Dec 122022
Famous Australian April Birthdays
JAN  1-15   16-31APR  1-15   16-30JULY  1-15   16-31OCT  1-15   16-31
FEB  1-15   16-29MAY  1-15   16-31AUG  1-15   16-31NOV  1-15   16-30
MAR  1-15   16-31JUNE  1-15   16-31SEPT  1-15   16-30DEC  1-15   16-31

April is an exciting month for birthdays in Australia. Here are some of the people born during April.

WERE YOU or someone you know born in June? You’ll find below some notable Australian politicians, footballers, actors, musicians, athletes and even a couple of Brownlow Medal winners that have June birthdays.

APRIL 1 TO 15

BirthDeathBorn in AprilA little bit about them . . .
01 April 1893-1980Cicely Courtneidge
Esmerelda Cicely
    Courtneidge
English-Australian actress and comedienne, born into a theatrical family she starred in a variety of stage plays and musicals during her 70 years performing, awarded Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1972.
01 April 1971 Lachy HulmeAustralian actor and screenwriter (Matrix Reloaded, Matrix Revolutions, Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, Gallipoli, Howzat Kerry Packer’s War, Offspring)
01 April 1973 Kym WilsonAustralian actress (Brides of Christ, Heartbreak High,  All Saints, A Country Practice)1992 Logie Award
01 April 1968 Gina Jeffreys
Gina Hillenberg
Gina McCormack
Australian country music singer (Girls Night Out, Two Stars Fell, Didn’t We Shine, Dancin’ with Elvis) Country Music Award (CMAA) 20021999199619951994
01 April 1975 John Butler
John Charles
    Wiltshire-Butler
Australian-American musician, songwriter, front man for the John Butler Trio (Zebra, Something’s Gotta Give, Good Excuse, Sunrise Over Sea, April Uprising, Three) APRA Award 2004, 2006, 2008, ARIA Award 2004
02 April 1926 Jack Brabham
John Arthur Brabham
“Black Jack”
Australian mechanical engineer, race car driver, Royal Australian Air Force flight mechanic, became the largest manufacturer of custom racing cars in the world in the 1960s, first and only man to win the Formula One world championship driving his own car, Australian of the Year 1966National Living Treasure 2012
02 April 1979 Mark Gregor DonaldsonAustralian soldier, awarded Victoria Cross for Australia for operations in Afghanistan 2 September 2008 during Operation Slipper, member Special Air Service Regiment, portrait appears on Australian postage stamp in 2015 Australian Legends series
02 April 1982 Bianca Lee ChatfieldAustralian netballer, played over 200 games for Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne Vixens, Silver Medal 2006 Commonwealth Games, Gold Medal 2007 Netball World Championships, Bronze Medals 2009 & 2011 World Netball Series
03 April 1913-2009William Dudley
    Refshauge
Australian medical officer, in 1939 joined Australian Imperial Force and saw service in Battle of Bardia, capture of Tobruk, Greek campaign, Battle of Crete, New Guinea, Borneo, promoted to rank of Major in 1942, rejoined Australian Army in 1951 during the Korean War, promoted to Major General 1955, Honorary Physician to Queen Elizabeth II (1955-64), Secretary-General of the World Medical Association (1973-76), 1990 RSL Anzac Peace Prize
03 April 1989 Israel FalouAustralian footballer played in 3 different codes – Rugby League (NRL), Rugby Union, Australian Rules Football (AFL), youngest player to ever play for Melbourne Storm at 17, in 2007 was youngest player to represent Australia in Australian test side against New Zealand
04 April 1891-1982Samuel Wynn
Shlomo ben David
    Weintraub
Polish-Australian wine merchant (Wynn Estate) and Jewish community leader, restaurateur, migrated from Bremen German to Melbourne Australia in 1913, worked in a vineyard and a cork factory buying his first small shop on time-payments, later expanded to producing his own wines, in 1972 Wynn Winegrowers was sold to Allied Breweries & Tooheys, 12 times president of Kadimah (Jewish National Library) in Melbourne, all 67 members of his extended family were annihilated in Europe during WWII.
