1973 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1973 in Australia.

Incumbents

 * Monarch – Elizabeth II
 * Governor-General – Sir Paul Hasluck
 * Prime Minister – Gough Whitlam
 * Deputy Prime Minister – Lance Barnard
 * Opposition Leader – Billy Snedden
 * Chief Justice – Sir Garfield Barwick

State and territory leaders

 * Premier of New South Wales – Sir Robert Askin
 * Opposition Leader – Pat Hills (until 17 November), then Neville Wran
 * Premier of Queensland – Joh Bjelke-Petersen
 * Opposition Leader – Jack Houston
 * Premier of South Australia – Don Dunstan
 * Opposition Leader – Bruce Eastick
 * Premier of Tasmania – Eric Reece
 * Opposition Leader – Max Bingham
 * Premier of Victoria – Rupert Hamer
 * Opposition Leader – Clyde Holding
 * Premier of Western Australia – John Tonkin
 * Opposition Leader – Sir Charles Court

Governors and administrators

 * Governor of New South Wales – Sir Roden Cutler
 * Governor of Queensland – Sir Colin Hannah
 * Governor of South Australia – Sir Mark Oliphant
 * Governor of Tasmania – Lieutenant General Sir Edric Bastyan (until 30 November), then Sir Stanley Burbury
 * Governor of Victoria – Major General Sir Rohan Delacombe
 * Governor of Western Australia – Major General Sir Douglas Kendrew
 * Administrator of Norfolk Island – Edward Pickerd
 * Administrator of the Northern Territory – Frederick Chaney (until 10 December), then Jock Nelson
 * Administrator/High Commissioner of Papua New Guinea – Les Johnson

Events

 * 10 February – Australia's first casino, the Wrest Point Hotel Casino, opens in Hobart
 * 28 February – The federal voting age is lowered from 21 to 18. The state of New South Wales had already enacted such a change in 1970.
 * 2 March – Wellington Street bus station in Perth is opened by Western Australia's premier John Tonkin
 * 8 March – Whiskey Au Go Go fire
 * 1 June – The first General Dynamics F-111 aircraft is delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force
 * 9 June – Disappearance of Jason Shannon
 * 19 July – Lois D'Arcy was the first independent civil marriage celebrant ever appointed – by Attorney-General Lionel Murphy.
 * 25 August - Disappearance of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon
 * 20 October – Sydney Opera House officially opened by Elizabeth II
 * 1 December – Papua New Guinea is granted self-government prior to independence
 * 31 December – AC/DC perform their first major gig in Sydney.
 * Removal of the "White Australia Policy".

Arts and literature

 * Patrick White is announced as Australian of the Year
 * 21 September – The Jackson Pollock painting Blue Poles is controversially purchased by the Whitlam government for US$2 million (A$1.3 million).
 * "No award" was made for the Miles Franklin Award

Film

 * Alvin Purple

Television

 * Certain Women (TV series) commences
 * The novel Seven Little Australians adapted for television (10 part series)
 * The New South Wales Rugby Football League negotiates its first television deal with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Sport

 * 8 September – Derek Clayton wins his fourth men's national marathon title, clocking 2:12:07.6 in Perth.
 * 15 September – Manly-Warringah defeated Cronulla-Sutherland 10–7 in the 1973 NSWRFL season Grand Final, claiming their second straight premiership. Penrith finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon.
 * Gala Supreme wins the Melbourne Cup
 * Western Australia wins the Sheffield Shield
 * Helsall takes line honours in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Ceil III is the handicap winner
 * Australia defeats South Africa 3–0 in the Federation Cup

Births

 * 8 January – Jason Stevens, rugby league player and sportscaster
 * 17 January – Chris Bowen, politician
 * 22 January – Abi Tucker, actor and singer
 * 31 January – Portia de Rossi, actress
 * 4 February – James Hird, Australian footballer and coach
 * 5 February – Luke Ricketson, rugby league player
 * 15 February – Sarah Wynter, actress
 * 16 February – Catherine Freeman, athlete
 * 20 February – Kimberley Davies, actor
 * 28 February – Rodger Corser, Actor
 * 26 March – Matt Burke, rugby union footballer
 * 13 April – Tammy Cole, field hockey defender
 * 19 April – George Gregan, rugby union player
 * 26 April – Stephanie Graf, middle distance athlete
 * 29 May – Malcolm Allen, swimmer
 * 12 June – Darryl White, Australian rules footballer
 * 21 June – Alyson Annan, field hockey player
 * 24 June – Matt Drummond, film director, screenwriter and visual effects supervisor
 * 27 July – Gorden Tallis, rugby league footballer
 * 2 August – Susie O'Neill, swimmer
 * 14 August – Kieren Perkins, swimmer
 * 20 August – Scott Goodman, swimmer
 * 22 August – Mark Hickman, field hockey goalkeeper
 * 2 September – Matthew Dunn, swimmer
 * 5 September – Jennifer Whittle, basketball player
 * 18 September – Louise Sauvage, wheelchair athlete
 * 22 September – Craig McRae, footballer
 * 8 October – Toby Haenen, swimmer
 * 14 October – Steven Bradbury, speed skater
 * 18 October – Stephen Allan, golfer
 * 23 October – David Beard, volleyball player
 * 31 October – Andrew Constance, politician
 * 1 November – Peta Murphy, politician (d. 2023)
 * 6 November – Greg Warren, politician
 * 20 November
 * Sav Rocca, American football player and Australian rules footballer
 * Matthew Smith, field hockey player
 * 4 December – Steve Menzies, rugby league footballer
 * 24 December – Kerry Nettle, politician
 * 28 December – Alex Dimitriades, actor
 * (Date Unknown) – Ann Shoebridge, milliner

Deaths

 * 18 January – Beatrice Bligh, gardener (b. 1916)
 * 5 April – John Coleman (born 1928), Australian rules footballer
 * 21 April – Arthur Fadden (born 1894), former Prime Minister
 * 8 July – Arthur Calwell (born 1896), politician