1960 in Australia

Incumbents

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – William Morrison, 1st Viscount Dunrossil
• Prime Minister – Robert Menzies
• Chief Justice – Sir Owen Dixon

  State Premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – Robert Heffron
• Premier of South Australia – Sir Thomas Playford
• Premier of Queensland – Frank Nicklin
• Premier of Tasmania – Eric Reece
• Premier of Western Australia – David Brand
• Premier of Victoria – Henry Bolte

  State Governors

• Governor of Queensland – Sir Henry Abel Smith
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Robert George
• Governor of Tasmania – Thomas Corbett, 2nd Baron Rowallan
• Governor of Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooks
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir Charles Gairdner

  Events

• 7 March – Arthur Calwell becomes leader of the Australian Labor Party.
• 23 May - Tsunami that affects all of Australia, losing lives.
• 10 June – A TAA Fokker Friendship, Abel Tasman, crashes at Mackay, Queensland, killing 29 persons. To date, this remains the worst loss of life in a peacetime air crash in Australia.
• 7 July – An eight-year-old schoolboy, Graeme Thorne, is kidnapped in Sydney, apparently to extort money from his parents who had recently won the Sydney Opera House lottery.
• 19 July – First reported skyjacking/hijacking in the world Trans Australia Airlines Flight 408
• 14 October – The Warragamba Dam is opened by the Premier of New South Wales.

  Science and technology

• Frank Macfarlane Burnet is announced joint winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine

  Arts and literature

• Frank Macfarlane Burnet is announced as the inaugural winner of the Australian of the Year
• Judy Cassab wins the Archibald Prize
• The Irishman by Elizabeth O'Conner wins the Miles Franklin Literary Award

  Television

• 15 January – The 2nd Annual Logie Awards are held the Savoy Hotel in Brighton, Victoria, although they are not televised. Graham Kennedy wins the "Star of the Year" award.

  Film

Music

Sport

• 4 June – Ian Sinfield wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:25:13.9 in Melbourne.
• 1 November – Hi Jinx wins the Melbourne Cup
• New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield
• Kurrewa IV takes line honours and Siandra wins handicap honours in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
• Neale Fraser wins the men's singles at the Wimbledon championships
• Australia defeats Italy 4–1 in the Davis Cup final
• Jack Brabham wins the Formula One Championship for the second time

  Births

• 4 January – Gavin Miller, rugby league player
• 6 January – Eric Grothe, Sr., rugby league player
• 18 January – Graham Jennings, footballer
• 21 January – Jennifer Keyte, journalist
• 22 January – Michael Hutchence, singer
• 23 January – Greg Ritchie, cricketer
• 29 January – J.G. Thirlwell, singer-songwriter and producer
• 4 March – Larry Sengstock, basketball player
• 15 March - Brendan Mason, average guy
• 29 March – Wayne Pearce, rugby league footballer and coach
• 19 April – Roger Merrett, Australian rules footballer
• 20 April – Debbie Flintoff-King, athlete
• 4 May – Andrew Denton, television presenter
• 12 May – Lisa Martin, athlete
• 21 May – Mark Ridgway, cricketer
• 26 May – Dean Lukin, weightlifter
• 3 June – Tracy Grimshaw, television presenter
• 3 June – Carl Rackemann, cricketer
• 16 June – Peter Sterling, rugby league commentator and former player
• 30 June – Murray Cook, musician
• 8 July – Mal Meninga, rugby league footballer
• 4 August – Tim Winton, writer
• 5 August - Patsy Noble, knitting genius and grandma
• 13 August – Michael Richmond, ice speed skater
• 14 August – Edi Krncevic, soccer player
• 27 September – Ray Williams, politician
• 28 September – Gary Ayres, Australian rules footballer
• 3 October – Michael Parsons, basketball player and Australian rules footballer
• 15 October – Darryl Pearce, basketball player
• 24 October – Ian Baker-Finch, golfer
• 4 December – Glynis Nunn, athlete
• 29 December – David Boon, cricketer

  Deaths

• 12 January – Nevil Shute, writer
• 14 February – Herbert Hays, Tasmanian politician
• 3 April – Thomas Marwick, politician
• 10 April – Arthur Benjamin, composer
• 30 July – Walter Lindrum, billiards player
• 2 September – Hector Hogan, athlete
• 2 September – Mick O'Halloran, politician
• 6 October – Caroline Grills, serial killer
• 16 October – Frank Timson, politician
• 20 October – Sir Charles Marr, politician
• 24 November – Arthur Seaforth Blackburn, soldier and Victoria Cross recipient
• 30 December – Mac Abbott, politician