04 April 1911-1992Max DupainAustralian photographer, Sunbaker (1937) became his most famous photo and was purchased by National Gallery of Australia, Canberra in 1976
04 April 1979-2008Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger
Australian actor (10 Things I Hate About You, The Patriot, A Knight’s Tale, Monster’s Ball, Ned Kelly, Brother’s Grimm, Lords of Dogtown, I’m Not There, Brokeback Mountain, Casanova, Candy, Dark Knight, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus), avid chess player winning WA Junior Chess Championship at age 10, Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Dark Knight), daughter Matilda Rose born 28 Oct 2005
05 April 1972 Paul Michael OkonAustralian footballer, coach, captained Australian National Team, Australian Football Hall of Fame 2009
06 April 1922-1999Gordon Maitland ChaterBritish-Australian stage, radio, TV actor (Mavis Bramston Show, My Name’s McGooley What’s Yours), Gold Logie 1966
06 April 1982 Michael Guy ChislettAustralian musician (bands: The Academy Is, Pistol Youth), played and toured with Hillsong United (All of the Above, United We Stand)
07 April 1968 Duncan Armstrong
Duncan John D’Arcy
     Armstrong
Australian freestyle swimmer, 1988 Seoul Olympic Gold Medal, Sport Australia Hall of Fame 1993
07 April 1972 Joanne BrownAustralian softball catcher, 2000 Olympics Sydney Bronze Medal, 1996 Olympics Atlanta Bronze Medal, Softball Australia Hall of Fame 2004
07 April 1939-1992Brett WhiteleyAustralian painter, Archibald Prize 1976 & 78, Sulman Prize 1976 & 78, Wynne Prize 1977, 78 & 84, only person to win all 3 prizes in same year (1978), 15 years after his death his painting Olgas for Ernest Giles sold for an Australian record of $3.5 million
08 April 1900-1979Marie Byles
Marie Beuzeville Byles
Australian, solicitor, feminist, explorer, first woman to be admitted as a solicitor in NSW (1924), author of By Cargo Boat and Mountain about her expeditions around the world, campaigned for social justice, significant in introducing and promoting Buddhism in NSW, wrote The Lotus and the Spinning Wheel, bequeathed her home to the National Trust of Australia NSW to preserve the native bushland and surrounding reserves
08 April 1951 Peta Toppano
Peita Margaret Toppano
British-Australian actress (Class of ’75, Young Doctors, Prisoner, Home & Away, Heartbreak High, Return to Eden, Paper Man, Which Way Home, Bordertown, Never Tell Me Never, Harbour Beat)
08 April 1952-1995Gregg HansfordAustralian motorcycle and touring car racer, winner 1993 Bathurst 1000, died in 1995 from an impact with another car while competing at over 200 km/h in a Supertouring race at Phillip Island
09 April 1929-1993Fred Hollows
Frederick Cossom Hollows
Australian ophthalmologist, known for his work in restoring eyesight to thousands of people in Australia and around the world, more than 1 million people can see because of initiatives he instigated, pioneered a low cost method for manufacturing intraocular lenses, trained doctors in poor communities overseas to perform simple eye surgery, started the Fred Hollows Foundation (1992), received many awards and honours including Australian of the Year 1990, Human Rights Medal 1990, featured on the 2010 $1 coin from the Royal Australian Mint, although he was an atheist he given a state funeral service at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, but buried in Bourke NSW
09 April 1867-1941John C. Watson3rd Prime Minister of Australia (1904-04), Australian Commonwealth Labor Party, he is the youngest Prime Minister in Australia’s history taking office at 37, served 3 months 21days in Australia’s highest office
09 April 1909-1986Robert Helpmann
Robert Murray Helpman
Australian dancer, actor, choreographer, at 27 joined touring dance company of Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, actor (The Red Shoes, One of Our Aircraft Is Missing, 55 Days at Peking, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Patrick, Don Quixote), Director of the Australian Ballet 1974-76, in respect given a state funeral in Sydney, Australian of the Year 1965
10 April 1935 Peter Hollingworth
Peter John Hollingworth
Australian retired Anglican bishop, 8th Archbishop of Brisbane (1989-91), 23rd Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia (2001-03), Australian of the Year 1991Australian Living Treasures 1997
11 April 1928-2013Tommy Tycho
Thomas Tycho
Hungarian-Australian pianist, conductor, composer,  film scores (Young Einstein, Reckless Kelly), TV music (Anzac series, Riptide), medal ceremony music for Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games
