title: 1945 in Australia
text: The following lists events that happened during 1945 in Australia.
  
  Incumbents
  
  Monarch – George VI
  Governor-General – Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Baron Gowrie (until 30 January), then the Duke of Gloucester
  Prime Minister – John Curtin (died in office 5 July), then Frank Forde (until 13 July), then Ben Chifley
  Chief Justice – Sir John Latham
  
  State Premiers
  Premier of New South Wales – William McKell
  Premier of Queensland – Frank Cooper
  Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
  Premier of Tasmania – Robert Cosgrove
  Premier of Victoria – Albert Dunstan (until 2 October), then Ian MacFarlan (until 21 November), then John Cain
  Premier of Western Australia – John Willcock (until 31 July), then Frank Wise
  
  State Governors
  Governor of New South Wales – John Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst (until 6 June)
  Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson
  Governor of South Australia – Sir Charles Norrie
  Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ernest Clark (until 4 August), then Sir Hugh Binney (from 24 December)
  Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan
  Governor of Western Australia – none appointed
  
  Events
  30 January — Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester becomes Australia's first royal Governor-General.
  31 January — A Stinson aircraft crashes in Victoria, killing all 10 on board.
  9 May — Germany surrenders to the Allies, ending World War II in Europe.
  26 June — Dr H. V. Evatt signs the United Nations Charter on behalf of Australia.
  8 to 30 June — Perth receives  of rain in twenty-three days, easily its heaviest monthly rainfall on record and unlikely to be approached due to anthropogenic global warming.
  5 July — Prime Minister John Curtin dies in office from heart problems at The Lodge in Canberra.
  6 July — Frank Forde is sworn in as Prime Minister of Australia, following the death of John Curtin. He will serve Australia's shortest term as Prime Minister, being replaced by Ben Chifley a week later.
  7 July — The Australian 7th Division commences operations in the Battle of Balikpapan. Operations are completed by 21 July.
  13 July — Ben Chifley is elected as leader of the Australian Labor Party, becoming the 16th Prime Minister of Australia.
  15 August — Japan surrenders to the Allies, ending World War II. The day is known as V-P Day (Victory in the Pacific).
  10 November — A general election is held in Victoria.
  
  Science and technology
  12 December – Howard Florey shares the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on penicillin.
  
  Arts and literature
  
   June – Ern Malley hoax
   William Dargie wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Edmund Herring
   Russell Drysdale paints The Drover's Wife
  
  Film
  1 May – The Australian National Film Board is established.
  
  Sport
   1 September – Eastern Suburbs defeats Balmain 22–18 in the final of the 1945 New South Wales Rugby Football League season. South Sydney  finish in last place, claiming the wooden spoon.
   29 September – The 1945 VFL Grand Final is held, and becomes known as the "Bloodbath" due to the wet, muddy conditions and frequent violence between players and amongst the spectators. Carlton defeats South Melbourne 15.13 (103) to 10.15 (75).
   6 November – Rainbird wins the Melbourne Cup.
   26 December – The first Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race begins. The British yacht Rani wins both line honours and the handicap, arriving in Hobart on 3 January.
  
  Births
   1 January – Peter Duncan, politician
   2 January
   Diane Fahey, poet
   Byron Barnard Lamont, botanist
   8 January – Jeannie Lewis, musician
   10 January – John Fahey, 38th Premier of New South Wales (1992–1995) (died 2020)
   15 January – John Peard, rugby league player and coach
   19 January – Judith Clingan, composer and musician
   22 January – Arthur Beetson, rugby league player and coach (died 2011)
   22 January – Ken Ticehurst, politician
   26 January – John Coates, mathematician (died 2022)
   28 January – Peter Cochran, politician
   11 February
   Ralph Doubell, Olympic athlete
   Peter Blackmore, politician
   23 February – Robert Gray, poet
   26 February – Peter Brock, racing driver (died 2006)
   3 March – George Miller, film director and producer
   16 March – Michael Cobb, politician
   28 March – Johnny Famechon, boxer (died 2022)
   10 April – Kevin Berry, butterfly swimmer (died 2006)
   13 April – Judy Nunn, actress, author
   8 May – Janine Haines, politician (died 2004)
   17 May – Tony Roche, tennis player
   22 May – Bob Katter, politician
   27 May – George Thompson, politician
   29 May – Chris Barrie, Chief of the Defence Force
   1 June – Kerry Vincent, chef and author (died 2021)
   2 June – Michael Leunig, cartoonist
   10 June – Martin Wesley-Smith, composer (died 2019)
   13 July – Ashley Mallett, cricketer (died 2021)
   17 July – Athena Starwoman, astrologer (died 2004)
   18 July 
   Kevin Neale, Australian rules footballer (died 2023)
   Max Tolson, soccer player
   21 July – Geoff Dymock, cricketer
   1 August – Ken Aldred, politician (died 2016)
   2 August – Alex Jesaulenko, Australian rules football player
   6 August – Tony Dell, cricketer 
   7 August
   Graeme Blundell, actor
   Graham Ramshaw, Australian rules football player (died 2006)
   12 August – Mal Washer, politician
   18 August – Gillian Bouras, writer
   23 August – Ian McManus, politician
   27 August – Kerry O'Brien, television journalist
   22 October – Clover Moore, politician, 82nd Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney (2004–present)
   25 October – Peter Ledger, illustrator (died 1994)
   26 October – John Romeril, playwright
   1 November – John Williamson, singer
   15 November – Roger Donaldson, New Zealand film director
   19 November – Barry Haase, politician
   26 November – Roger Price, politician
   28 November – John Hargreaves, actor (died 1996)
   5 December – Joanne Burns, poet
   7 December – Bob Martin, politician
   15 December – Thaao Penghlis, actor
   22 December – Sam Newman, Australian rules football player and media personality
   31 December – Vernon Wells, actor
  
  Deaths
   28 January – Samuel Dennis, Victorian politician (b. 1870)
   4 March – Sir Harry Chauvel, 11th Chief of the General Staff (b. 1865)
   5 March – Rupert Downes, soldier (b. 1885)
   6 April – Paddy Stokes, New South Wales politician (b. 1884)
   15 April – Thomas Collins, New South Wales politician (b. 1884)
   1 June – Walter Frederick Gale, banker and astronomer (b. 1865)
   5 June – Albert Piddington, New South Wales politician and High Court judge (b. 1862)
   5 July – John Curtin, Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1885)
   10 July – Jack Moses, bush poet (b. 1861)
   11 July – Frank Hill, New South Wales politician (b. 1883)
   29 July – Henry Burrell, naturalist (b. 1873)
   5 August – Alfred Reid, New South Wales politician (b. 1867)
   20 August – Sir Macpherson Robertson, confectioner (b. 1859)
   6 September – David Hall, New South Wales politician and barrister (b. 1874)
   15 September – William Calman Grahame, New South Wales politician (b. 1863)
   15 October – Tom Swiney, New South Wales politician (b. 1875)
   12 November – Reginald Weaver, New South Wales politician (b. 1876)
   6 December – Sir Edmund Dwyer-Gray, Premier of Tasmania (b. 1870)
  
  See also
   List of Australian films of the 1940s
  
  References
  
   
  Australia
  Years of the 20th century in Australia