1960 in Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 1960 in Australia | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
|---|---|
| Governor-General | William Slim, then William Morrison |
| Prime Minister | Robert Menzies |
| Population | 10,275,020 |
| Elections | QLD |
See also: 1959 in Australia, other events of 1960, 1961 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.
Contents |
[edit] Incumbents
- Monarch – Queen Elizabeth II
- Governor-General – William Morrison, 1st Viscount Dunrossil
- Prime Minister – Robert Menzies
[edit] State Premiers
- Premier of New South Wales – Robert Heffron
- Premier of South Australia – Sir Thomas Playford
- Premier of Queensland – Frank Nicklin
- Premier of Tasmania – Eric Reece
- Premier of Western Australia – David Brand
- Premier of Victoria – Henry Bolte
[edit] State Governors
- Governor of New South Wales – Sir Eric Woodward
- Governor of Queensland – Sir Henry Abel Smith
- Governor of South Australia – Sir Robert George (until 7 March)
- Governor of Tasmania – Thomas Corbett, 2nd Baron Rowallan
- Governor of Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooks
- Governor of Western Australia – Sir Charles Gairdner
[edit] Events
- 7 March – Arthur Calwell becomes leader of the Australian Labor Party.
- 10 June – A TAA Fokker Friendship, Abel Tasman, crashes at Mackay, Queensland, killing 29 persons. To date (2009), this remains the worst loss of life in a peacetime air crash in Australia.
- 7 July – An eight-year-old schoolboy, Graeme Thorne, is kidnapped in Sydney, apparently to extort money from his parents who had recently won the Sydney Opera House lottery.
- 14 October – The Warragamba Dam is opened by the Premier of New South Wales.
[edit] Science & Technology
- Frank Macfarlane Burnet is announced joint winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine
[edit] Arts and Literature
- Frank Macfarlane Burnet is announced as the inaugural winner of the Australian of the Year
- Judy Cassab wins the Archibald Prize
- The Irishman by Elizabeth O'Conner wins the Miles Franklin Literary Award
[edit] Television
The introduction of television in 1956 saw that cinema audiences halved. Television led to an increase in home entertainment. It changed the patterns of leisure and exposed Australians more than ever before to other cultures.
- 15 January – The 2nd Annual Logie Awards are held the the Savoy Hotel in Brighton, Victoria, although they are not televised. Graham Kennedy wins the "Star of the Year" (Gold Logie) award.
[edit] Film
Theatres and cinemas were popular venues for Australians. America was the biggest influence in film because of Hollywood. Britain also played a role in influencing Australian film making.
[edit] Music
Music was diverse during this time. People listened to classical and opera; jazz and blues; folk music and pop music. Australian musicians and singers also made it into world stages. Popular music was often connected with social protest movement and civil rights and campaigns. Peace, freedom, choice and difference were strong themes. Ballet was popularized in Australia but both ballet and opera continued to appeal to small minorities of the population. America had an enormous influence on Australian music, and American musicians tended to consistently top the 'pop' charts in Australia.
[edit] Sport
- 4 June – Ian Sinfield wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:25:13.9 in Melbourne.
- 1 November – Hi Jinx wins the Melbourne Cup
- New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield
- Kurrewa IV takes line honours and Siandra wins handicap honours in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
- Neale Fraser wins the men's singles at the Wimbledon championships
- Australia defeats Italy 4-1 in the Davis Cup final
- Jack Brabham wins the Formula One Championship for the second time
[edit] Births
- 22 January – Michael Hutchence, singer (d. 1997)
- 23 January – Greg Ritchie, cricketer
- 29 March – Wayne Pearce, rugby league footballer and coach
- 19 April – Roger Merrett, Australian rules footballer
- 20 April – Debbie Flintoff-King, athlete
- 4 May – Andrew Denton, television presenter
- 12 May – Lisa Martin, athlete
- 26 May – Dean Lukin, weightlifter
- 3 June – Tracy Grimshaw, television presenter
- 3 June – Carl Rackemann, cricketer
- 16 June – Peter Sterling, rugby league commentator and former player
- 8 July – Mal Meninga, rugby league footballer
- 4 August – Tim Winton, writer
- 13 August – Michael Richmond, ice speed skater
- 14 August – Edi Krncevic, soccer player
- 28 September – Gary Ayres, Australian rules footballer
- 24 October – Ian Baker-Finch, golfer
- 4 December – Glynis Nunn, athlete
- 29 December – David Boon, cricketer
[edit] Deaths
- 12 January – Nevil Shute (b. 1899), writer
- 14 February – Herbert Hays (b. 1869), Tasmanian politician
- 3 April – Thomas Marwick (b. 1895), politician
- 10 April – Arthur Benjamin (b. 1893), composer
- 30 July – Walter Lindrum (b. 1898), billiards player
- 2 September – Hector Hogan (b. 1931), athlete
- 2 September – Mick O'Halloran (b. 1893), politician
- 6 October – Caroline Grills (b. 1890), serial killer
- 16 October – Frank Timson (b. 1909), politician
- 20 October – Sir Charles Marr (b. 1880), politician
- 24 November – Arthur Seaforth Blackburn (b. 1892), soldier and Victoria Cross recipient
- 30 December – Macartney Abbott (b. 1877), politician
