See also: 1935 in Australia, other events of 1936, 1937 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

• Monarch ? King George V (until January 20), then King Edward VIII (until December 11), then King George VI
• Governor-General ? Sir Isaac Isaacs (until January 23), then Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Baron Gowrie
• Prime Minister ? Joseph Lyons

State Premiers

• Premier of New South Wales ? Bertram Stevens
• Premier of Queensland ? William Forgan Smith
• Premier of South Australia ? Richard L. Butler
• Premier of Tasmania ? Albert Ogilvie
• Premier of Victoria ? Albert Dunstan
• Premier of Western Australia ? Philip Collier (until August 20), then John Willcock

State Governors

• Governor of New South Wales ? Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Baron Gowrie (until January 22), then Sir David Anderson (from August 6)
• Governor of Queensland ? Sir Leslie Orme Wilson
• Governor of South Australia ? Sir Winston Dugan
• Governor of Tasmania ? Sir Ernest Clark
• Governor of Victoria ? William Vanneck, 5th Baron Huntingfield
• Governor of Western Australia ? none appointed

Events

• January 15 ? Torres Strait Islanders begin a four-month general maritime strike, in an effort to take control their own affairs and gain fairer treatment.
• January 20 ? King George V dies, and is succeeded as King of Australia by his son, Edward VIII.
• February 1 ? Special patrol officers are appointed to safeguard Aboriginal welfare in the Northern Territory.
• February 24 ? A special conference of the Australian Labor Party re-admits former Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang, after a five year expulsion.
• March 12 ? Western Australia makes voting compulsory in state elections.
• March 25 ? A submarine communications cable between Victoria and Tasmania commences operation.
• July 1 ? Australian National Airways is registered as a company.
• July 8 ? The Federal Government announces an increase in military training strength, in response to the rise of fascism in Europe.
• September 7 ? The last known Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) dies at Hobart Zoo.
• November 10 ? The High Court of Australia rules in the case of R v Burgess; Ex parte Henry, that the Commonwealth government's power to regulate interstate trade and commerce did not extend to intrastate trade and commerce.
• December 11 ? King Edward VIII abdicates from the throne of the United Kingdom, and is succeeded as King of Australia by his brother George VI.
• December 16 ? A Brisbane to Adelaide air race is held to commemorate South Australia's centenary. Ivy May Pearce makes national headlines as the youngest entrant who recorded the fastest time of any woman pilot, heavily handicapped and just two seconds behind the eventual winner. In this race she even beat Reg Ansett, founder of Ansett Airlines. Ivy went on to win many air races.

Births

• January 8 ? Robert May, Baron May of Oxford, scientist and life peer of the United Kingdom
• January 23 ? Brian Howe, politician
• February 2 ? John Hyde, politician
• February 13 ? Judith Rodriguez, poet
• February 17 ? Barry Jarman, cricketer
• February 24 ? John Baker, soldier and Chief of the Defence Force (d. 2007)
• February 27 ? Ron Barassi, Australian rules football player and coach
• February 28 ? Robin Klein, author
• June 16 ? Charles Perkins, Aboriginal activist (d. 2000)
• June 29 ? Eddie Mabo, indigenous land rights campaigner (d. 1992)
• August 10 ? Frank Ford, politician
• August 16 ? Lindsay Gaze, basketballer
• October 13 ? Robert Ingpen, graphic designer and illustrator
• November 4 ? Brian Gibson, Senator for Tasmania
• November 5 ? Robert J. O'Neill, military historian
• November 16 ? John Moore, Minister for Defence (1998?2001)
• December 11 ? Maggie Tabberer, fashion model and media personality

Deaths

• January 15 ? Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster (b. 1866), Governor-General of Australia (1920?1925)
• February 22 ? John Allan (b. 1866), Premier of Victoria (1924?1927)
• March 23 ? Oscar Asche (b. 1871), actor, writer and producer
• June 10 ? John Bowser (b. 1856), Premier of Victoria (1917?1918)
• June 10 ? Arthur Henry Shakespeare Lucas (b. 1853), schoolmaster and scientist
• July 29 ? Sir Frank Gavan Duffy (b. 1852), Chief Justice of Australia (1931?1935)
• September 7 ? "Benjamin", the last Tasmanian Tiger in captivity in 1936 in Hobart
• October 3 ? William Webster (b. 1860), politician
• October 28 ? Newton Moore (b. 1870), Premier of Western Australia (1906?1910, died in London)
• November 6 ? Sir Littleton Groom (b. 1867), politician