1920 in Australia.html



See also: 1919 in Australia, other events of 1920, 1921 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

• Monarch – King George V
• Governor-General – Ronald Munro-Ferguson (until October 6), then Henry Forster
• Prime Minister – Billy Hughes

State premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – William Holman (until April 12), then John Storey
• Premier of Queensland – Ted Theodore
• Premier of South Australia – Archibald Peake (until April 8), then Henry Barwell
• Premier of Tasmania – Walter Lee
• Premier of Victoria – Harry Lawson
• Premier of Western Australia – James Mitchell

State governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir Walter Davidson
• Governor of Queensland – Sir Hamilton Goold-Adams (until February 3), then Sir Matthew Nathan (from December 3)
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Henry Galway (until April 30), then Sir William Weigall (from June 9)
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir Francis Newdegate (until February 9), then Sir William Allardyce (from April 16)
• Governor of Victoria – Sir Arthur Stanley (until January 30)
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir William Ellison-Macartney (until April 9)

Events

• January 22 – The national Country Party of Australia is formed.
• March 20 – A general election is held in New South Wales. The Labor Party led by John Storey defeats the incumbent Nationalist Party.
• April 2 – Edward, Prince of Wales arrives in the country to thank Australians for the part they played in World War I.
• April 22 – The High Court of Australia rules in the case of R v Licensing Court of Brisbane; Ex parte Daniell, that simultaneous obedience was impossible in cases where federal and state law were inconsistent, and that according to the Constitution of Australia, in such cases the state law is invalid.
• August 10 – The Princes Highway is officially opened.
• August 31 – The High Court of Australia rules in the case of Amalgamated Society of Engineers v Adelaide Steamship Co. Ltd., commonly known as the "Engineers' Case", that decisions of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Court were binding on State governments.
• October 21 – A general election is held in Victoria. Harry Lawson and the Nationalist Party retain power.
• October 30 – The Communist Party of Australia is founded in Sydney, New South Wales.
• November 16 – The Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service, later known as Qantas, is founded in Winton.
• December 3 – The first successful flight from Melbourne to Perth is completed.
• December 17 – The authority to issue currency notes is transferred from Treasury to the Australian Notes Board.

Science and technology

In 1920 a lot of Australia's first cars were made. The "Ford" was Australia's first car ever and is still very popular.

Arts and literature

Film

• October 2 – A silent film adaptation of Rolf Boldrewood's Robbery Under Arms is released, written, directed and starring actor Kenneth Brampton.

Sport

• January 28 – The New South Wales cricket team wins the 1919-20 Sheffield Shield.
• April 20 to September 12 – Australia competes at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, winning one bronze and two silver medals. It is the first time Australia has competed at the Olympics separately from New Zealand – the two nations had previously competed as a combined Australasia team.
• September 1 – Balmain Tigers win the New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1920 by gaining a seven-point lead with three rounds left in the season.
• September 25 – Richmond defeat Collingwood 7.10 (52) to 5.5 (35) to win the 1920 VFL grand final.
• November 2 – Poitrel wins the Melbourne Cup

Births

• February 26 – Michael Pate, actor
• March 16 – Leo McKern, actor (d. 2002)
• March 26 – Oriel Gray, dramatist and playwright (d. 2003)
• May 10 – John Brack, painter (d. 1999)
• May 12 – Douglas Scott, National Party senator
• June 18 – Rosemary Dobson, poet
• July 20 – Arthur Boyd, artist (d. 1999)
• September 30 – Russell Walter Fox, author and SA Supreme Court judge
• November 3 – Kath Walker, poet and activist (d. 1993)
• November 16 – Colin Thiele, author (d. 2006)

Deaths

• January 4 – Robert Etheridge, Junior (b. 1847), palaeontologist
• January 7 – Edmund Barton (b. 1849), first Prime Minister of Australia
• April 6 – Archibald Peake (b. 1859), Premier of South Australia
• August 9 – Samuel Griffith (b. 1845), Premier of Queensland
• August 12 – Louisa Lawson (b. 1848), writer and feminist
• August 16 – Henry Daglish (b. 1866), Premier of Western Australia
• September 15 – Thomas Ewing (born 1856), politician
• December 21 – Claude Tozer (b. 1890), cricketer

See also

• 1920
• 1920s