1955 in Australia

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See also: 1954 in Australia, other events of 1955, 1956 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Sir William Slim
• Prime Minister – Robert Menzies

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

• 19 February – The Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty (SEATO) comes into force.^[1]
• 22–28 February - Enormous flooding in the Hunter Valley and adjacent areas of the Murray-Darling Basin causes loss of life and set many rainfall and streamflow records.
• 28 May – A state election is held in Victoria. John Cain's Labor government is defeated by the Liberal and Country Party, led by Henry Bolte.
• August - Widespread floods and exceedingly persistent rainfall effect the southern fringe of the continent.
• 12 August – The aircraft carrier HMAS Vengeance is returned to the Royal Navy.^[2]
• 21 August – The Consolidated Zinc Corporation announced it has discovered bauxite at Weipa, Queensland.^[3]
• 28 October – The aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne is commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy.^[2]
• 23 November – The Cocos Islands come under Australian control.
• 19 December – Dame Edna Everage makes her first appearance.
• Malcolm Fraser first enters Federal Parliament.
• The city of Elizabeth, South Australia is established
• The Democratic Labor Party (DLP) is formed after the Australian Labor Party split of 1955.

Science and 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
• "Men's Wear" and "Collins st,5 p.m" by John Brack painted in Oakleigh, Melbourne, Victoria

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
  • South Australian National Football League premiership: won by Port Adelaide
  • Victorian Football League premiership: Melbourne defeated Collingwood 64–36

• Rugby
  • 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

• 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

• 10 February – Greg Norman, golfer
• 4 March – Tim Costello, Baptist minister and CEO of World Vision
• 31 March – Angus Young, musician
• 23 April – Judy Davis, actress
• 3 May – David Hookes (died 2004), cricketer
• 31 May – Tommy Emmanuel, musician
• 5 July – Peter McNamara, tennis player
• 24 July – David Smith, race walker
• 27 July – Allan Border, cricketer
• 5 August – Robert Flower, footballer
• 19 August – Mary-Anne Fahey, actress and comedienne
• 5 October – Wilbur Wilde, musician
• 8 October – Paul Lennon, Premier of Tasmania
• 11 December – David Atkins, actor and dancer
• 19 December– Lincoln Hall (died 2012), mountain climber

Deaths

• 6 June – Max Meldrum (born 1875), artist
• 11 November – Arthur Cobby (born 1894), military aviator
• 19 December – Keith Smith (born 1890), aviation pioneer

References