1932 in Australia
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The following lists events that happened during 1932 in Australia.
| 1932 in Australia | |
|---|---|
| Monarch | George V |
| Governor-General | Isaac Isaacs |
| Prime minister | James Scullin Joseph Lyons |
| Population | 6,576,824 |
| Elections | NSW, VIC, QLD |
Incumbents
[edit]
- Monarch – George V
- Governor-General – Sir Isaac Isaacs
- Prime Minister – James Scullin (until 6 January), then Joseph Lyons
- Chief Justice – Frank Gavan Duffy
State Premiers
[edit]- Premier of New South Wales – Jack Lang (until 13 May) then Bertram Stevens
- Premier of Queensland – Arthur Edward Moore (until 17 June) then William Forgan Smith
- Premier of South Australia – Lionel Hill
- Premier of Tasmania – John McPhee
- Premier of Victoria – Edmond Hogan (until 19 May) then Sir Stanley Argyle
- Premier of Western Australia – James Mitchell
State Governors
[edit]- Governor of New South Wales – Sir Philip Game
- Governor of Queensland – Sir John Goodwin (until 7 April), then Sir Leslie Orme Wilson (from 13 June)
- Governor of South Australia – Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven
- Governor of Tasmania – none appointed
- Governor of Victoria – none appointed
- Governor of Western Australia – none appointed
Events
[edit]- Unemployment reached a record high of about 32%.[1]
- 19 March – The Sydney Harbour Bridge is officially opened by the Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang.[2]
- 30 March – The Grey Street Bridge is officially opened in Brisbane by the Governor of Queensland, Sir John Goodwin.[3]
- 13 May – The Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang, is dismissed by the Governor, Sir Philip Game.[4]
- 14 May – A state election is held in Victoria. The Labor Party, already divided over the Premiers' Plan, is heavily defeated by a United Australia Party–United Country Party coalition.
- 11 June – A state election in New South Wales, called after the dismissal of Jack Lang as Premier, is held. Lang's Labor Party is heavily defeated, losing 31 seats to the UAP–Country coalition.
- 1 July – The Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) is established
- 2 November – Start of the Emu War.
- 23 November – The statue of The Dog on the Tuckerbox is unveiled at Gundagai, New South Wales by Prime Minister Joseph Lyons.
- 10 December – The Emu War ends in failure.
Science and technology
[edit]- 17 August – Botanist John McConnell Black is awarded the Mueller Medal by the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science.[5]
Arts and literature
[edit]- Ernest Buckmaster wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Sir William Irvine.
- The final issue of Aussie: The Australian Soldiers' Magazine appears.
Film
[edit]- 4 March – Brigadier-General Iven Giffard Mackay is appointed as the Commonwealth Film Appeals Censor, replacing the Censorship Appeals Board.[6]
Sport
[edit]- 12 February – Australia defeats South Africa 5–0 in the cricket test series, played in Australia.[7]
- 21 March – New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield.[8]
- Bodyline is first introduced into cricket
- The Australian Olympic team wins 3 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles
- 20 March – Racehorse Phar Lap, in Tijuana, Mexico, wins the Agua Caliente Handicap; across Australia, thousands celebrate after the radio broadcast of the race.
- 5 April – Racehorse Phar Lap dies midday at ranch in San Francisco, two weeks after winning at Agua Caliente racetrack (2 autopsies find nothing; however, trees had been sprayed with a lead–arsenate insecticide); it is 6 April at 10:30 am in Australia when news spreads.
- 24 September – The 1932 NSWRFL season culminates in South Sydney's 19–12 victory over Western Suburbs in the premiership final.
- 1 October – Richmond defeats Carlton 13.14 (92) to 12.11 (83) at the VFL Grand Final to become premiers of the 1932 VFL season.
- 1 November – Peter Pan wins the Melbourne Cup.[9]
Births
[edit]- 7 January – Joe Berinson, politician (died 2018)
- 28 January – Don McMichael, public servant (died 2017)
- 20 March – Kevin Bacon, equestrian (died 2020)
- 29 March – Toni Lamond, cabaret singer, stage actor, dancer and comedian (died 2025)
- 2 April – Michael Vernon, consumer activist (died 1993)
- 9 April – Gil Brealey, film producer and director (died 2018)
- 21 May – Brian Coleman, Australian rules footballer (died 1966)
- 10 June – Hedley Bull, political scientist (died 1985)
- 6 July – John O'Brien, tennis player
- 20 July – Michael Papps, sports shooter (died 2022)
- 28 July – Peter Hughes, ACT politician
- 15 August – Kevin Connor, artist, twice Archibald Prize winner (died 2025)[10]
- August – Lowitja O'Donoghue, indigenous rights activist (died 2024)
- 4 September – John Herron, politician (died 2019)
- 23 September – Doug Sutherland, Lord Mayor of Sydney (1980–1987)
- 26 September – Stan Smith, Australian rules footballer (died 2012)
- 11 October – Barry Jones, politician
- 22 October – Slim Newton, country singer (died 2023)
- 20 November – James Hardy, businessman and yachtsman (d. 2023)
Deaths
[edit]- 17 January – Albert Jacka, businessman, soldier and Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1893)
- 6 February – John Earle, 22nd Premier of Tasmania (b. 1865)
- 10 April – George Barber, Queensland politician (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1860)
- 27 April – Sir Adrian Knox, 2nd Chief Justice of Australia (b. 1863)
- 9 June – Edith Cowan, Western Australian politician and social reformer (b. 1861)
- 17 June – Sir John Quick, Victorian politician and lawyer (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1852)
- 23 June – Francis Kenna, Queensland politician, poet and journalist (b. 1865)
- 1 July – William Dick, New South Wales politician (b. 1865)
- 11 July – William Hartnoll, Tasmanian politician (b. 1841)
- 26 July – Sir William McPherson, 31st Premier of Victoria (b. 1865)
- 10 October – Sir Bertram Mackennal, sculptor and medalist (died in the United Kingdom) (b. 1863)
- 4 December – Mona McBurney, composer (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1862)
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "The Great Depression - Australia's Culture Portal". 8 April 2011. Archived from the original on 8 April 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- ↑ "THE SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 21 March 1932. p. 16. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ "GREY STREET BRIDGE". Queensland Figaro. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 2 April 1932. p. 12. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ "THE GOVERNOR MOVES AT LAST. Mr. Lang Dismissed from Office". The Northern Times. Carnarvon, WA: National Library of Australia. 19 May 1932. p. 3. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ "SCIENTISTS CONFER". The Examiner. Launceston, Tas.: National Library of Australia. 18 August 1932. p. 7 Edition: DAILY. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
- ↑ "FILM AUTHORITY". The Border Watch. Mount Gambier, SA: National Library of Australia. 5 March 1932. p. 1. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
- ↑ "20 WICKETS FALL". The Northern Miner. Charters Towers, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 13 February 1932. p. 5. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
- ↑ "N.S.W. WINS SHEFFIELD SHIELD". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. 23 March 1932. p. 3. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
- ↑ "Peter Pan Winning The 1932 Melbourne Cup". The Barrier Miner. Broken Hill, NSW: National Library of Australia. 3 November 1932. p. 3. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
- ↑ "Kevin Connor Obituary (2025)". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 June 2025. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
