1972 in Australia

none March 2020 February 2012 The following lists events that happened during 1972 in Australia. Elizabeth II Sir Paul Hasluck William McMahon, then Gough Whitlam 13,067,265 Shane Gould TAS, QLD, Federal 1972 Incumbents thumb|upright|140px|Sir Paul Hasluck horizontal right center 280 William McMahon 1972 b&w.jpg William McMahon Gough Whitlam 1972 (cropped).jpg Gough Whitlam Monarch – Elizabeth II Governor-General – Sir Paul Hasluck Prime Minister – William McMahon (until 5 December), then Gough Whitlam Deputy Prime Minister – Doug Anthony (until 5 December), then Lance Barnard Opposition Leader – Gough Whitlam (until 5 December), then Billy Snedden (from 20 December) Chief Justice – Sir Garfield Barwick State and territory leaders Premier of New South Wales – (Sir) 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 (until 15 March), then Bruce Eastick Premier of Tasmania – Angus Bethune (until 3 May), then Eric Reece Opposition Leader – Eric Reece (until 3 May), then Max Bingham Premier of Victoria – Sir Henry Bolte (until 23 August), then Rupert Hamer Opposition Leader – Clyde Holding Premier of Western Australia – John Tonkin Opposition Leader – Sir David Brand (until 5 June), then Sir Charles Court Governors and administrators Governor of New South Wales – Sir Roden Cutler Governor of Queensland – Sir Alan Mansfield (until 21 March), then Sir Colin Hannah Governor of South Australia – Sir Mark Oliphant 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 (until August), then Edward Pickerd Administrator of the Northern Territory – Sir Frederick Chaney Administrator of Papua and New Guinea – Les Johnson Events thumb|Shane Gould, Australian of the Year 26 January – Aboriginal Tent Embassy was constructed in front of Parliament House (now old Parliament House). 10 May – Law professor George Duncan is drowned in the Torrens River, Adelaide. Police establish that his death was a homophobic-related murder.A look back at the Duncan murder https://web.archive.org/web/20080517012951/http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2002/s552142.htm 17 May 2008 , The 7.30 Report (ABC), 9 May 2002. 3 June – Douglas Nicholls becomes the first Indigenous Australian to be knighted. 29 July – Kerry Anne Wells earned Australia's first Miss Universe crown, in Dorado, Puerto Rico. 30 August - Three people are killed in the 1972 Taroom explosion when a burning truck loaded with ammonium nitrate explodes near Taroom, Queensland. 6 October – Faraday School kidnapping – six pupils and their teacher are kidnapped for $1 million ransom in Victoria. 15 November – First aircraft hijacking in Australia. Ansett Airlines Flight 232 from Adelaide to Alice Springs with 28 passengers and a crew of 4. Followed by gun battle at Alice Springs Airport. 1 December – Belinda Green is crowned Miss World in London, becoming the second Australian winner of this pageant. Australia won the two most important beauty contest in this year. 2 December – 1972 Australian federal election: The Labor Party led by Gough Whitlam defeats the Liberal/Country Coalition government led by Prime Minister William McMahon. Consequently, Whitlam becomes the first Labor Prime Minister of Australia since the defeat of Ben Chifley in 1949. Shane Gould is announced as Australian of the Year The health warning, "Smoking is a Health Hazard" becomes compulsory on cigarette packets in Australia. The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) abandons its support for the White Australia policy.https://awu.net.au/our-union/history/ AWU Timeline Arts and literature 1972 in Australian literature Thea Astley's novel The Acolyte wins the Miles Franklin Award Film The Adventures of Barry McKenzie Television 18 February – The Logie Awards of 1972 are held in Melbourne where Division 4's Gerard Kennedy wins his second consecutive Gold Logie.Wilson David 19 February 1972 Another Logie for Division 4 man https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-another-logie-for-division-4-man/170984116/ The Age 2 24 April 2025 13 March – Controversial soap opera Number 96 debuts on the 0-10 Network.9 March 1972 Bold series to test viewer reaction https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-bold-series-to-test-viewer-react/170984204/ The Age 30 24 April 2025 16 November – The Aunty Jack Show premieres on ABC-TV in Sydney.13 November 1972 The Sydney Morning Herald's guide to TV programs on Sydney channels: Thursday, November 16, 1972 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-the-sydney-mor/170984534/ The Sydney Morning Herald 19 24 April 2025 2, 9:05: Aunty Jack Show - premiere Sport 16 September – Bernard Vine wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:28:21 in Richmond, Australia. Manly-Warringah defeated Eastern Suburbs 19–14 in the 1972 