1936 in Australia

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See also: 1935 in Australia, other events of 1936, 1937 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

• Monarch – King George V (until 20 January), then King Edward VIII (until 11 December), then King George VI
• Governor-General – Sir Isaac Isaacs (until 23 January), then Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Baron Gowrie
• 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 – Albert Ogilvie
• Premier of Victoria – Albert Dunstan
• Premier of Western Australia – Philip Collier (until 20 August), then John Willcock

State Governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Baron Gowrie (until 22 January), then Sir David Anderson (from 6 August)
• Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Winston Dugan
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ernest Clark
• Governor of Victoria – William Vanneck, 5th Baron Huntingfield
• Governor of Western Australia – none appointed

Events

• 15 January – Torres Strait Islanders begin a four-month general maritime strike, in an effort to take control their own affairs and gain fairer treatment.
• 20 January – King George V dies, and is succeeded as King of Australia by his son, Edward VIII.
• 1 February – Special patrol officers are appointed to safeguard Aboriginal welfare in the Northern Territory.
• 24 February – A special conference of the Australian Labor Party re-admits former Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang, after a five year expulsion.
• 12 March – Western Australia makes voting compulsory in state elections.
• 25 March – A submarine communications cable between Victoria and Tasmania commences operation.
• 1 July – Australian National Airways is registered as a company.
• 8 July – The Federal Government announces an increase in military training strength, in response to the rise of fascism in Europe.
• 7 September – The last known Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) dies at Hobart Zoo.
• 10 November – The High Court of Australia rules in the case of R v Burgess; Ex parte Henry, that the Commonwealth government's power to regulate interstate trade and commerce did not extend to intrastate trade and commerce.
• 11 December – King Edward VIII abdicates from the throne of the United Kingdom, and is succeeded as King of Australia by his brother George VI.
• 16 December – A Brisbane to Adelaide air race is held to commemorate South Australia's centenary. Ivy May Pearce makes national headlines as the youngest entrant who recorded the fastest time of any woman pilot, heavily handicapped and just two seconds behind the eventual winner. In this race she even beat Reg Ansett, founder of Ansett Airlines. Ivy went on to win many air races.

Unknown

• Grant v The Australian Knitting Mills – a landmark case in consumer law.

Births

• 8 January – Robert May, Baron May of Oxford, scientist and life peer of the United Kingdom
• 22 January – Noel Kelly, professional rugby league footballer and coach
• 23 January – Brian Howe, politician
• 2 February – John Hyde, politician
• 13 February – Judith Rodriguez, poet
• 17 February – Barry Jarman, cricketer
• 24 February – John Baker, soldier and Chief of the Defence Force (died 2007)
• 27 February – Ron Barassi, Australian rules football player and coach
• 27 February – Ian Tomlinson, triple and long jumper (died 1995)
• 28 February – Robin Klein, author
• 16 June – Charles Perkins, Aboriginal activist (died 2000)
• 29 June – Eddie Mabo, indigenous land rights campaigner (died 1992)
• 10 August – Frank Ford, politician
• 16 August – Lindsay Gaze, basketballer
• 13 October – Robert Ingpen, graphic designer and illustrator
• 4 November – Brian Gibson, Senator for Tasmania
• 5 November – Robert J. O'Neill, military historian
• 16 November – John Moore, Minister for Defence (1998–2001)
• 11 December – Maggie Tabberer, fashion model and media personality

Deaths

• 15 January – Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster (born 1866), Governor-General of Australia (1920–1925)
• 22 February – John Allan (born 1866), Premier of Victoria (1924–1927)
• 23 March – Oscar Asche (born 1871), actor, writer and producer
• 10 June – John Bowser (born 1856), Premier of Victoria (1917–1918)
• 10 June – Arthur Henry Shakespeare Lucas (born 1853), schoolmaster and scientist
• 29 July – Sir Frank Gavan Duffy (born 1852), Chief Justice of Australia (1931–1935)
• 7 September – "Benjamin", the last Tasmanian Tiger in captivity in 1936 in Hobart
• 3 October – William Webster (born 1860), politician
• 28 October – Newton Moore (born 1870), Premier of Western Australia (1906–1910, died in London)
• 6 November – Sir Littleton Groom (born 1867), politician