title: 1956 Australian Championships – Women's singles
text: # 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 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
  