1949 in Australian literature

• James Aldridge – The Diplomat
• Martin Boyd – Such Pleasure
• Jon Cleary – The Long Shadow
• Charmian Clift & George Johnston – High Valley
• Jean Devanny – Cindie : A Chronicle of the Canefields
• Philip Lindsay
  • All That Glitters
  • The Loves of My Lord Admiral
• Alan Marshall – How Beautiful Are Thy Feet
• Ruth Park – Poor Man's Orange
• E. V. Timms – The Pathway of the Sun
• June Wright – So Bad a Death

• Vance Palmer – "Mathieson's Wife"
• Dal Stivens – "The Pepper Tree"
• Judah Waten – "Neighbours"

• John Blight – "Into the Ark"
• David Campbell – Speak With the Sun
• Rosemary Dobson
  • "Ampersand"
  • "The Missal"
• Geoffrey Dutton – "Wool-Shed Dance"
• Nan McDonald – "Wet Summer : Botanic Gardens"
• Kenneth Mackenzie – "Table-Birds"
• Elizabeth Riddell
  • "News of a Baby"
  • "Wakeful in the Township"
• Roland Robinson – Language of the Sand : Poems
• David Rowbotham – "Nine O'Clock : By the Bunya Mountains"
• Douglas Stewart
  • "Nodding Greenhood"
  • "Terra Australis"
• Judith Wright
  • "The Old Prison"
  • Woman to Man

• Max Afford – Dark Enchantment

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1949 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 16 February – Nigel Krauth, novelist and academic
• 22 March – Alan Gould, novelist
• 7 April – Jennifer Maiden, poet
• 30 April – Nadia Wheatley, biographer and writer for children
• 15 August – Garry Disher, novelist

Unknown date

• Ken Bolton, poet
• Judith Brett, historian and academic
• Steven Carroll, novelist
• Jennifer Compton, poet and playwright
• Barry Dickins, author and playwright
• Laurie Duggan, poet
• John Jenkins, poet
• Don Watson, author

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1949 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 3 April — Ada Augusta Holman, journalist and novelist (born 1869)
• 15 August – Roderic Quinn, poet (born 1867)
• 16 September – Marion Knowles, novelist, poet and journalist (born 1865)
• 11 October – Sydney Ure Smith, publisher (born 1887)

• 1949 in poetry
• List of years in literature
• List of years in Australian literature