1926 in Australia

See also: 1925 in Australia, other events of 1926, 1927 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

• Monarch – King George V
• Governor-General – Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster of Lepe (until 8 October) then John Baird, 1st Viscount Stonehaven
• Prime Minister – Stanley Bruce

State premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – Jack Lang
• Premier of Queensland – William McCormack
• Premier of South Australia – John Gunn (until 28 August), then Lionel Hill
• Premier of Tasmania – Joseph Lyons
• Premier of Victoria – John Allan
• Premier of Western Australia – Philip Collier

State governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir Dudley de Chair
• Governor of Queensland – none appointed
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Tom Bridges
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir James O'Grady
• Governor of Victoria – George Rous, 3rd Earl of Stradbroke (until 7 April), then Arthur Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron Somers (from 28 June)
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir William Campion

Events

• 19 April – The High Court of Australia finds in the case of Clyde Engineering Co Ltd v Cowburn that the Forty-Four Hours Week Act 1925 (NSW) was incompatible with Commonwealth legislation.
• 3 September – The Canberra Times is first published.
• 4 September – A federal referendum is held, containing two questions: Industry and Commerce and Essential Services. Neither question is passed.
• 13 September – Twenty-six people are killed in the Murulla railway accident.

• Helen Wayth wins the first Miss Australia Quest
• Ballerina Anna Pavlova tours Australia

Science and technology

• 22 June – The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is founded, the precursor to today's CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation).

Arts and literature

• William McInnes wins the Archibald Prize

Film

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Sport

• 18 September – South Sydney Rabbitohs defeat University, becoming premiers of the New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1926.
• 25 September – Melbourne defeat Collingwood 17.17 (119) to 9.8 (62) at the VFL grand final, becoming premiers of the 1926 VFL season.
• 2 November – Spearfelt wins the Melbourne Cup.
• New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield

Births

• 7 January – Joe Marston, soccer player
• 4 February – Dave Sands, boxer
• 6 February – Bruce Ruxton, former soldier and president of the RSL (died 2011)
• 8 February – Tony Street, politician
• 16 February – Rayene Stewart Simpson, soldier and Victoria Cross recipient
• 6 March – Ray O'Connor, Premier of Western Australia (1982–1983)
• 15 March – Thelma Keane, wife of cartoonist Bil Keane and inspiration for the "Mommy" character in The Family Circus (died 2008)
• 2 April – Jack Brabham, racing driver
• 11 May – Frank Thring, actor (died 1994)
• 25 June – Kep Enderby, Esperantist and politician
• 4 July – Stuart Thomas Butler, nuclear physicist (died 1982)
• 12 July – Al Grassby, politician, Minister for Immigration
• 31 July – Jack Pollard, sports writer and cricket historian (died 2002)
• 5 August – Doug McClelland, politician
• 15 August — Ted Allsopp, race walker
• 8 September – Keith Adams, adventurer
• 18 September – Deirdre Jordan, academic and educator
• 11 October – Neville Wran, Premier of New South Wales (1976–1986)
• 20 October – Peter Durack, politician, Attorney-General
• 7 November – Joan Sutherland, opera singer
• 15 November – Ivor Greenwood, politician, Attorney-General (died 1976)
• 26 November – Tom Hughes, politician, Attorney-General
• 31 December – Billy Snedden, politician, Leader of the Liberal Party (died 1987)

Deaths

• 9 January – William Henry Warren (born 1852), engineer
• 12 January – Sir Austin Chapman (born 1864), politician
• 27 April – Ada Cambridge (born 1844), author
• 30 April – Sir Tim Coghlan (born 1856), NSW state statistician
• 11 May – Hugh Dixson (born 1841), businessman and philanthropist
• 15 May – Joseph James Fletcher (born 1850), biologist
• 21 May – H. V. McKay (born 1865), inventor of the Sunshine harvester
• 4 June – Fred Spofforth (born 1853), cricketer
• 23 June – Henry Lowther Clarke (born 1850), Anglican archbishop of Melbourne
• 28 June – William Archibald (born 1850), South Australian politician
• 14 September – Charles Hedley (born 1862), naturalist
• 3 October – Samuel James Mitchell (born 1852), first Supreme Court of NT judge
• 11 December – Sir William McMillan (born 1850), politician
• 11 December – Gottlieb Schuler (born 1854), journalist
• 13 December – William Spence (born 1846), trade union leader and politician

References