The following lists events that happened during 1972 in Australia.
Incumbents
Monarch – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – Sir Paul Hasluck
Prime Minister – William McMahon (until 5 December), then Gough Whitlam
Deputy Prime Minister – Doug Anthony (until 5 December), then Lance Barnard
Opposition Leader – Gough Whitlam (until 5 December), then Billy Snedden (from 20 December) Chief Justice – Sir Garfield Barwick
State and territory leaders
Premier of New South Wales – (Sir) Robert Askin
Opposition Leader – Pat Hills
Premier of Queensland – Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Opposition Leader – Jack Houston
Premier of South Australia – Don Dunstan
Opposition Leader – Steele Hall (until 15 March), then Bruce Eastick
Premier of Tasmania – Angus Bethune (until 3 May), then Eric Reece
Opposition Leader – Eric Reece (until 3 May), then Max Bingham
Premier of Victoria – Sir Henry Bolte (until 23 August), then Rupert Hamer
Opposition Leader – Clyde Holding
Premier of Western Australia – John Tonkin
Opposition Leader – Sir David Brand (until 5 June), then Sir Charles Court
Governors and administrators
Governor of New South Wales – Sir Roden Cutler
Governor of Queensland – Sir Alan Mansfield (until 21 March), then Sir Colin Hannah Governor of South Australia – Sir Mark Oliphant 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 (until August), then Edward Pickerd Administrator of the Northern Territory – Sir Frederick Chaney Administrator of Papua and New Guinea – Les Johnson
Events
26 January – Aboriginal Tent Embassy was constructed in front of Parliament House (now old Parliament House). 10 May – Law professor George Duncan is drowned in the Torrens River, Adelaide. Police establish that his death was a homophobic-related murder. 3 June – Douglas Nicholls becomes the first Indigenous Australian to be knighted. 29 July – Kerry Anne Wells earned Australia's first Miss Universe crown, in Dorado, Puerto Rico. 30 August - Three people are killed in the 1972 Taroom explosion when a burning truck loaded with ammonium nitrate explodes near Taroom, Queensland. 6 October – Faraday School kidnapping – six pupils and their teacher are kidnapped for $1 million ransom in Victoria. 15 November – First aircraft 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. 1 December – Belinda Green is crowned Miss World in London, becoming the second Australian winner of this pageant. Australia won the two most important beauty contest in this year. 2 December – 1972 Australian federal election: The Labor Party led by Gough Whitlam defeats the Liberal/Country Coalition government led by Prime Minister William McMahon. Consequently, Whitlam becomes the first Labor Prime Minister of Australia since the defeat of Ben Chifley in 1949. Shane Gould is announced as Australian of the Year The health warning, "Smoking is a Health Hazard" becomes compulsory on cigarette packets in Australia.
Arts and literature
Thea Astley's novel The Acolyte wins the Miles Franklin Award
Film
The Adventures of Barry McKenzie
Television
13 March – Controversial soap opera Number 96 debuts on Network 0–10. 16 November – The Aunty Jack Show premieres on ABC-TV in Sydney.
Sport
16 September – Bernard Vine wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:28:21 in Richmond, Australia. Manly-Warringah defeated Eastern Suburbs 19–14 in the 1972 NSWRFL season Grand Final, claiming the first premiership win in the club's history. Parramatta finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon. In the Bulimba Cup final Brisbane defeat Toowoomba 55–2 at Lang Park 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