1955 in Australian literature
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1955.
Books
- Martin Boyd – A Difficult Young Man
- Jon Cleary – Justin Bayard
- Charmian Clift & George Johnston – The Sponge Divers
- Dymphna Cusack – The Sun in Exile
- Mary Durack – Keep Him My Country
- Barbara Jefferis – Beloved Lady
- D'Arcy Niland – The Shiralee
- Ruth Park – Pink Flannel
- Colin Roderick – The Lady and the Lawyer
- Nevil Shute – Requiem for a Wren,
- E. V. Timms – They Came from the Sea
- Arthur Upfield – The Battling Prophet
- F. B. Vickers – The Mirage
- Patrick White – ''The Tree of Man''
Short stories
- A. Bertram Chandler – "Late"
- John Morrison – Black Cargo and Other Stories
- Vance Palmer – Let the Birds Fly
- Dal Stivens – ''Ironbark Bill''
Children's and Young Adult fiction
- Patricia Wrightson – The Crooked Snake, illustrated by Margaret Horder
Poetry
- Lex Banning – "Apocalypse in Springtime"
- David Campbell – "Here, Under Pear-Trees"
- Rosemary Dobson – Child with a Cockatoo, and Other Poems
- Max Harris – The Coorong and Other Poems
- A. D. Hope – The Wandering Islands
- Nancy Keesing & Douglas Stewart – Australian Bush Ballads
- Nancy Keesing – Three Men and Sydney
- James McAuley – Australian Poetry 1955
- Roland Robinson
- * "Altjeringa"
- * "Passage of the Swans"
- Vivian Smith – "Portuguese Laurel Flowering"
- Douglas Stewart – The Birdsville Track and Other Poems
- Randolph Stow – "Sea Children"
- Judith Wright – ''The Two Fires''
Drama
Theatre
- Dymphna Cusack – The Golden Girls : A Play in Three Acts
- Ray Lawler – Summer of the Seventeenth Doll
- Morris West – ''The Illusionists''
Biography
- Frank Clune – Martin Cash
- Leonie Kramer – Henry Kingsley : Some Novels of Australian Life
- Alan Marshall – ''I Can Jump Puddles''
Awards and honours
Literary
| Award | Author | Title | Publisher |
| ALS Gold Medal | Patrick White | The Tree of Man | Viking Press |
Children's and Young Adult
| Award | Category | Author | Title | Publisher |
| Children's Book of the Year Award | Older Readers | Norman B. Tindale & Harold Arthur Lindsay, illustrated by Madeleine Boyce | The First Walkabout | Longmans Green |
Poetry
| Award | Author | Title | Publisher |
| Grace Leven Prize for Poetry | A. D. Hope | The Wandering Islands | Edwards and Shaw |
Births
A list, ordered by date of birth of births in 1955 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.- 27 March – Linda Jaivin, novelist
- 28 March – Tony Shillitoe, novelist
- 8 June – Peter Rose, poet and editor
- 15 June – Les Wicks, poet and editor
- 5 August – Christine Harris, writer for children
- 14 September – Geraldine Brooks, novelist
- Candida Baker, novelist and anthologist
- Michael Gerard Bauer, children's and young adult author
- Adrian Caesar, poet
- Martin Flanagan, journalist
- Michael Gow, playwright
- Jennifer Harrison, poet
- Gail Jones, novelist
- Steven Paulsen, sf writer
- Cory Taylor, writer
Deaths
A list, ordered by date of death of deaths in 1955 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.- 19 January – Kenneth Mackenzie, poet and novelist
- 10 March – Brian Vrepont, poet
- 1 August – Charles Shaw, journalist and novelist
- 30 December – Rex Ingamells, poet