NSWRFL season Grand Final, claiming the first premiership win in the club's history. Parramatta finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon. In the Bulimba Cup final Brisbane defeat Toowoomba 55–2 at Lang Park Piping Lane wins the Melbourne Cup Western Australia wins the Sheffield Shield American Eagle takes line and handicap honours in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race Shane Gould wins 3 gold medals for swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich Australia draws Ashes Cricket Test Series 2–2 with England Births 2 January – Adam Elliot, animator and screenwriter 7 January – Shane Kelly, cyclist 16 January Ang Christou, Australian rules footballer Greg Page, musician, member of The Wiggles 21 January – Brett Mullins, rugby league player 1 February – Taryn Fiebig, opera and musical theatre soprano (died 2021) 5 February Brad Fittler, rugby league footballer and coach Queen Mary of DenmarkThe regal meaning behind Queen Mary's coronation dress https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/fashion-news/a46389121/queen-mary/ Harper's Bazaar 15 January 2024 15 January 2024 15 January 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240115221629/https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/fashion-news/a46389121/queen-mary/ live 6 February – Mark Ladbrook, track and field sprinter 7 March – Simon Pryce, musician, member of The Wiggles 9 March – Spencer Howson, radio announcer 11 March – Adam Bandt, politician 25 March – Nina Bonner, field hockey goalkeeper 5 April – Paul Okon, soccer player 8 April – Katrina Powell, field hockey player 15 April – Glenn Butcher, politician 20 April – Mel Schilling, television personality (died 2026) 16 May – Adam Crouch, politician 20 May – Michael Diamond, professional target shooter 30 May – Renita Farrell, field hockey player 31 May – Sarah Murdoch, model, actress and television presenter 19 June – Poppy Montgomery, actress 22 June – Damien Oliver, jockey 24 June – Robbie McEwen, cyclist 24 June – Ian Rutledge, field hockey coach 30 June – Stuart Rendell, hammer thrower 6 July – Daniel Andrews, Premier of Victoria 14 July – Deborah Mailman, actress and singer 26 July – Nathan Buckley, Australian rules footballer 29 July – Boyd Exell, Australian carriage driving competitor 2 August – Jacinda Barrett, Australian actress 12 August – Allison Tranquilli, basketball player 1 September – Louise Dobson, field hockey player 19 September Matt Cockbain, rugby player and coach Ryan Girdler, rugby league player 20 September – Jenn Morris, field hockey player 11 October – Claudia Black, actress 1 November – Toni Collette, actressToni Collette Biography, Movies, & Facts https://www.britannica.com/biography/Toni-Collette Encyclopedia Britannica 31 August 2020 en 3 October 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181003171054/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Toni-Collette live 7 November – Melissa Bell, actress 8 November – Kylie Shadbolt, artistic gymnastKylie SHADBOLT - Olympic Gymnastics Artistic Australia https://www.olympic.org/kylie-shadbolt International Olympic Committee 27 June 2019 en 16 June 2016 17 September 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200917121623/https://www.olympic.org/kylie-shadbolt live 13 November – Samantha Riley, swimmer 9 December – Annalise Braakensiek, model, actress, television presenter, businesswoman and activist (died 2019) 11 December – Del Kathryn Barton, artist 12 December – Quan Yeomans, musician, lead singer of Regurgitator 13 December – Chris Grant, Australian rules footballer 22 December – Anthony Edwards, rower 28 December – Patrick Rafter, tennis player Deaths 6 January – Olegas Truchanas (born 1923), conservationist and nature photographer 22 January – Jack Cummings (born 1901), tennis player 2 February – Matt Goggin (born 1936), Australian rules footballer (Geelong) 15 February – Sir Kenneth Street (born 1890), Chief Justice of New South Wales 29 February – Ernie Barber (born 1895), Australian rules footballer (South Melbourne) 9 March – Roy Kendall (born 1899), politician and MI6 officer 19 March – George Bassett (born 1888), politician Jack Carington Smith (born 1908), artist 16 April – Frank O'Connor (born 1894), public servant 2 May – Arthur Trebilcock (born 1907), Tasmanian cricketer 7 July – Sir Owen Dixon (born 1886), Chief Justice of Australia 21 August – Ernestine Hill (born 1899), author 23 September – Peter O'Sullivan (born 1932), Australian rules footballer (Essendon, North Melbourne) 31 October - Richard Norden (born 1948), soldier and police officer 4 November – Harry Rigby (born 1896), World War I flying ace 24 November – Sir Daniel McVey (born 1892), public servant References 1972 in yes Australia Category:Years of the 20th century in Australia