The following lists events that happened during 1962 in Australia.
Incumbents
Monarch – Elizabeth II Prime Minister – Robert Menzies Governor General – William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle Chief Justice – Sir Owen Dixon
State Premiers Premier of New South Wales – Robert Heffron Premier of Queensland – Frank Nicklin Premier of South Australia – Sir Thomas Playford Premier of Tasmania – Eric Reece Premier of Western Australia – David Brand Premier of Victoria – Henry Bolte
State Governors Governor of New South Wales – Sir Eric Woodward Governor of Queensland – Sir Henry Abel Smith Governor of South Australia – Sir Edric Bastyan Governor of Tasmania – Thomas Corbett, 2nd Baron Rowallan Governor of Western Australia – Sir Charles Gairdner Governor of Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooksis
Events The Australian Ballet is founded. 1 March – The final section of the Cahill Expressway opens in Sydney.
16 July – The Goulburn School Strike started. This was an education strike in Goulburn, New South Wales, where, in response to a demand for the installation of three extra toilets at a local Catholic Primary School, the local community closed down these schools and sent the children to the Government schools. The Catholic Church declared they had no money to install the extra toilets. Nearly 1,000 children turned up to be enrolled locally and the state schools were unable to accommodate them. In 1963, Menzies made State aid for science blocks part of his party's platform in response to the public debate engendered by the Goulburn strike. 15 August – The Red Sales aerobatic team, flying Vampire jets, crashes in practice, killing six people.Disaster struck RAAF aerobatic team , Royal Australian Air Force Air Power Development Centre. 28 September – Paddington tram depot fire: One fifth of the Brisbane tram fleet is destroyed when the Paddington tram depot is burnt down in suspicious circumstances. 65 trams are destroyed.
Arts and literature
2 November – The first performance of the Australian Ballet Company in Sydney was of Swan Lake. The Well Dressed Explorer by Thea Astley and The Cupboard Under the Stairs by George Turner are jointly awarded the Miles Franklin Literary Award
Television 4 March – NBN Television opens in Newcastle, New South Wales as NBN-3. 18 March – WIN Television opens in Wollongong, New South Wales as WIN-4. 26 May - Southern Cross Television opens in Launceston, Tasmania as TNT-9
Sport General Australia wins 38 gold medals at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, held in Perth Athletics 11 August – Keith Ollerenshaw wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:26:24.2 in Perth. Cricket New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield Football Bledisloe Cup: retained by the All Blacks Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Norths defeated Valleys 22–0 New South Wales Rugby League premiership: St. George defeated Wests 9–6 ** South Australian National Football League premiership: won by Port Adelaide Victorian Football League premiership: Essendon defeated Carlton 90–58 Golf Australian Open: won by Gary Player Australian PGA Championship: won by Bill Dunk Horse racing Indian Summer wins the AJC Oaks Even Stevens wins the Caulfield Cup Aquanita wins the Cox Plate Birthday Card wins the Golden Slipper Even Stevens wins the Melbourne Cup Motor racing The Australian Grand Prix was held at Caversham and won by Bruce McLaren driving a Cooper-Climax The Armstrong 500 was held at Phillip Island, and was won by Harry Firth and Bob Jane driving an XL Falcon Squash Heather Blundell wins the Women's Championship at the British Open Squash Championships Tennis Australian Open men's singles: Rod Laver defeats Roy Emerson 8–6 0–6 6–4 6-4 Australian Open women's singles: Margaret Court defeats Jan Lehane O'Neill 6–0 6-2 Davis Cup: Australia defeats Mexico 5–0 in the 1962 Davis Cup final French Open: Rod Laver wins the Men's Singles French Open: Margaret Court wins the Women's Singles French Open: Roy Emerson and Neale Fraser win the Men's Doubles US Open: Rod Laver wins the Men's Singles US Open: Margaret Court wins the Women's Singles Wimbledon: Rod Laver wins the Men's Singles Wimbledon: Bob Hewitt and Fred Stolle win the Men's Doubles Yachting Gretel makes Australia's first challenge for the America's Cup, losing 4–1 to the American opponent Weatherly Ondine takes line honours and Solo wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Births 23 January – Richard Roxburgh, actor, writer, producer and director 28 January – Barbara Stone, politician 14 February – Stephen Robertson, politician 17 February – David McComb, musician (d. 1999) 22 February – Steve Irwin, wildlife expert and media personality (died 2006) 9 March – Jeff Knuth, politician 13 April – Andrew Jachno, race walker 24 April – Steve "Blocker" Roach, rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 1990s 26 April – Trevor Marmalade, comedian and author 6 May – Julieanne Gilbert, politician 13 May – Paul McDermott, comedian and singer 25 May – Ros Bates, politician 28 May – Gary Belcher, rugby league player and commentator 24 June – Steve Dickson, politician 3 July - Brian Canham, musician and singer Pseudo Echo 9 July – Paul Lucas, politician 15 July – Michelle Ford, swimmer 18 July – Shaun Micallef, comedian 31 July – Damien Frawley, rugby union player 6 August – Steven Lee, alpine skier 15 September – Scott McNeil, voice actor 17 September – Baz Luhrmann, film director and producer 26 September – Steve Moneghetti, long-distance runner 13 October – David Dalgleish, politician 26 October – Rob Messenger, politician 30 October – Colin Boyce, politician 10 November – Bob Lindner, rugby league footballer and coach 11 November – James Morrison, jazz musician 5 December – Michael Harvey, racewalker 8 December Steve Elkington, golfer Tracy Davis, politician 12 December – Chris Cummins, politician 16 December – John English, politician
Deaths 17 January – Frank Hurley, film maker and photographer (b. 1885) 29 July – Sir Ronald Fisher, statistician (b. 1890) 3 December – Dame Mary Gilmore, socialist poet and journalist (b. 1865)
See also List of Australian films of the 1960s
References