1978 in Australian literature

• Jessica Anderson won the 1978 Miles Franklin Award for Tirra Lirra by the River
• The Anne Elder Award for poetry is awarded for the first time

• Jessica Anderson – Tirra Lirra by the River
• Nancy Cato – All the Rivers Run
• David Malouf – An Imaginary Life
• Christopher Koch – The Year of Living Dangerously
• George Turner – Transit of Cassidy^[1]

• A. Bertram Chandler — To Keep the Ship^[2]
• David Lake — The Gods of Xuma, or, Barsoom Revisited^[3]
• George Turner – Beloved Son^[4]

• Nicholas Hasluck — Quarantine^[5]

• Peter Pavey – One Dragon's Dream^[6]
• Joan Phipson – Keep Calm^[7]
• Patricia Wrightson – The Dark Bright Water^[8]

• David Campbell — "Lizard and Stone"^[9]
• Lee Cataldi — Invitation to a Marxist Lesbian Party^[10]
• Bruce Dawe — Sometimes Gladness: Collected Poems 1954–1978^[11]
• Jennifer Maiden — Birthstones^[12]

• Patsy Adam-Smith – The ANZACS^[13]
• Mary Durack – The End of Dreaming^[14]
• Wendy Lowenstein – Weevils in the Flour^[15]
• Elyne Mitchell – Light Horse: The Story of Australia's Mounted Troops^[16]

• Margaret Hasluck appointed Dame of the Order of Australia (AD) for "pre-eminent achievement in the fields of literature and history and for extraordinary and meritorious public service to Australia".^[17]

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1978 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 28 December — Holly Throsby, novelist and musician^[27]

Unknown date

• Brett McBean, horror, thriller and speculative fiction writer^[28]
• Fiona McFarlane, novelist and short story writer^[29]
• Andrew O'Connor, novelist^[30]

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1978 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 9 March – John K. Ewers, novelist, poet, schoolteacher and short story writer (born 1904)^[31]
• 16 April – Barbara Vernon, playwright, screenwriter and radio announcer (born 1916)^[32]
• 23 May – Rose Lindsay, artist's model, author, and printmaker (born 1885)^[33]
• 15 June – Paul McGuire, author, public servant and diplomat (born 1903)^[34]
• 23 July – T. Inglis Moore, writer, anthologist and academic (born 1901)^[35]
• 24 July – Annie Rattray Rentoul, children's poet and story writer (born 1882)^[36]
• 27 September – Margaret Horder, artist and children's book illustrator (born 1903)^[37]
• 7 December – Helen Haenke, poet, playwright and artist (born 1916)^[38]

• 1978 in Australia
• 1978 in literature
• 1978 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature