1951 in Australia

Incumbents

Monarch – King George VI

Governor-General – (Sir) William McKell

Prime Minister – Robert Menzies

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 – 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 (until 8 May), then Sir Ronald Cross, 1st Baronet (from 22 August)

Governor of Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooks

Governor of Western Australia – Sir James Mitchell (until 1 July), then Sir Charles Gairdner (from 6 November)

Events

1 January – The 50th anniversary of Australian federation is celebrated.

19 February – Jean Lee becomes the last woman to be hanged in Australia, when she, Robert Clayton and Norman Andrews are executed in Melbourne for the murder of a 73-year-old man.

1 March – The Bank of Australasia merges with the Union Bank of Australia to form the ANZ Bank.

9 March – The High Court of Australia rules in the case Australian Communist Party v Commonwealth that the Communist Party Dissolution Bill 1950, passed by the parliament to ban the Communist Party of Australia, was unconstitutional.

19 March – The Governor-General, William McKell, issues a double dissolution of parliament for the second time in its history, citing the Senate's referral of the Commonwealth Bank Bill as a "failure to pass" the bill.

12 April – Conscription begins as the first call-up notice is issued under the National Service Act (1951), requiring Australian 18-year-old males to undergo compulsory military training.

28 April – A federal election is held. The Liberal government of Robert Menzies retains power.

8 June – The first lessons of the School of the Air are broadcast from the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Adelaide.

16 August – The Australian Financial Review is first published.

1 September – The Anzus Treaty, between Australia, New Zealand and the United States, is signed.

9 September – Australia signs the Treaty of San Francisco, formalising peace with Japan.

22 September – A federal referendum is held, proposing to alter the Australian Constitution to allow the banning of the Communist Party. The referendum was not carried.

4 October – Francis McEncroe sells the first Chiko Rolls at the Wagga Wagga agricultural show.

15 October - A De Havilland Dove aircraft crashes near Kalgoorlie killing all 7 on board.

13 November – William McKell is gazetted a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George, becoming the only Governor-General of Australia to be knighted during their term.

Arts and literature

Ivor Hele wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Laurie Thomas

Justin O'Brien wins the inaugural Blake Prize for Religious Art with his work The Virgin Enthroned

Sport

Athletics

5 March – Gordon Stanley wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:59:44.6 in Hobart.

Cricket

Victoria wins the Sheffield Shield

Australia defeats England 4-1 in The Ashes

Football

The 1951 French rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand is conducted

Bledisloe Cup: won by the All Blacks

Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Souths defeated Easts 20-10

New South Wales Rugby League premiership: South Sydney defeated Manly-Warringah 42-14

South Australian National Football League premiership: won by Port Adelaide

Victorian Football League premiership: Geelong defeated Essendon 81-70

Golf

Australian Open: won by Peter Thomson

Australian PGA Championship: won by Norman Von Nida

Horse Racing

Basha Felika wins the Caulfield Cup

Bronton wins the Cox Plate

Delta wins the Melbourne Cup

Motor Racing

The Australian Grand Prix was held at Narrogin and won by Warwick Pratley driving a George Reed Special

Tennis

Australian Open men's singles: Dick Savitt defeats Ken McGregor 6-3 2–6 6-3 6-1

Australian Open women's singles: Nancye Wynne Bolton defeats Thelma Coyne Long 6-1 7-5

Davis Cup: Australia defeats the United States 3-2 in the 1951 Davis Cup final

US Open: Frank Sedgman wins the Men's Singles

Wimbledon: Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman win the Men's Doubles

Yachting

Margaret Rintoul takes line honours and Struen Marie wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

Births

19 January – Charles Blunt, politician

20 January – Clyde Sefton, road cyclist

26 February – Wayne Goss, Premier of Queensland

29 April – Jon Stanhope, Chief Minister of the ACT

29 May – Don Baird, pole vaulter

4 July – John Alexander, tennis player and politician

6 July – Geoffrey Rush, actor

31 July – Evonne Goolagong Cawley, tennis player

5 August – John Jarratt, actor

6 August – Daryl Somers, television personality

30 August – Danny Clark, track cyclist and road bicycle racer

9 September – Alexander Downer, politician

27 September – Geoff Gallop, Premier of Western Australia

1 December – Doug Mulray, radio personality

18 December – Andy Thomas, astronaut

22 December – Jan Stephenson, professional golfer

Deaths

29 January – Frank Tarrant (born 1880), cricketer

18 April – Daisy Bates (born 1863), journalist and social worker

27 May – Thomas Blamey (born 1884), soldier

13 June – Ben Chifley (born 1885), Prime Minister of Australia