1943 in Australia

Incumbents

Monarch – King George VI

Governor-General – Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Baron Gowrie

Prime Minister – John Curtin

State Premiers

Premier of New South Wales – William McKell

Premier of Queensland – Frank Cooper

Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV

Premier of Tasmania – Robert Cosgrove

Premier of Victoria – Albert Dunstan (until 14 September), then John Cain I (until 18 September), then Albert Dunstan

Premier of Western Australia – John Willcock

State Governors

Governor of New South Wales – John Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst

Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson

Governor of South Australia – Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey

Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ernest Clark

Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan

Governor of Western Australia – none appointed

Events

3 March – A Soviet embassy is established in Canberra, and an Australian diplomat is posted to Moscow as ambassador.

14 May – The hospital ship AHS Centaur is torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off North Stradbroke Island in Queensland, killing 268 persons.

12 June – A general election is held in Victoria.

21 August – A federal election is held. The incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by John Curtin is returned to power.

23 September – Enid Lyons and Dorothy Tangney become the first women to win seats in the Parliament of Australia. Lyons represents the Tasmanian electorate of Darwin in the House of Representatives, and Tangney is a Senator for Western Australia.

Arts and literature

William Dobell wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Joshua Smith

Film

4 March – Damien Parer wins Australia's first Academy Award (Best Documentary Feature) for the film Kokoda Front Line.

Sport

Dark Felt wins the Melbourne Cup

Births

5 January – Mary Gaudron, High Court judge

9 January – Robert Drewe, journalist and writer

29 January – Molly Meldrum, journalist, critic, and producer

8 February – Malcolm Donnelly, opera singer

1 March – Dyson Heydon, High Court judge

12 March – Philip Ruddock, politician

14 March – Aila Keto, environmentalist

19 March – Vern Schuppan, racing driver

6 April – Christine Gallus, politician

9 April – Brian James, rugby league player

11 April – Judith Adams, Liberal Senator for South Australia (died 2012)

13 April – Alan Jones, radio personality

29 April – John Tranter, poet

30 April – Paul Jennings, children's author

2 May – John Goss, racing driver

7 May – John Bannon, Premier of South Australia (1982–1992)

7 May – Peter Carey, novelist

17 May – Johnny Warren (died 2004), soccer player and coach

19 May – Bob Graham, NSW politician

1 June – Ian King, cricketer

4 June – John Burgess, TV & radio host (Wheel Of Fortune & Burgo's Catch Phrase)

19 June – Barry Hill, historian and writer

3 July – Judith Durham, singer (The Seekers)

11 July – Richard Carleton, television journalist (died 2006)

25 July – Desmond Mueller, Vice Chief of the Defence Force (2000–2002)

26 July – Robyn Woodhouse, high jumper

18 August – Jean Roberts, Olympic shot putter and discus thrower

16 September – Bob Debus, politician

16 September – Alan Ferguson, Liberal Senator for South Australia

26 September – Ian Chappell, cricketer

4 October – Owen Davidson, tennis player

6 October – Peter Dowding, Premier of Western Australia (1988–1990)

9 October – Dianne Burge, Olympic sprinter

5 November – Percy Hobson, high jumper

6 November – Ian Turpie (died 2012), TV host & singer (The New Price Is Right)

8 November – Peter Cook (died 2005), politician

23 November – Tony Bonner, actor

25 November – Jan Andrew, Olympic swimmer

29 November – Janet Holmes à Court, businesswoman

19 December – Jimmy Mackay, soccer player

20 December – Roger Woodward, pianist

Deaths

3 January – Sir Walter James (born 1863), Premier of Western Australia (1902–1904)

14 February – Alice Henry (born 1857), suffragist, journalist and trade unionist

7 March – Alma Moodie, violinist and educator (born 1898)

28 March – Keith Truscott (born 1916), fighter pilot

29 March – William Ellis Newton (born 1919), soldier and Victoria Cross recipient (died in New Guinea)

25 April – Sir Arthur Cocks (born 1862), NSW politician

19 May – Billy Sing (born 1886), soldier

25 May – Albert Robinson, (born 1877), politician

14 June – John McNeill (born 1868), politician

28 June – Pietro Porcelli (born 1872), sculptor

21 July – Edward Riley (born 1859), politician

6 August – Tom Garrett (born 1858), cricketer

24 August – Sir William Irvine (born 1858), Premier of Victoria (1902–1904)

1 September – Arthur Streeton (born 1867), artist

23 September – John Bradfield (born 1867), engineer

2 October – John Evans (born 1855), Premier of Tasmania (1904–1909)

14 October Jimmy Matthews (born 1884), cricketer

15 October – Thomas Henry Dodds (born 1873), soldier

23 October – Sir George Fairbairn (born 1855), politician

6 November – William Lister Lister (born 1859), artist

9 November – Reginald Spencer Browne (born 1856), soldier

22 November – Thomas Ryan (born 1870), Victorian and South Australian politician

23 November – Ernie Jones (born 1869), cricketer and Australian rules footballer

27 November — Louis Esson (born 1878), poet and playwright

10 December – Frederick Chapman (born 1864), palaeontologist