1980 in Australian literature

• The Australian/Vogel Literary Award: Inaugural award to Archie Weller, The Day Of The Dog; the award was initially given to Paul Radley, who, in 1996, admitted that his manuscript was actually written by his uncle.^[1]
• Jessica Anderson won the 1980 Miles Franklin Award for The Impersonators

• Jessica Anderson — The Impersonators
• Murray Bail — Homesickness
• Jon Cleary — A Very Private War
• Shirley Hazzard — The Transit of Venus
• Elizabeth Jolley — Palomino^[2]
• Thomas Keneally — The Cut-Rate Kingdom
• Randolph Stow — The Girl Green as Elderflower^[3]

• Helen Garner – Honour & Other People's Children

• Damien Broderick — The Dreaming Dragons^[4]

• Peter Corris — The Dying Trade
• Gabrielle Lord — Fortress^[5]

• Pamela Allen – The Archimedes' Bath^[6]
• Mavis Thorpe Clark – A Stranger Came to the Mine^[7]
• Robert Ingpen — The Voyage of the Poppykettle
• Ruth Park — Playing Beatie Bow
• Ruth Park and Deborah Niland – When the Wind Changed^[8]

• Jenny Boult – The Hotel Anonymous^[9]
• Gwen Harwood – "Lamplight"
• Richard Lunn – Pompeii Deep Fry^[10]
• Les Murray — The Boys Who Stole the Funeral
• Judith Rodriguez — Mudcrab at Gambaro's^[11]
• Gig Ryan – The Division of Anger^[12]
• Philip Salom — The Silent Piano^[13]
• Chris Wallace-Crabbe — The Golden Apples of the Sun : Twentieth Century Australian Poetry (anthology) editor

• Robyn Davidson – Tracks^[14]
• Allan M. Grocott – Convicts, Clergymen and Churches^[15]
• Clive James – Unreliable Memoirs
• David Marr – Barwick^[16]

• Kylie Tennant – Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)
• Max Fatchen – Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
• Marjorie Barnard – Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)
• Patsy Adam-Smith – Officer of the British Empire (OBE)

Award	Author
Christopher Brennan Award[17]	John Blight
Patrick White Award[18]	Bruce Dawe

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award[19]	Murray Bail	Homesickness	Macmillan
	David Ireland	A Woman of the Future	Penguin
ALS Gold Medal[20]	No award
Colin Roderick Award[21]	Allan Grocott	Convicts, Clergymen and Churches	Sydney University Press

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award[19]	Murray Bail	Homesickness	Macmillan
	David Ireland	A Woman of the Future	Penguin
The Australian/Vogel Literary Award[1]	Archie Weller	The Day of the Dog	Allen & Unwin
Miles Franklin Award[22]	Jessica Anderson	The Impersonators	Macmillan
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[23]	Peter Carey	War Crimes	University of Queensland Press

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award[24]	Older Readers	Lee Harding	Displaced Person	Hyland House
Picture Book	Peter Pavey	One Dragon's Dream	Nelson Australia
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[23]	Children's Book Award	Pamela Allen	Mr Archimedes' Bath	William Collins
Special Children's Book Award	Catherine Berndt	Land of the Rainbow Snake	William Collins

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Australian SF Achievement Award[25]	Best Australian Science Fiction	Robert Ingpen	Australian Gnomes	Rigby

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Anne Elder Award[26]	Richard Lunn	Pompeii Deep Fry	Randolph Press
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry[27]	Les Murray	The Boys Who Stole the Funeral	Angus & Robertson
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[23]	David Campbell	The Man in the Honeysuckle	Angus & Robertson

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award[19]	Not awarded
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[23]	David Marr	Barwick	Allen & Unwin

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1980 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 7 July – Brooke Davis, novelist^[28]

Unknown date

• Elizabeth Campbell, poet^[29]
• Ceridwen Dovey, novelist^[30]