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The following lists events that happened during1970 in Australia.

← 1969 1968 1967 1970 in Australia → 1971 1972 1973
Decades:	1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
See also:	1970 in Australian literature Other events of 1970 Timeline of Australian history

• Monarch –Elizabeth II
• Governor-General –Sir Paul Hasluck
• Prime Minister –John Gorton
  • Deputy Prime Minister –John McEwen
  • Opposition Leader –Gough Whitlam
• Chief Justice –Sir Garfield Barwick

• Premier of New South Wales –Robert Askin^[1]
  • Opposition Leader –Pat Hills
• Premier of Queensland –Joh Bjelke-Petersen
  • Opposition Leader –Jack Houston
• Premier of South Australia –Steele Hall (until 2 June), thenDon Dunstan
  • Opposition Leader –Don Dunstan (until 2 June), thenSteele Hall
• Premier of Tasmania –Angus Bethune
  • Opposition Leader –Eric Reece
• Premier of Victoria –Sir Henry Bolte
  • Opposition Leader –Clyde Holding
• Premier of Western Australia –Sir David Brand
  • Opposition Leader –John Tonkin

• Governor of New South Wales –Sir Roden Cutler
• Governor of Queensland –Sir Alan Mansfield
• Governor of South Australia –Major General Sir James William Harrison
• Governor of Tasmania –Lieutenant General Sir Edric Bastyan
• Governor of Victoria –Major General Sir Rohan Delacombe
• Governor of Western Australia –Major General Sir Douglas Kendrew
• Administrator of Norfolk Island – Robert Dalkin
• Administrator of the Northern Territory –Roger Dean (until 4 March), thenFrederick Chaney
• Administrator of Papua and New Guinea –David Hay (until July), thenLes Johnson

• 1 January – Newcastle, New South Wales suffers a fierce hailstorm.
• 3 January – Police in Liverpool, Sydney conduct a high speed car chase after Wally Mellish, a central figure in the July 1968 Glenfield siege.
• 4 January – The Victorian Government appointsWilliam Kaye, QC to investigate allegations that some senior police officers took bribes from abortion care providers.^[2]
  • 1,000 New South Wales state powerhouse operators go on strike.
• 5 January – Federal Opposition LeaderGough Whitlam tells a meeting of Wewak Councillors in Port Moresby that the Territory House of Assembly was a "rubber stamp" for policies formulated in Canberra.
• 7 January – The U.S. seismic survey vessel Polaris catches fire at Port Adelaide, causing $750,000 worth of damage.
  • Federal Opposition LeaderGough Whitlam announces in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea that a New Guinean would be appointed as Administrator of the Territory immediately if Labor won the next election.
  • The Australian Wheatgrowers' Federation recommends a national wheat quota reduction for the 1970–71 season.
• 8 January – The Army MinisterAndrew Peacock denies the statement made the previous day by senior Labor figureJim Cairns that Australian officers in Vietnam had suggested to troops that they would be home by June.
  • Queensland Labor SenatorGeorge Georges rejects oil company assurances that drilling in the Great Barrier Reef area could be done in such away that the reef would be preserved in an untouched state.
• 12 January – Prime MinisterJohn Gorton announces the number of cannons to be distributed and the locations of these cannons for the Captain Cook celebrations. New South Wales, Canberra and Queensland will each receive one of the six cannons jettisoned by Captain Cook from the Endeavour on the Great Barrier Reef in 1770.
  • National Development MinisterReg Swartz announces that an Australian team is in San Francisco drawing up specifications for Australia's first nuclear power station to be stationed at Jervis Bay.
  • Three-year-oldCheryl Grimmer vanishes from Fairy Meadow Beach near Wollongong.
• 13 January – US Vice-PresidentSpiro Agnew arrives in Canberra. 14 are arrested during protests outside Parliament House over Mr. Agnew's visit on 14 January.
• 14 January – Prime MinisterGorton announces that Ampol Exploration Ltd. is not proceeding with its intention to drill for oil in the Great Barrier Reef pending a thorough examination of whether there might be damage to the reef.^[3]
• 15 January –
  • Brisbane is hit by a dust storm.
  • Sydney police receive a $10,000 ransom note for the return of missing three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer.
  • Canberra police investigate possibly dangerous chemicals thrown into the swimming pool of the Prime Minister's Lodge which appeared to be eating into the tiled walls of the pool in which Prime MinisterGorton swims every morning.
• 17 January –Cyclone Ada hitsCentral Queensland, killing 14.
• 19 January – Queensland PremierJoh Bjelke-Petersen agrees to a Commonwealth-State inquiry into oil-drilling on the Great Barrier Reef.
  • Prime MinisterJohn Gorton announces that Federal Cabinet has accepted the recommendation of a Senate select committee for Australia to adopt the metric system of weights and measures.
  • The six Premiers unanimously agree in Adelaide to approach Prime MinisterJohn Gorton with a long-range plan aimed at States levying their own income-tax.
• 21 January – A thunderstorm in Brisbane causes damage to 1,000 homes, widespread power blackouts and peak-hour traffic chaos.
  • Dick Klugman, Labor MP forProspect, reveals that a middle-aged Ukrainian migrant, Mr. Bronislaw Chyrzynski, had been held in Long Bay Gaol for nearly four weeks because he could not speak English.
• 22 January – Seven men, including high-ranking Victorian police officers are named in connection with an alleged abortion protection racket at the Victorian Government's Board of Inquiry into allegations of police corruption over abortions.
  • Federal Cabinet reaches a final agreement on the introduction of common health fees acceptable to the Australian Medical Association.
  • Primary Industry MinisterDoug Anthony announces at Casino that Australia has agreed to sell about 30,000 tons of meat – worth about $25 million- to Russia within the next six months.
• 18 February – The Queensland Country Party is defeated in the Albert by-election.
• 21 April – TheHutt River Province Principality is established.
• 3 May – A new international terminal is opened atSydney Airport
• 1 July –Melbourne Airport is officially opened.
• 15 October – A portion of theWest Gate Bridge in Melbourne collapses, killing 35
• 21 November –1970 Australian Senate election: TheLiberal/CountryCoalitiongovernment led byPrime MinisterJohn Gorton and theLabor Party led byGough Whitlam each ended up with 26 seats; both suffering a swing against them. TheDemocratic Labor Party won an additional seat and held the balance of power in theSenate. To date, this was the last occasion where a Senate election was held without an accompanyingHouse of Representatives election.
• Establishment of theAboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT).
• Pope Paul VI visits Australia.^[4]
• Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family tour Australia.

