1955 in Australia

Infobox Australian year
monarch = Elizabeth II
governor-general = William Slim
pm =Robert Menzies
population = 9,199,729
australian =
elections =Federal, TAS, VIC"See also:"
1954 in Australia,
other events of 1955,
1956 in Australia and the
Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

*Monarch – Queen Elizabeth II
*Governor-General – Sir William Slim
*Prime Minister – Robert Menzies

tate Premiers

*Premier of New South Wales – Joseph Cahill
*Premier of Queensland – Vince Gair
*Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
*Premier of Tasmania – Robert Cosgrove
*Premier of Victoria – John Cain I (until 7 June), then Henry Bolte
*Premier of Western Australia – Albert Hawke

tate Governors

*Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Northcott
*Governor of Queensland – Sir John Lavarack
*Governor of South Australia – Sir Robert George
*Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ronald Cross, 1st Baronet
*Governor of Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooks
*Governor of Western Australia – Sir Charles Gairdner

Events

* February 19 - The Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty (SEATO) comes into force
* August 12 - The aircraft carrier HMAS Vengeance is returned to the Royal Navy
* October 28 - The aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne is commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy
* November 23 - The Cocos Islands come under Australian control
* December 19 - Dame Edna Everage makes her first appearance
* Malcolm Fraser first enters Federal Parliament
* Bauxite is first discovered at Weipa, Queensland
* The city of Elizabeth, South Australia is established
* The Democratic Labor Party (DLP) is formed

cience & Technology

* The Guthega power station becomes the first to generate electricity in the Snowy Mountains Scheme

Arts and literature

* Ivor Hele wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of "Robert Campbell Esq"
* Donald Friend wins the Blake Prize for Religious Art with his work "St John and Scenes from the Apocalypse"
* Patrick White's "The Tree of Man" is published
* "I Can Jump Puddles" is published by Alan Marshall

Film

* Jedda, a film by Charles Chauvel, is released

port

* Cricket
** New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield
** England defeats Australia 3-1 in The Ashes

* Football
** Bledisloe Cup: won by the All Blacks
** Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Valleys defeated Brothers 17-7
** New South Wales Rugby League premiership: South Sydney defeated Newtown 12-11
** South Australian National Football League premiership: won by Port Adelaide
** Victorian Football League premiership: Melbourne defeated Collingwood 64-36

* Golf
** Australian Open: won by Bobby Locke
** Australian PGA Championship: won by Ossie Pickworth

* Horse Racing
** "Rising Fast" wins the Caulfield Cup
** "Kingster" wins the Cox Plate
** "Toparoa" wins the Melbourne Cup

* Motor Racing
** The Australian Grand Prix was held at Port Wakefield and won by Jack Brabham driving a Cooper Bristol

* Tennis
** Australian Open men's singles: Ken Rosewall defeats Lew Hoad 9-7 6-4 6-4
** Australian Open women's singles: Beryl Penrose Collier defeats Thelma Coyne Long 6-4 6-3
** Davis Cup: Australia defeats the United States 5-0 in the 1955 Davis Cup final
** Wimbledon: Rex Hartwig and Lew Hoad win the Gentlemen's Doubles

* Yachting
** "Even" takes line honours and "Moonbi" wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

Births

* February 10 - Greg Norman, golfer
* March 4 - Tim Costello, Baptist minister and CEO of World Vision
* March 31 - Angus Young, musician
* April 23 - Judy Davis, actress
* May 3 - David Hookes (d. 2004), cricketer
* May 31 - Tommy Emmanuel, musician
* July 5 - Peter McNamara, tennis player
* July 27 - Allan Border, cricketer
* August 5 - Robert Flower, footballer
* August 19 - Mary-Anne Fahey, actress and comedienne
* October 5 - Wilbur Wilde, musician
* October 8 - Paul Lennon, Premier of Tasmania
* December 11 - David Atkins, actor and dancer

Deaths

* June 6 - Max Meldrum (b. 1875), artist
* November 11 - Arthur Cobby (b. 1894), military aviator
* December 19 - Keith Smith (b. 1890), aviation pioneer

ee also

*1955
*1950s