# 1956 Australian Championships – Women's singles

Second-seeded Mary Carter defeated Thelma Long 3–6, 6–2, 9–7 in the final to win the women's singles tennis title at the 1956 Australian Championships.

## Seeds

The seeded players are listed below. Mary Carter is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.
* Mary Hawton (semifinals)
* Mary Carter (champion)
* Beryl Penrose (quarterfinals)
* Fay Muller (quarterfinals)
* Thelma Long (finalist)
* Daphne Seeney (semifinals)
* Loris Nichols (quarterfinals)
* Lorraine Coghlan (quarterfinals)

## Draw
### Key

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

### Finals

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Mary Hawton | 0 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Lorraine Coghlan | 6 | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Lorraine Coghlan | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | Mary Hawton | 6 | 0 | 3 | | | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | Thelma Long | 0 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 4 | Fay Muller | 5 | 1 | | 5 | Thelma Long | 0 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 5 | Thelma Long | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Thelma Long | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 5 | Thelma Long | 6 | 2 | 7 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Mary Carter | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| 6 | Daphne Seeney | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Mary Carter | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| 3 | Beryl Penrose | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Beryl Penrose | 2 | 1 | | 6 | Daphne Seeney | 3 | 5 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Mary Carter | 6 | 7 | | | | | | |
| 7 | Loris Nichols | 1 | 5 | | 2 | Mary Carter | 6 | 7 | | | | | | |
| 2 | Mary Carter | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Earlier rounds
#### Section 1

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 1 | Hawton | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Gibson | w/o | | | 1 | Hawton | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Thiele | 6 | 6 | | | Thiele | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Lee | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | 1 | Hawton | 0 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 8 | Coghlan | | | | | | | | | 8 | Coghlan | 6 | 0 | 3 | | | | | |
| | Bietzel | w/o | | | 8 | Coghlan | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Rayson | 6 | 6 | | | Rayson | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Bowden | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Hawton | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Muller | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Long | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| | Strachan | 2 | 2 | | 4 | Muller | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | McCalman | 2 | 6 | 6 | | McCalman | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Parmenter | 6 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | 4 | Muller | 5 | 1 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Long | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | 5 | Long | 7 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | Linde | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | Long | 8 | 4 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jones | 3 | 6 | 6 | | Jones | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Sheidow | 6 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| | Hellyer | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Robinson | 2 | 2 | | | Hellyer | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Seeney | 6 | 6 | | 6 | Seeney | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Shearer | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | 6 | Seeney | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Armstrong | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 3 | Penrose | 2 | 1 | | | | |
| | Roberts | 6 | 2 | 4 | | Armstrong | 2 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Penrose | 6 | 6 | | 3 | Penrose | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Anderson | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Seeney | 3 | 5 |
| | Hopman | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Carter | 6 | 7 |
| | Langley | 5 | 1 | | | Hopman | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Nichols | 6 | 4 | 6 | 7 | Nichols | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Bradfield | 4 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | 7 | Nichols | 1 | 5 | | | | |
| | Fogarty | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 2 | Carter | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | Lonergan | 4 | 2 | | | Fogarty | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Carter | 6 | 6 | | 2 | Carter | 6 | 8 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Couquerque | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |