1951 in Australia

none February 2020 February 2012 December 2009 The following lists events that happened during 1951 in Australia. George VI William McKell Robert Menzies 8,421,775 Federal 1951 Incumbents thumb|upright|140px|Robert Menzies Monarch – George VI Governor-General – (Sir) William McKell Prime Minister – Robert Menzies Chief Justice – Sir John Latham 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 thumb|Womboota Uniting Church, built in 1951 thumb|Five Latvian girls in the bush near Brisbane, 1951 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.How It Began https://web.archive.org/web/20110408043040/http://assoa.nt.edu.au/_HISTORY/how_it_began.html 8 April 2011 , Alice Springs School of the Air. 13 June – Labor leader and former Prime Minister Ben Chifley suddenly dies of a heart attack. 20 June – Herbert Vere Evatt succeeds Ben Chifley as leader of the Labor Party. 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."Seven Dead In W.A. Air Crash" The West Australian – 16 October 1951, p.1 (National Library of Australia) Retrieved 2012-08-24 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 1951 in Australian 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 22 January – Steve J. Spears, actor, singer, and playwright (died 2007) 26 February – Wayne Goss, Premier of Queensland (died 2014) 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 6 August – Daryl Somers, television personality 20 August – Mark Kennedy, drummer (died 2026) 30 August Danny Clark, track cyclist and road bicycle racer Brad Hazzard, politician 9 September – Alexander Downer, politician 27 September – Geoff Gallop, Premier of Western Australia 9 October – Rod Galt, Australian rules footballer (died 2019) 14 November – Shelley Hancock, politician 1 December – Doug Mulray, radio personality (died 2023) 18 December – Andy Thomas, astronaut 22 December – Jan Stephenson, professional golfer Deaths 29 January – Frank Tarrant, cricketer (b. 1880)Frank Tarrant http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/8019.html Cricinfo 20 March 2018 20 March 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180320231026/http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/8019.html live 18 April – Daisy Bates, journalist and anthropologist (born in Ireland) (b. 1859) 27 May – Sir Thomas Blamey, field marshal (b. 1884) 11 June – William Higgs, Queensland politician (b. 1862) 13 June – Ben Chifley, 16th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1885) 17 June - Vin Coutie, footballer (b. 1881) 3 July – Sydney Jephcott, poet (b. 1864) 4 October – Bartlett Adamson, journalist, poet, author and political activist (b. 1884)Adamson, George Ernest Bartlett (1884–1951) 10 December – Ernest Edwin Mitchell, composer (b. 1865)http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article45790111 OBITUARY The Advertiser (Adelaide) 94 29,076 South Australia 19 December 1951 23 October 2017 11 National Library of Australia See also List of Australian films of the 1950s References 1951 in yes Australia Category:Years of the 20th century in Australia