1950 to 1955

  • Petrol rationing ends

  • Sydney: Actor Chips Rafferty announces the formation of a company to make films in Australia

  • Canberra: Menzies introduces legislation to outlaw the Communist Party

  • Western Australia: 28 people die in an ANA Skymaster aircraft crash

    Western Australia: 28 people die in an ANA Skymaster aircraft crash in Australia's worst air disaster at York, southeast of Perth
  • Australian troops to be sent to the Korean War

  • Commonwealth police raid Communist Party

  • Melbourne: Prostitute Jean Lee to hang at Pentridge with 2 of her pimps after being convicted of the killing of SP bookmaker

  • Communist Party ban declared unconstitutional

  • Melbourne: The latest women's fashions are short dresses with full skirts over stiff petticoats

  • Alice Springs: Official opening of School of the Air

  • canberra: Prime Minister Menzies gives report to cabinet on known and suspected communists in the public service

  • Sister Elizabeth Kenny, infantile paralysis (polio) therapist, dies

  • Adelaide: Australia retains the Davis Cup after defeating the US

  • sydney: 10 killed and 137 injured in train crash at Berala

  • Joan Sutherland makes her debut with the Royal Opera Company at Covent Garden with a small role in The Magic Flute

  • Korean War end after 3 years. Australian casualties number 258 killed in action, 977 wounded and 4 missing, presumed killed

  • Britain explodes the first of 2 atomic bombs at Woomera,

  • Oil is discovered in the Exmouth Gulf off the coast of WA

  • Queen Elizabeth II arrives with Prince Philip for Royal Tour

  • Australian flag is raised at the new Mawson base in Princess Elizabeth Land in Antarctica, making it the world's most southern human settlement

  • Finland: John Landy runs mile in world record time of 3 mins 58 secs at Turku

  • NSW hotels stay open until 10pm. NSW is the 4th Australian state to adopt extended hours.

  • Melbourne: Barry Humphries' character Edna Everage makes her stage debut