1962 in Australia

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See also: 1961 in Australia, other events of 1962, 1963 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

[edit] Incumbents

• Prime Minister - Robert Menzies
• Governor General - William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle
• 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] Events

• The Australian Ballet is founded
• The Cahill Expressway opens in Sydney
• The Red Sales aerobatic team, flying Vampire jets, crashes in practice, killing 6

The toilets of St Brigid's; the reason for the 1962 School Strike and the beginning of State Aid to non-Government schools

• 16 July - 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.
• September 28 - One fifth of the Brisbane tram fleet is destroyed when the Paddington tram depot is burnt down in suspicious circumstances. 65 trams are destroyed.

[edit] Science & Technology

[edit] Arts and literature

• 2 November - The first performance of the Australian Ballet Company in Sydney was of Swan Lake.

[edit] Film

[edit] Television

• WIN Television Opened in Wollongong, New South Wales as WIN-4 on March 18.
• NBN Television Opened in Newcastle, New South Wales as NBN-3 on March 4.

[edit] Sport

• General
  • Australia wins 38 gold medals at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, held in Perth

• Athletics
  • August 11 - 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 Smith defeats Jan Lehane 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 Smith 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 Smith 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 Australias 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

[edit] Births

• February 22 - Steve Irwin, wildlife expert and media personality (d. 2006)
• July 15 - Michelle Ford, swimmer
• July 18 - Shaun Micallef, comedian
• August 6 - Steven Lee, alpine skier
• September 17 - Baz Luhrmann, film director and producer
• September 26 - Steve Moneghetti, long distance runner
• November 11 - James Morrison - jazz musician
• December 8 - Steve Elkington, golfer

[edit] Deaths

• January 17 - Frank Hurley (b.1885), film maker and photographer
• December 3 - Mary Gilmore (b.1865), poet and journalist

[edit] See also

• 1962
• 1960s