1932 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1932 in Australia.

1932 in Australia
Monarchy	George V
Governor-General	Isaac Isaacs
Prime minister	James Scullin Joseph Lyons
Population	6,576,824
Elections	NSW, VIC, QLD

← 1931 1930 1929 1932 in Australia → 1933 1934 1935
Decades:	1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s
See also:	Other events of 1932 Timeline of Australian history

Incumbents

James Scullin

Joseph Lyons

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Ernest Buckmaster wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Sir William Irvine.
• The final issue of Aussie: The Australian Soldiers' Magazine appears.

Film

• 4 March – Brigadier-General Iven Giffard Mackay is appointed as the Commonwealth Film Appeals Censor, replacing the Censorship Appeals Board.[6]

Sport

• 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

• 7 January – Joe Berinson, politician (died 2018)
• 28 January – Don McMichael, public servant (died 2017)
• 20 March – Kevin Bacon, equestrian (died 2020)
• 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
• 28 July – Peter Hughes, ACT politician
• 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

Deaths

• 17 January – Albert Jacka (born 1893), recipient of the Victoria Cross[10]
• 1 March – George Chaffey (born 1848), irrigation pioneer
• 10 April – George Barber (born 1860), politician
• 27 April – Sir Adrian Knox (born 1863), Chief Justice of the High Court
• 9 June – Edith Cowan (b. 1861), the first Australian woman elected as a representative in an Australian parliament[11]
• 17 June – John Quick (born 1852), politician and author
• 23 June – Francis Kenna (born 1865), poet and politician
• 10 October – Bertram Mackennal (born 1863), sculptor
• 4 December – Mona McBurney (born 1862), composer

See also

• List of Australian films of the 1930s

References

1. "The Great Depression - Australia's Culture Portal". web.archive.org. 8 April 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
2. "THE SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 21 March 1932. p. 16. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
3. "GREY STREET BRIDGE". Queensland Figaro. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 2 April 1932. p. 12. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
4. "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.
5. "SCIENTISTS CONFER". The Examiner. Launceston, Tas.: National Library of Australia. 18 August 1932. p. 7 Edition: DAILY. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
6. "FILM AUTHORITY". The Border Watch. Mount Gambier, SA: National Library of Australia. 5 March 1932. p. 1. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
7. "20 WICKETS FALL". The Northern Miner. Charters Towers, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 13 February 1932. p. 5. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
8. "N.S.W. WINS SHEFFIELD SHIELD". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. 23 March 1932. p. 3. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
9. "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.
10. "Captain Albert Jacka". www.awm.gov.au. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
11. "Edith Cowan". Royal Bank of Australia. Retrieved 1 March 2019.