1950

1950's

  • 1950

    Korean War 1950-1953 Music - Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino First successful ultrasound for heart activity Petrol rationing ends Western Australia - 28 people die in an ANA aircraft crash
  • Period: to

    1950's

  • 1951

    Fashion - short dresses with full skirts over stiff petticoats Former Prime Minister Ben Chifley dies
  • 1952

    King George VI died of lung cancer and Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen Elizabeth II at age 25 Sydney - 10 killed and 137 injured in a train crash at Berala Women athletes win 4 of Australia's 6 gold medals at the Olympic Games
  • 1953

    Korean War ends - 258 killed in action, 977 wounded, 4 missing presumed killed
  • 1954

    Queen Elizabeth II arrives with Prince Phillip for Royal Tour Australian Flag is raised at the new Mawson base in Princess Elizabeth land in the Antarctic, making it the world's most Southern human settlement George Howard breaks the 'white man's law '
  • 1955

    Arrival of Australia's one-millionth post-war migrant Barbara Porritt arrives NSW hotels no longer have to close at 6pm
  • 1956

    Olympic Games - held in Melbourne, Australia Television is now launched in Australia Shearers strike starts when wages are reduced by 5% (February) Shearers strike ends when wage is increased (October)
  • 1957

    United States - The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1 1,300 Hungarian refugees arrive in Australia
  • 1958

    QANTAS international services commence 200,000 turn out to greet the Queen's mother Australia's biggest reservoir, Lake Eucumbene is completed
  • 1959

    Australia's population reaches 10 million Vietnam war begins Darwin becomes a city