1959 in Australia
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| 1959 in Australia | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
|---|---|
| Governor-General | William Slim |
| Prime Minister | Robert Menzies |
| Population | 10,056,479 |
| Elections | SA, WA, NSW, TAS |
See also: 1958 in Australia, other events of 1959, 1960 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.
Contents |
[edit] Incumbents
[edit] State Premiers
- Premier of New South Wales – Joseph Cahill (until 22 October), then Robert Heffron
- Premier of South Australia – Sir Thomas Playford
- Premier of Queensland – Frank Nicklin
- Premier of Tasmania – Eric Reece
- Premier of Western Australia – Albert Hawke (until 2 April), then David Brand
- Premier of Victoria – Henry Bolte
[edit] State Governors
- Governor of New South Wales – Sir Eric Woodward
- Governor of Queensland – Sir Henry Abel Smith
- Governor of South Australia – Sir Robert George
- Governor of Tasmania – Thomas Corbett, 2nd Baron Rowallan (from 21 October)
- Governor of Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooks
- Governor of Western Australia – Sir Charles Gairdner
[edit] Events
- 26 January (Australia Day) - Darwin was granted city status
- February - major floods in Queensland [1]
- March - formal construction of the Sydney Opera House began
- 4 June - the Soviet embassy in Canberra was reopened. It had been closed since 29 April 1954 as a result of the Petrov Affair [2]
- 29 July - Qantas launched its first jet service from Sydney to San Francisco via Nadi and Honolulu.
- August and September - Princess Alexandra toured Australia [3]
- September - Australian National University building an "Atom Smasher" [4]
- 23 September the M/S Princess of Tasmania Australia's first passenger Roll-on/roll-off diesel ferry makes maiden voyage across Bass Strait.
- November - Donald Bradman batted for 15 minutes in a demonstration. He retired from cricket. [5]
[edit] Science & Technology
[edit] Arts and literature
- William Dobell wins the Archibald Prize with a portrait of Dr Edward MacMahon
- The Big Fellow by Vance Palmer wins the Miles Franklin Literary Award
[edit] Film
On the Beach starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner was shot around Melbourne. The film was based on the novel by Nevil Shute.
[edit] Television
Six O'Clock Rock screened on the Australian Broadcasting Commission's channel. It was compered by Johnny O'Keefe and was the ABC's response to Bandstand on Channel Nine.
[edit] Sport
- Cricket
- New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield
- England toured Australia in the summer of 1958/59 for The Ashes; Australia won the series 4-0.
- Football
- Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Northern Suburbs defeated Brothers 24-18
- New South Wales Rugby League premiership: St. George defeated Manly-Warringah 20-0
- South Australian National Football League premiership: won by Port Adelaide
- Victorian Football League premiership: Melbourne defeated Essendon 115-78
- Golf
- Australian Open: won by Kel Nagle
- Horse Racing
- Regal Wench wins the Caulfield Cup
- Noholme wins the Cox Plate
- Fine and Dandy wins the Golden Slipper
- Macdougal wins the Melbourne Cup
- Motor Racing
- Jack Brabham wins the 1959 Formula One Drivers' Championship
- The Australian Grand Prix was held at Longford, Tasmania and won by Stan Jones driving a Maserati
- Tennis
- Australian Open men's singles: Alex Olmedo defeats Neale Fraser 6-1 6-2 3-6 6-3
- Australian Open women's singles: Mary Carter defeats Renee Schuurman 6-2 6-3
- Davis Cup: Australia defeats the United States 3-2 in the 1959 Davis Cup final
- Yachting
- Solo takes line honours and Cherana wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
[edit] Births
- January 31 — Anthony LaPaglia, actor
- February 8 — Andrew Hoy, equestrian rider
- February 12 — Sigrid Thornton, actress
- February 24 — Mike Whitney, cricketer
- June 5 — Mark Ella, rugby union player
- July 21 — Paul Vautin, rugby league footballer, coach and media personality
- July 26 — Gary Honey, long jumper
- July 29 — Gene Miles, rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s
- August 12 — Kerry Boustead, rugby league footballer
- August 19 — Rodney Adler, businessman
- August 30 — Mark "Jacko" Jackson, Australian footballer and actor
- September 12 — Brad Dalton, basketball player
- October 6 — Robyn Maher, basketball player
- October 11 — Wayne Gardner, motorcycle and touring car racer
- September 4 — Kevin Harrington, Australian actor
- December 1 — Wally Lewis, rugby league footballer and coach
- December 12 — Christine Stanton, high jumper
- December 15 — Greg Matthews, cricketer
[edit] Deaths
- February 22 - Harold Hardwick (b. 1888), freestyle swimmer
- June 20 - Sir Ian Clunies Ross (b. 1899), scientist
- August 8 - Albert Namatjira (b. 1902), Aboriginal artist noted for his central Australian landscapes painted in water-colours
- October 14 - Errol Flynn (b. 1909), Hollywood movie star born in Tasmania
- October 14 - Jack Davey radio comedian and quiz show host
- October 22 - Joseph Cahill (b. 1891), Premier of New South Wales
- November 10 - Gertrude Bodenweiser Australian choreographer [6]
- November 11 - Charles Chauvel (b. 1897), film maker
- November 24 - Dally Messenger (b. 1883), rugby footballer
- December 18 - Edouard Borovansky, Czech born ballet dancer and choreographer; founder of the Borovansky Australian Ballet
