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See also: 1950 in Australia, other events of 1951, 1952 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

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 May 8), then Sir Ronald Cross, 1st Baronet (from August 22)
• Governor of Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooks
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir James Mitchell (until July 1), then Sir Charles Gairdner (from November 6)

Events

• January 1 – The 50th anniversary of Australian federation is celebrated.
• February 19 – 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.
• March 1 – The Bank of Australasia merges with the Union Bank of Australia to form the ANZ Bank.
• March 9 – 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.
• March 19 – 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.
• April 12 – 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.
• April 28 – A federal election is held. The Liberal government of Robert Menzies retains power.
• August 16 – The Australian Financial Review is first published.
• September 1 – The Anzus Treaty, between Australia, New Zealand and the United States, is signed.
• September 9 – Australia signs the Treaty of San Francisco, formalising peace with Japan.
• September 22 – A federal referendum is held, proposing to alter the Australian Constitution to allow the banning of the Communist Party. The referendum was not carried.
• October 4 – Francis McEncroe sells the first Chiko Rolls at the Wagga Wagga agricultural show.
• November 13 – 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.

Science and technology

The world of science was recreated in 1951. With the creation of the telephone and light bulb.

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

Film

Sport

• Athletics
  • March 5 - 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
  • 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

• January 19 — Charles Blunt, politician
• January 20 — Clyde Sefton, road cyclist
• February 26 — Wayne Goss, Premier of Queensland
• April 29 — Jon Stanhope, Chief Minister of the ACT
• May 29 — Don Baird, pole vaulter
• July 4 — John Alexander, tennis player
• July 6 — Geoffrey Rush, actor
• July 31 — Evonne Goolagong Cawley, tennis player
• August 5 — John Jarratt, actor
• August 6 — Daryl Somers, television personality
• August 30 — Daniel Clark, track cyclist and road bicycle racer
• September 9 — Alexander Downer, politician
• September 27 — Geoff Gallop, Premier of Western Australia
• December 1 — Doug Mulray, radio personality
• December 18 — Andy Thomas, astronaut
• December 22 — Jan Stephenson, professional golfer

Deaths

• January 29 - Frank Tarrant (b. 1880), cricketer
• April 18 - Daisy Bates (b. 1863), journalist and social worker
• May 27 - Thomas Blamey (b. 1884), soldier
• June 13 - Ben Chifley (b. 1885), Prime Minister of Australia

See also

• 1951
• 1950s