| Year | First Place | Second Place |
| 1955 | Jennifer Eddy | |
| 1956 | Valerie Collins | |
| 1957 | Gloria McDonall | |
| 1958 | Robert Bickerstaff | |
| 1959 | Kevin Stumbles | |
| 1960 | Yvonne Minton | |
| 1961 | June Barton | |
| 1962 | Patricia Wooldridge | |
| 1963 | Raymond Myers | |
| 1964 | Jan Bartlett | |
| 1965 | Pettine-Anne Croul | |
| 1966 | Judith Turner | |
| 1967 | Valerie Hanlon | |
| 1968 | Geraldine Hackett-Jones | |
| 1969 | Thomas Edmonds | |
| 1970 | Richard Greager | |
| 1971 | Phillip Langshaw | |
| 1972 | Peter Pianetta | |
| 1973 | John Pickering | |
| 1974 | Jonothan Summers | |
| 1975 | Wendy Vercoe | |
| 1976 | Irene Tirbutt | |
| 1977 | Gillian Wood | |
| 1978 | Jenny Lindfield | |
| 1979 | Sandra Hahn | |
| 1980 | John Fulford | |
| 1981 | Barry Ryan | |
| 1982 | Sussanne Towers | |
| 1983 | Fiona Maconaghie | |
| 1984 | Christine Farraro | |
| 1985 | Karen Sourry | |
| 1986 | Peter Coleman-Wright | |
| 1987 | ||
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | Michael Martin ? | |
| 1990 | John Bronato ? | |
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | ||
| 1994 | Sarah Kearney ? | |
| 1995 | Catherine Crawley ? | |
| 1996 | Rebecca Collins ? | |
| 1997 | Brent Allcock | Blake Fischer |
| 1998 | Kirsten Boerema | Imogen Roose |
| 1999 | Catherine Carby | Lorina Gore |
| 2000 | Teresa Fanning | Maxine Montgomery |
| 2001 | Lorina Gore | Jacqueline Moran |
| 2002 | Sian Pendry | Benjamin Fifita Makisi |
| 2003 | Amanda Forbes | Luke Gabbedy |
| 2004 | Julia Malczewski | Laura Wowk |
| 2005 | Tanith Bryce | Andrew Moran |
| 2006 | Kerry Nicholson | Leon Warnock |
Originally, from 1955, the National Operatic Aria was called Shell Aria. In 1983 - 1986 the heats were held in state capitals with the final in Canberra. From 1987 - 1997 there was no National Aria, but rather a 'Southern Districts Aria' and some years there was also a 'Senior Vocal Championship'.
In 1997 the Vocal Competition Eisteddfod coincided with a National Opera Festival staged in Canberra. That year the 'Southern District Aria' was part of the Opera Festival program and supported by Sustainable Technologies International. For several years the National Operatic Aria was known by the names of its sponsors. In 1998 it was again sponsored by Sustainable Technologies International. In 1999 the Canberra Labor Club sponsored it and 2000 - 2002 both STI and the Canberra Labor Club sponsored the event. In 2003 and 2004 the Canberra Labor Club and ActewAGL sponsored what is now called the National Operatic Aria.