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List of events
The following lists events that happened during 1931 in Australia .
Incumbents [ edit ] James Scullin State Premiers [ edit ] State Governors [ edit ] 7 January – Guy Menzies flies the first solo non-stop trans-Tasman flight (from Australia to New Zealand ) in 11 hours and 45 minutes, crash-landing on New Zealand's west coast .
10 January – The Beef Riot takes place in Adelaide . Seventeen people are injured when unemployed men clash with police while protesting the decision to remove beef from the dole ration.
21 January – Isaac Isaacs becomes the first Australian-born Governor-General .
22 January – The Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration announces a 10% reduction in the basic wage , in addition to reductions made in accordance with the fall in the cost of living index, effective from 1 February.
4 February – Joseph Lyons resigns from the federal cabinet of James Scullin , after Scullin re-appoints Ted Theodore as Treasurer .
18 February – The Royal Australian Navy light cruiser HMAS Pioneer is scuttled off Sydney Heads .
4 March – Holden's Motor Body Builders is purchased by General Motors , and is renamed General Motors–Holden's Ltd .
10 March – The first Apex Club is formed in Geelong, Victoria .
21 March – The Australian National Airways aircraft Southern Cloud , carrying 8 persons, disappears on a flight between Sydney and Melbourne . The wreckage is not located until 1958.
7 May – Joseph Lyons forms the United Australia Party , through the amalgamation of ALP defectors, Nationalists and anti-Labor citizens' groups.
9 May – A general election is held in Tasmania , which implements compulsory voting clauses of the Electoral Act for the first time. The Nationalist Party led by John McPhee defeats the Australian Labor Party , and substantially increasing its majority.
15 August – The two ends of the Sydney Harbour Bridge are joined in the middle.
25 November – The Lang Labor group led by Jack Lang vote with the Opposition on a motion of no confidence against James Scullin 's government, triggering an early election.
19 December – A federal election is held. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by James Scullin is defeated by former Labor MP Joseph Lyons and the United Australia Party . Arts and literature [ edit ] 1 February – Roger Covell , musicologist (died 2019)
14 February – Esme Timbery , Bidjigal artist and shellworker (died 2023)
24 February – Barry Oakley , writer
25 February – Eric Edgar Cooke , serial killer (died 1964)
5 March –
11 March – Rupert Murdoch , businessman
20 March – James Mollison , art gallery director (died 2020)
26 April – John Cain , Premier of Victoria (died 2019)
30 May – Diana Fisher , journalist and television presenter (died 2023)
2 June – Peter Cummins , actor
14 June – Ross Higgins , actor (died 2016)
21 June – Francis Macnab , christian minister (died 2023)
22 June – Ian Browne , track cyclist (died 2023)
27 June – Geoffrey Harcourt , academic economist (died 2021)
4 July – Bill Gleeson , Australian rules footballer (died 1998)
13 July – Arthur Hurst , Australian rules footballer (died 2014)
19 July – Alan Wrigley , writer and commentator
20 July – Phil Coles , canoeist and sports administrator (died 2023)
15 September – Brian Henderson , broadcaster (died 2021)
9 October – Stuart Devlin , artist and metalworker (died 2018)
14 October – Mary Hardy , actress and comedian (died 1985)
19 October – Dick Fenton-Smith , Australian rules footballer (died 2021)
21 November – Malcolm Williamson , composer (died 2003) See also [ edit ] References [ edit ]
1931 in Oceania
Sovereign states Associated states
