1973 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1973 in Australia.

1973 in Australia
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor-General	Sir Paul Hasluck
Prime minister	Gough Whitlam
Population	13,303,664
Australian of the Year	Patrick White
Elections	SA, VIC, NSW, Referendum

← 1972 1971 1970 1973 in Australia → 1974 1975 1976
Decades:	1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
See also:	Other events of 1973 Timeline of Australian history

Incumbents

Sir Paul Hasluck

Gough Whitlam

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Sir Paul Hasluck
• Prime Minister – Gough Whitlam
  • Deputy Prime Minister – Lance Barnard
  • Opposition Leader – Billy Snedden
• Chief Justice – Sir Garfield Barwick

State and territory leaders

• Premier of New South Wales – Sir Robert Askin
  • Opposition Leader – Pat Hills (until 17 November), then Neville Wran
• Premier of Queensland – Joh Bjelke-Petersen
  • Opposition Leader – Jack Houston
• Premier of South Australia – Don Dunstan
  • Opposition Leader – Bruce Eastick
• Premier of Tasmania – Eric Reece
  • Opposition Leader – Max Bingham
• Premier of Victoria – Rupert Hamer
  • Opposition Leader – Clyde Holding
• Premier of Western Australia – John Tonkin
  • Opposition Leader – Sir Charles Court

Governors and administrators

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir Roden Cutler
• Governor of Queensland – Sir Colin Hannah
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Mark Oliphant
• Governor of Tasmania – Lieutenant General Sir Edric Bastyan (until 30 November), then Sir Stanley Burbury
• Governor of Victoria – Major General Sir Rohan Delacombe
• Governor of Western Australia – Major General Sir Douglas Kendrew
• Administrator of Norfolk Island – Edward Pickerd
• Administrator of the Northern Territory – Frederick Chaney (until 10 December), then Jock Nelson
• Administrator/High Commissioner of Papua New Guinea – Les Johnson

Events

• 10 February – Australia's first casino, the Wrest Point Hotel Casino, opens in Hobart[1]
• 28 February – The federal voting age is lowered from 21 to 18.[2] The state of New South Wales had already enacted such a change in 1970.
• 2 March – Wellington Street bus station in Perth is opened by Western Australia's premier John Tonkin[3]
• 8 March – Whiskey Au Go Go fire[4]
• 1 June – The first General Dynamics F-111 aircraft is delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force[5]
• 9 June – Disappearance of Jason Shannon[6][7]
• 19 July – Lois D'Arcy was the first independent civil marriage celebrant ever appointed – by Attorney-General Lionel Murphy.
• 25 August - Disappearance of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon[8]
• 20 October – Sydney Opera House officially opened by Elizabeth II[9]
• 1 December – Papua New Guinea is granted self-government prior to independence
• 31 December – AC/DC perform their first major gig in Sydney.
• Removal of the "White Australia Policy".

Arts and literature

Main article: 1973 in Australian literature

• Patrick White is announced as Australian of the Year[10]
• 21 September – The Jackson Pollock painting Blue Poles is controversially purchased by the Whitlam government for US$2 million (A$1.3 million).[11]
• "No award" was made for the Miles Franklin Award[12]

Film

• Alvin Purple[13]

Television

• Certain Women (TV series) commences[14]
• The novel Seven Little Australians adapted for television (10 part series)[15]
• The New South Wales Rugby Football League negotiates its first television deal with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.[16]

Sport

• 8 September – Derek Clayton wins his fourth men's national marathon title, clocking 2:12:07.6 in Perth.
• 15 September – Manly-Warringah defeated Cronulla-Sutherland 10–7 in the 1973 NSWRFL season Grand Final, claiming their second straight premiership.[17] Penrith finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon.
• Gala Supreme wins the Melbourne Cup[18]
• Western Australia wins the Sheffield Shield[19]
• Helsall takes line honours in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Ceil III is the handicap winner[20]
• Australia defeats South Africa 3–0 in the Federation Cup