11 April 1866-1953Bernard Patrick O’DowdAustralian poet, activist, child prodigy, Chief Parliamentary Draughtsman in the Supreme Court in Melbourne for 48 years, co-publisher and writer for radical paper Tocsin, poetry included (The Silent Land, Seven Deadly Sins, Dawnward, The Bush)
12 April 1883-1959Dally Messenger
Herbert Henry Messenger
“The Master”
Australian rugby footballer, recognised as one of the greatest-ever players in either code, represented Australia in 2 rugby union tests and 7 rugby league tests, after becoming a rugby league player his rugby union games were struck from NSW Rugby Union record books and not restored until 2008 (100 years later), Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame 2003
12 April 1952 Mike Munro
Michael Munro
Australian journalist and TV presenter (60 Minutes, A Current Affair, This Is Your Life, Missing Persons Unit, What A Year, Nine News, Ten Eyewitness News)
12 April 1961 Magda Szubanski
Magdalene Mary Szubanski
British-Australian comedian, TV presenter, radio host, actress (Babe, Babe Pig in the City, Farscape, Kath & Kim, Happy Feet 1 & 2, Crocodile Hunter Collision Course, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)Logie Award 199619921991
13 April 1891-1921Maurice Vincent Buckley
Gerald Sexton
Australian soldier who served under the pseudonym Gerald Sexton, awarded the Victoria Cross in WWI, his real identity was disclosed by the time King George V presented the VC to him at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace (1919), the VC citation for his actions 18 Sept 1918 was “dealing with enemy machine-guns, rushing enemy posts, and performing great feats of bravery and endurance without faltering or for a moment taking cover”, 10 Victoria Cross recipients were pallbearers at his funeral following his death 3 years later from a riding accident in Gippsland
13 April 1895-1973Arthur William Fadden13th Prime Minister of Australia (1941-41), Australian Country Party, was Prime Minister 40 days before resigning to Governor-General Lord Gowrie
13 April 1945 Judy NunnAustralian actress (The Box, Prisoner, Sons and Daughters, Home and Away), author (Eye in the Storm, Eye in the City, Challenge of the Trumpalar, The Glitter Game, Beneath the Southern Cross), scripts (Neighbours, Possession)
13 April 1941 Alan JonesAustralian radio broadcaster, former coach of Australian National Rugby Union Team and of Rugby League, speech writer for Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser (1979–81), ran 3 times for political office but lost, host of popular Sydney breakfast radio program on 2GB, Sport Australia Hall of Fame 1989
14 April 1860-1933George RobertsonScottish-Australian bookseller, publisher, with D. M. Angus in 1886 co-founded Angus & Robertson booksellers, around 1895 began publishing, authors included Henry LawsonBanjo PatersonVictor Daley
14 April 1978 Paul O’BrienSouth African-Australian actor (Home and Away, Tell Them Lucifer Was Here, John Doe)Logie 2003
15 April 1883-1967Stanley Melbourne Bruce8th Prime Minister of Australia (1923-29), Australian Nationalist Party, portrait on 1972 postage stamp, Canberra suburb Bruce named after him
15 April 1952 Kym GyngellAustralian comedian (The Comedy Company, Full Frontal), actor (Lowdown, Underbelly, Wills & Burke, Heaven Tonight, The Wog Boy, The Hard Word)

APRIL 16 TO 30

BirthDeathBorn in AprilA little bit about them . . .
16 April 1865-1945Harry Chauvel
Henry George Chauvel
Australian general, fought at Gallipoli, first Australian to attain rank of lieutenant general, later major general, comander of Desert Mounted Corps, commander of Anzac Mounted Division, commanded the mounted infantry bayonet charge by the 4th Light Horse Brigade in the Battle of Beersheba 1917, after helping to win the Battle of Megiddo his mounted divisions followed up with 167 km in only 3 days to help capture Damascus with the Australian Mounted Division losing 21 killed and 71 wounded, capturing 31,335 Turkish prisoners, awarded French Croix de Guerre avec Palme by the President of France, Order of the Nile by the Sultan of Egypt, Order of St Michael and St George by King George V
16 April 1940 Paul Cox
Paulus Henriqus
   Benedictus Cox
Dutch-Australian film director (My First Wife, Human Touch, Man of Flowers, Secret Life of Trees), 1984 AFI Award, Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Award 1991
16 April 1954 John BoweAustralian race car driver, first place in Touring Car Masters 2011, 12, 16, Australian Touring Car Championship 1995, Australian Sports Car Championship 1086, Australian Drivers Championship 1984, 85, winner Bathurst 1000 in 1989, 94
