1969 in Australia

1969 in Australia
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor-General	Richard Casey, then Paul Hasluck
Prime Minister	John Gorton
Population	12,008,635
Elections	Federal, TAS, QLD

[edit] Incumbents

February 7 – The Violet Town railway disaster: the passenger train Southern Aurora collides head-on with a freight train on the new Melbourne to Sydney train line. Nine people are killed.
April 30 – Sir Paul Hasluck becomes Governor-General of Australia after the retirement of Lord Casey.
May 12 – The Age newspaper in Melbourne begins the process of moving from Collins Street to Spencer Street. The move is completed on October 6.
June 3 – Melbourne-Evans collision - The Royal Australian Navy aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne collides with the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Frank E. Evans in the South China Sea. Frank E. Evans is cut in half and sinks, killing 74 crew.
June 19 – The Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission rules that equal pay for women doing the same work as men must be phased in by 1972.
September 26 – The Poseidon bubble begins when the small mining company Poseidon NL discovers a large nickel deposit in Laverton, Western Australia.
October 25 – A federal election is held. The incumbent Coalition government led by John Gorton defeats the Australian Labor Party led by Gough Whitlam.
November 29 – The rebuilding of the Indian Pacific rail line between Sydney and Perth to standard gauge is completed.
December 16 – Prime Minister John Gorton announces that a withdrawal of Australian Army troops from the Vietnam War would begin in 1970.

July 20 – NASA switches the main transmission feed of the Apollo 11 moon landing to Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station in Canberra, then Parkes Observatory in New South Wales, which then broadcasts the mission to the world.

May 4 – An Australian production of the rock musical Hair opens in Sydney. Produced by Harry M. Miller, it features the debut of young American singer Marcia Hines.

March 5 – The last episode of spy series Hunter is aired.
March 11 – Police procedural drama series Division 4 makes its debut on the Nine Network.
March 21 – Graham Kennedy wins the Gold Logie for In Melbourne Tonight.

January 21 - Boxer Johnny Famechon becomes world featherweight champion, when he defeats Cuban Jose Legra in a bout at the Albert Hall in London.
October 2 - Tennis player Rod Laver beats fellow Australian Tony Roche in the men's singles final of the U.S. Open, achieving his second Grand Slam (having also won the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon in that year).
October 11 - John Farrington wins his first men's national marathon title, clocking 2:21:02.8 in Sydney.
November 4 – Rain Lover wins the Melbourne Cup.

14 May – Frederick Lane (b. 1888), swimmer
3 August – Alexander Mair (b. 1889), Premier of New South Wales (1939–1941)
25 August – Robert Cosgrove (b. 1894), Premier of Tasmania (1939–1947, 1948–1958)
17 November – Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey (b. 1890), Governor of South Australia (1939–1944)
21 November – Norman Lindsay (b. 1879), artist
27 November – May Gibbs, (b. 1877) children's author.