See also: 1948 in Australia, other events of 1949, 1950 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.
Incumbents
State Premiers
State Governors
Events
- 26 January – The Nationality and Citizenship Act is passed. Rather than being identified as subjects of Britain, the Act established Australian citizenship for people who met eligibility requirements.
- March 10 – A Lockheed L-18 Lodestar crashes near Coolangatta, Queensland, killing 21 people.
- March 16 – Australia's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) is established, by order of the Directive for the Establishment and Maintenance of a Security Service.
- March 16 – Indigenous Australians who are eligible to vote in state elections in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania are also given the right to vote in federal elections.
- June 27 – A seven-week coal strike begins, involving 23,000 miners and broken by the sending in of troops.
- October 17 – Construction of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme begins.
- December 10 – A federal election is held. The incumbent Australian Labor Party lead by Ben Chifley is defeated by Robert Menzies' Liberal Party.
- December 18 – Prime Minister-elect Robert Menzies announces his cabinet, including Dame Enid Lyons as Australia's first female cabinet minister.
Science and technology
- November – Australia's first digital computer, CSIRAC, runs its first test programs.
Arts and literature
Sport
Births
- January 11 – Daryl Braithwaite, singer
- January 14 – Paul Chubb (d. 2002), actor
- February 26 – Simon Crean, trade union leader and politician
- March 7 – Rex Hunt, media personality
- June 13 – Red Symons, musician and TV personality
- July 1 – John Farnham, singer and entertainer
- July 16 – Robert Proctor, field hockey player
- July 18 – Dennis Lillee, cricketer
- August 18 – Byron Kennedy (d. 1983), film producer
- August 23 – Rick Springfield, singer
- September 22 – Jim McGinty, politician
- November 6 – Malcolm Poole, field hockey player
- November 24 – Shane Bourne, comedian and actor
Deaths
See also
