# 1961 Australian Championships – Women's singles

First-seeded Margaret Smith defeated Jan Lehane 6–1, 6–4 in the final to win the women's singles tennis title at the 1961 Australian Championships.

## Seeds

The seeded players are listed below. Margaret Smith is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.
* Margaret Smith (champion)
* Jan Lehane (finalist)
* Lesley Turner (third round)
* Mary Carter Reitano (semifinals)
* Mary Bevis Hawton (quarterfinals)
* Maureen Pratt (third round)
* Lorraine Coghlan (quarterfinals)
* Beverley Rae (third round)

## Draw
### Key

* Q = Qualifier
* WC = Wild card
* LL = Lucky loser
* r = Retired

### Finals

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Margaret Smith | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kaye Dening | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kaye Dening | 4 | 3 | 1 | Margaret Smith | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | Robyn Ebbern | 2 | 0 | | | | | |
| | Val Wicks | 4 | 2 | | Robyn Ebbern | 2 | 0 | | | | | |
| | Robyn Ebbern | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Robyn Ebbern | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 1 | Margaret Smith | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | 2 | Jan Lehane | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Mary Bevis Hawton | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Jan Lehane | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Mary Carter Reitano | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Mary Carter Reitano | 6 | 6 | 4 | Mary Carter Reitano | 3 | 6 | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | 2 | Jan Lehane | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | |
| 7 | Lorraine Coghlan | 2 | 2 | 2 | Jan Lehane | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | |
| 2 | Jan Lehane | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

### Earlier rounds
#### Section 1

| Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | Smith | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | McLean | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 1 | Smith | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Whitely | 4 | 2 | | | | | |
| | Astley | 8 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Whitely | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Smith | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | Dening | 4 | 3 |
| 8 | Rae | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Toyne | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Rae | 2 | 6 | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Dening | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| | Hall Hopman | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Dening | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 3 | L Turner | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Robinson | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 3 | L Turner | w/o | | | | | |
| | Wicks | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | Wicks | | | | | | |
| | Paterson | 0 | 1 | | | Wicks | 6 | 1 | 8 | | | | | | | | |
| | Rayson | 6 | 1 | 6 | | Rayson | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | McKee | 2 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | Wicks | 4 | 2 |
| 6 | Pratt | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | Ebbern | 6 | 6 |
| | Gibson | 0 | 2 | | 6 | Pratt | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ross | 6 | 6 | | | Ross | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Craig | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | 6 | Pratt | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | |
| | N Turner | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | Ebbern | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | |
| | McArthur | 0 | 2 | | | N Turner | 0 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ebbern | 6 | 6 | | | Ebbern | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Cox | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 3

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | Southam | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Plaisted | 2 | 6 | 4 | | Southam | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Robberds | 6 | 6 | | | Robberds | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Hicks | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | Robberds | 6 | 1 | 1 | | | | |
| | Schacht | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 5 | Bevis Hawton | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Slattery | 1 | 0 | | | Schacht | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Bevis Hawton | 6 | 6 | | 5 | Bevis Hawton | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Buck | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Bevis Hawton | 4 | 2 |
| | Thiele | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Carter Reitano | 6 | 6 |
| | Ockerby | 3 | 1 | | | Thiele | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Blackman | 6 | 6 | | | Blackman | 6 | 8 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Duldig | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | Blackman | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 4 | Carter Reitano | 4 | 6 | 8 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Lesh | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Carter Reitano | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | Tegart | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Gugeri | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Tegart | 4 | 8 | 4 | | | | |
| | | | | | 7 | Coghlan | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Toohey | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Coghlan | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 7 | Coghlan | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Lehane | 2 | 2 |
| | Shipton | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Harris | 6 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Shipton | 2 | 1 | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Lehane | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Marie Burke | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Lehane | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |