1934 in Australia

Updated on Sep 22, 2024

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Monarchy George V Prime minister Joseph Lyons Elections Federal, Tasmania		Governor-General Isaac Isaacs Population 6,677,361

See also: 1933 in Australia, other events of 1934, 1935 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

Monarch – King George V

Governor-General – Sir Isaac Isaacs

Prime Minister – Joseph Lyons

State Premiers

Premier of New South Wales – Bertram Stevens

Premier of Queensland – William Forgan Smith

Premier of South Australia – Richard L. Butler

Premier of Tasmania – John McPhee (until 15 March), then Walter Lee (until 22 June), then Albert Ogilvie

Premier of Victoria – Sir Stanley Argyle

Premier of Western Australia – Philip Collier

State Governors

Governor of New South Wales – Sir Philip Game

Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson

Governor of South Australia – Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven (until 26 April), then Sir Winston Dugan (from 20 July)

Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ernest Clark

Governor of Victoria – William Vanneck, 5th Baron Huntingfield (from 14 May)

Governor of Western Australia – none appointed

Events

18 January – Qantas and Imperial Airways join forces and establish Qantas Empire Airways.

12 March – An intense cyclone crosses the Queensland coast near Innisfail, 75 people were confirmed dead.

1 September – Body of the "Pyjama Girl" found in Albury, New South Wales.

15 September – A federal election is held. Joseph Lyons is returned as Prime Minister, leading a United Australia Party-Country Party coalition to victory over the Australian Labor Party.

3 October – Qantas de Havilland DH.50 Atalanta, registration VH-UHE, crashes near Winton, Queensland, killing the pilot and 2 passengers.

15 October – Captain Cook's cottage is opened to the public, after being dismantled in England, then shipped to Australia and reassembled in Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne.

18 October – Charles Prince of Morphettville is found guilty of fraud for the "ring in" of Redlock at the Murray Bridge Racing Club on 28 July.

24 October – C. W. A. Scott and Tom Campbell Black cross the finishing line and win the MacRobertson Air Race, flying from London to Melbourne in an elapsed time of 71 hours.

6 November – The Australian government attempts to stop left-wing writer Egon Erwin Kisch from entering the country, using the language provisions of the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 which allowed a test in any European language. The multi-lingual Kisch was tested in Scottish Gaelic, although the decision to block his entry was later overturned by the High Court.

11 November – The Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne is dedicated.

15 November – Qantas de Havilland DH86 crashes after departing from Longreach Airport during its delivery flight.

Unknown dates

The first ute is produced by Ford in Geelong

Arts and literature

Henry Hanke wins the Archibald Prize with his self-portrait

Eleanor Dark's Prelude to Christopher is published. The author was later awarded the ALS Gold Medal.

Martin Boyd publishes his first novel Scandal of Spring

Christina Stead publishes her first novel Seven Poor Men of Sydney

Film

Strike Me Lucky, starring Roy Rene and directed by Ken G. Hall, is released

Sport

8 September - The 1934 NSWRFL season culminates in Western Suburbs' victory against Eastern Suburbs in the final

Peter Pan wins the Melbourne Cup

Victoria wins the Sheffield Shield

Australia defeats England 2-1 in The Ashes series, held in England

Births

6 January – Harry M. Miller, promoter and publicist

11 January – Peter Badcoe, soldier and Victoria Cross recipient (died 1967)

20 January – Barry Fisher, cricketer (died 1980)

26 January – Ruby Langford Ginibi, Indigenous author and historian

31 January – Gil Jamieson, painter (died 1992)

15 February – Graham Kennedy, entertainer (died 2005)

17 February – Barry Humphries, entertainer

20 March – David Malouf, writer

16 April – Barrie Unsworth, Premier of New South Wales

1 May – John Meillon, actor (died 1989)

5 May – Victor Garland, politician and high commissioner to the UK

6 May – Chris Wallace-Crabbe, poet and academic

2 June – Ian Brooker, botanist

17 August – Ben Humphreys, politician

15 September – Fred Nile, clergyman and politician

9 October – Jill Ker Conway, author

10 October – Julian Beale, politician

2 November – Ken Rosewall, tennis player

16 November – Peter Ross Sinclair, Governor of New South Wales (1990–1996)

24 December – Alan Beaumont, Chief of the Australian Defence Force (1993–1995, died 2004)

Deaths

1 January – Robert Gibson, businessman

22 January – Arthur Wilberforce Jose (born 1863), historian

30 January – Edward Heitmann (born 1878), WA politician

21 February – Sydney Smith (born 1856), NSW and federal politician

27 February – George Temple-Poole (born 1856), architect

17 March – Walter Rosenhain (born 1875), metallurgist

23 March – Thomas Brown (born 1861)

29 March – Josiah Symon (born 1846), Attorney-General of Australia

30 March – Ronald Munro-Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar (born 1860), Governor General of Australia

12 April – Bertram Steele (born 1870), scientist

12 May – Agar Wynne (born 1850), politician

25 May – Percy Coleman (born 1892), union organiser and politician

6 June – William Holman (born 1871), Premier of New South Wales (1913–1920)

19 June – John McDonald (born 1868), WA politician

14 July – John Thomson (born 1862), politician

31 July – Charles McGrath (born 1872), politician

6 August – Alexander Leeper (born 1848), educationist

18 August – Sir John Sulman (born 1849), architect

27 August – Linda Agostini (born 1905), murder vicitm (the "Pyjama Girl")

28 August – T. W. Edgeworth David (born 1858), scientist

5 September – Sidney Myer (born 1878), businessman

7 October – William Sutherland Dun (born 1868), paleontologist and geologist

16 October – James Mathews (born 1865), politician

21 November – John Scaddan (born 1876), Premier of Western Australia (1911–1916)

3 December – Charles Ulm (born 1898), aviator

References

1934 in Australia Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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