1964 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1964 in Australia.

Incumbents

 * Monarch – Elizabeth II
 * Governor-General – Viscount De L'Isle
 * Prime Minister – Sir Robert Menzies
 * Opposition Leader – Arthur Calwell
 * Chief Justice – Sir Owen Dixon (until 13 April), then Sir Garfield Barwick

State and territory leaders

 * Premier of New South Wales – Bob Heffron (until 30 April), then Jack Renshaw
 * Opposition Leader – Robert Askin
 * Premier of Queensland – Frank Nicklin
 * Opposition Leader – Jack Duggan
 * Premier of South Australia – Sir Thomas Playford IV
 * Opposition Leader – Frank Walsh
 * Premier of Tasmania – Eric Reece
 * Opposition Leader – Angus Bethune
 * Premier of Victoria – Henry Bolte
 * Opposition Leader – Clive Stoneham
 * Premier of Western Australia – David Brand
 * Opposition Leader – Albert Hawke

Governors and administrators

 * Governor of New South Wales – Lieutenant General Sir Eric Woodward
 * Governor of Queensland – Colonel Sir Henry Abel Smith
 * Governor of South Australia – Lieutenant General Sir Edric Bastyan
 * Governor of Tasmania – General Sir Charles Gairdner
 * Governor of Victoria – Major General Sir Rohan Delacombe
 * Governor of Western Australia – Major General Sir Douglas Kendrew
 * Administrator of Nauru – Reginald Leydin
 * Administrator of Norfolk Island – Robert Wordsworth, then Roger Nott
 * Administrator of the Northern Territory – Roger Nott (until 1 October), then Roger Dean
 * Administrator of Papua and New Guinea – Sir Donald Cleland

Events

 * 29 January – The Royal Australian Air Force takes delivery of its first two Mirage fighter jets
 * 3 February – The first double-decker carriages begin trial runs on the Sydney rail network
 * 4 February – Cyclone Dora strikes north west Queensland
 * 10 February – Melbourne–Voyager collision: The aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne (R21) and the destroyer HMAS Voyager (D04) collide, with the loss of 82 lives
 * March – There is a split in the Communist Party of Australia and the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) is formed
 * April – The Menzies government refuses to ratify the International Labour Organization convention on equal pay for women.
 * April – The editors of Sydney satirical Oz magazine – Richard Neville, Richard Walsh and Martin Sharp – are charged with printing an obscene publication
 * 8 April – The 191 mi Moonie oil pipeline to Lytton Oil Refinery opens
 * 24 April – Melbourne woman Judy Hanrahan becomes the first female teller appointed by the Bank of NSW since World War II
 * 27 April — Sir Garfield Barwick resigns as Minister for External Affairs to take up his appointment as the new Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia
 * 29 April — Lake Burley Griffin reaches filled maximum level for the first time.
 * June – Macquarie University founded
 * 12–30 June – The Beatles' 1964 world tour in Australia and New Zealand.
 * 6 July – Warrant Officer Class 2, Kevin Conway of the Australian Army Training Team died; he was Australia's first Vietnam War battle casualty.
 * 15 July – The first edition of The Australian is published in Canberra, Australia's first national daily newspaper, published by Rupert Murdoch's News Limited.
 * 17 July – Donald Campbell sets new land speed record of 429 miles per hour in his jet-propelled car "Bluebird" at Lake Eyre, South Australia
 * August – The Tasman Bridge across the Derwent River opens in Hobart.
 * 2 October – The Gladesville Bridge, then the world's longest concrete arch, opens in Sydney.
 * 17 October — Prime Minister Robert Menzies inaugurates Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra.
 * 26 October – Notorious Perth serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke is executed at Fremantle Prison; he is the last person to be hanged in Western Australia.
 * 10 November – Prime Minister Robert Menzies announces the reintroduction of National Service.
 * 10 December – The Queensland government declares a state of emergency in an attempt to end the Mount Isa Mines dispute
 * 16 December – Melbourne's La Trobe University is founded
 * 31 December – Donald Campbell sets new water speed record of 276 miles per hour at Dumbleyung Lake, Western Australia
 * Sir Percy Spender is appointed President of the International Court of Justice

Arts and literature

 * Donald Horne's The Lucky Country published.
 * Kath Walker's We Are Going published.
 * My Brother Jack by George Johnston is awarded the Miles Franklin Literary Award.

