1951 in Australia

← 1950 1949 1948 1951 in Australia → 1952 1953 1954
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
See also:	Other events of 1951 Federal election Timeline of Australian history

Womboota Uniting Church, built in 1951

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

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.^[1]
• 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.^[2]
• 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

References