1932 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1932 in Australia.

Incumbents

 * Monarch – George V
 * Governor-General – Sir Isaac Isaacs
 * Prime Minister – James Scullin (until 6 January), then Joseph Lyons
 * Chief Justice – Frank Gavan Duffy

State Premiers

 * Premier of New South Wales – Jack Lang (until 13 May) then Bertram Stevens
 * Premier of Queensland – Arthur Edward Moore (until 17 June) then William Forgan Smith
 * Premier of South Australia – Lionel Hill
 * Premier of Tasmania – John McPhee
 * Premier of Victoria – Edmond Hogan (until 19 May) then Sir Stanley Argyle
 * Premier of Western Australia – James Mitchell

State Governors

 * Governor of New South Wales – Sir Philip Game
 * Governor of Queensland – Sir John Goodwin (until 7 April), then Sir Leslie Orme Wilson (from 13 June)
 * Governor of South Australia – Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven
 * Governor of Tasmania – none appointed
 * Governor of Victoria – none appointed
 * Governor of Western Australia – none appointed

Events

 * Unemployment reached a record high of about 32%.
 * 19 March – The Sydney Harbour Bridge is officially opened by the Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang.
 * 30 March – The Grey Street Bridge is officially opened in Brisbane by the Governor of Queensland, Sir John Goodwin.
 * 13 May – The Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang, is dismissed by the Governor, Sir Philip Game.
 * 14 May – A state election is held in Victoria. The Labor Party, already divided over the Premiers' Plan, is heavily defeated by a United Australia Party–United Country Party coalition.
 * 11 June – A state election in New South Wales, called after the dismissal of Jack Lang as Premier, is held. Lang's Labor Party is heavily defeated, losing 31 seats to the UAP–Country coalition.
 * 1 July – The Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) is established
 * 2 November – Start of the Emu War.
 * 23 November – The statue of The Dog on the Tuckerbox is unveiled at Gundagai, New South Wales by Prime Minister Joseph Lyons.
 * 10 December – The Emu War ends in failure.

Science and technology

 * 17 August – Botanist John McConnell Black is awarded the Mueller Medal by the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science.

Arts and literature



 * Ernest Buckmaster wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Sir William Irvine.
 * The final issue of Aussie: The Australian Soldiers' Magazine appears.

Film

 * 4 March – Brigadier-General Iven Giffard Mackay is appointed as the Commonwealth Film Appeals Censor, replacing the Censorship Appeals Board.

Sport

 * 12 February – Australia defeats South Africa 5–0 in the cricket test series, played in Australia.
 * 21 March – New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield.
 * Bodyline is first introduced into cricket
 * The Australian Olympic team wins 3 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles
 * 20 March – Racehorse Phar Lap, in Tijuana, Mexico, wins the Agua Caliente Handicap; across Australia, thousands celebrate after the radio broadcast of the race.
 * 5 April – Racehorse Phar Lap dies midday at ranch in San Francisco, two weeks after winning at Agua Caliente racetrack (2 autopsies find nothing; however, trees had been sprayed with a lead–arsenate insecticide); it is 6 April at 10:30 am in Australia when news spreads.
 * 24 September – The 1932 NSWRFL season culminates in South Sydney's 19–12 victory over Western Suburbs in the premiership final.
 * 1 October – Richmond defeats Carlton 13.14 (92) to 12.11 (83) at the VFL Grand Final to become premiers of the 1932 VFL season.
 * 1 November – Peter Pan wins the Melbourne Cup.

Births

 * 7 January – Joe Berinson, politician (died 2018)
 * 28 January – Don McMichael, public servant (died 2017)
 * 20 March – Kevin Bacon, equestrian (died 2020)
 * 2 April – Michael Vernon, consumer activist (died 1993)
 * 9 April – Gil Brealey, film producer and director (died 2018)
 * 21 May – Brian Coleman, Australian rules footballer (died 1966)
 * 10 June – Hedley Bull, political scientist (died 1985)
 * 6 July – John O'Brien, tennis player
 * 20 July – Michael Papps, sports shooter (died 2022)
 * 28 July – Peter Hughes, ACT politician
 * August – Lowitja O'Donoghue, indigenous rights activist (died 2024)
 * 4 September – John Herron, politician (died 2019)
 * 23 September – Doug Sutherland, Lord Mayor of Sydney (1980–1987)
 * 26 September – Stan Smith, Australian rules footballer (died 2012)
 * 11 October – Barry Jones, politician
 * 22 October – Slim Newton, country singer (died 2023)
 * 20 November – James Hardy, businessman and yachtsman (d. 2023)

Deaths

 * 17 January – Albert Jacka, businessman, soldier and Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1893)
 * 6 February – John Earle, 22nd Premier of Tasmania (b. 1865)
 * 10 April – George Barber, Queensland politician (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1860)
 * 27 April – Sir Adrian Knox, 2nd Chief Justice of Australia (b. 1863)
 * 9 June – Edith Cowan, Western Australian politician and social reformer (b. 1861)
 * 17 June – Sir John Quick, Victorian politician and lawyer (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1852)
 * 23 June – Francis Kenna, Queensland politician, poet and journalist (b. 1865)
 * 1 July – William Dick, New South Wales politician (b. 1865)
 * 11 July – William Hartnoll, Tasmanian politician (b. 1841)
 * 26 July – Sir William McPherson, 31st Premier of Victoria (b. 1865)
 * 10 October – Sir Bertram Mackennal, sculptor and medalist (died in the United Kingdom) (b. 1863)
 * 4 December – Mona McBurney, composer (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1862)