The 29th Grand Annual Competition is held at the Coliseum and opens with the New South Wales State Orchestra under the baton of distinguished Belgian conductor, Henri Verbrugghen, a long time adjudicator of South Street.
The planting of trees begins as part of the Avenue of Honour to commemorate the 800 individuals from the Ballarat district who enlisted and died in World War I.
The Spanish flu arrives in Ballarat during the summer months, having been brought back from Europe by soldiers returning home. People are warned to avoid trams, trains and kissing, while the Ballarat showgrounds are used as a temporary hospital for flu patients.
