1950 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1950 in Australia.

Incumbents

* Monarch – George VI
* Governor-General – William McKell
* Prime Minister – Robert Menzies
* Chief Justice – Sir John Latham

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)

See also

* List of Australian films of the 1950s

External links

1950s Australia

{{Oceania topic, 1950 in, countries_only=yes

Australia
Years of the 20th century in Australia