1972 In Australia

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1972 In

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1972

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1972 In Australia

1971 In Australia ,
Other Events Of 1972 ,
1973 In Australia and the
Timeline Of Australian History .

INCUMBENTS

Prime Minister - William McMahon , then Gough Whitlam

Governor General - Sir Paul Hasluck

Premier Of New South Wales - Sir Robert Askin

Premier Of South Australia - Don Dunstan

Premier Of Queensland - Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen

Premier Of Tasmania - Angus Bethune , then Eric Reece

Premier Of Western Australia - John Tonkin

Premier Of Victoria - Sir Henry Bolte , then Rupert Hamer

Chief Minister Of The Northern Territory - Marshall Perron

EVENTS

Douglas Nicholls becomes the first Indigenous Australian to be knighted

May 10 - Homosexual Law Professor George Duncan "drowns" in the Torrens River , Adelaide .

October 6 - Faraday School Kidnapping - teacher and 6 pupils kidnapped for $1 million ransom in Victoria.

November 15 - First airline hijacking in Australia. Ansett Airlines flight 232 from Adelaide to Alice Springs with 28 passengers and a crew of 4. Followed by gun battle at Alice Springs Airport.

December 2 - Gough Whitlam becomes Prime Minister

Shane Gould is announced as Australian Of The Year

ARTS AND LITERATURE

FILM

The Adventures Of Barry McKenzie

TELEVISION

March 13 - Controversial T.V soap Opera Number 96 debuts on Network 0-10.

SPORT

Piping Lane wins the Melbourne Cup

Western Australia wins the Sheffield Shield

''American Eagle'' takes line and handicap honours in the Sydney To Hobart Yacht Race

Shane Gould wins 3 gold medals for swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich

Australia draws Ashes Cricket Test Series 2-2 with England

BIRTHS

June 19 - Poppy Montgomery , actress

June 24 - Robbie McEwen , cyclist

October 11 - Claudia Black , actress

November 1 - Toni Collette , actress

November 13 - Samantha Riley , swimmer

December 28 - Patrick Rafter , tennis player

DEATHS

July 7 - Owen Dixon (b. 1886 ), former Chief Justice Of Australia

August 22 - Ernestine Hill (b. 1899 ), author