The following lists events that happened during 1955 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 Premier of South Australia – Thomas Playford IV Premier of Tasmania – Robert Cosgrove Premier of Victoria – John Cain I (until 7 June), then Henry Bolte Premier of Western Australia – Albert Hawke 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 Victoria – Sir Dallas Brooks Governor of Western Australia – Sir Charles Gairdner Events 19 February – The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) is established at a meeting in Bangkok. 22–28 February – 1955 Hunter Valley floods: Enormous flooding of the Hunter River and adjacent areas of the Murray–Darling basin causes loss of life and set many rainfall and streamflow records. 19 April – Australian Labor Party split of 1955. Expelled members form the Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist), predecessor of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP). 28 May – A state election is held in Victoria. John Cain's Labor government is defeated by the Liberal and Country Party, led by Henry Bolte. August – Widespread floods and exceedingly persistent rainfall effect the southern fringe of the continent. 12 August – The aircraft carrier HMAS Vengeance is returned to the British Royal Navy. 21 August – The Consolidated Zinc Corporation announced it has discovered bauxite at Weipa, Queensland. 28 October – The aircraft carrier is commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy. 16 November – The Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth, South Australia is established. 23 November – The Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean are transferred from British to Australian control. 10 December – Federal election: The incumbent Liberal Party led by Prime Minister Robert Menzies with coalition partner the Country Party led by Arthur Fadden defeat the Labor Party led by H. V. Evatt. Malcolm Fraser first enters Parliament as Liberal member for Wannon. Science and technology The Guthega power station becomes the first to generate electricity in the Snowy Mountains Scheme Arts and literature 28 November – Ray Lawler's Summer of the Seventeenth Doll receives its stage premiere by the Union Theatre Repertory