1950 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1950 in Australia.

1950 in Australia
Monarch	George VI
Governor-General	William McKell
Prime minister	Robert Menzies
Population	8,178,696
Elections	NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS

List of events

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1949
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1950
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1951
1952
1953

Decades:

1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s

Incumbents

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 27 June), then John McDonald
Premier of Western Australia – Ross McLarty

State 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

25 January – The Tank Landing Ship HMAS Tarakan explodes at Garden Island in Sydney, killing 8 people.
8 February – Petrol rationing ends, nearly ten years after it was introduced during World War II.
6 May – 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.
13 May – A state election is held in Victoria.
23 June – The Parliament of Australia passes the Communist Party Dissolution Bill, effectively banning the operation of the Communist Party of Australia.
26 June – Douglas DC-4 Amana crashes near Perth, Western Australia, killing 28. One passenger survived the crash.
26 July – The government announces that Australia will send troops to fight in the Korean War. The first Australian forces land in Korea on 17 September.
28 October – 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

11 December – 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

Sport

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

1 January – Wayne Bennett, rugby league footballer and coach
26 January – Barry Round, Australian rules footballer (died 2022)
30 January – Jack Newton, golfer (died 2022)
11 February – John Cobb, politician
14 February – Phil Dent, tennis player
16 February – Malcolm Blight, Australian Rules football player
20 February – Garry Manuel, football (soccer) player
1 March – Estelle Blackburn, journalist
11 March – Sam Kekovich, Australian Rules football player
18 March – Larry Perkins, ATCC/V8 Supercars racing driver
20 March – Warren Snowdon, politician
10 April – Mick Dodson, indigenous leader
11 April – Jim Molan, politician and army officer (died 2023)
13 April – Tommy Raudonikis, rugby league player and coach (died 2021)
15 April – Peter Cochrane, historian
21 April – Bruce Duperouzel, footballer and cricketer
29 April – Phillip Noyce, film director
11 May – Gary Foley, indigenous activist
15 May – Jim Bacon, Premier of Tasmania (2001–2004, died 2004)
26 May – Paul Omodei, WA politician
29 May – Lesley Hunt, tennis player
31 May – Warren Entsch, politician
13 June – Belinda Bauer, actress
13 July – Kevin McQuay, businessman (died 2005)
15 July
- Colin Barnett, WA politician
- Alan Hurst, cricketer
- Peter Reith, politician (died 2022)
17 July – Nick Bolkus, politician
21 July – Allan Maher, football (soccer) goalkeeper
28 July – Jim Maxwell, cricket commentator
8 August – Philip Salom, poet and novelist
16 August – Jeff Thomson, cricketer
19 August – Graeme Beard, cricketer
6 September – Robyn Davidson, writer
11 September – Bruce Doull, Australian Rules football player
27 September – John Marsden, writer
14 October – Kate Grenville, novelist
30 October – Tim Sheens, rugby league footballer and coach
2 November – Graeme Murphy, choreographer
7 November – John Lang, rugby league footballer and coach
25 November – Alexis Wright, writer
1 December – Ross Hannaford, guitarist (Daddy Cool) (died 2016)
10 December – Robert Cusack, swimmer
12 December
- Louis Nowra, writer and playwright
- Judy Wajcman, sociologist
18 December – Gillian Armstrong, film director
22 December – Nick Enright, playwright, director (died 2003)

Deaths

2 January
- James Dooley, 21st Premier of New South Wales (born in Ireland) (b. 1877)
- Beaumont Smith, film director and producer (b. 1885)
20 January – Ray Duggan, speedway racer (b. 1913)
25 January – Chummy Fleming, trade unionist (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1863)
9 February – Ted Theodore, 20th Premier of Queensland (b. 1884)
23 February – Henry Willis, New South Wales politician (b. 1860)
19 March – Harry Wright, Australian rules footballer (Essendon) (b. 1870)
14 April – Sir Albert Dunstan, 33rd Premier of Victoria (b. 1882)
6 May – Lancelot De Mole, engineer and inventor (b. 1880)
15 May – Jack Hickey, Olympic rugby union and league player (b. 1887)
11 June – Ernest Henshaw, Western Australian politician (b. 1870)
20 June – Claude Jennings, cricketer (b. 1884)
14 July – Bill Howell, cricketer (b. 1869)
31 July – George Wise, Victorian politician and solicitor (b. 1853)
6 August – Edwin Corboy, Western Australian politician (b. 1896)
8 August – Sir Fergus McMaster, businessman and aviation pioneer (b. 1879)
3 September – Michael Durack, Western Australian politician and pastoralist (b. 1865)
22 September – Edward Fowell Martin, public servant and soldier (b. 1875)
24 September – Dame Mary Cook, 6th Spouse of the Prime Minister of Australia (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1863)
6 November – Frank Brennan, Victorian politician (b. 1873)
20 November – Erle Cox, journalist and science fiction author (b. 1873)
2 December – James Fenton, Victorian politician (b. 1864)
29 December – Albert Lane, New South Wales politician (b. 1873)

External links

1950s Australia Archived 22 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine

Years in Australia (1788–present)

18th century

19th century

20th century

21st century

Timeline of Australian history

v t e 1950 in Oceania
Sovereign states	Australia Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu
Associated states of New Zealand	Cook Islands Niue