• Germaine Greer publishes her book,The Female Eunuch.
• Eric Smith wins theArchibald Prize with his portraitGruzman – Architect^[5]
• Frederick Bates wins theWynne Prize for landscape with his paintingRedfern – Southern Portal
• Dal Stivens's novelA Horse of Air wins theMiles Franklin Award

• The Naked Bunyip
• The Set
• Squeeze a Flower

• 26 September – Carlton defeats Collingwood by 10 points in the VFL Grand Final. In otherAustralian rules football leagues Clarence defeated New Norfolk in the TFL, Sturt defeated Glenelg in the SANFL and it was South Fremantle defeating Perth in the WANFL.
• 19 September – TheSouth Sydney Rabbitohs defeatedManly-Warringah Sea Eagles 23–12 in the NSWRL Grand Final at theSydney Cricket Ground. Souths captainJohn Sattler played most of the game with a broken jaw.Parramatta finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon.
• 26 September –John Farrington wins his second men's national marathon title, clocking 2:15:27 inWerribee.
• Baghdad Note wins theMelbourne Cup.
• Victoria wins theSheffield Shield.
• Buccaneer takes line honours andPacha wins on handicap in theSydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
• The US yachtIntrepid defeats the Australian yachtGretel II in theAmerica's Cup.
• Australia defeats Germany 3–0 in theFederation Cup.
• Margaret Court becomes the second woman to win the Grand Slam of tennis.
• John Newcombe wins both the singles and doubles championships at Wimbledon.
• Johnny Famechon defeatsFighting Harada to retain theWBCfeatherweight championship.

• 5 January –Nigel Gaffey, rugby league player
• 8 January –Rachel Friend, actress
• 17 January –Craig Crawford, politician
• 24 January –Luke Egan, surfer
• 27 January –Bradley Clyde, rugby league footballer
• 9 February –Glenn McGrath, cricketer
• 10 February –Melissa Doyle, television personality
• 11 February –Troy Grant, politician
• 12 February –Marty Hunt, politician
• 16 February –Kimberley Kitching, politician (d. 2022)
• 25 February –Peter Lew, businessman
• 1 March –Joe Kelly, politician and nurse
• 4 April –Jason Stoltenberg, tennis player
• 19 April –Anthony Roberts, politician
• 11 May –Dean Capobianco, track and field sprinter
• 17 May –Jodie Rogers, diver^[6]
• 25 May –Danni Roche, field hockey player
• 1 June –Georgie Gardner, journalist and television host
• 3 June –Jamie Durie, television host, author, and landscaper
• 8 June –Stephen Renouf, rugby league footballer
• 11 June –David Elliott, politician
• 2 July –Matt McEachan, politician
• 4 July –Tony Vidmar, soccer player
• 8 July –Lisa Powell, field hockey forward
• 10 July –Adam Hills, comedian and television presenter
• 13 July –Sandon Stolle, tennis player
• 19 July –Ashley Paske, actor
• 26 July –Yvette D'Ath, politician
• 27 July –Luke Foley, politician
• 31 July –John Sidoti, politician
• 27 August –Andy Bichel, cricketer
• 3 September –Elisa Roberts, politician
• 4 September –Deni Hines, singer
• 15 September –Michael Usher, journalist
• 22 September –Gladys Berejiklian, New South Wales politician, 45thPremier of New South Wales
• 27 October –Gerard Reinmuth, architect
• 8 November –David Cervinski, soccer player (d. 2019)
• 17 November –Tania Zaetta, television personality
• 18 November –Peta Wilson, actress
• 21 November –Justin Langer, cricketer
• 23 November –Stirling Hinchliffe, politician
• 26 November –Dave Hughes, comedian
• 27 November –Jason Woodforth, politician
• 17 December –Lachlan Millar, politician

• 17 February –Sir John Jensen, 85, public servant
• 13 March –Dick Eve, 68, Olympic gold medallist diver (1924)
• 20 March –Arthur Corbett, 93, public servant
• 1 May –Nan Chauncy, 69, children's author
• 13 May –William Dobell, 70, artist and sculptor
• 21 May –Elliot Lovegood Grant Watson, 84, writer and anthropologist (born and died in theUnited Kingdom)
• 2 July –Jessie Street, 81, suffragette and feminist (born inBritish Raj)^[7]
• 14 August –Bede Fanning, 84, public servant
• 30 October –John Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst, 75, 29thGovernor of New South Wales (born and died in theUnited Kingdom)
• 24 November –Tilly Devine, 70, underworld figure (born in theUnited Kingdom)
• 12 December –Doris Blackburn, 81, women's rights activist and politician
• 14 December –William Slim, 79, 13thGovernor-General of Australia (born and died in theUnited Kingdom)

• 1970 in Australia
• 1970 by country
• Years of the 20th century in Australia

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from March 2020
• Use Australian English from February 2012
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