Births

• 8 January – Jason Stevens, rugby league player and sportscaster
• 17 January – Chris Bowen, politician
• 22 January – Abi Tucker, actor and singer
• 31 January – Portia de Rossi, actress
• 4 February – James Hird, Australian footballer and coach
• 5 February – Luke Ricketson, rugby league player[21]
• 15 February – Sarah Wynter, actress
• 16 February – Catherine Freeman, athlete
• 20 February – Kimberley Davies, actor
• 28 February – Rodger Corser, Actor
• 26 March – Matt Burke, rugby union footballer
• 13 April – Tammy Cole, field hockey defender
• 19 April – George Gregan, rugby union player
• 26 April – Stephanie Graf, middle distance athlete
• 29 May – Malcolm Allen, swimmer
• 12 June – Darryl White, Australian rules footballer
• 21 June – Alyson Annan, field hockey player
• 24 June – Matt Drummond, film director, screenwriter and visual effects supervisor
• 27 July – Gorden Tallis, rugby league footballer
• 2 August – Susie O'Neill, swimmer
• 14 August – Kieren Perkins, swimmer
• 20 August – Scott Goodman, swimmer
• 22 August – Mark Hickman, field hockey goalkeeper
• 2 September – Matthew Dunn, swimmer
• 5 September – Jennifer Whittle, basketball player
• 18 September – Louise Sauvage, wheelchair athlete
• 22 September – Craig McRae, footballer
• 8 October – Toby Haenen, swimmer
• 14 October – Steven Bradbury, speed skater
• 18 October – Stephen Allan, golfer
• 23 October – David Beard, volleyball player
• 31 October – Andrew Constance, politician
• 1 November – Peta Murphy, politician (d. 2023)
• 6 November – Greg Warren, politician
• 20 November
  • Sav Rocca, American football player and Australian rules footballer
  • Matthew Smith, field hockey player
• 4 December – Steve Menzies, rugby league footballer
• 24 December – Kerry Nettle, politician
• 28 December – Alex Dimitriades, actor
• (Date Unknown) – Ann Shoebridge, milliner

Deaths

• 18 January – Beatrice Bligh, gardener (b. 1916)[22]
• 5 April – John Coleman (born 1928), Australian rules footballer[23]
• 21 April – Arthur Fadden (born 1894), former Prime Minister[24]
• 8 July – Arthur Calwell (born 1896), politician[25]

References

1. "First casino opens doors for public". The Canberra Times. 12 February 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
2. "Bill to give vote at age 18". The Canberra Times. 1 March 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
3. Acott, Kent (4 January 2014). "End of line for city bus station". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
4. "Petrol bomb fire kills 15 in Brisbane nightclub". The Canberra Times. 9 March 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
5. "The controversial F111 touches down at last". The Canberra Times. 1 June 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
6. "Man dies after abducting his son - now baby missing". The Age. 11 June 1973. p. 1. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
7. Schipp, Debbie (21 August 2016). "Cold case: Four decades on, what happened to baby Jason?". news.com.au. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
8. "Fears held for safety of missing SA girls". The Canberra Times. 27 August 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
9. Rees, Jacqueline (22 October 1973). "Opera House opening was spectacular". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
10. "Award to Patrick White". The Canberra Times. 15 January 1974. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
11. "Australia buys $1.3m painting". The Canberra Times. 24 September 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
12. "No award". The Canberra Times. 27 March 1974. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
13. MacDonald, Dougal (19 December 1973). "Pacy but shallow". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
14. "Family conflicts in "Certain Women"". Australian Women's Weekly. 3 October 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
15. Newton, Gloria (8 August 1973). "A man of two cultures". Australian Women's Weekly. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
16. "Live RL on TV". The Canberra Times. 12 April 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
17. "Premierships decided". The Canberra Times. 17 September 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
18. Hourigan, John (7 November 1973). "Fate has a hand in Gala Supreme's game win". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
19. "WA's shield". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 7 March 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
20. "Sydney-Hobart race to Ceil III". The Canberra Times. 31 December 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
21. "Like father like son". Sydney Morning Herald. 23 July 2003. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
22. Rutledge, Martha (1993). "Rosemary Beatrice (Bea) Bligh (1916–1973)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 13. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
23. "John Coleman dead". The Canberra Times. 7 April 1973. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
24. Margaret Bridson Cribb (1996). John Ritchie (ed.). Fadden, Sir Arthur William (1894–1973). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 14. Melbourne University Press. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
25. "Arthur Calwell: Australian first, politician second". The Canberra Times. 9 July 1973. Retrieved 3 October 2022.