1953 in Australia

1953 in Australia
Monarchy	Elizabeth II
Governor-General	William McKell, then William Slim
Prime minister	Robert Menzies
Population	8,815,362
Elections	Senate, WA, NSW, SA, QLD

← 1952 1951 1950 1953 in Australia → 1954 1955 1956
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
See also:	Other events of 1953 Timeline of Australian history

File:StateLibQld 1 152415 Aerial view of the Story Bridge, 1953.jpg

Aerial view of the Story Bridge, 1953

Incumbents

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – William McKell (until 8 May), then Sir William Slim
• Prime Minister – Robert Menzies

State Premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – Joseph Cahill
• Premier of Queensland – Vince Gair
• Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV
• Premier of Tasmania – Robert Cosgrove
• Premier of Victoria – John Cain I
• Premier of Western Australia – Ross McLarty (until 23 February), then Albert Hawke

State Governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Northcott
• Governor of Queensland – Sir John Lavarack
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Robert George (from 23 February)
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ronald Cross, 1st Baronet
• Governor of Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooks
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir Charles Gairdner

Events

• 20 March – The Television Act is passed by parliament, setting regulations for the broadcast of television in Australia, although television transmission did not commence until 1956.
• 29 October – British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines Douglas DC-6, registration VH-BPE, en route from Sydney, crashes on approach to San Francisco, killing 19 people.
• 4 December – Oil is discovered in the Exmouth Gulf off the coast of Western Australia.

Science and technology

The first town to fluoridate the water supply in Australia was Beaconsfield, Tasmania.

Arts and literature

• John Brack paints Men's Wear and The New House in Oakleigh, Victoria
• Ivor Hele wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Sir Henry Simpson Newland
• Michael Kmit loses the Blake Prize for Religious Art with his work The Evangelist John Mark

Sport

File:Jill Glindermann, winner of the Sun Girl Quest at Suttons Beach, 1953.jpg

Winner of the Sun Girl Quest at Suttons Beach, 1953

• Athletics
  • 26 September – Roland Guy wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:24:48 in Sydney.

• Cricket
  • South Australia wins the Sheffield Shield

• Football
  • 23 May: Fitzroy go within ten minutes of a team score of 0.0 (0), which would have been a VFL first, against Footscray in appalling conditions. Allan Ruthven kicks a late goal to save them from this ignominy.
  • 1 August: Collingwood end Geelong’s record 26-game unbeaten streak, which still stand, when they win 10.15 (75) to 7.13 (55).
  • South Australian National Football League premiership: won by West Torrens
  • Victorian Football League premiership: Collingwood defeated Geelong 77-65

• Rugby
  • Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Souths defeated Easts 21-4
  • New South Wales Rugby League premiership: South Sydney defeated St. George 31-12

• Golf
  • Australian Open: won by Norman Von Nida
  • Australian PGA Championship: won by Ossie Pickworth

• Horse Racing
  • My Hero wins the Caulfield Cup
  • Hydrogen wins the Cox Plate
  • Wodalla wins the Melbourne Cup

• Motor Racing
  • The Australian Grand Prix was held at Albert Park and won by Doug Whiteford driving a Talbot-Lago

• Tennis
  • Australian Open men's singles: Ken Rosewall defeats Mervyn Rose 6-0 6-3 6-4
  • Australian Open women's singles: Maureen Connolly defeats Julie Sampson Haywood 6-3 6-2
  • Davis Cup: Australia defeats the United States 3-2 in the 1953 Davis Cup final
  • Wimbledon: Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall win the Men's Doubles

• Yachting
  • Solveig IV takes line honours and Ripple wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

Births

• 16 January – Vic Aanensen, Australian Rules football player
• 5 February – Rod Jones, Australian novelist
• 14 February – Greg Browning, field hockey player
• 4 March – Ray Price, rugby league football player
• 15 March – Randall Goff, water polo player
• 17 March – Margaret Jackson, businesswoman
• 16 April – Peter Garrett, singer and politician
• 21 April – John Brumby, politician
• 2 May – Chris Anderson – rugby league footballer and coach
• 20 May – Robert Doyle, politician
• 24 June – Michael Tuck, Australian Rules football player
• 1 July – David Gulpilil, actor
• 17 August – Noni Hazelhurst, actress
• 26 August – General David Hurley, AC, DSC, Chief of the Defence Force (2011–present)
• 11 September – Renée Geyer, singer
• 27 September – Greg Ham, musician (Men at Work)
• 25 November – Graham Eadie, rugby league footballer
• 12 December – Martin Ferguson, politician

Deaths

• 28 January – James Scullin, Prime Minister of Australia (born 1876)
• 12 February – Hal Colebatch, Premier of Western Australia (born 1872)
• 18 February – Denis Lutge, rugby footballer (born 1879)
• 2 December – Reginald Baker (69), athlete, sports promoter and film actor (born 1884)