The following lists events that happened during 1944 in Australia .
Decades:
1920s
1930s
1940s 1950s
1960s See also:
Incumbents
John Curtin
State Premiers
State Governors
Events
14 January – Meat rationing begins in Australia.[ 3]
20 January – Seventeen people are killed at Brooklyn, New South Wales when a mail train and a bus collide at a level crossing . There is only one survivor, Gloria Iren Silvia.[ 4]
15 February – Bushfires in the Western District , Gippsland and Yallourn regions of Victoria kill 51 people.
15 April – Fred Paterson is elected to the Parliament of Queensland , representing the seat of Bowen. He remains the only member of the Communist Party of Australia to ever be elected to an Australian Parliament.
30 June – Sydney waiter Antonio Agostini is sentenced to six years prison for the manslaughter of his wife, Linda Agostini , in what was known as the "Pyjama Girl " murder.[ 5]
5 August – The Cowra breakout occurs, with 545 Japanese prisoners of war escaping from the camp.[ 6]
19 August – A referendum is held, concerning Post-War Reconstruction and Democratic Rights. It proposes to grant the government power to legislate over 14 points of law for a five-year period. The referendum, asked in a single question, is not carried.[ 7]
21 October – The heavy cruiser HMAS Australia , operating in the Philippines, is hit by a kamikaze aircraft, killing 20 and wounding 54, in what is believed to be the first attack of its kind.
25 November – Reg Saunders becomes the first Aboriginal commissioned officer in the Australian Army .
14 December – The Liberal Party of Australia is formed, replacing the United Australia Party .
Arts and literature
Film
Sport
Births
1 January – Barry Beath , rugby league player
7 January – Tony Whitlam , lawyer, judge, and politician
14 January – Graham Marsh , golfer
18 January – Paul Keating , Prime Minister of Australia (1991–1996)
19 January – Paul Gibson , NSW politician
3 February – Trisha Noble , singer and actress (died 2021)
9 February – Derryn Hinch , media personality
10 February – Peter Allen , entertainer (died 1992)
17 February – Robert Dessaix , writer
18 March – Dick Smith , businessman
21 April – Adrian Hurley , basketball player and coach
22 April – Damien Broderick , science fiction author (died 2025}
4 May – Steve Liebmann , journalist
22 May – John Flanagan , author
23 May – John Newcombe , tennis player
26 May – Andrew Jones , politician (died 2015)
28 May – Paul D. Scully-Power , oceanographer and astronaut
6 June – Matt Carroll , film and television producer
6 June – Rene Rivkin , businessman (died 2005)
4 July – Ray Meagher , actor
23 July – Alex Buzo , playwright and author (died 2006)
31 July – James Strong , businessman, CEO of Qantas (died 2013)
17 August – Nicholas John Vine-Hall , genealogist (died 2006)
21 August – Peter Weir , film director
3 September – Ray Groom , Premier of Tasmania (1992–1996)
8 September – Terry Jenner , cricketer (died 2011)
5 September – Gareth Evans , politician
11 September – Alan Gilbert , academic and university Vice-Chancellor (died 2010)
13 September – Midget Farrelly , surfer (died 2016)
16 September – Peter Harvey , journalist and television presenter (died 2013)
19 September – Colin Dibley , tennis player
25 October – Ron Coote , rugby league footballer
21 November – Kay Patterson , Liberal Senator for Victoria
4 December – Lawrie Peckham , high jumper
20 December – Ray Martin , television presenter (60 Minutes – 1979–1985, A Current Affair – 1994–1998 & 2003–3005, Midday – 1985–1993)
27 December – Bob Brown , politician
Deaths
1 January – Charles Turner , cricketer (b. 1862 )3 January – Tom Brennan , Victorian politician, journalist and lawyer (b. 1866 )15 January – Patrick Lynch , Western Australian politician (born in Ireland ) (b. 1867 )31 March – Maurice Blackburn , Victorian politician (b. 1880 )10 April – Constance Kent , convicted murderer (born in the United Kingdom ) (b. 1844)5 May – George John Bell , Tasmanian politician (b. 1872 )10 May – Digby Denham , 18th Premier of Queensland (born in the United Kingdom ) (b. 1859 )11 May – John Balmer , air force bomber pilot (died in Belgium ) (b. 1910 )24 May – William Butcher , Western Australian politician and pastoralist (b. 1858 )9 June – William Angwin , Western Australian politician (born in the United Kingdom ) (b. 1863 )28 June – Anton Breinl , medical scientist and practitioner (born in Austria ) (b. 1880 )1 July – Zara Aronson , journalist and philanthropist (b. 1864 )29 July – Walter Price , cricketer (b. 1886 )5 August
24 August – Alfred Carson , journalist and social worker (b. 1859 )6 September – Evelyn Conyers , matron-in-chief of the Australian Army Nursing Service , awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal (born in New Zealand ) (b. 1870 )21 October – Emile Dechaineux , naval officer (died in Leyte Gulf ) (b. 1902 )5 November – Grace Benny , South Australian politician (b. 1872 )10 November – John Clemons , Tasmanian politician and lawyer (died in the United Kingdom ) (b. 1862 )12 November – Roy Agnew , composer and pianist (b. 1891 )18 November – Sir James Blair , 6th Chief Justice of Queensland (b. 1870 )20 November – Charles Frederick Cox , New South Wales politician and military officer (b. 1863 )12 December – Claude Corbett , sports journalist (b. 1885 )
See also
References
18th century 19th century 20th century 21st century
1944 in Oceania
Sovereign states
Federated States of Micronesia
Fiji
Indonesia
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Nauru
New Zealand Palau
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu Associated states
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