1956 in Australia
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| 1956 in Australia | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | William Slim |
| Prime Minister | Robert Menzies |
| Population | 9,425,563 |
| Elections | WA, SA, NSW, TAS, QLD |
See also: 1955 in Australia, other events of 1956, 1957 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.
Contents |
[edit] Incumbents
- Prime Minister - Robert Menzies
- Governor General - William Slim
- Premier of New South Wales - Joseph Cahill
- Premier of South Australia - Thomas Playford
- Premier of Queensland - Vince Gair
- Premier of Tasmania - Robert Cosgrove
- Premier of Western Australia - Albert Hawke
- Premier of Victoria - Henry Bolte
[edit] Events
Image:1956.jpg
Logo for the 1956 Summer Olympics
- November 22 - The 1956 Summer Olympics opened in Melbourne. The opening ceremony was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with 107,700 people watching.
- The Murray River flooded (the biggest flood in recorded history), affecting many towns near the river.
[edit] Arts and literature
- William Dargie wins the Archibald Prize for his portrait of Albert Namatjira
[edit] Television
- September 16 - Australia's first TV station TCN-9 begins regular transmission in Sydney
- November 5 - The first TV station of the Australian Broadcasting Commission is launched; ABN-2 Sydney.
[edit] Sport
- September 8 - John Russell wins his first men's national marathon title, clocking 2:26:37.8 in Melbourne.
- Melbourne Cup winner in 1956 was Evening Peal, ridden by George Podmore Trained by E.D.Lawson
- New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield
- Kurrewa IV takes line honours and Solo wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
- New South Wales Rugby League premiership: St George defeated Balmain
- Victorian Football League premiership: Melbourne defeated Collingwood
- Australian Men's Tennis Championship was won by Lew Hoad from NSW aged 22
- Australian Women's Tennis Championship was won by Miss Mary Carter
[edit] Births
- January 8 - Mel Gibson, actor
- March 7 - David Koch, television personality
- March 9 - Steve Vizard, actor
- April 28 - Jimmy Barnes, singer
- May 9 - Jana Wendt, journalist
- July 31 - Ernie Dingo, actor
- August 17 - John Kosmina, soccer player and manager
- September 17 - Ross Glendinning, Australian Rules footballer
- September 17 - Mandawuy Yunupingu, musician and community leader
- October 16 - Martin Sacks, actor
- November 7 - Michael Wooldridge, politician
- November 14 - John Anderson, politician
- November 23 - Shane Gould, swimmer
[edit] Deaths
- March 21 - Fanny Durack, (b. 1889), swimmer
- May 29 - Frank Beaurepaire, (b. 1891), swimmer and politician
- July 12 - John Hayes, (b. 1868), Premier of Tasmania
