This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1959.
For an overview of world literature see 1959 in literature.
See also: 1958 in Australian literature, 1959 in Australia, 1960 in Australian literature.
Nancy Cato – Time, Flow SoftlyJon ClearyBack of SunsetStrike Me Lucky with Joy ClearyEleanor Dark – Lantana LaneDavid Forrest – The Last Blue SeaXavier Herbert – Seven EmusDorothy Hewett – Bobbin Up : A NovelBarbara Jefferis – Half AngelEric Lambert – Glory Thrown InLeonard Mann – Andrea CaslinD'Arcy NilandThe Big SmokeGold in the StreetsVance Palmer – The Big FellowGeorge Turner – Young Man of TalentArthur UpfieldBony and the Black Virgin (aka The Tom Branch)Journey to the HangmanMorris West – The Devil's AdvocateEthel Anderson – Little GhostsDavid Campbell – Flame and Shadow : Selected StoriesA. Bertram Chandler"Chance Encounter""The Man Who Couldn't Stop"David Forrest – "That Barambah Mob"Hal Porter"Country Town""Fiend and Friend"Katharine Susannah Prichard – N'goola and Other StoriesJudith Wright"In the Park"Children's and Young Adult fiction
Eleanor Spence – The Summer in BetweenKylie Tennant – All the Proud TribesmenNorman Barnett Tindale and H. A. Lindsay – RangatiraJohn Blight – "A Sailor's Grave"David Campbell – "We Took the Storms to Bed"Bruce Dawe – "The City : Midnight"Rosemary Dobson"Captain Svenson""The Edge"Geoffrey Dutton – "January"R. D. Fitzgerald – "Quayside Meditation"William Hart-Smith – Poems of DiscoveryGwen Harwood – "Prize-Giving"Charles Higham – The Earthbound and Other PoemsA. D. Hope – "Agony Column"Lionel Lindsay – Discobolus and Other VerseNan McDonald – The Lighthouse and Other PoemsDavid Martin – "Gordon Childe"Ian Mudie – The Blue CraneElizabeth Riddell"After Lunik Two""Suburban Song"Douglas Stewart – "Leopard-Skin"Chris Wallace-Crabbe – The Music of DivisionFrancis Webb – "Art"Charmian Clift – Peel Me a LotusMary Durack – Kings in Grass CastlesErrol Flynn – My Wicked, Wicked WaysIon Idriess – The Tin ScratchersPeter Ryan – Fear Drive My FeetChildren's and Young Adult non-fiction
Dale Collins – Anzac AdventureA list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1959 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.
28 January – Philip Hodgins, poet (died 1995)18 May – Sophie Masson, novelist25 November – Merlinda Bobis, writer and academicUnknown date
Stephen Dedman, writerJennifer Fallon, novelistAndy Kissane, poetMike Ladd, poetA list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1959 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.
15 July – Vance Palmer, novelist (born 1885)14 October – Errol Flynn, author and actor (born 1909)