The following lists events that happened during 1959 in Australia.

1959 in Australia
MonarchElizabeth II
Governor-GeneralWilliam Slim
Prime ministerRobert Menzies
Population10,056,479
ElectionsSA, WA, NSW, TAS

1959
in
Australia

Decades:
See also:

Incumbents

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Robert Menzies

State Premiers

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State Governors

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Events

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  • 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.

Arts and literature

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Film

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

Television

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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

Sport

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Births

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Deaths

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Billy Graham's Australian Crusades 1959 Archived 15 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Billy Graham Center Archives, Wheaton College 2009
  2. ^ "Queensland Flood Summary 1950 - 1959". Archived from the original on 28 November 2012.
  3. ^ "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)
  4. ^ "The Age 150th". Archived from the original on 20 December 2005. Retrieved 15 December 2005.
  5. ^ "The Age 150th". Archived from the original on 20 December 2005. Retrieved 15 December 2005.
  6. ^ "The Age 150th". Archived from the original on 20 December 2005. Retrieved 15 December 2005.