced.
- 21 August â A state election is held in Tasmania. The result is a hung parliament, but Robert Cosgrove and Labor retain power with the support of an independent, William Wedd.
- 2 September â The Douglas DC-3 Lutana crashes near Nundle, New South Wales, killing all 13 on board.
- 21 September â H.V. Evatt becomes President of the United Nations General Assembly.
- 29 November â The first Holden car, the model 48-215, popularly known as the FX, rolls off the assembly line. The on-road cost was approximately ã760.
- 1 December â The body of an unidentified man is found on a beach in Adelaide, becoming known as the Somerton Man.
- 16 December â HMAS Sydney is commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy as its first aircraft carrier.
Arts and literature
- One of the few Australian songs to top the Australian charts "Good-Night Mister Moon" by Allan Ryan and William Flynn
Sport
Births
- 5 January â Wally Foreman, football commentator (died 2006)
- 23 January â Glenn Wheatley, musician and talent manager (died 2022)
- 24 January â Brian Langton, NSW politician (died 2023)
- 25 January â Ros Kelly, politician
- 3 February â Les Twentyman, social campaigner (died 2024)
- 10 February â Mike Pratt, politician
- 16 February â Jeff Guess, poet
- 2 March â Jeff Kennett, Premier of Victoria (1992âÂÂ1999)
- 13 March â Rick Amor, artist
- 19 March â Vince Lovegrove, singer, journalist and band manager (died 2012)
- 27 March â Rosemary Follett, Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (1989, 1991âÂÂ1995)
- 31 March â Graham Cornes, Australian rules footballer
- 2 April â Jennifer Rowe, children's author
- 29 April â Leslie Howard, musician
- 15 May â Muriel Porter, Anglican laywoman
- 28 May â Michael Field, Premier of Tasmania (1989âÂÂ1992)
- 11 June â Pat Wilson, singer and journalist
- 21 June â Lionel Rose, boxer (died 2011)
- 30 June â Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Aboriginal leader (died 2023)
- 15 July â Richard Franklin, film director (died 2007)
- 24 July â Joan London, writer
- 7 August â Greg Chappell, cricketer
- 18 August â Richard Tracey, Australian military and civil judge and barrister (died 2019)
- 19 August â Robert Hughes, actor
- 20 August â John Noble, actor
- 24 August - Richard Norden, soldier and police officer (died 1972)
- 12 September â Max Walker, cricketer and VFL footballer (died 2016)
- 18 September â Christopher Skase, fugitive businessman (died 2001)
- 22 September â Denis Burke, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory (1999âÂÂ2001)
- 25 September â Vicki Viidikas, poet (died 1998)
- 26 September â Olivia Newton-John, entertainer (died 2022)
- 3 October â Rob Langer, cricketer (died 2023)
- 4 October â Bob Morris, racing driver
- 5 October – Jim Waley, journalist
- 8 October â Warren Truss, leader of the National Party
- 19 October â Meg Lees, Democrat senator for South Australia
- 30 October â Garry McDonald, actor
- 5 November â Malcolm Milne, Olympic skier
- 6 November â Geoff Prosser, politician
- 14 November â Ian Stanley, golfer (died 2018)
- 15 November â James Kemsley, cartoonist (died 2007)
- 22 November â Gary Dempsey, Australian rules footballer
- 1 December â John Quigley, WA politician
- 2 December â Patricia Hewitt, British Labour Party politician
- 5 December â Cheryl Kernot, politician
- 12 December â Kim Beazley, politician
- 15 December â Cassandra Harris, actor (died 1991)
- 29 December â Michael White, psychotherapist (died 2008)
Deaths
- 12 February â Sir Isaac Isaacs, 9th Governor-General of Australia and 3rd Chief Justice of Australia (b. 1855)
- 23 March â Lou Cunningham, New South Wales politician (b. 1889)
- 24 March â Sydney Sampson, Victorian politician and newspaper proprietor (b. 1863)
- 9 April â George Carpenter, 5th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1872)
- 15 April â Eric Fairweather Harrison, Victorian politician and soldier (b. 1880)
- 20 May â Marie Pitt, poet and journalist (b. 1869)
- 8 June â Thomas Crawford, Queensland politician (b. 1865)
- 18 June â Edward Brooker, 31st Premier of Tasmania (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1891)
- 18 July â May Moss, welfare worker and suffragette (b. 1869)
- 21 July â Francis Joseph Bayldon, master mariner and nautical instructor (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1872)
- 24 July â Stanley Goble, 2nd Chief of the Air Staff (b. 1891)
- 31 July â Nigel Barker, Olympic track and field athlete (b. 1883)
- 28 August â Jack Lumsdaine, singer, songwriter and soldier (b. 1895)
- 2 September â Margaret McIntyre, Tasmanian politician (b. 1886)
- 9 September â Frank Foster, New South Wales politician (b. 1872)
- 18 October
- George Cann, New South Wales politician (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1871)
- Philip Collier, 14th Premier of Western Australia (b. 1873)
- 8 December â Matthew Charlton, 7th Federal Leader of the Opposition (b. 1866)
See also
References