1973 in Australia

Decades:	1950s; 1960s; 1970s; 1980s; 1990s;
See also:	Other events of 1973; ; Timeline of Australian history;

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

The following lists events that happened during 1973 in Australia.

Incumbents[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Alvin Purple^[13]

Television[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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

[1] "First casino opens doors for public". The Canberra Times. 12 February 1973. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[2] "Bill to give vote at age 18". The Canberra Times. 1 March 1973. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[3] Acott, Kent (4 January 2014). "End of line for city bus station". The West Australian. Retrieved 11 April 2023.

[4] "Petrol bomb fire kills 15 in Brisbane nightclub". The Canberra Times. 9 March 1973. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[5] "The controversial F111 touches down at last". The Canberra Times. 1 June 1973. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[6] "Man dies after abducting his son - now baby missing". The Age. 11 June 1973. p. 1. 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. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[9] Rees, Jacqueline (22 October 1973). "Opera House opening was spectacular". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[10] "Award to Patrick White". The Canberra Times. 15 January 1974. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[11] "Australia buys $1.3m painting". The Canberra Times. 24 September 1973. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[12] "No award". The Canberra Times. 27 March 1974. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[13] MacDonald, Dougal (19 December 1973). "Pacy but shallow". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[14] "Family conflicts in "Certain Women"". Australian Women's Weekly. 3 October 1973. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[15] Newton, Gloria (8 August 1973). "A man of two cultures". Australian Women's Weekly. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[16] "Live RL on TV". The Canberra Times. 12 April 1973. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[17] "Premierships decided". The Canberra Times. 17 September 1973. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[18] Hourigan, John (7 November 1973). "Fate has a hand in Gala Supreme's game win". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[19] "WA's shield". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 7 March 1973. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[20] "Sydney-Hobart race to Ceil III". The Canberra Times. 31 December 1973. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

[21] "Like father like son". Sydney Morning Herald. 23 July 2003. Retrieved 2 June 2022.

[22] Rutledge, Martha (1993). "Rosemary Beatrice (Bea) Bligh (1916–1973)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 13. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 31 March 2024.

[23] "John Coleman dead". The Canberra Times. 7 April 1973. 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. Retrieved 4 January 2022.

[25] "Arthur Calwell: Australian first, politician second". The Canberra Times. 9 July 1973. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

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v t e Years in Australia (1788–present)
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Timeline of Australian history

v t e 1973 in Oceania
Sovereign states	Australia Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu
Associated states of New Zealand	Cook Islands Niue