Monarch – King George VI
Governor General – William McKell
Prime Minister – Ben Chifley
Premier of New South Wales – James McGirr
Premier of Queensland – Ned Hanlon
Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
Premier of Tasmania – Edward Brooker (until 25 February), then Robert Cosgrove
Premier of Victoria – Thomas Hollway
Premier of Western Australia – Ross McLarty
Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Northcott
Governor of Queensland – Sir John Lavarack
Governor of South Australia – Sir Charles Norrie
Governor of Tasmania – Sir Hugh Binney
Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan
Governor of Western Australia – Sir James Mitchell (from 5 October)
23 January – De Havilland Australia conducts the first flight of its 3 engined Drover transport aircraft at Bankstown Airport.
19 February – An Avro Lincoln bomber crashes at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, killing 16 Royal Australian Air Force personnel.
25 February – Robert Cosgrove is reinstated as Premier of Tasmania after being cleared of corruption charges on 22 February.
8 May – 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 – A federal referendum is held, asking one question on Rents and Prices. It is not carried.
1 July – The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is introduced.
21 August – 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 – The Douglas DC-3 Lutana crashes near Nundle, New South Wales, killing all 13 on board.
21 September – H.V. Evatt becomes President of the United Nations General Assembly.
29 November – The first Holden car, the model 48-215, popularly known as the FX, rolls off the assembly line. The on-road cost was approximately £760.
1 December – The body of an unidentified man is found on a beach in Adelaide in the Tamam Shud case.
16 December – HMAS Sydney is commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy as its first aircraft carrier.
Arts and literature
William Dobell wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Margaret Olley
Morna takes line honours and Westward wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Rimfire wins the Melbourne Cup
5 January – Wally Foreman, football commentator (died 2006)
23 January – Glenn Wheatley, musician and manager
25 January – Ros Kelly, politician
10 February – Mike Pratt, politician
2 March – Jeff Kennett, Premier of Victoria (1992–1999)
13 March – Rick Amor, artist
19 March – Vince Lovegrove, singer, journalist and band manager (died 2012)
27 March – Rosemary Follett, Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (1989, 1991–1995)
31 March – Graham Cornes, Australian rules footballer
2 April – Jennifer Rowe, children's author
29 April – Leslie Howard, musician
15 May – Muriel Porter, Anglican laywoman
28 May – Michael Field, Premier of Tasmania (1989–1992)
11 June – Pat Wilson, singer and journalist
21 June – Lionel Rose, boxer
30 June – Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Aboriginal leader
15 July – Richard Franklin, film director (died 2007)
24 July – Joan London, writer
7 August – Greg Chappell, cricketer
19 August – Robert Hughes, actor
20 August – John Noble, actor
12 September – Max Walker, cricketer and VFL footballer
18 September – Christopher Skase, fugitive businessman (died 2001)
22 September – Denis Burke, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory (1999–2001)
25 September – Vicki Viidikas, poet
26 September – Olivia Newton-John, entertainer
3 October – Rob Langer, cricketer
4 October – Bob Morris, racing driver
8 October – Warren Truss, leader of the National Party
19 October – Meg Lees, Democrat senator for South Australia
30 October – Garry McDonald, actor
5 November – Malcolm Milne, Olympic skier
6 November – Geoff Prosser, politician
14 November – Ian Stanley, golfer
15 November – James Kemsley, cartoonist (died 2007)
22 November – Gary Dempsey, Australian rules footballer
1 December – John Quigley, WA politician
5 December – Cheryl Kernot, politician
12 December – Kim Beazley, politician
15 December – Cassandra Harris, actor (died 1991)
29 December – Michael White, psychotherapist (died 2008)
12 February – Sir Isaac Isaacs (born 1855), Governor-General of Australia (1931–1936)
23 March – Lou Cunningham (born 1889), politician
24 March – Sydney Sampson (born 1863), politician
9 April – George Carpenter (born 1872), General of the Salvation Army (1939–1946)
15 April – Eric Harrison (born 1880), soldier and politician
20 May – Marie Pitt (born 1869), poet
8 June – Thomas Crawford (born 1865), politician
18 June – Edward Brooker (born 1891), Premier of Tasmania (1947–1948)
18 July – May Moss (born 1869), women's rights activist
21 July – Francis Joseph Bayldon (born 1872), master mariner
24 July – Stanley Goble (born 1891), Chief of the Air Staff
31 July – Nigel Barker (born 1883), track and field athlete
2 September – Margaret McIntyre (born 1886), politician (first woman elected to the Parliament of Tasmania)
9 September – Francis Foster (born 1872), politician
18 October – George Cann (born 1871), politician
18 October – Philip Collier (born 1873), Premier of Western Australia (1924–1930)
8 December – Matthew Charlton (born 1866), politician
1948 in Australia Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA
