1949 in Australia

Incumbents

• Monarch – George VI
• Governor-General – William McKell
• Prime Minister – Ben Chifley, then Robert Menzies
• Chief Justice – Sir John Latham

  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
• Governor of Victoria – Sir Winston Dugan, then Sir Dallas Brooks
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir James Mitchell

  Events

• 26 January – The Nationality and Citizenship Act is passed. Rather than being identified as subjects of Britain, the Act established Australian citizenship for people who met eligibility requirements.
• 2 March - A cyclone crosses the Central Queensland coast impacting Gladstone and Rockhampton.
• 10 March – A Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar crashes near Coolangatta, Queensland, killing all 21 on board.
• 16 March – Australia's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is established, by order of the Directive for the Establishment and Maintenance of a Security Service.
• 16 March – Indigenous Australians who are eligible to vote in state elections in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania are also given the right to vote in federal elections.
• 27 June – A seven-week coal strike begins, involving 23,000 miners and broken by the sending in of troops.
• 2 July - A MacRobertson Miller Aviation DC-3 aircraft crashes on take-off from Perth Airport, killing all 18 on board.
• 17 October – Construction of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme begins.
• 10 December – A federal election is held. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Ben Chifley is defeated by Robert Menzies' Liberal Party.
• 18 December – Prime Minister-elect Robert Menzies announces his cabinet, including Dame Enid Lyons as Australia's first female cabinet minister.

  Science and technology

• November – Australia's first digital computer, CSIRAC, runs its first test programs.

  Arts and literature

• 21 January – William Dobell wins the Archibald Prize and the Wynne Prize.

  Sport

• Athletics
• * 17 September - Robert Prentice wins his first men's national marathon title, clocking 2:43:46 in Perth
• Cricket
• * New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield
• Football
• * Bledisloe Cup: won by the Wallabies
• * Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Souths defeated Easts 22-8
• * New South Wales Rugby League premiership: Western Suburbs defeated Balmain 8-5
• * South Australian National Football League premiership: won by North Adelaide
• * Victorian Football League premiership: Essendon defeated Carlton 125-52
• Golf
• * Australian Open: won by Eric Cremin
• * Australian PGA Championship: won by Kel Nagle
• Horse Racing
• * Persist wins the AJC Oaks
• * Lincoln wins the Caulfield Cup
• * Delta wins the Cox Plate
• * Foxzami wins the Melbourne Cup
• Motor Racing
• * The Australian Grand Prix was held at Leyburn, and was won by John Crouch driving a Delahaye
• Tennis
• * Australian Open men's singles: Frank Sedgman defeats John Bromwich 6-3 6-2 6-2
• * Australian Open women's singles: Doris Hart defeats Nancye Wynne Bolton 6-3 6-4
• * Davis Cup: Australia is defeated by the United States 1–4 in the 1949 Davis Cup final
• * US Open: John Bromwich and Bill Sidwell win the Men's Doubles
• Yachting
• * Waltzing Matilda takes line honours and Trade Winds wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

  Births

• 11 January – Daryl Braithwaite, singer
• 14 January – Paul Chubb, actor
• 26 February – Simon Crean, trade union leader and politician
• 7 March – Rex Hunt, media personality
• 13 June – Red Symons, musician and TV personality
• 30 June – John Kobelke, Western Australian politician
• 1 July – John Farnham, singer and entertainer
• 16 July – Robert Proctor, field hockey player
• 18 July – Dennis Lillee, cricketer
• 18 August – Byron Kennedy, film producer
• 23 August – Rick Springfield, singer
• 22 September – Jim McGinty, politician
• 6 November – Malcolm Poole, field hockey player
• 12 November – Deb Foskey, Australian Capital Territory politician
• 24 November – Shane Bourne, comedian and actor
• Robbie McGregor, voice over artist

  Deaths

• 8 January – Mary Miller, soprano
• 26 April – Richard Crouch, politician
• 26 April – Norman Brookman, politician
• 14 August – Henry Ernest Boote, editor and writer
• 15 August – Vida Goldstein, politician and suffragist
• 27 August – Theodora Cowan, sculptor
• 2 September – Jack Beasley, politician
• 16 November – Margaret Battye, barrister and jurist
• 21 November – Philip Lytton, actor and theatre entrepreneur
• date unknown – Alfred Wheeler minister, composer