The following lists events that happened during 1939 in Australia.
Incumbents
Monarch – George VI Governor-General – Alexander Hore-Ruvthen, 1st Baron Gowrie Prime Minister – Joseph Lyons (until 7 April), then Sir Earle Page (until 26 April), then Robert Menzies Chief Justice – Sir John Latham
State Premiers Premier of New South Wales – Bertram Stevens (until 5 August) then Alexander Mair Premier of Queensland – William Forgan Smith Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV Premier of Tasmania – Albert Ogilvie (until 10 June), then Edmund Dwyer-Gray (until 18 December), then Robert Cosgrove Premier of Victoria – Albert Dunstan Premier of Western Australia – John Willcock
State Governors Governor of New South Wales – John Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson Governor of South Australia – Sir Winston Dugan (until 23 February), then Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey (from 12 August) Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ernest Clark Governor of Victoria – William Vanneck, 5th Baron Huntingfield (until 4 April), then Sir Winston Dugan (from 17 July) Governor of Western Australia – none appointed
Events 8 January – Federal interior minister John McEwen released a white paper detailing the New Deal for Aborigines, a policy by which Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory could receive full civil rights in exchange for cultural assimilation. 13 January – The bushfires of Black Friday kill 70 people in Victoria. 27 March – The first CAC Wirraway training aircraft, A20-3, takes to the air at Fishermans Bend, Victoria. 7 April – Prime Minister Joseph Lyons dies of a sudden heart attack, the first Prime Minister to die in office. Sir Earle Page, the leader of the Country Party is appointed caretaker Prime Minister until the United Australia Party can elect a new leader. 26 April – Robert Menzies is elected leader of the United Australia Party, and is sworn in as Prime Minister. 10 June – Premier of Tasmania Albert Ogilvie dies in office. Edmund Dwyer-Gray acts as Premier until he is officially elected as leader of the Labor Party in Tasmania on 6 July. 3 September – World War II begins. Australia declares war on Germany, following the United Kingdom and British Dominions' declaration of same, after the German invasion of Poland. 15 September – Robert Menzies announces a new War Cabinet. 1 December – Australia agrees to take 15,000 Jewish refugees fleeing Europe, following the German occupation of Austria and Czechoslovakia. 18 December – Edmund Dwyer-Gray steps aside as Premier of Tasmania, by prior arrangement with Robert Cosgrove to assume the premiership.
Arts and literature
Max Meldrum wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of The Hon G J Bell, Speaker of the House of Representatives
Sport Rivette wins the Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup Mosaic wins the Cox Plate South Australia wins the Sheffield Shield Balmain win the 1939 NSWRFL premiership, defeating South Sydney 33–4. Newtown finish in last place, claiming the wooden spoon.
Births
January
3 January – Janice Crosio, New South Wales politician 4 January – J. S. Harry, poet (d. 2015) 6 January Roderick Weir Home, academic and historian Murray Rose, Olympic swimmer (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 2012) 9 January Max Burr, Tasmanian politician Rik Kemp, cartoonist (born in the United Kingdom) Gary Shearston, singer, songwriter and priest (d. 2013) 10 January – Jill Kitson, radio broadcaster and literary journalist (d. 2013) 12 January – John Gregg, actor (d. 2021) 15 January – Ken Doolan, rear admiral and author 20 January – Paul Braddy, 28th Deputy Premier of Queensland 23 January – Peter Richardson, Western Australian politician 29 January – Germaine Greer, academic and feminist 30 January – Dale Baker, 34th South Australian Leader of the Opposition (d. 2012) 31 January – Paddy Guinane, Australian rules footballer (Richmond) (d. 2019)
