Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics
| Swimming at the Games of the XVI Olympiad  | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre | 
| Dates | 29 November – 7 December 1956 | 
| No. of events | 13 | 
| Competitors | 235 from 33 nations | 
| Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics  | ||
|---|---|---|
| Freestyle | ||
| 100 m | men | women | 
| 400 m | men | women | 
| 1500 m | men | |
| Backstroke | ||
| 100 m | men | women | 
| Breaststroke | ||
| 200 m | men | women | 
| Butterfly | ||
| 100 m | women | |
| 200 m | men | |
| Freestyle relay | ||
| 4 × 100 m | women | |
| 4 × 200 m | men | |
At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, 13 swimming events were contested, seven for men and six for women. There was a total of 235 participants from 33 countries competing. For the first time, the butterfly stroke was contested as a separate event. Australia dominated the medal standings with a total of 8 out of a possible 13 gold medals, eventually finishing with 14 medals overall.