1961 in Australia

none February 2020 February 2012 March 2018 The following lists events that happened during 1961 in Australia. Elizabeth II William Morrison, then William Sidney Robert Menzies 10,548,267 Joan Sutherland Federal, VIC 1961 Incumbents thumb|upright|140px|Robert Menzies Monarch – Elizabeth II Prime Minister – Robert Menzies Governor General – William Morrison, 1st Viscount Dunrossil (died in office 3 February), then William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle Chief Justice – Sir Owen Dixon State Premiers Premier of New South Wales – Robert Heffron Premier of Queensland – Frank Nicklin Premier of South Australia – Sir Thomas Playford Premier of Tasmania – Eric Reece Premier of Western Australia – David Brand Premier of Victoria – Henry Bolte State Governors Governor of New South Wales – Sir Eric Woodward Governor of Queensland – Sir Henry Abel Smith Governor of South Australia – Sir Edric Bastyan (from 4 April) Governor of Tasmania – Thomas Corbett, 2nd Baron Rowallan Governor of Western Australia – Sir Charles Gairdner Governor of Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooks Events 2 January – Oral contraceptives are first sold in Australia 20 January to early March – Disastrous bushfires affect Western Australia, completely destroying a number of towns. 25 February – Last electric tram service runs in Sydney 23 June – Australia signed the Antarctic Treaty 12 August – Richmond become the only team since 1922 to fail to score a goal in a VFL/AFL match. 31 October – Parkes radiotelescope officially opened by the Governor General 30 November – Ansett-ANA Flight 325, a Vickers Viscount aircraft, crashes into Botany Bay shortly after takeoff, killing all 15 on board Arts and literature 1961 in Australian literature Dame Joan Sutherland is announced as Australian of the Year William Edwin Pidgeon wins the Archibald Prize The novel Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence is banned from sale Riders in the Chariot by Patrick White is awarded the Miles Franklin Literary Award Television 19 August – Four Corners TV current affairs program first screened on ABC TV 1 December - The first regional television station is launched in Traralgon, Victoria, as GLV-10 Gippsland and Latrobe Valley (Television) Victoria. Sport Cricket New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield The Ashes: Australia defeats England 2-1 and retains The Ashes Football Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Norths defeated Valleys 29-5 New South Wales Rugby League premiership: St. George defeated Western Suburbs 22-0 South Australian National Football League premiership: won by West Adelaide Victorian Football League premiership: Hawthorn defeated Footscray 94-51 Golf Australian Open: won by Frank Phillips Australian PGA Championship: won by Alan Murray (golfer) Horse racing Summer Fair wins the Caulfield Cup Dhaulagiri wins the Cox Plate Magic Night wins the Golden Slipper Lord Fury wins the Melbourne Cup Motor racing The Australian Grand Prix was held at Mallala and won by Lex Davison driving a Cooper Climax Tennis Australian Open men's singles: Roy Emerson defeats Rod Laver 1–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4 Australian Open women's singles: Margaret Court defeats Jan Lehane O'Neill 6–1, 6–4 Davis Cup: Australia defeats Italy 5–0 in the 1961 Davis Cup final Wimbledon: Roy Emerson and Neale Fraser win the Men's Doubles Wimbledon: Rod Laver wins the Men's Singles Yachting Astor takes line honours and Rival wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race Births 1 January – Sam Backo, Indigenous Australian rugby league footballer 7 January – Andrew Thomson, lawyer and politician 9 February – Alison Megarrity, politician (died 2022) 12 February – Di Farmer, politician 15 February – Neale Daniher, Australian rules footballer (died 2026) 26 February – Trevor Strong, politician 28 February – Mark Latham, politician 2 March – Simone Young, conductor 4 March – Bart Bassett, politician 14 March – Garry Jack, rugby league footballer and coach 16 March – Brett Kenny, rugby league footballer 24 March – Dean Jones, cricketer, coach and commentator (died 2020) 26 March – Richard Torbay, politician 29 March – Gary Brabham, racing driver 12 April Magda Szubanski, actor and comedian Lisa Gerrard, singer 20 April – Frances Adamson, Australian public servant and diplomat, Australian Ambassador to China 2 May – Peter Doohan, tennis player (died 2017) 16 May – Gina Riley, actor and comedian 31 May – Justin Madden, Australian rules footballer 2 June – Kerry Saxby-Junna, racewalker 6 July - Rick Price, singer 18 July – Stephen Hodge, cyclist 21 July – Morris Iemma, 40th Premier of New South Wales 1 August – Peter Evans, swimmer 8 August – Tim Mander, politician and rugby league referee 12 August – Peter Dowling, politician 19 August – Frank Terenzini, politician 20 August – Greg Egan, science fiction author and mathematician 3 September – Andy Griffiths, author 15 September Terry Lamb, rugby league footballer and coach Joan Pease, politician 29 September – Julia Gillard, Welsh-Australian lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Australia 8 October – Simon Burke, actor 19 October – Cliff Lyons, rugby league footballer 23 October – Brett Dean, composer, conductor and violist 18 November – Anthony Warlow, entertainer 23 November – Merv Hughes, cricketer 4 December – Sonia Hornery, politician 17 December – Larry Anthony, politician 29 December – Mal Brough, politician Deaths 3 January – Auvergne Doherty, businesswoman (born 1896) 3 February – William Morrison (born 1893), Governor General of Australia 20 February – Percy Grainger (born 1882), pianist and composer 22 May – Lionel Lindsay (born 1874), artist 27 September – Peter Dawson (born 1882), singer 2 October – Essington Lewis (born 1881), industrialist 3 December – Pat O'Hara Wood (born 1891), tennis player 20 December – Earle Page (born 1880), Prime Minister of AustraliaBridge Carl Page, Sir Earle Christmas (1880–1961) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/page-sir-earle-christmas-7941 Australian Dictionary of Biography National Centre of Biography, Australian National University 20 March 2018 13 March 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180313095027/http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/page-sir-earle-christmas-7941 live 29 December – Sibyl Morrison (born 1895), first female barrister in New South Wales See also List of Australian films of the 1960s References 1961 in yes Australia Category:Years of the 20th century in Australia