1952 in Australia.html



See also: 1951 in Australia, other events of 1952, 1953 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

• Monarch – King George VI (until February 6), then Queen Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Sir William McKell
• Prime Minister – Robert Menzies

State Premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – James McGirr (until April 2), then Joseph Cahill
• Premier of Queensland – Ned Hanlon (until January 17), then Vince Gair
• Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
• Premier of Tasmania – Robert Cosgrove
• Premier of Victoria – John McDonald (until October 28), then Thomas Hollway (until October 31), then John McDonald (until December 17), then John Cain I
• Premier of Western Australia – Ross McLarty

State Governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Northcott
• Governor of Queensland – Sir John Lavarack
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Charles Norrie (until June 19)
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ronald Cross, 1st Baronet
• Governor of Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooks
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir Charles Gairdner

Events

• January 20 – The first express trains run between Melbourne and Adelaide, following the completion of a railway between the two cities.
• April 18 – Owen Dixon becomes Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia.
• April 29 – The ANZUS Treaty between Australia, New Zealand and the United States comes into force.
• September 1 – Qantas Empire Airways commences the first air service between Australia and South Africa.
• October 28 – Premier of Victoria John McDonald resigns after the Victorian Legislative Council refuses supply. Thomas Hollway forms a short-lived ministry which lasts four days.
• November 30 – Lang Hancock discovers the world's largest deposit of iron ore in the Hamersley Range of Western Australia's Pilbara region.
• December 6 – A state election is held in Victoria.

Science and technology

• October 3 – The first British nuclear test in Australia, Operation Hurricane, commences on the Monte Bello Islands with the detonation of an atomic bomb of 25 kilotons yield.

Arts and literature

• April 28 - Joan Sutherland makes her debut at Covent Garden
• William Dargie wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Essington Lewis
• Frank Hinder wins the Blake Prize for Religious Art with his work Flight into Egypt

Film

Sport

• Athletics
  • February 16 - Robert Prentice wins his second men's national marathon title, clocking 3:19:26 in Melbourne.
  • Olympics: Marjorie Jackson wins gold medals in the Women's 100m and 200m
  • Olympics: Shirley Strickland wins the gold medal in the 80m Hurdles

• Cricket
  • New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield

• Cycling
  • Olympics: Russell Mockridge wins the gold medal in the Men's 1000m Time Trial
  • Olympics: Lionel Cox and Russell Mockridge win the gold medal in the Men's 2000m tandem

• Football
  • Bledisloe Cup: retained by the All Blacks
  • Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Wests defeated Brothers 15-14
  • New South Wales Rugby League premiership: Wests defeated South Sydney 22-12
  • South Australian National Football League premiership: won by North Adelaide
  • Victorian Football League premiership: Geelong defeated Collingwood 86-40

• Golf
  • Australian Open: won by Norman Von Nida
  • Australian PGA Championship: won by William C Holder

• Horse Racing
  • Peshawar wins the Caulfield Cup
  • Hydrogen wins the Cox Plate
  • Dalray wins the Melbourne Cup

• Motor Racing
  • The Australian Grand Prix was held at Bathurst and won by Doug Whiteford driving a Talbot-Lago

• Swimming
  • Olympics: John Davies wins the gold medal in the Men's 200m breaststroke

• Tennis
  • Australian Open men's singles: Ken McGregor defeats Frank Sedgman 7-5 12-10 2-6 6-2
  • Australian Open women's singles: Thelma Coyne Long defeats Helen Angwin 6-2 6-3
  • Davis Cup: Australia defeats the United States 4-1 in the 1952 Davis Cup final
  • Wimbledon: Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman win the Men's Doubles
  • Wimbledon: Frank Sedgman wins the Men's Singles

• Yachting
  • Nocturne takes line honours and Ingrid wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

Births

• January 2 — Graham Strachan (d. 2001), singer
• March 1 — Leigh Matthews, Australian Rules football player and coach
• March 6 — Ian Cooke, field hockey player
• April 12 — Mike Munro, journalist
• June 6 — Ross Stretton (d. 2005), ballet dancer
• June 15 — Clare Martin, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
• June 26 — Peter Farmer, hammer thrower
• July 28 — Glenn A. Baker, music historian
• October 7 — Graham Yallop, cricketer
• September 4 — Tom Maher, basketball coach
• September 25 — Colin Friels, actor
• October 21 — Trevor Chappell, cricketer
• October 22 — John Howard (Australian actor) , stage and screen actor
• November 18 — Peter Beattie, Premier of Queensland
• December 6 — Ric Charlesworth, sportsman
• December 18 — Frank Holden, entertainer

Deaths

• February 6 - King George VI (b.1895), King
• June 12 - Harry Lawson (b. 1875), Premier of Victoria
• September 14 - John McPhee (b. 1878), Premier of Tasmania
• October 4 - Keith Murdoch (b. 1886), journalist
• October 28 - Billy Hughes (b. 1862), Prime Minister of Australia
• November 30 - Elizabeth Kenny (b. 1880), nurse

See also

• 1952
• 1950s