1971 in Australia

Incumbents

Monarch – Elizabeth II

Governor-General – Sir Paul Hasluck

Prime Minister – John Gorton (until 10 March), then William McMahon

    Deputy Prime Minister – John McEwen (until 5 February), then Doug Anthony

    Opposition Leader – Gough Whitlam

Chief Justice – Sir Garfield Barwick

State and territory leaders

Premier of New South Wales – Robert Askin

    Opposition Leader – Pat Hills

Premier of Queensland – Joh Bjelke-Petersen

    Opposition Leader – Jack Houston

Premier of South Australia – Don Dunstan

    Opposition Leader – Steele Hall

Premier of Tasmania – Angus Bethune

    Opposition Leader – Eric Reece

Premier of Victoria – Sir Henry Bolte

    Opposition Leader – Clyde Holding

Premier of Western Australia – Sir David Brand (until 3 March), then John Tonkin

    Opposition Leader – John Tonkin (until 3 March), then Sir David Brand

Governors and administrators

Governor of New South Wales – Sir Roden Cutler

Governor of Queensland – Sir Alan Mansfield

Governor of South Australia – Major General Sir James William Harrison (until 16 September), then Sir Mark Oliphant (from 1 December)

Governor of Tasmania – Lieutenant General Sir Edric Bastyan

Governor of Victoria – Major General Sir Rohan Delacombe

Governor of Western Australia – Major General Sir Douglas Kendrew

Administrator of Norfolk Island – Robert Dalkin

Administrator of the Northern Territory – Frederick Chaney

Administrator of Papua and New Guinea – Les Johnson

Events

Neville Bonner becomes first Indigenous Australian to sit as a member in the Parliament of Australia

Evonne Goolagong is named Australian of the Year.

January

3 January -

Sudden hailstorms lash the Sydney area causing widespread damage to houses and properties, as well as traffic chaos and nearly $150,000 worth of damage to fruit and vegetable crops at Cobbity.

New South Wales Transport Minister announces that intensified police weekend patrols might become a regular part of the campaign to cut the road toll after 8,148 New South Wales motorists were arrested or charged over the New Year holiday weekend.

4 January -

Federal Opposition Leader Gough Whitlam says in Port Moresby that Papuan leaders seem to accept completely the Australian Labor Party's timetable for independence of Papua New Guinea. The timetable provides for self-government as soon as a Labor government comes to power in Australia, and independence in 1976.

Immigration Minister Phillip Lynch gives a ruling that three Asian doctors at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, who entered Australia under the private overseas student program, will be sent home, but may apply to return to Australia as migrants conditionally.

March

10 March - William McMahon replaces John Gorton as Prime Minister of Australia after a party room ballot on a motion of confidence in John Gorton as Prime Minister. The ballot was divided 33:33 until Mr. Gorton, as chairman, gave his casting vote against the motion, effectively voting himself out of office. He stood for and won the position of Deputy Party Leader, after William McMahon beat Billy Snedden for the leadership. Later, John Gorton publishes an article critical of Cabinet leaks.

July

24 July - Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen declares a State of Emergency to allow the touring South African Springboks football team to play.

October

13 October - Enrolment, but not voting, is made compulsory for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders in Queensland.

November

2 November -

President Richard Nixon gives Prime Minister William McMahon an unqualified endorsement of the Anzus alliance, saying that the United States would honour its commitments under the alliance, which he described as one of America's fundamental pillars in the Pacific.

Sonia McMahon, wife of Prime Minister William McMahon, captures international attention when she wears a daring full-length dress, with a long slit down the sides revealing her legs, to a White House reception. The dress was designed by South Yarra fashion designer Victoria Ciscijo of Valencia House. Sonia McMahon would be most remembered in years to come for this dress.

December

24 December – Cyclone Althea hits Townsville and surrounding islands, killing 3

Australia and New Zealand announce pullout of troops from Vietnam

Date unknown

Plumbers and Gasfitters Employees Union Building, construction in Melbourne is completed.

Arts and literature

David Williamson writes The Removalists

David Ireland's novel The Unknown Industrial Prisoner wins the Miles Franklin Award

Film

Walkabout

Wake in Fright

Television

4 January – American children's educational TV series Sesame Street premieres on ABC.

28 July – Pick-A-Box, hosted by Bob and Dolly Dyer, airs for the final time. It had first been broadcast as a radio program in 1948.

Sport

18 September – South Sydney defeated St. George 16–10 in the NSWRL Grand Final at the Sydney Cricket Ground; thus winning four premierships in five years and their 20th overall. It would become their final premiership win until 2014.

25 September – Hawthorn defeated St. Kilda 12.10 (82) to 11.9 (75) in the VFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground; thus winning their second senior premiership.

25 September – Derek Clayton wins his third men's national marathon title, clocking 2:11:08.8 in Hobart.

Silver Knight wins the Melbourne Cup

South Australia wins the Sheffield Shield

Kialoa takes line honours in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Pathfinder takes handicap honours

1971 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia

Births

17 January – Peter Winter, track and field decathlete

25 January – Brett Aitken, track cyclist

26 January – Lee Naylor, track and field athlete

14 February – Lisa-Marie Vizaniari, discus thrower

19 February

    Lisa McCune, actress and singer

    Richard Green, golfer

20 March – Murray Bartlett, actor

26 March – Rennae Stubbs, tennis player

1 April – Lachy Hulme, actor and screenwriter

2 April – Todd Woodbridge, tennis player

20 April

    John Senden, golfer

    Grant Smith, field hockey player

1 May – Stuart Appleby, golfer

4 May – Miles Stewart, triathlete

7 May – Billy Moore, Australian rugby league player

17 May

    Mark Connors, rugby union player

    Shaun Hart, footballer, coach, and sportscaster

27 May – Wayne Carey, Australian rules footballer

3 June – Mary Grigson, cyclist

10 June

    Kyle Sandilands, DJ, Australian Idol judge and TV presenter.

21 June

    Jason Costigan, politician and rugby league commentator.

3 July - Julian Assange, activist

12 July – Robert Allenby, golfer

28 August – Daniel Goddard, actor and model

2 September – Gregory Corbitt, field hockey striker

18 September

    Kate Starre, field hockey midfielder

    Kevin Campion, rugby league player

1 October – Andrew O'Keefe, highest-rating television personality

20 October – Dannii Minogue, singer, actress and television personality

29 October – Matthew Hayden, cricket player

10 November - Monique Allen, gymnast

14 November

    Adam Gilchrist, cricket player

    John Barilaro, politician, 18th Deputy Premier of New South Wales

19 November – Michelle Andrews, field hockey midfielder

6 December – Brendan Garard, field hockey player

date unknown – Janine Deakin, geneticist

Deaths

9 February – Arthur Smith (b. 1893), public servant

27 May – Chips Rafferty (b. 1909), actor

30 June – Kenneth Slessor (b. 1901), poet

3 August – Beatrice Kerr (b. 1887), swimmer, diver, and aquatic performer

11 August – Sir John Burton Cleland (b. 1878), naturalist, microbiologist, mycologist and ornithologist

19 August – Jack Emanuel (b. 1918), George Cross recipient

16 October – Robin Boyd (b. 1919), architect

References