| 1955 in Australia | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
|---|---|
| Governor-General | William Slim |
| Prime Minister | Robert Menzies |
| Population | 9,199,729 |
| Elections | Federal, TAS, VIC |
See also: 1954 in Australia, other events of 1955, 1956 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.
Contents |
Incumbents
State 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
State 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
Science & 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
Sport
- 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
See also
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