The following lists events that happened during 1943 in Australia. Incumbents Monarch – George VI Governor-General – Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Baron Gowrie Prime Minister – John Curtin 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 14 September), then John Cain I (until 18 September), then Albert Dunstan Premier of Western Australia – John Willcock State Governors Governor of New South Wales – John Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst Governor of Queensland – Sir Leslie Orme Wilson Governor of South Australia – Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ernest Clark Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan Governor of Western Australia – none appointed Events 3 March – A Soviet embassy is established in Canberra, and an Australian diplomat is posted to Moscow as ambassador. 14 May – The hospital ship AHS Centaur is torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off North Stradbroke Island in Queensland, killing 268 persons. 12 June – A general election is held in Victoria. 21 August – A federal election is held. The incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by John Curtin is returned to power. 23 September – Enid Lyons and Dorothy Tangney become the first women to win seats in the Parliament of Australia. Lyons represents the Tasmanian electorate of Darwin in the House of Representatives, and Tangney is a Senator for Western Australia. 27 December – 7 people are injured in Seaspray, Victoria after a wire on an RAAF plane fails to retract. Arts and literature William Dobell wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Joshua Smith Film 4 March – Damien Parer wins Australia's first Academy Award (Best Documentary Feature) for the film Kokoda Front Line. Sport 4 September – Newtown win the 1943 NSWRFL season, defeating North Sydney 34–7 in the premiership final. Canterbury-Bankstown finish in last place on points difference, claiming the wooden spoon. Dark Felt wins the Melbourne Cup Births 5 January – Mary Gaudron, High Court judge 9 January – Robert Drewe, journalist and writer 29 January – Molly Meldrum, journalist, critic, and producer 8 February – Malcolm Donnelly, opera singer 1 March – Dyson Heydon, High Court judge 12 March – Philip Ruddock, politician 14 March – Aila Keto, environmentalist 19