1954 in Australia

Incumbents

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Sir William Slim
• Prime Minister – Robert Menzies
• Chief Justice – Sir Owen Dixon

  State Premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – Joseph Cahill
• Premier of Queensland – Vince Gair

  State Governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Northcott
• Governor of Queensland – Sir John Lavarack
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Robert George
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir Ronald Cross, 1st Baronet
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir Charles Gairdner

  Events

• 3 February – Elizabeth II arrives in Sydney on her first visit as monarch
• 13 February – Mawson Station in the Australian Antarctic Territory is established
• During February, a cyclone hits the Gold Coast and northern New South Wales, killing 26
• 3 April – Vladimir Petrov, a Soviet diplomat, defects to Australia, sparking the Petrov Affair
• Shirley Bliss wins the Miss Australia Quest
• On 31 October, the first Vickers Viscount aircraft delivered to Australia crashed at Mangalore Airport while on a training flight only days after its arrival in Australia, killing 3 of the 7 people on board.

  Science and technology

• The Australian Academy of Science is established.

  Arts and literature

• Ivor Hele wins the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Rt Hon R G Menzies, PC, CH, QC, MP
• Charles Bannon wins the Blake Prize for Religious Art with his work Judas Iscariot
• Overland literary magazine is founded, edited by Stephen Murray-Smith

  Sport

• Cricket
• * New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield
• Football
• * Brisbane Rugby League premiership: Wests defeated Brothers 35-18
• * New South Wales Rugby League premiership: South Sydney defeated Newtown 23-15
• * South Australian National Football League premiership: won by Port Adelaide
• * Victorian Football League premiership: Footscray defeated Melbourne 102-51
• Golf
• * Australian Open: won by Ossie Pickworth
• * Australian PGA Championship: won by Kel Nagle
• Horse Racing
• * Rising Fast wins the Caulfield Cup
• * Rising Fast wins the Cox Plate
• * Rising Fast wins the Melbourne Cup
• Motor Racing
• * The Australian Grand Prix was held at Southport and won by Lex Davison driving a HWM Jaguar
• Tennis
• * Australian Open men's singles: Mervyn Rose defeats Rex Hartwig 6-2 0–6 6-4 6-2
• * Australian Open women's singles: Thelma Coyne Long defeats Jenny Staley Hoad 6-3 6-4
• * Davis Cup: Australia is defeated by the United States 2–3 in the 1954 Davis Cup final
• * Wimbledon: Rex Hartwig and Mervyn Rose win the Gentlemen's Pairs
• * Wimbledon: Jaroslav Drobný defeats Ken Rosewall 13–11 4–6 6–2 9–7 in the Gentlemen's Singles
• Yachting
• * Kurrewa IV takes line honours and Solveig IV wins on handicap in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

  Births

• 10 January – Greg Towns, footballer
• 25 January – Kay Cottee, sailor
• 26 January – Kim Hughes, cricketer
• 27 April – Mark Holden, singer and media personality
• 1 May – Garry Who, actor and comedian
• 2 May – Don Cameron, water polo player and coach
• 19 May – Phil Rudd, musician
• 27 May – Pauline Hanson, politician
• 30 June – Wayne Swan, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
• 2 July – Scott W. Sloan, professor of civil engineering
• 11 July – Paul Blackwell, actor
• 11 August – Wally Carr, boxer
• 12 August – Rob Borbidge, Premier of Queensland
• 2 September – Gai Waterhouse, horse trainer
• 13 September – Steve Kilbey, musician
• 20 September – James Moloney, author
• 27 September – Ray Hadley, 2GB Radio Announcer
• 15 October – Steve Bracks, 44th Premier of Victoria
• 24 October – Malcolm Turnbull, 29th Prime Minister of Australia
• 12 November – Paul McNamee, tennis player
• 22 November – Carol Tomcala, sports shooter
• 26 November – Jacki MacDonald, media personality
• 28 November – John McMartin, Pastor, ACC State President NSW, National Executive
• 29 November – Steve Rogers, Rugby league footballer

  Deaths

• 19 September – Miles Franklin, writer
• 14 November – Inigo Jones, meteorologist
• 22 November – Roy Rene, comedian