16 April 1978 Matthew James LloydAustralian rules footballer, Coleman Medal 2001, 02, 03, Jim Stynes Medal 2001, Australian football Hall of Fame
17 April 1910-1999Ivan GoffAustralian screenwriter (Man of a Thousand Faces, King of the Khyber Rifles, pilot for Charles Angels,  Legend of the Lone Ranger, Logan’s Run, Ironside, Burke’s Law, Mannix )
17 April 1977 Phil JamiesonAustralian musician, singer, founding member of alternative rock band Grinspoon
18 April 1839-1882Henry Kendall
Thomas Henry Kendall
Australian bush poet (Bell BirdsLast of His TribeHow The Melbourne Cup Was WonFaith In God)
18 April 1951 Ricardo FortalezaFilipino-Australian bantamweight division boxer, gold medal Tokyo 1969 Asian youth championships, gold medal Bangkok Asian Games, silver medal Asian Boxing Championship 1971 Tehran, Manila Golden Gloves Champion 1965-71
18 April 1985 Karl ReindlerAustralian race car driver, 1st place Australian Forumla 3 championship 2004, Australian F3 Rookie of the Year 2003
20 April 1919-1943Richard HillaryAustralian Spitfire pilot and author (The Last Enemy), Flight Lieutenant No. 603 Squadron RAF, shot down 3 September 1940 by a Messerschmitt BF 109, bailed out into North Sea but suffered extensive burns to his face and hands, endured painful surgery, returned to duty, died 8 Jan 1943 with radio operator when they crashed during a night training flight
20 April 1938 Betty Cuthbert
Elizabeth Cuthbert
Australian athlete, world records for 60 metres, 100 yards, 200 metres, 220 yards and 440 yards, four-time Olympic champion: 3 gold medals 1956 Melbourne (100 & 200 metres, 4×100 m relay), gold medal 1964 Toyoko (400 metres), three-time Commonwealth Games gold medal 1962 Perth (4×110 yards relay), 2 silver medals 1958 Cardiff (220 yards & 4×110 yards relay), one of Olympic Torch bearers sitting in her wheelchair pushed by Raelene Boyle in the stadium at Opening Ceremony 2000 Summer Olympics SydneyNational Living Treasure
20 April 1963 Bret Garsed
Brett Edward Garsed
Australian musician songwriter, guitarist with John Farnham (Whispering Jack, Age of Reason , Chain Reaction), with American band Nelson (After the Rain, Because They Can, Imaginator, Perfect Storm)
20 April 1966 David Chalmers
David John Chalmers
Australian philosopher, cognitive scientist, author (The Conscious Mind), Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Centre for Consciousness at the Australian National University, Professor of Philosophy at New York University, elected in 2013 Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences
20 April 1983 Miranda Kerr
Miranda May Kerr
Australian supermodel, began modeling at 13, first Australian Victoria’s Secret Angels, first pregnant model for Vogue Australia for 2011, earned $6.5 million she placed # 6 in Forbes 2015 list of world’s highest paid models
21 April 1944 Russell BoydAustralian cinematographer, 2003 Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Master & Commander Far Side of the World), Australian Film Institute for Best Achivement in Cinematography 1981 (Gallipoli), 1978 (The Last Wave), 1977 (Break of Day)
22 April 1917-1992Sidney Nolan
Sidney Robert Nolan
Australian artist, painted wide range of historical and legendary figures (Ned Kelly, Burke & Wills, Eliza Fraser), his paintings of Ned Kelly in his armour is the iconic Australian image and shown on a giant screen during 2000 Summer Olympics Sydney opening ceremony, he also illustrated over 70 publications, in 1965 completed large mural (20 x 3.6 metre) rendered in enamelled jewellery on 1.5 tonnes heavy guage copper to depict 1854 Eureka Stockage, this mural is located at entrance to Reserve Bank of Australia in Melbourne, painting First-Class Marksman sold in 2010 for $5.4 million by the Art Gallery of NSW
23 April 1962 Elaine SmithScottish-Australian actress (Neighbours, Sons and Daughters, Flying Doctors, All Saints, Home & Away)
23 April 1955 Judy DavisAustralian actress (Husbands & Wives, My Brilliant Career, A Passage to India, Serving in Silence, The Starter Wife), AACTA Award, two BAFTA Awards, three Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Award
23 April 1969 Richard Wolstencroft
Richard Masters
Australian filmmaker (Marauders, Bloodlust, Pearls Before Swine, The Beautiful and Damned), founder and director Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF)
24 April 1877-1964Irene Longman
Irene Maud Bayley
Australian politician and teacher, elected in 1929 to represent Country and Progressive National Party in seat of Bulimba in Queensland Legislative Assembly, as a woman never allowed to use parliamentary dining room but required to eat meals on the verandah, also during that time there were no women’s toilets in the parliamentary building, president of the National Council of Women of Queensland
