1973 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1973 in Australia.

Incumbents

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Sir Paul Hasluck
• Prime Minister – Gough Whitlam
• Deputy Prime Minister – Lance Barnard
• Opposition Leader – Billy Snedden
• Chief Justice – Sir Garfield Barwick

State and territory leaders

• Premier of New South Wales – Sir Robert Askin
• Opposition Leader – Pat Hills (until 17 November), then Neville Wran
• Premier of Queensland – Joh Bjelke-Petersen
• Opposition Leader – Jack Houston
• Premier of South Australia – Don Dunstan
• Opposition Leader – Bruce Eastick
• Premier of Tasmania – Eric Reece
• Opposition Leader – Max Bingham
• Premier of Victoria – Rupert Hamer
• Opposition Leader – Clyde Holding
• Premier of Western Australia – John Tonkin
• Opposition Leader – Sir Charles Court

Governors and administrators

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir Roden Cutler
• Governor of Queensland – Sir Colin Hannah
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Mark Oliphant
• Governor of Tasmania – Lieutenant General Sir Edric Bastyan (until 30 November), then Sir Stanley Burbury
• Governor of Victoria – Major General Sir Rohan Delacombe
• Governor of Western Australia – Major General Sir Douglas Kendrew
• Administrator of Norfolk Island – Edward Pickerd
• Administrator of the Northern Territory – Frederick Chaney (until 10 December), then Jock Nelson
• Administrator/High Commissioner of Papua New Guinea – Les Johnson

Events

• 10 February – Australia's first casino, the Wrest Point Hotel Casino, opens in Hobart
• 28 February – The federal voting age is lowered from 21 to 18. The state of New South Wales had already enacted such a change in 1970.
• 2 March – Wellington Street bus station in Perth is opened by Western Australia's premier John Tonkin
• 8 March – Whiskey Au Go Go fire
• 1 June – The first General Dynamics F-111 aircraft is delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force
• 9 June – Disappearance of Jason Shannon
• 19 July – Lois D'Arcy was the first independent civil marriage celebrant ever appointed – by Attorney-General Lionel Murphy.
• 25 August - Disappearance of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon
• 9 October - The fifty-dollar note was introduced
• 20 October – Sydney Opera House officially opened by Elizabeth II
• 1 December – Papua New Guinea is granted self-government prior to independence
• 31 December – AC/DC perform their first major gig in Sydney.
• Removal of the "White Australia Policy".

Arts and literature

• Patrick White is announced as Australian of the Year
• 21 September – The Jackson Pollock painting Blue Poles is controversially purchased by the Whitlam government for US$2 million (A$1.3 million).
• "No award" was made for the Miles Franklin Award

Film

• Alvin Purple

Television

• Certain Women (TV series) commences
• The novel Seven Little Australians adapted for television (10 part series)
• The New South Wales Rugby Football League negotiates its first television deal with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Sport

• 8 September – Derek Clayton wins his fourth men's national marathon title, clocking 2:12:07.6 in Perth.
• 15 September – Manly-Warringah defeated Cronulla-Sutherland 10–7 in the 1973 NSWRFL season Grand Final, claiming their second straight premiership. Penrith finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon.
• Gala Supreme wins the Melbourne Cup
• Western Australia wins the Sheffield Shield
• Helsall takes line honours in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Ceil III is the handicap winner
• Australia defeats South Africa 3–0 in the Federation Cup

Births

• 8 January – Jason Stevens, rugby league player and sportscaster
• 17 January – Chris Bowen, politician
• 22 January – Abi Tucker, actor and singer
• 31 January – Portia de Rossi, actress
• 4 February – James Hird, Australian footballer and coach
• 5 February – Luke Ricketson, rugby league player
• 15 February – Sarah Wynter, actress
• 16 February – Catherine Freeman, athlete
• 20 February – Kimberley Davies, actor
• 28 February – Rodger Corser, Actor
• 26 March – Matt Burke, rugby union footballer
• 13 April – Tammy Cole, field hockey defender
• 19 April – George Gregan, rugby union player
• 26 April – Stephanie Graf, middle distance athlete
• 29 May – Malcolm Allen, swimmer
• 12 June – Darryl White, Australian rules footballer
• 21 June – Alyson Annan, field hockey player
• 24 June – Matt Drummond, film director, screenwriter and visual effects supervisor
• 27 July – Gorden Tallis, rugby league footballer
• 2 August – Susie O'Neill, swimmer
• 14 August – Kieren Perkins, swimmer
• 20 August – Scott Goodman, swimmer
• 22 August – Mark Hickman, field hockey goalkeeper
• 2 September – Matthew Dunn, swimmer
• 5 September – Jennifer Whittle, basketball player
• 18 September – Louise Sauvage, wheelchair athlete
• 22 September – Craig McRae, footballer
• 8 October – Toby Haenen, swimmer
• 14 October – Steven Bradbury, speed skater
• 18 October – Stephen Allan, golfer
• 23 October – David Beard, volleyball player
• 31 October – Andrew Constance, politician
• 1 November – Peta Murphy, politician (d. 2023)
• 6 November – Greg Warren, politician
• 20 November
• Sav Rocca, American football player and Australian rules footballer
• Matthew Smith, field hockey player
• 4 December – Steve Menzies, rugby league footballer
• 24 December – Kerry Nettle, politician
• 28 December – Alex Dimitriades, actor
• (Date Unknown) – Ann Shoebridge, milliner

Deaths

• 18 January – Beatrice Bligh, gardener (b. 1916)
• 5 April – John Coleman (born 1928), Australian rules footballer
• 21 April – Arthur Fadden (born 1894), former Prime Minister
• 8 July – Arthur Calwell (born 1896), politician

References