Television

 * The launch of ATV-0 marks the birth of the third commercial television network, now known as Network Ten
 * Singer Johnny Chester hosts a new ABC TV show called Teen Scene, which also features his backing group The Chessmen as the house band.
 * 20 October – Police drama Homicide begins a 12-year run and sets the pace for Australian television drama.
 * 11 November – The Mavis Bramston Show premieres on HSV 7 in Melbourne.

Sport

 * 17 May Bernard "Midget" Farrelly wins the first World Surfboard Championship at Manly Beach
 * 18 July – Robert Vagg wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:24:06.2 in Sydney.
 * Polo Prince wins the Melbourne Cup
 * South Australia wins the Sheffield Shield
 * Freya wins the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
 * Australia places 8th in the 1964 Olympic Games with 6 gold medals
 * St. George win the 1964 NSWRFL season Grand Final, winning their ninth straight premiership after defeating Balmain 11–6. Canterbury-Bankstown finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon.
 * Melbourne Football Club wins the Victorian Football League Grand Final

Births

 * 15 January – Scott Emerson, politician
 * 16 January – Chris Dittmar, squash player
 * 25 January – Mark McPhee, cricketer (died 1999)
 * 25 February – Dale Last, politician
 * 3 March – Sandy Bolton, politician
 * 4 March – Karen Knowles, entertainer
 * 13 March
 * Stephen Bennett, politician
 * Trevor Gillmeister, rugby league player
 * 26 March – Martin Bella, rugby league player
 * 8 April – Michael Caltabiano, politician
 * 15 April – Lee Kernaghan, country singer/songwriter
 * 19 April – Peter Jackson (died 1997), Australian rugby league footballer
 * 30 April – Ian Healy, cricket player and commentator
 * 2 May – John Hathaway, politician
 * 19 May – Peter Jackson, rugby league player (died 1997)
 * 28 May – Jeff Fenech, boxer and trainer
 * 3 June – Matthew Ryan, equestrian
 * 7 June – Gia Carides, actress
 * 9 June – Jane Kennedy, actress and comedian
 * 11 June – Carl Barron, comedian
 * 22 June – Tom Crebbin, Australian rules footballer
 * 23 June – Tara Morice, actress, singer, and dancer
 * 1 July – Clayton Lamb, Australian rules footballer
 * 4 July – Martin Flood, quiz show winner
 * 13 July – Leanne Benjamin, ballet dancer
 * 3 August – Michael Healy, politician
 * 4 August – Andrew Bartlett, politician
 * 5 August – Dale Shuttleworth, politician
 * 10 August – Andy Caldecott, motorcycle racer (died 2006)
 * 14 August – Jason Dunstall, Australian Rules football player
 * 19 August – Dermott Brereton, Australian Rules football player
 * 5 September – Frank Farina, soccer player and manager
 * 11 September – Kathy Watt, cyclist
 * 16 September – Chris Franklin, comedian
 * 27 October – Mark Taylor, cricket player and commentator
 * 28 October – Darius Perkins, actor (died 2019)
 * 29 October – Eddie McGuire, businessman and television presenter
 * 29 October – Jackie Pereira, field hockey striker
 * 9 November – Mark Dalton, basketball player
 * 19 November – Peter Rohde, footballer (Carlton F.C.)
 * 23 November – Marilyn Kidd, rower
 * 9 December – Larry Emdur, television presenter
 * 16 December
 * Georgie Parker, actress
 * Gabrielle Upton, politician
 * 22 December – Sam Cox, politician

Deaths

 * 15 January – Harry Sunderland, rugby league administrator (born 1889)
 * 23 January – Claude Hulbert, British actor (born 1900)
 * 12 February – Arthur Upfield, author (born 1890)
 * 27 February – Orry-Kelly, costume designer (born 1897)
 * 18 April – Wilfred Mibus, Victorian politician (born 1900)
 * 19 October – Nettie Palmer, author (born 1885)