1958 in Australia

Infobox Australian year
monarch = Elizabeth II
governor-general = William Slim
pm =Robert Menzies
population = 9,842,333
australian =
elections =Federal, VIC

"See also:"
1957 in Australia,
other events of 1958,
1959 in Australia and the
Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

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

tate premiers

*Premier of New South Wales – Joseph Cahill
*Premier of Queensland – Frank Nicklin
*Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
*Premier of Tasmania – Robert Cosgrove (until August 26), then Eric Reece
*Premier of Victoria – Henry Bolte
*Premier of Western Australia – Albert Hawke

tate governors

*Governor of New South Wales – Sir Eric Woodward
*Governor of Queensland – Sir Henry Abel Smith (from March 18)
*Governor of South Australia – Sir Robert George
*Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ronald Cross (until June 4)
*Governor of Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooks
*Governor of Western Australia – Sir Charles Gairdner

Events

* January 14 – Qantas Airways introduces a round-the-world air service from Australia to London.
* January 20 – The Royal Australian Naval College is moved back to Jervis Bay Territory from Flinders Naval Depot in Victoria.
* January 28 to February 11 – Harold Macmillan visits Australia, the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to do so while in office.
* February 14 to March 7 – Elizabeth, the Queen Mother visits Australia for the second time.
* March 21 – John McEwen replaces Arthur Fadden as federal leader of the Country Party.
* March 24 – The Cahill Expressway in Sydney opens, the first true freeway in Australia.
* April 3 – A cyclone destroys most of the town of Bowen in Queensland.
* April 15 – Monash University is founded in Melbourne, Victoria.
* May 11 – Construction of Australia's largest man-made lake, Lake Eucumbene on the Eucumbene River in the Snowy Mountains, is completed.
* May 31 – Henry Bolte's Liberal government is re-elected in Victoria.
* July 19 – The last tram service runs in Perth.
* August 26 – Robert Cosgrove retires as Premier of Tasmania, and is replaced by Eric Reece.
* September 30 – The ANZAC Day Act 1958 receives Royal Assent, making ANZAC Day (April 25) a national public holiday in Australia.
* October 26 – The wreckage of the Australian National Airways Avro 10 aircraft, VH-UMF "Southern Cloud", is found. The aircraft had been missing since 1931
* November 22 – A federal election is held. The Liberal-Country coalition led by Robert Menzies defeats H. V. Evatt's Australian Labor Party with 74 seats to 45 in the House of Representatives, a majority unprecedented since Federation, gained from preferences from the Democratic Labor Party.

Unknown dates

* Johnny O'Keefe has his first hit with "Wild One"
* Radio station 2UE publishes the first Australian Top 40

cience & Technology

* January 26 - The HIFAR nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights goes critical for the first time.

Unknown dates

* Australian engineer Dr. David Warren of Melbourne's Aeronautical Research Laboratories constructs the world's first flight recorder ("black box").

Arts and literature

* December 11 – The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) opens in Sydney.
* William Pidgeon wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of journalist Ray Walker
* Eric Smith wins the Blake Prize for Religious Art with his work "The Moment Christ Died"
* Randolph Stow wins the Miles Franklin Award for "To the Islands"

Film

Television

* November 1 - The first episode of "Bandstand" goes to air on TCN-9, hosted by Brian Henderson.
* November 22 - The Australian federal election, 1958 is the first to be televised.

port

* Athletics
** March 23 - John Russell wins his second men's national marathon title, clocking 2:40:30 in Sydney
** August 6 - Herb Elliott sets a world record for the one-mile dash (3:54.5) at Morton Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.

* Cricket
** New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield

* Football
** Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Brothers defeated Valleys 22-7
** New South Wales Rugby League premiership: St. George defeated Western Suburbs 20-9
** South Australian National Football League premiership: won by Port Adelaide
** Victorian Football League premiership: Collingwood defeated Melbourne 82-64

* Golf
** Australian Open: won by Gary Player

* Horse Racing
** "Sir Blink" wins the Caulfield Cup
** "Yeman" wins the Cox Plate
** "Skyline" wins the Golden Slipper
** "Baystone" wins the Melbourne Cup

* Motor Racing
** The Australian Grand Prix was held at Bathurst and won by Lex Davison driving a Ferrari

* Tennis
** Australian Open men's singles: Ashley Cooper defeats Malcolm Anderson 7-5 6-3 6-4
** Australian Open women's singles: Angela Mortimer defeats Lorraine Coghlan 6-3 6-4
** Davis Cup: Australia is defeated by the United States 3-2 in the 1958 Davis Cup final

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

Births

* March 20 - Phil Anderson, cyclist
* May 5 - Robert DiPierdomenico, footballer and media personality
* May 7 - Alan John , composer
* May 11 - Peter Antonie, rower
* July 3 - Gary Buckenara, Australian Rules footballer
* July 6 - Gary Humphries, politician
* July 13 - Richard Glover, journalist, author and radio personality
* October 13 - Jim Krakouer, Australian Rules footballer
* December 31 - Geoff Marsh, cricketer

Deaths

* April 8 - Ethel Turner (b. 1872), writer
* September 13 - Russell Mockridge (b. 1928), cyclist
* October 14 - Douglas Mawson (b. 1882), polar explorer
* November 30 - Hubert Wilkins (b. 1888), polar explorer

ee also

*1958
*1950s