The 1950s were an outstanding decade for Australian sport. Technology made it possible to watch sporting performances live on television and in 1956, Melbourne hosted the Olympic Games - the first time the event had been held in the Southern Hemisphere.
Sports participation
Australians fervently participated in sporting pursuits in the years following World War II. Membership of sporting associations boomed as many young men craved the close friendships that they had experienced during war time. With increased prosperity and leisure time, the working class enjoyed sports including tennis, golf and bowls - sports formerly reserved for the wealthy. Early post-war affluence also led to the construction of many new sporting fields and outdoor swimming pools.
European sports like soccer, gymnastics and volleyball also became more popular in Australia with an influx of new migrants during the 1950s.
The Melbourne Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Olympics were considered to be a huge success. Australians were delighted that they had hosted an organized a major international event and impressed the world with their brilliant sporting performances. Australia was exposed to the war like never before, as the Melbourne Olympics became the first ever to be broadcasted by television. Australians who were unable to attend the events could see them at home on their television , or gathered to watch on televisions sets in shop windows.
The Olympic Games helped stimulate a huge sense of national pride in Australia and marked an important step in the formation of Australia's national identity. Rather than considering themselves as a British outpost, Australians had demonstrated that they now felt pride in their own flag, and had created their own iconic sports heroes.
Australia's performance at the Melbourne Olympics Australia finished with excellent results at the Melbourne Olympics, coming in third behind the United States and the USSR with a total of 35 medals, including 13 gold. Our greatest medal haul was in the swimming events. Australia won every men's and women's freestyle race and collected a total of 8 gold medals.
Standout individual Australians at the Olympics include sprinter Betty Cuthbert and swimmers Murray Rose and Dawn Fraser.
Tennis in the 1950s
Australians prospered in world tennis throughout the 1950s with stars like Ken Rosewall, Frank Sedgman and Lew Hoad. Australians won the men's singles title at Wimbledon from 1952 to 1958 and beat the United States eight times to claim the Davis Cup.
Cricket in the 1950s
Australia advanced in cricket throughout the 1950s. Australian cricket legend Don Bradman was sorely missed however, following his retirement in 1948. The Australian team played 57 Test matches throughout the decade, winning 29 and losing 12. After treasuring the Ashes for 19 years, Australia lost to England in 1953, but regained them in 1958. New international rivals, also emerged in as teams from the West Indies, Pakistan, and India became increasingly competitive.
Football in the 1950s
All forms of football saw a huge surge in spectator interest during the 1950s. Australian rules, rugby league and rugby union football games consistently drew in crowds of thousands.
Australia's increased affluence in the 1950s led to the planning and construction of many new football fields. Union fans were treated to first-ever games against new international competitors like Fiji. Rugby league fans enjoyed nine visits from international teams throughout the decade and five Australian rugby league teams travelled overseas to compete.
Soccer
Soccer played a significant social role for many migrants, providing a means for them to socialize with others who spoke their language and understood their culture. Many migrants formed local soccer teams according to the country of origin.
Anglo-Australians and British migrants also formed teams which began competing against each other at the local, State and later, at the national level.
Soccer had been played on a small-scale by some Australians in earlier years. As a result, many people embraced the formation of new teams and enjoyed the greater level of competition in the sport. Such advances in sport reflected a growing national confidence in Australia - the nation no longer felt entitled to defining itself through traditional British sports like cricket.
However, foreign sports such as soccer were met with suspicion, and sometimes even hostility by the wider community. Such actions reflected the prevailing mentality of the time - migrants during the 1950s were expected to 'assimilate' or blend into Australian society, rather than establish their own social and sporting networks.
Cuthbert set a World Record in the 200 metres, making her one of the favorites for a gold in that event.
Dawn Fraser set and kept the100 metres freestyle record for 15 years: from 1 December 1956 to 8 January 1972.
In September 1957, Rosewall won the Wembley title, beating Segura in the final. This was a significant victory for Rosewall because, of the top professional players, only Sedgman and Tony Trabert did not play. At the end of the year, Rosewall won an Australian tour featuring Lew Hoad, Sedgman, and Segura.