A Look Back At

Born in 1963

What Was Life Like in 1963?

Who Was in Charge?

Prime Minister

Robert Menzies

Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II

What Things Cost

Petrol (per litre)

$0.05

Loaf of Bread

$0.14

Average House

$6,800

Weekly Wage

$19.00

Events of 1963 in Australia

A selection from Wikipedia's '1963 in Australia'. Not a complete list.

  • 21 March – At the conference, Arthur Calwell and Gough Whitlam were photographed outside the venue at Kingston in Canberra. Although Calwell was the Leader of the Opposition, neither man was a member of the federal executive.
  • 14 August – Yolngu people petitioned the Australian House of Representatives with a bark petition after the government sold part of the Arnhem Land reserve on 13 March to a bauxite mining company. The government did not consult the traditional owners.
  • 1 November – Indigenous Australians could vote in federal elections on the same basis as other electors when an amendment to the Commonwealth Electoral Act became law.
  • 15 November – The Queensland Police Service raids the town of Mapoon, forcing residents at gunpoint to leave their houses and board a boat for relocation 200 km to the north.
  • 30 November – Federal election: The Coalition government was returned with an increased majority of 10 seats over the Australian Labor Party. The election was for the House of Representatives only.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Popular Toys & Games

  • Easy-Bake Oven
  • Mouse Trap Game
  • Etch A Sketch

Australian No. 1 (Kent retrospective) on 1 January 1963

The Lonely Bull / Acapulco

The Tijuana Brass featuring Herb Alpert

This chart was compiled later by David Kent from radio station charts.