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Incumbents

• Monarch – King George VI
• Governor-General – William McKell
• Prime Minister – Ben Chifley (until December 19), then Robert Menzies

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
• Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan (until February 20), then Sir Dallas Brooks (from October 18)
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir James Mitchell

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

• January 21 – William Dobell wins the Archibald Prize and the Wynne Prize.

Sport

• Athletics
  • September 17 - Robert Prentice wins his first men's national marathon title, clocking 2:43:46 in Perth

• Cricket
  • New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield

• Football
  • Bledisloe Cup: won by the Wallabies
  • Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Souths defeated Easts 22-8
  • New South Wales Rugby League premiership: Western Suburbs defeated Balmain 8-5
  • South Australian National Football League premiership: won by North Adelaide
  • Victorian Football League premiership: Essendon defeated Carlton 125-52

• Golf
  • Australian Open: won by Eric Cremin
  • Australian PGA Championship: won by Kel Nagle

• Horse Racing
  • Persist wins the AJC Oaks
  • Lincoln wins the Caulfield Cup
  • Delta wins the Cox Plate
  • Foxzami wins the Melbourne Cup

• Motor Racing
  • The Australian Grand Prix was held at Leyburn, and was won by John Crouch driving a Delahaye

• Tennis
  • Australian Open men's singles: Frank Sedgman defeats John Bromwich 6-3 6-2 6-2
  • Australian Open women's singles: Doris Hart defeats Nancye Wynne Bolton 6-3 6-4
  • Davis Cup: Australia is defeated by the United States 1-4 in the 1949 Davis Cup final
  • US Open: John Bromwich and Bill Sidwell win the Men's Doubles

• Yachting
  • Waltzing Matilda takes line honours and Trade Winds wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race