1940 in Australia

none February 2020 February 2012 George VI Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie Robert Menzies 7,039,490 Federal, VIC 1940 The following lists events that happened during 1940 in Australia. Incumbents thumb|upright|140px|Robert Menzies Monarch – George VI Governor-General – Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Baron Gowrie Prime Minister – Robert Menzies Chief Justice – Sir John Latham State Governors Governor of New South Wales – John Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson Governor of South Australia – Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ernest Clark Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan Governor of Western Australia – none appointed Events thumb|Story Bridge (built 1940), Brisbane in 2009 thumb|A.B.C. truck recording soldiers off to war, Darling Harbour, May 1940 28 February – The Australian 7th Division is formed. 16 March – A state election is held in Victoria. The Country Party led by Albert Dunstan is returned to government. 14 June – The Volunteer Defence Corps is formed, a militia force based on the British Home Guard. 6 July – The Story Bridge is opened in Brisbane. 19 July – The Australian cruiser Sydney 1934 6 takes part in the sinking of the Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni 1 August – The first of sixty Bathurst corvette 1s, Bathurst J158 6, is launched in Sydney. 13 August – An RAAF Lockheed Hudson crashes near Canberra, killing three members of Cabinet and the Chief of the General Staff.The Canberra Times Nation Mourns Victims of Air Disaster http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2535701 2, 3 15 August 1940 9 August 2017 scan Trove 3 September – The heavy cruiser Australia 1927 6 takes part in Operation Menace off Dakar. 6 September – The British prison ship HMT Dunera docks in Sydney, carrying refugees and prisoners of war considered a danger to British security, for internment in Hay and Tatura. 19 September – Adelaide 1918 6 reaches Nouméa to support the installation of a Free French governor in the 1940 New Caledonia coup d'état.https://www.isfar.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/49.I_DENISE-FISHER-Supporting-the-Free-French-in-New-Caledonia-First-Steps-in-Australian-Diplomacy.pdf Supporting the Free French in New Caledonia: First Steps in Australian Diplomacy Denise Fisher Explorations: A Journal of French-Australian Connections 49 1 2010 18–37 21 September – The 1940 federal election results in a hung parliament, with Prime Minister Robert Menzies remaining in office at the head of a minority government. 16 October – Country Party leader Archie Cameron resigns and is succeeded by Arthur Fadden as acting leader. 26 October – Double-decker buses replace the last cable trams in Melbourne. Arts and literature 1940 in Australian literature Max Meldrum wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Dr J Forbes McKenzie The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead is published. The Magic Basket a musical play for children by Alfred Wheeler is published Film Forty Thousand Horsemen, directed by Charles Chauvel and starring Chips Rafferty, is released Sport Old Rowley wins the Melbourne Cup Beaulivre wins the Caulfield Cup Beau Vite wins the Cox Plate New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield Eastern Suburbs win the 1940 NSWRFL season, defeating Canterbury-Bankstown 24–14. Western Suburbs finish in last place, claiming the wooden spoon. Melbourne Demons win the VFL premiership defeating Richmond Tigers in front of 70330 fans. Jack Titus kicks his 100th goal of the season with his last kick in the Grand Final. Births 5 January – Athol Guy, musician 19 January – Paul Calvert, Liberal Senator for Tasmania 17 February – Marilyn Jones, ballet dancer 22 February – Neil Brown, politician 24 February – Ian Shelton, Australian rules football player (died 2021) 27 February – Bill Hunter, actor (died 2011) 1 March – Robin Gray, Premier of Tasmania (1982–1989) 5 March – Ken Irvine, rugby league player (died 1990) 8 March – Don Barker, actor 19 March – Andrew Taylor, poet 20 March – Paul Neville, politician (died 2019) 12 April – Jack Hibberd, playwright (died 2024) 16 April – Marion Halligan, writer (died 2024)Marion Halligan https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A13513 2024-02-24 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 24 April – Trevor Kent, actor (died 1989) 26 April – Ian Geoghegan, race car driver (died 2003) 15 June – Ken Fletcher, tennis player (died 2006) 17 June – Alan Murray, Australian golfer (died 2019) 23 June – Diana Trask, country music singer 25 June – Judy Amoore, athlete 29 June – Ken Done, artist 10 July – Keith Stackpole, cricketer (died 2025) 3 August – Judith Troeth, Liberal Senator for Victoria 16 August – Bruce Beresford, film director 18 August – Jan Owen, poet 31 August – Jack Thompson, actor 8 September – Robin Miller, aviator and nurse (died 1975) 9 September – Hugh Morgan, businessman 13 September – Kerry Stokes, chairman of the Seven Network 15 September – Allan Andrews, NSW politician 21 September – John Pochee, jazz musician (died 2022) 3 October – Diana Warnock, radio broadcaster and politician 4 October – Ian Kiernan, yachtsman and environmentalist, 1994 Australian of the Year (died 2018) 5 October – Bob Cowper, cricketer (died 2025) 15 October – Peter C. Doherty, medical researcher, Nobel Prize recipient 19 October – Ian Causley, politician (died 2020) 21 October – Peter Arnison, Governor of Queensland (1997–2003) 1 November – John Bell, actor and theatre director 2 November – MaryAnn Bin-Sallik, academic and Djaru elder (died 2026) 4 November – John Sanderson, Governor of Western Australia (2000–2005) 12 November – John Dowd, NSW politician 9 December – Ron Boswell, politician (died 2026) 19 December – Jane Mathews, judge (died 2019) Deaths 3 February – John Henry Michell, mathematician (b. 1863) 5 February – Bill Wilks, New South Wales politician (b. 1863) 8 March – Michael Kelly, Catholic archbishop (b. 1850) 16 April – Herbert James Carter, entomologist (b. 1858) 20 April – Sir Ernest Gaunt, naval admiral (b. 1865) 22 June – Monty Noble, cricketer (b. 1873) 23 June – Hugh Denis Macrossan, Queensland politician and judge (b. 1881) 6 July – Michael O'Connor, Western Australian politician (b. 1865) 22 July – Sir George Fuller, 22nd Premier of New South Wales (b. 1861) 27 July – Bluey Wilkinson, speedway rider (b. 1911) 30 July Arthur Merric Boyd, painter (b. 1862) Archibald Watson, surgeon and professor of anatomy (b. 1849) 13 August James Fairbairn, Victorian politician (b. 1897) Henry Gullett, Victorian politician (b. 1878) Geoffrey Street, Victorian politician (b. 1894) Sir Brudenell White, 10th Chief of the General Staff (b. 1876) 9 September – Percy Abbott, New South Wales politician (b. 1869) 11 September – Issy Smith, soldier and Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1890) 22 September – Robert Blackwood, New South Wales politician (b. 1861) 2 October – Albert Green, Western Australian politician (b. 1869) 14 October – Helen de Guerry Simpson, novelist (b. 1897) 25 October – Thomas Waddell, 15th Premier of New South Wales (b. 1854) 31 October Frank Anstey, Victorian politician (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1865) John Keating, Tasmanian politician (b. 1872) 2 November – Colin Rankin, Queensland politician and soldier (b. 1869) 3 November – James Fowler, Western Australian politician (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1863) 23 November – Sir Stanley Argyle, 32nd Premier of Victoria (b. 1867) 11 December – Belle Golding, feminist, suffragist and labour activist (b. 1864) 20 December – Tom Foster, composer (b. 1870) See also List of Australian films of the 1940s References 1940 in yes Australia Category:Years of the 20th century in Australia