1949 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1949 in Australia.

Incumbents

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.

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

Athletics

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
24 June
* Billy Moeller, professional feather/super feather/light/light welter/welterweight boxer
* Agenor Muniz, Brazilian-born Australian footballer
* Hector Thompson, professional light/light welter/welter/light middleweight boxer
28 June – Kevin McLeod, Australian rules footballer
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
28 July – Peter Doyle, singer and guitarist
18 August – Byron Kennedy, film producer
23 August – Rick Springfield, singer
22 September – Jim McGinty, politician
26 September – Wendy Saddington, blues, soul and jazz singer
27 September – Graham Richardson, federal politician and media commentator
14 October – Fraser Anning, politician
6 November – Malcolm Poole, field hockey player
12 November – Deb Foskey, Australian Capital Territory politician
24 November – Shane Bourne, comedian and actor
5 December – Wendy Craik, scientist, public policy adviser and company director