1950 in Australia

Infobox Australian year
monarch = George VI
governor-general = William McKell
pm =Robert Menzies
population = 8,178,696
australian =
elections =NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS"See also:"
1949 in Australia,
other events of 1950,
1951 in Australia and the
Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

*Monarch – King George VI
*Governor-General – William McKell
*Prime Minister – Robert Menzies

State Premiers

* Premier of New South Wales – James McGirr
* Premier of Queensland – Ned Hanlon
* Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
* Premier of Tasmania – Robert Cosgrove
* Premier of Victoria – Thomas Hollway (until June 27), then John McDonald
* Premier of Western Australia – Ross McLarty

tate Governors

*Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Northcott
*Governor of Queensland – Sir John Lavarack
*Governor of South Australia – Sir Charles Norrie
*Governor of Tasmania – Sir Hugh Binney
*Governor of Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooks
*Governor of Western Australia – Sir James Mitchell

Events

* January 25 – The Tank Landing Ship HMAS "Tarakan" explodes at Garden Island in Sydney, killing 8 persons.
* February 8 – Petrol rationing ends, nearly ten years after it was introduced during World War II.
* May 6 – A state election is held in Tasmania. The result is a hung parliament, but Robert Cosgrove's Labor Party remains in power with independent support.
* May 13 – A state election is held in Victoria.
* June 23 – The Parliament of Australia passes the "Communist Party Dissolution Bill", effectively banning the operation of the Communist Party of Australia.
* June 26 – Australian National Airways Skymaster VH-ANA "Amana" crashes near Perth, Western Australia, killing 28. One passenger survived (ANA Skymaster Amana crash)
* July 26 – The government announces that Australia will send troops to fight in the Korean War. The first Australian forces land in Korea on September 17.
* October 28 – The "Smith's Weekly" newspaper, founded in 1919, is published for the last time.
* New South Wales and Queensland receive extraordinary annual rainfall.

Arts and literature

*December 11 – "A Town Like Alice" by Nevil Shute is published.

Unknown dates

* William Dargie wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Sir Leslie McConnan
* The novel "Power Without Glory" by Frank Hardy is published.
* The Ballet "Corroboree", by John Antill, is first performed

Film

port

* General
** Australia wins 34 gold medals at the 4th British Empire Games, held in Auckland, New Zealand

* Cricket
** New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield

* Cycling
** Sid Patterson wins the world amateur pursuit cycling title in Belgium

* Football
** Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Easts defeated Wests 14-10
** New South Wales Rugby League premiership: South Sydney defeated Western Suburbs 21-15
** South Australian National Football League premiership: won by Norwood
** Victorian Football League premiership: Essendon defeated North Melbourne 92-54

* Golf
** Australian Open: won by Norman Von Nida
** Australian PGA Championship: won by Norman Von Nida

* Horse Racing
** "Grey Boots" wins the Caulfield Cup
** "Alister" wins the Cox Plate
** "Comic Court" wins the Melbourne Cup

* Motor Racing
** The Australian Grand Prix was held at Nuriootpa and won by Doug Whiteford driving a Ford

* Tennis
** Australian Open men's singles: Frank Sedgman defeats Ken McGregor 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-1
** Australian Open women's singles: Louise Brough defeats Doris Hart 6-4 3-6 6-4
** Davis Cup: Australia defeats the United States 4-1 in the 1950 Davis Cup final
** US Open: John Bromwich and Frank Sedgman win the Men's Doubles
** Wimbledon: John Bromwich and Adrian Quist win the Men's Doubles

* Yachting
** "Margaret Rintoul" takes line honours and "Nerida" wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

Births

* January 1 – Wayne Bennett, rugby league coach
* February 11 – John Cobb, politician
* February 14 – Phil Dent, tennis player
* February 16 – Malcolm Blight, Australian Rules football player
* February 20 – Gary Manuel, football (soccer) player
* March 1 – Estelle Blackburn, journalist
* March 11 – Sam Kekovich, Australian Rules football player
* March 18 – Larry Perkins, ATCC/V8 Supercars racing driver
* March 30 – Warren Snowdon, politician
* April 10 – Mick Dodson, indigenous leader
* April 15 – Peter Cochrane, historian
* April 29 – Phillip Noyce, film director
* May 11 – Gary Foley, indigenous activist
* May 15 – Jim Bacon, Premier of Tasmania (2001–2004, d. 2004)
* May 26 – Paul Omodei, WA politician
* May 29 – Lesley Hunt, tennis player
* May 31 – Warren Entsch, politician
* July 15 – Colin Barnett, WA politician
* July 15 – Alan Hurst, cricketer
* July 15 – Peter Reith, politician
* July 17 – Nick Bolkus, politician
* July 21 – Allan Maher, football (soccer) goalkeeper
* August 8 – Philip Salom, poet and novelist
* August 16 – Jeff Thomson, cricketer
* September 6 – Robyn Davidson, writer
* September 11 – Bruce Doull, Australian Rules football player
* September 27 – John Marsden, writer
* October 14 – Kate Grenville, novelist
* November 2 – Graeme Murphy, choreographer
* November 7 – John Lang, rugby league player
* November 25 – Alexis Wright, writer
* December 1 – Ross Hannaford, guitarist (Daddy Cool)
* December 10 – Robert Cusack, swimmer
* December 12 – Louis Nowra, writer and playwright
* December 18 – Gillian Armstrong, film director
* December 22 – Nick Enright, playwright, director

Deaths

*January 2 – James Dooley (b. 1877), Premier of New South Wales (1921–1922)
*January 20 – Ray Duggan (b. 1913), speedway motorcycle racer
*January 25 – Chummy Fleming (b. 1863), trade unionist
*February 23 – Henry Willis (b. 1860), politician
*February 28 – Ted Theodore (b. 1884), Premier of Queensland (1919–1925)
*March 19 – Harry Wright (b. 1870), Australian rules footballer (Essendon)
*April 14 – Sir Albert Dunstan (b. 1882), Premier of Victoria (1935–1943, 1943–1945)
*May 6 – Lancelot De Mole (b. 1880), engineer and inventor
*May 15 – Jack Hickey (b. 1887), dual-code rugby international
*June 11 – Ernest Henshaw (b. 1870), WA politician
*June 20 – Claude Jennings (b. 1884), cricketer
*July 14 – Bill Howell (b. 1869), cricketer
*July 31 – George Wise (b. 1853), politician and solicitor
*August 6 – Edwin Corboy (b. 1896), politician
*August 8 – Fergus McMaster (b. 1879), co-founder of Qantas
*September 3 – Michael Durack (b. 1865), pastoralist and WA pioneer
*September 22 – Edward Fowell Martin (b. 1875), soldier
*September 24 – Dame Mary Turner Cook (b. 1863), wife of Prime Minister Sir Joseph Cook
*November 6 – Frank Brennan (b. 1873), politician
*November 20 – Erle Cox (b. 1873), journalist and science fiction author
*December 16 – James Fenton (b. 1864), politician
*December 29 – Albert Lane (b. 1873), politician

See also

* 1950
* 1950s