February
1 February – John Haslem, Australian Capitol Territory politician 5 February – Ian Norman, businessman and retail executive (d. 2014) 7 February Betty Bobbitt, actress (born in the United States) (d. 2020) Ian Davis, Victorian politician (d. 2016) 11 February – Gary Hooper, Paralympian athlete (d. 2025) 12 February – Nita Cunningham, Queensland politician (d. 2015) 13 February – Andrew Peacock, 22nd Federal Leader of the Opposition (d. 2021) 16 February – Peter Heerey, Federal Court judge (d. 2021) 19 February – Beatrice Faust, co-founder of Women's Electoral Lobby and author (d. 2019) 23 February – Elaine Lee, actress (born in South Africa) (d. 2014) 25 February – Gerald Murnane, writer 27 February – Harry Roberts, rugby union player 28 February – Ron Leeson, Western Australian politician (d. 2025)
March
1 March Ivan Petch, New South Wales politician Alan Thorne, academic (d. 2012) 5 March – Tony Rundle, 40th Premier of Tasmania (d. 2025) 7 March – Tony Lamb, Victorian politician 8 March – Peter Nicholls, literary scholar and critic (d. 2018) 10 March – Lin Powell, Queensland politician 11 March – Bob Francis, radio presenter (born in Egypt) (d. 2016) 18 March – Michael Kirby, High Court justice and academic 20 March Patrick Quilty, geologist and palaeontologist (d. 2018) Johnny Rebb, rock and roll singer (d. 2014) 25 March – Ted Mullighan, South Australian Supreme Court judge (d. 2011)
April
4 April – Alex George, botanist 7 April – Brett Whiteley, artist (d. 1992) 12 April Johnny Raper, rugby league footballer (d. 2022) Lyall Watson, botanist and author (born in South Africa) (d. 2008) 14 April – Jennifer Fowler, composer 20 April Elspeth Ballantyne, actress Chris Heyde, statistician (d. 2008) 21 April John Bangsund, science-fiction fan (d. 2020) Irwin Lewis, Indigenous artist (d. 2020) 27 April – David de Kretser, 27th Governor of Victoria (born in British Ceylon)
May
1 May – Roger Degen, New South Wales politician 4 May – Alan Carstairs, Western Australian politician 9 May Garry Spry, Victorian politician Ken Warby, motorboat racer (d. 2023) 10 May – Peter Wilenski, public servant and ambassador (born in Poland) (d. 1994) 12 May – Reg Gasnier, rugby league footballer (d. 2014) 13 May – Barry Murphy, Victorian politician 14 May – John Price, New South Wales politician 15 May – Tony Staley, Victorian politician (d. 2023) 22 May – Angus Innes, Queensland politician and former Queensland Liberal leader (born in the United Kingdom) 24 May – Alan Hayes, Australian rules footballer (Richmond) (d. 2019) 29 May Alby Schultz, New South Wales politician (d. 2015) Roger Steele, Northern Territory politician
June
1 June – Ernie Tuck, mathematician (d. 2009) 3 June – Colin Youren, Australian rules footballer (Hawthorn) (d. 2015) 4 June – Elaine Schreiber, Paralympian athlete (d. 2017) 5 June – Ron Baensch, racing cyclist (d. 2017) 6 June – John Oswald, South Australian politician 10 June Charles Abbott, Australian rules footballer (Hawthorn) (d. 2025) John Read, Western Australian politician and former Administrator of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands 20 June – Rodger Head, Australian rules footballer (St Kilda) (d. 2012) 21 June Gordon Bilney, South Australian politician (d. 2012) Ken Catchpole, rugby union footballer (d. 2017) Marshall Younger, Australian rules footballer (South Melbourne) 22 June – Paul Winkler, film director (born in Germany) 23 June – David Hannay, film producer (born in New Zealand) (d. 2014) 24 June – Annette Andre, actress 25 June John Abel, New South Wales politician (d. 2019) David Ramage, rower Brian Lowe, Australian rules footballer (Geelong) (d. 2024) 27 June – Neil Hawke, test cricketer and Australian rules footballer (Port Adelaide) (d. 2000) 29 June – Alan Connolly, cricketer
July
