1912 in Australia

Incumbents

• Monarch – George V
• Governor-General – The Right Hon. Thomas Denman, 3rd Baron Denman
• Prime Minister – Andrew Fisher
• Chief Justice – Samuel Griffith

  State premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – James McGowen
• Premier of Queensland – Digby Denham
• Premier of South Australia – John Verran, then Archibald Peake
• Premier of Tasmania – Elliott Lewis, then Albert Solomon
• Premier of Victoria – John Murray, then William Watt
• Premier of Western Australia – John Scaddan

  State governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford
• Governor of Queensland – Sir William MacGregor
• Governor of South Australia – Admiral Sir Day Bosanquet
• Governor of Tasmania – Major General Sir Harry Barron
• Governor of Victoria – Sir John Fuller
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir Gerald Strickland

  Events

• 6 January – First aircraft crash in Australia, between Mount Druitt and Rooty Hill.
• 18 January – Tramway Employees Association members are dismissed for wearing union badges to work—the ensuing protest marks the beginning of the 1912 Brisbane general strike.
• 4 February – Police officers and special constables attack protesters and strikers at Market Square in Brisbane during the 1912 Brisbane general strike. The day becomes known as "Baton Friday" and later, "Black Friday".
• 20 or 21 March – The sinks off Western Australia during a cyclone, killing around 150 people.
• 13 April – Francis Birtles becomes the first person to cross the Nullarbor Plain by car.
• 24 April – The NSW government grants of land for the construction of a zoological garden, later known as Taronga Park.
• 30 May – The light cruiser is launched in England.
• 15 July – The first branches of the Commonwealth Bank open in Melbourne and country Victoria. The Prime Minister, Andrew Fisher, is the bank's first account holder and depositor.
• 19 September – An amended version of the coat of arms of Australia is granted Royal Assent by George V. The Golden Wattle is declared Australia's floral emblem.
• 10 October – The Maternity Allowance Act 1912 is passed, granting a "Baby Bonus" of five pounds to the mother of every child born in Australia.
• 12 October – Forty-two people die in the North Mount Lyell Disaster on the west coast of Tasmania.

  Arts and literature

Sport

• 29 January – New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield.
• 5 May to 27 July – Australia sends women to the Olympic Games, the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, for the first time. Australasia won 2 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals. Fanny Durack won the 100 metres freestyle. Australasia won the men's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay.
• 17 August – The 1912 NSWRFL Premiership is won by Eastern Suburbs.
• 28 September – The Essendon Bombers win the VFL Grand Final—their second consecutive premiership—defeating South Melbourne Swans 5.17 to 4.9.
• 5 November – Piastre wins the Melbourne Cup.

  Births

• 5 January – Doris Carter, athlete
• 3 February – Jack Metcalfe, athlete
• 7 February – Russell Drysdale, artist
• 12 March – Kylie Tennant, writer
• 28 May – Patrick White, writer
• 4 June – William Dargie, painter
• 1 August – David Brand, Premier of Western Australia
• 1 August – Damien Parer, war photographer
• 2 August – Gwen Plumb, entertainer
• 18 November – Vic Hey, rugby league footballer and coach

  Deaths

• 23 January – Martin Howy Irving, educationist
• 10 February – Thomas Reibey, Premier of Tasmania
• 20 February – Albert Bythesea Weigall, headmaster of Sydney Grammar School
• 11 March – William Zeal, railway engineer and politician
• 3 April – Philip Argall, Test cricket umpire
• 20 April – Charles Harper, pastoralist, newspaper proprietor and politician
• 21 May – Mick Grace, VFL footballer
• 5 June – Francis James Gillen, anthropologist and ethnologist
• 25 June – William Guilfoyle, botanist
• 27 June – George Bonnor, cricketer
• 29 June – Frederick Henry Piesse, businessman and politician
• 13 September – Joseph Furphy, novelist who wrote under the pseudonym Tom Collins
• 29 September – James Charles Cox, physician and conchologist
• 18 November – Richard O'Connor, Senator and High Court judge
• 16 December – George Rignold, English actor