24 April 1941 John Williams
John Christopher Williams
Australian classical guitarist, Grammy Award 1973, visiting professor & honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music in London
24 April 1959 Malcolm OastlerAustralian engineer, responsible for many designs at Reynard in racing categories: Formula Ford, Formula Ford 2000, Formula 3000 and IndyCar
25 April 1892-1964Ola Cohn
Carola Cohn
Australian artist, best known for sculpture the Fairies Tree in Fitzroy Gardens Melbourne donated to children of Melboune, author (The Fairies Tree, Castles in the Air, Mostly Cats)
25 April 1960 Bruce RedmanAustralian academic, filmmaker, Big Brother ( 2001–02 producer,director, writer), taught at Bond University, QUT and Griffith University, University of Queensland
25 April 1975 Chris Lilley
Christopher Daniel Lilley
Australian actor, comedian, writer (Big Bite, We Can Be Heroes, Summer Heights High, Angry Boys, Ja’mie: Private School Girl, Jonah from Tonga), two Logies 2006, two Logie Awards 2008Logie Award 2014
26 April 1916-1999Morris West
Morris Langlo West
Australian playwright, novelist (The Devil’s Advocate (1959), Shoes of the Fisherman (1963), The Clowns of God(1981)), books published in 27 languages sold over 60 million copies worldwide, helped found Australian Society of Authors in 1960s, never won the acceptance of Australia’s literary clique, 1997 Oxford Literary History of Australia did not mention him at all
26 April 1922 Margaret Scott
Catherine Margaret Mary
   Scott
South African-Australian ballet dancer, teacher, choreographer, helped found Australian Ballet School 1964
26 April 1943 Prue Acton
Prudence Leigh Acton
Australian fashion designer, designed Australian Olympic uniforms (Lake Placid 1978, Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988), in 1967 became first Australian female designer to show her range of garments in New York, 1982 estimated world-wide sales of her designs were $11 million from sales in Australia and overseas, 2005 honoured on a commemorative Australian postage stamp with other Australian fashion designers
27 April 1967 Erik ThomsonScottish-Australian actor (Packed to the Rafters, The Alice, Pacific Drive, Always Greener, All Saints)2003 Silver Logie
27 April 1969 Spike Cheney
Grahame Francis Cheney
Australian boxer, silver medal 1988 Summer Olympics Seoul (light welterweight), bronze medal 1990 Commonwealth Games Auckland (welterweight)
28 April 1795-1869Charles Sturt
Charles Napier Sturt
British explorer of Australia, his explorations led to city of Adelaide being established, charted the Murray river from the Murrumbidgee River, rowed and sailed almost 2,900 kilometres of the river system, his party almost died of starvation, ordeal left him almost blind, developed scurvy while on later expeditions to reach the centre of Australia, appointed Colonia Secretary in Adelaide, unsuccessfully applied for position of Governor of Victoria and Governor of Queensland, he is commorated by Sturt’s Desert Pea, Sturt’s Desert Rose, Sturt Stony Desert, Sturt Highway, Charles Sturt University, buried in Cheltenham Cemetary, England
28 April 1956 Jimmy Barnes
James Dixon Swan
Scottish-Australian singer, lead vocalist with rock band Cold Chisel, Barnes is his step-father’s surname, ARIA Hall of Fame 2005ARIA Hall of Fame (with Cold Chisel) 2006ARIA 1992ARIA 1989
29 April 1929-2014Peter Sculthorpe
Peter Joshua Sculthorpe
Australian composer (Kakadu, Earth Cry, Irkanda, Rites of Passage), Emeritus Professor University of Sydney, 1982 a painting of Sculthorpe by artist Eric Smith won the Archibald Prize, an Australian Living Treasure
29 April 1950 Phillip NoyceAustralian film director (Patriot Games, Bone Collector, Rabbit-Proof Fence, Salt, Americana, Mary and Martha, Dead Calm, Revenge, The Giver, Catch a Fire)
29 April 1984Firass DiraniLebanese-Australian actor (Underbelly Golden Mile, Hacksaw Ridge, House Husbands, HOme & Away, All Saints, Potato Factory, Black Balloon, and Killer Elite), two Logie Awards 2011
30 April 1943 Paul JenningsBritish-Australian children’s book writer (Rascal series, Cabbage Patch series, Gizmo series, Singenpoo series and others), winner of over 60 literary awards
30 April 1987 Nikki WebsterAustralian pop singer (Strawberry Kisses, Something More Beautiful), best known for starring in 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics opening ceremony

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