1959 in Australia

Decades:	1930s; 1940s; 1950s; 1960s; 1970s;
See also:	Other events of 1959; ; Timeline of Australian history;

The following lists events that happened during 1959 in Australia.

Incumbents

26 January (Australia Day) – Darwin was granted city status
12 February – The Melbourne outdoor performance venue the Sidney Myer Music Bowl is officially opened by Prime Minister Robert Menzies.
15 February – American evangelist Billy Graham begins a tour of Australia.^[1]
February – major floods in Queensland^[2]
March – formal construction of the Sydney Opera House began
4 June – the Soviet embassy in Canberra was reopened. It had been closed since 29 April 1954 as a result of the Petrov Affair^[3]
July - [1] Westfield open its first location. Westfield Plaza in Blacktown. With 12 shops, 2 department stores and a supermarket, people flocked to see the plaza which newspapers of the day described as 'the most modern American-type combined retail centre'. By year-end Westfield Plaza was established as Blacktown's commercial hub.

29 July – Qantas launched its first jet service from Sydney to San Francisco via Nadi and Honolulu.
August and September – Princess Alexandra toured Australia^[4]
September – Australian National University building an "Atom Smasher"^[5]
23 September the M/S Princess of Tasmania Australia's first passenger Roll-on/roll-off diesel ferry makes maiden voyage across Bass Strait.
November – Donald Bradman batted for 15 minutes in a demonstration. He retired from cricket.^[6]

On the Beach starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner was shot around Melbourne. The film was based on the novel by Nevil Shute.

Six O'Clock Rock screened on the Australian Broadcasting Commission's channel. It was compered by Johnny O'Keefe and was the ABC's response to Bandstand on Channel Nine.

Adelaide's first television station, NWS-9, begins broadcasting on 5 September

Cricket
- New South Wales won the Sheffield Shield
- England toured Australia in the summer of 1958/59 for The Ashes; Australia won the series 4–0.
Football
- Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Northern Suburbs defeated Brothers 24–18
- New South Wales Rugby League premiership: St. George defeated Manly–Warringah 20–0
- South Australian National Football League premiership: won by Port Adelaide
- Victorian Football League premiership: Melbourne defeated Essendon 115–78
Golf
- Australian Open: won by Kel Nagle
Horse racing
- Regal Wench wins the Caulfield Cup
- Noholme wins the Cox Plate
- Fine and Dandy wins the Golden Slipper
- Macdougal wins the Melbourne Cup
Motor racing
- Jack Brabham wins the 1959 Formula One Drivers' Championship
- The Australian Grand Prix was held at Longford, Tasmania and won by Stan Jones driving a Maserati
Tennis
- Australian Open men's singles: Alex Olmedo defeats Neale Fraser 6–1 6–2 3–6 6–3
- Australian Open women's singles: Mary Carter defeats Renee Schuurman 6–2 6–3
- Davis Cup: Australia defeats the United States 3–2 in the 1959 Davis Cup final
Yachting
- Solo takes line honours and Cherana wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

2 January – William Douglas Francis b. 1889), botanist
22 February – Harold Hardwick (b. 1888), freestyle swimmer
20 June – Sir Ian Clunies Ross (b. 1899), scientist
21 July – Lydia Abell (b. 1872), military nurse, recipient of Royal Red Cross (RRC)
3 August – Herb Byrne (b. 1887), Australian rules footballer
8 August – Albert Namatjira (b. 1902), Aboriginal artist
19 September – Arthur Hennessy (b. 1876), Australia's first rugby league captain
14 October – Errol Flynn (b. 1909), actor (died in Canada)
14 October – Jack Davey (b. 1907), radio comedian and quiz show host
22 October – Joseph Cahill (b. 1891), Premier of New South Wales (1952–1959)
2 November – Michael Considine (b. 1885), politician
11 November – Charles Chauvel (b. 1897), filmmaker
24 November – Dally Messenger (b. 1883), rugby union and league footballer
18 December – Edouard Borovansky (b. 1902), Czech born ballet dancer and choreographer; founder of the Borovansky Australian Ballet

^ Billy Graham's Australian Crusades 1959 Archived 15 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Billy Graham Center Archives, Wheaton College 2009
^ "Queensland Flood Summary 1950 - 1959". Archived from the original on 28 November 2012.
^ "Archived copy". www.asio.gov.au. Archived from the original on 22 April 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "The Age 150th". Archived from the original on 20 December 2005. Retrieved 15 December 2005.
^ "The Age 150th". Archived from the original on 20 December 2005. Retrieved 15 December 2005.
^ "The Age 150th". Archived from the original on 20 December 2005. Retrieved 15 December 2005.