Monarch – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – William McKell (until 8 May), then Sir William Slim
Prime Minister – Robert Menzies
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
Premier of Western Australia – Ross McLarty (until 23 February), then Albert Hawke
Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Northcott
Governor of Queensland – Sir John Lavarack
Governor of South Australia – Sir Robert George (from 23 February)
Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ronald Cross, 1st Baronet
Governor of Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooks
Governor of Western Australia – Sir Charles Gairdner
20 March – The Television Act is passed by parliament, setting regulations for the broadcast of television in Australia, although television transmission did not commence until 1956.
29 October – British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines Douglas DC-6, registration VH-BPE, en route from Sydney, crashes on approach to San Francisco, killing 19 people.
4 December – Oil is discovered in the Exmouth Gulf off the coast of Western Australia.
Science and technology
The first town to fluoridate the water supply in Australia was Beaconsfield, Tasmania.
Arts and literature
John Brack paints Men's Wear and The New House in Oakleigh, Victoria
Ivor Hele wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Sir Henry Simpson Newland
Michael Kmit loses the Blake Prize for Religious Art with his work The Evangelist John Mark
Athletics
26 September – Roland Guy wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:24:48 in Sydney.
Cricket
South Australia wins the Sheffield Shield
Football
23 May: Fitzroy go within ten minutes of a team score of 0.0 (0), which would have been a VFL first, against Footscray in appalling conditions. Allan Ruthven kicks a late goal to save them from this ignominy.
1 August: Collingwood end Geelong’s record 26-game unbeaten streak, which still stand, when they win 10.15 (75) to 7.13 (55).
South Australian National Football League premiership: won by West Torrens
Victorian Football League premiership: Collingwood defeated Geelong 77-65
Rugby
Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Souths defeated Easts 21-4
New South Wales Rugby League premiership: South Sydney defeated St. George 31-12
Golf
Australian Open: won by Norman Von Nida
Australian PGA Championship: won by Ossie Pickworth
Horse Racing
My Hero wins the Caulfield Cup
Hydrogen wins the Cox Plate
Wodalla wins the Melbourne Cup
Motor Racing
The Australian Grand Prix was held at Albert Park and won by Doug Whiteford driving a Talbot-Lago
Tennis
Australian Open men's singles: Ken Rosewall defeats Mervyn Rose 6-0 6-3 6-4
Australian Open women's singles: Maureen Connolly defeats Julie Sampson Haywood 6-3 6-2
Davis Cup: Australia defeats the United States 3-2 in the 1953 Davis Cup final
Wimbledon: Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall win the Men's Doubles
Yachting
Solveig IV takes line honours and Ripple wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
16 January – Vic Aanensen, Australian Rules football player
5 February – Rod Jones, Australian novelist
14 February – Greg Browning, field hockey player
4 March – Ray Price, rugby league football player
15 March – Randall Goff, water polo player
17 March – Margaret Jackson, businesswoman
16 April – Peter Garrett, singer and politician
21 April – John Brumby, politician
2 May – Chris Anderson – rugby league footballer and coach
20 May – Robert Doyle, politician
24 June – Michael Tuck, Australian Rules football player
1 July – David Gulpilil, actor
17 August – Noni Hazelhurst, actress
26 August – General David Hurley, AC, DSC, Chief of the Defence Force (2011–present)
11 September – Renée Geyer, singer
27 September – Greg Ham, musician (Men at Work)
25 November – Graham Eadie, rugby league footballer
12 December – Martin Ferguson, politician
28 January – James Scullin, Prime Minister of Australia (born 1876)
12 February – Hal Colebatch, Premier of Western Australia (born 1872)
18 February – Denis Lutge, rugby footballer (born 1879)
2 December – Reginald Baker (69), athlete, sports promoter and film actor (born 1884)
