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1950 - 1960
• Some Australian sporting achievements that occurred in the 1950’s include Australia winning the Davis cup 8 times from 1950 - 1959. It was Australia's most successful decade at the Davis Cup.
• Australia first entered an ice hockey team in the 1960 Winter Olympics held in Squaw Valley. -
1950 - 1960
• Some Australian sporting achievements that occurred in the 1950’s include Australia winning the Davis cup 8 times from 1950 - 1959. It was Australia's most successful decade at the Davis Cup.
• Australia first entered an ice hockey team in the 1960 Winter Olympics held in Squaw Valley. -
1961 - 1970
• In 1962 Rod Laver became only the second Men's Tennis player to complete the Grand Slam and in 1969 won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
• In 1967, Australia hosted the second Netball World Championships in Perth. That same year, South Australia became the last state to lift its ban on the playing of sports on Sunday. -
1971 - 1980
• In 1974 the Australian team qualified for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, the first successful qualification to the FIFA World Cup in the country's history after failing to qualify to the 1966 and 1970 tournaments. The Australian squad included Harry Williams, the first Australian Aboriginal to play for the national soccer team.
• In 1979, the National Basketball League was introduced. -
1981 - 1990
• The Australian Institute of Sport was founded in 1981.
• In 1980, the annual three match interstate rugby league series between New South Wales and Queensland began, beginning the annual rugby league State of Origin series. -
1991 - 2000
• During the 1990s, soccer in Australia faced a challenge in attracting youth players at a national level. The sport's governing body made an effort to make the game less ethnically oriented.
• In 1995, rugby union became professional in Australia. Australia won two world cups in the 90s, the 1991 Rugby World Cup defeating England in the final, and the 1999 Rugby World Cup defeating France in the final. -
2001 - 2010
• In 2000, Sydney hosted the Summer Olympic Games at a cost of $6.6 billion.
• In a moment of national pride, Cathy Freeman won the 400-metre final at the games. Freeman's success at the 2000 Summer Olympics made her an unofficial spokesperson for Aboriginal sport in the country.
• Also at the Olympics, Ian Thorpe won 3 gold medals in the 400 m freestyle, 4×100 m freestyle and 4×200 m freestyle, as well as 2 silver medals in the 200m freestyle and 4×100m medley. -
2011 - 2016
• In 2016 the Sharks would face and defeat the Melbourne Storm in the 2016 NRL Grand Final. The Sharks, after leading 8-0 at half-time, prevailed in a gripping affair 14-12 to claim their first premiership in the club's 50-year history.
• In 2014, the Socceroos competed in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In 2015, Australia hosted the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, winning the tournament in a thrilling 2-1 victory over South Korea.
