See also: 1930 in Australia, other events of 1931, 1932 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

• Monarch King George V
• Governor-General John Baird, 1st Viscount Stonehaven (until 21 January), then Sir Isaac Isaacs
• Prime Minister James Scullin

State Premiers

• Premier of New South Wales Jack Lang
• Premier of Queensland Arthur Edward Moore
• Premier of South Australia Lionel Hill
• Premier of Tasmania John McPhee
• Premier of Victoria Edmond Hogan
• Premier of Western Australia James Mitchell

State Governors

• Governor of New South Wales Sir Philip Game
• Governor of Queensland Sir John Goodwin
• Governor of South Australia Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven
• Governor of Tasmania none appointed
• Governor of Victoria Arthur Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron Somers (until 23 June)
• Governor of Western Australia Sir William Campion (until 9 June)

Events

• 7 January Guy Menzies flies the first solo non-stop trans-Tasman flight (from Australia to New Zealand) in 11 hours and 45 minutes, crash-landing on New Zealand's west coast.
• 10 January The Beef Riot takes place in Adelaide. Seventeen people are injured when unemployed men clash with police while protesting the decision to remove beef from the dole ration.
• 21 January Isaac Isaacs becomes the first Australian-born Governor-General.
• 22 January The Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration announces a 10% reduction in the basic wage, in addition to reductions made in accordance with the fall in the cost of living index, effective from 1 February.
• 4 February Joseph Lyons resigns from the federal cabinet of James Scullin, after Scullin re-appoints Ted Theodore as Treasurer.
• 18 February The Royal Australian Navy light cruiser HMAS Pioneer is scuttled off Sydney Heads.
• 4 March Holden's Motor Body Builders is purchased by General Motors, and is renamed General Motors Holden's Ltd.
• 10 March The first Apex Club is formed in Geelong, Victoria.
• 21 March The Australian National Airways aircraft Southern Cloud, carrying 8 persons, disappears on a flight between Sydney and Melbourne. The wreckage is not located until 1958.
• 7 May Joseph Lyons forms the United Australia Party, through the amalgamation of ALP defectors, Nationalists and anti-Labor citizens' groups.
• 9 May A general election is held in Tasmania, which implements compulsory voting clauses of the Electoral Act for the first time. The Nationalist Party led by John McPhee defeats the Australian Labor Party, and substantially increasing its majority.
• 15 August The two ends of the Sydney Harbour Bridge are joined in the middle.
• 25 November The Lang Labor group led by Jack Lang votes with the Opposition on a motion of no confidence against James Scullin's government, triggering an early election.
• 19 December A federal election is held. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by James Scullin is defeated by former Labor MP Joseph Lyons and the United Australia Party.

Science and technology

Arts and literature

• John Longstaff wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Sir John Sulman

Film

Sport

• 9 May - Richmond set a record VFL score of 30.19 (199) against North Melbourne. This record stands until 1969. Doug Strang, with fourteen goals, and Jack Titus, with eight, combine for 22 goals - a total equalled by Templeton and Dunstan in 1978 but never beaten
• 12 September - South Sydney 12 defeat Eastern Suburbs 7 for their tenth NSWRL premiership
• 10 October - Geelong 9.14 (68) beats Richmond 6.12 (48) for its second premiership
• White Nose wins the Melbourne Cup
• Victoria wins the Sheffield Shield

Births

• 11 March Rupert Murdoch, businessman
• 26 April John Cain, Premier of Victoria
• 21 November Malcolm Williamson (died 2003), composer

Deaths

• 23 February Nellie Melba (born 1861), opera singer
• 14 September Tom Roberts (born 1856, artist