3 July Frank Blevins, 6th Deputy Premier of South Australia (d. 2013) Michele Brown, Olympic athlete 7 July – Ron Evans, Australian rules footballer (Essendon) (d. 2007) 9 July – Jack Danzey, rugby league footballer (d. 2020) 10 July – Garry Young, Australian rules footballer (Hawthorn) 12 July Phillip Adams, broadcaster and writer Helen Frith, athlete Graeme Lee, Australian rules footballer (St Kilda) (d. 2021) Ted Magrath, rugby union player Ann Symonds, New South Wales politician (d. 2018) 13 July – John Sinclair, conservationist (d. 2019) 14 July – John Murray, New South Wales politician 19 July – Victor Kelleher, author (born in the United Kingdom) 20 July – David Connolly, New South Wales politician 21 July Barbara Scott, Western Australian politician Kevin Wickham, Olympic rower (d. 2020) 24 July John Anderson, Olympic sailor Thomas Anderson, Olympic sailor (d. 2010) 26 July K. G. Cunningham, cricketer and radio personality John Howard, 25th Prime Minister of Australia 28 July Vince Lester, Queensland politician John Zillman, meteorologist 29 July – Mark Stoneman, Queensland politician 31 July – Bill D'Arcy, Queensland politician
August
2 August – Roger Ryan, Northern Territory politician 7 August – Sally Thomas, judge and former Administrator of the Northern Territory (born in the United Kingdom) 12 August Pam Kilborn, Olympic athlete Mick Veivers, Queensland politician 13 August Graeme Campbell, Western Australian politician (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 2025) John Nicholls, Australian rules footballer (Carlton) 18 August – Chris Pavlou, Australian rules footballer (Carlton) (d. 2012) 23 August – Ray Halligan, Western Australian politician 27 August – Len Diett, rugby union and rugby league player (d. 2018)
September
3 September – John Langmore, Australian Capitol Territory politician 4 September – Richard Lewis, Western Australian politician (d. 2019) 5 September – George Lazenby, actor 7 September – John McGrath, Victorian politician (d. 2021) 8 September – Lew Mander, organic chemist (born in New Zealand) (d. 2020) 9 September Arthur Dignam, actor (d. 2020) Hugh Wirth, veterinarian and animal welfare activist (d. 2018) 10 September David Stratton, film critic and historian (d. 2025) Mike Dancis, basketball player (born in Latvia) (d. 2020) 13 September – Kevin Rozzoli, New South Wales politician 15 September – Ron Walker, businessman, former Lord Mayor of Melbourne (d. 2018) 18 September – Gerry Harvey, entrepreneur 19 September – Jim Lisle, rugby union and rugby league player (d. 2003) 24 September – Tony Messner, South Australian politician and former Administrator of Norfolk Island (d. 2024)
October
1 October – Philip Cox, architect 3 October – Dave Barsley, rugby league player (d. 2021) 4 October – Ivan Mauger, motorcycle speedway racer (born in New Zealand) (d. 2018) 5 October – Scott Ashenden, South Australian politician 7 October – Clive James, writer and broadcaster (d. 2019) 8 October Sam Chisholm, media executive (born in New Zealand) (d. 2018) Paul Hogan, comedian and actor 9 October – John Pilger, journalist and filmmaker (d. 2023) 12 October – Michael Clyne, linguist, academic, and intellectual (d. 2010) 25 October – Terry Gill, actor (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 2015) 26 October Barry Cunningham, Victorian politician (d. 2018) Nick Dondas, Northern Territory politician (d. 2024) 27 October – Hurtle Lupton, Victorian politician
November 1 November Kevin Pay, Australian rules footballer (Collingwood) (d. 2020) Ted Pickering, New South Wales politician (d. 2025) Barry Pullen, Victorian politician (d. 2024) 4 November – George Mallaby, actor and scriptwriter (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 2004) 9 November – Philip Cummins, Victorian Supreme Court judge (d. 2019) 10 November – Allan Moffat, racing driver (born in Canada) (d. 2025) 11 November – Lloyd McDermott, barrister and rugby union player (d. 2019) 18 November Max Phipps, actor (d. 2000) Clem Tisdell, economist and professor (d. 2022) 19 November – Bruce McMaster-Smith, Australian rules footballer (Carlton) (d. 2017)