1956 in Australia
 |
| 1956 in Australia | |
|---|---|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | William Slim |
| Prime minister | Robert Menzies |
| Population | 9,425,563 |
| Elections | WA, SA, NSW, TAS, QLD |
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| Decades: | |||||
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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 – 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
- 22 November – The 1956 Summer Olympics opened in Melbourne. The opening ceremony was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with 107,700 people watching.
- The Murray River flooded (the biggest flood in recorded history), affecting many towns near the river.
Arts and literature
- William Dargie wins the Archibald Prize for his portrait of Albert Namatjira
- Quadrant literary magazine is founded, edited by James McAuley
Television
- 16 September – Australia's first TV station TCN-9 begins regular transmission in Sydney
- 5 November – The first TV station of the Australian Broadcasting Commission is launched; ABN-2 Sydney.
Sport
- 8 September – John Russell wins his first men's national marathon title, clocking 2:26:37.8 in Melbourne.
- Melbourne Cup winner in 1956 was Evening Peal, ridden by George Podmore Trained by E.D.Lawson
- New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield
- Kurrewa IV takes line honours and Solo wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
- New South Wales Rugby League premiership: St George defeated Balmain
- Victorian Football League premiership: Melbourne defeated Collingwood
- Australian Men's Tennis Championship was won by Lew Hoad from NSW aged 22
- Australian Women's Tennis Championship was won by Miss Mary Carter
Births
- 6 February – Ken Lorraway, triple jumper (died 2007)
- 7 March – David Koch, television personality
- 9 March – Steve Vizard, actor
- 21 April - Richmond Nichols, farmer
- 9 May – Jana Wendt, journalist
- 15 July – Steve Mortimer, rugby league footballer
- 31 July – Ernie Dingo, actor
- 17 August – John Kosmina, soccer player and manager
- 17 September – Ross Glendinning, Australian Rules footballer
- 17 September – Yunupingu, musician (Yothu Yindi) and community leader (d. 2013)
- 16 October – Martin Sacks, actor
- 7 November – Michael Wooldridge, politician
- 14 November – John Anderson, politician
- 23 November – Shane Gould, swimmer
Deaths
- 21 March – Fanny Durack, (born 1889), swimmer
- 29 May – Frank Beaurepaire, (born 1891), swimmer and politician
- 12 July – John Hayes, (born 1868), Premier of Tasmania
