1961 in Australia

Incumbents

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Prime Minister – Robert Menzies
• Governor General – William Morrison, 1st Viscount Dunrossil, then William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle
• Chief Justice – Sir Owen Dixon

  State Premiers

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

  State Governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir Eric Woodward
• Governor of Queensland – Sir Henry Abel Smith
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Edric Bastyan
• Governor of Tasmania – Thomas Corbett, 2nd Baron Rowallan
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir Charles Gairdner
• Governor of Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooks

  Events

• 2 January – Oral contraceptives are first sold in Australia
• 20 January to early March – Disastrous bushfires affect Western Australia, completely destroying a number of towns.
• 25 February – Last electric tram service runs in Sydney
• 23 June – Australia signed the Antarctic Treaty
• 12 August – Richmond become the only team since 1922 to fail to score a goal in a VFL/AFL match.
• 31 October – Parkes radiotelescope officially opened by the Governor General
• 30 November – Ansett-ANA Flight 325, a Vickers Viscount aircraft, crashes into Botany Bay shortly after takeoff, killing all 15 on board

  Arts and literature

• Dame Joan Sutherland is announced as Australian of the Year
• William Edwin Pidgeon wins the Archibald Prize
• The novel Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence is banned from sale
• Riders in the Chariot by Patrick White is awarded the Miles Franklin Literary Award

  Television

• 19 August – Four Corners TV current affairs program first screened on ABC TV

  Sport

• Cricket
• * New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield
• * The Ashes: Australia defeats England 2-1 and retains The Ashes
• Football
• * Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Norths defeated Valleys 29-5
• * New South Wales Rugby League premiership: St. George defeated Western Suburbs 22-0
• * South Australian National Football League premiership: won by West Adelaide
• * Victorian Football League premiership: Hawthorn defeated Footscray 94-51
• Golf
• * Australian Open: won by Frank Phillips
• * Australian PGA Championship: won by Alan Murray
• Horse Racing
• * Summer Fair wins the Caulfield Cup
• * Dhaulagiri wins the Cox Plate
• * Magic Night wins the Golden Slipper
• * Lord Fury wins the Melbourne Cup
• Motor Racing
• * The Australian Grand Prix was held at Mallala and won by Lex Davison driving a Cooper Climax
• Tennis
• * Australian Open men's singles: Roy Emerson defeats Rod Laver 1–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4
• * Australian Open women's singles: Margaret Court defeats Jan Lehane O'Neill 6–1, 6–4
• * Davis Cup: Australia defeats Italy 5–0 in the 1961 Davis Cup final
• * Wimbledon: Roy Emerson and Neale Fraser win the Men's Doubles
• * Wimbledon: Rod Laver wins the Men's Singles
• Yachting
• * Astor takes line honours and Rival wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

  Births

• 1 January – Sam Backo, Indigenous Australian rugby league footballer
• 7 January – Andrew Thomson, lawyer and politician
• 9 February – Alison Megarrity, politician
• 12 February – Di Farmer, politician
• 25 February – Trevor Strong, politician
• 4 March – Bart Bassett, politician
• 14 March – Garry Jack, rugby league footballer and coach
• 16 March – Brett Kenny, rugby league footballer
• 24 March – Dean Jones, cricketer
• 26 March – Richard Torbay, politician
• 12 April
• *Magda Szubanski, actor and comedian
• *Lisa Gerrard, singer
• 20 April – Frances Adamson, Australian public servant and diplomat, Australian Ambassador to China
• 16 May – Gina Riley, actor and comedian
• 31 May – Justin Madden, Australian rules footballer
• 16 June – Peter Sterling, rugby league footballer
• 6 July - Rick Price, singer
• 21 July – Morris Iemma, 40th Premier of New South Wales
• 8 August – Tim Mander, politician and rugby league referee
• 12 August – Peter Dowling, politician
• 19 August – Frank Terenzini, politician
• 15 September
• * Terry Lamb, rugby league footballer and coach
• * Joan Pease, politician
• 8 October – Simon Burke, actor
• 19 October – Cliff Lyons, rugby league footballer
• 18 November – Anthony Warlow, entertainer
• 23 November – Merv Hughes, cricketer
• 4 December – Sonia Hornery, politician
• 17 December – Larry Anthony, politician
• 29 December – Mal Brough, politician

  Deaths

• 3 January – Auvergne Doherty, Australian businesswoman
• 3 February – William Morrison, Governor General of Australia
• 20 February – Percy Grainger, pianist and composer
• 22 May – Lionel Lindsay, artist
• 27 September – Peter Dawson, singer
• 3 December – Pat O'Hara Wood, tennis player
• 20 December – Earle Page, Prime Minister of Australia