1989 in Australia
Encyclopedia
Incumbents
- MonarchMonarchy in AustraliaThe Monarchy of Australia is a form of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign of Australia. The monarchy is a constitutional one modelled on the Westminster style of parliamentary government, incorporating features unique to the Constitution of Australia.The present monarch is...
– Queen Elizabeth II - Governor General – Sir Ninian StephenNinian StephenSir Ninian Martin Stephen, is a retired politician and judge, who served as the 20th Governor-General of Australia and as a Justice in the High Court of Australia.-Early life:...
(until 16 February), then Bill HaydenBill HaydenWilliam George "Bill" Hayden AC was the 21st Governor-General of Australia. Prior to this, he represented the Australian Labor Party in parliament; he was a minister in the government of Gough Whitlam, and later became Leader of the Opposition, narrowly losing the 1980 federal election to the... - Prime MinisterPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
– Bob HawkeBob HawkeRobert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
Premiers and Chief Ministers
- Premier of New South Wales – Nick GreinerNick GreinerNicholas "Nick" Frank Hugo Greiner AC, is an Australian businessman and former politician. He was the 37th Premier New South Wales from 1988 to 1992. He was Leader of the New South Wales Division of the Liberal Party from 1983 to 1992 and Leader of the Opposition from 1983 to 1988. He is married...
- Premier of Queensland – Mike AhernMichael Ahern (Australian politician)Michael John Ahern AO is a former Queensland National Party politician who was Premier of Queensland from December 1987 to September 1989. After a long career in the government of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Ahern became his successor amidst the controversy caused by the Fitzgerald Inquiry into...
(until 22 September), then Russell CooperRussell CooperTheo Russell Cooper is a former Australian National Party politician.He was Premier of Queensland for a period of 73 days, from 25 September 1989 to 7 December 1989...
(until 7 December), then Wayne GossWayne GossWayne Keith Goss was Premier of Queensland from 7 December 1989 until 19 February 1996.-Early life:He was born at Mundubbera, Queensland and educated at Inala High School and the University of Queensland... - Premier of South Australia – John BannonJohn BannonJohn Charles Bannon AO is a former Australian politician. He was the 39th Premier of South Australia, leading the Labor Party to government at the 1982 election. The Bannon Labor government was re-elected at the 1985 election and the 1989 election...
- Premier of Tasmania – Robin GrayRobin Gray (Australian politician)Robin Trevor Gray is a former Australian politician who was Premier of Tasmania from 1982 to 1989. A Liberal, he was elected Liberal state leader in 1981 and in 1982 defeated the Labor government of Harry Holgate on a policy of "state development," particularly the building of the Franklin Dam, a...
(until 29 June), then Michael FieldMichael Field (Australian politician)Michael Walter Field, AC was Tasmanian Labor leader from 1988 until his retirement in 1996, and was the Premier of Tasmania between 1989 and 1992... - Premier of Victoria – John CainJohn Cain IIJohn Cain , Australian Labor Party politician, was the 41st Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1982 to 1990.-Biography:...
- Premier of Western AustraliaPremier of Western AustraliaThe Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
– Peter DowdingPeter DowdingPeter McCallum Dowding SC was the 24th Premier of Western Australia, serving from 25 February 1988 until his resignation on 12 February 1990 after an internal party dispute.... - Chief Minister of the Australian Capital TerritoryChief Minister of the Australian Capital TerritoryThe Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory is the head of government of the Australian Capital Territory. The leader of party with the largest representation of seats in the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly usually takes on the role...
– Rosemary FollettRosemary FollettRosemary Follett AO , Australian politician, was the first Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory. She was the first woman to become head of government in an Australian state or territory....
(from 11 May, until 5 December), then Trevor KaineTrevor KaineTrevor Thomas Kaine , an Australian politician, was Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 1989 to 1991, and was elected a multi-member single electorate first unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, from 1989 to 2001, initially as a member of the Liberal... - Chief Minister of the Northern TerritoryChief Minister of the Northern TerritoryThe Chief Minister of the Northern Territory is appointed by the Administrator, who in normal circumstances will appoint the head of whatever party holds the majority of seats in the legislature of the territory...
– Marshall PerronMarshall PerronMarshall Bruce Perron is a former Australian politician, who was a Country Liberal Party member of the Legislative Assembly in the Northern Territory from the formation of the Assembly in 1974 until his resignation in 1995. From 1988 to 1995, Perron was the Chief Minister of the Northern...
Governors and Administrators
- Governor of New South Wales – Sir James RowlandJames Rowland (Australia)Air Marshal Sir James Anthony Rowland, AC, KBE, DFC, AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force, serving as Chief of the Air Staff from 1975 to 1979. He later held office as Governor of New South Wales from 1981 to 1989, and was Chancellor of the University of Sydney from 1990...
(until 20 January), then Sir David MartinDavid Martin (Governor)-Honours:-External links:... - Governor of Queensland – Sir Walter Campbell
- Governor of South Australia – Sir Donald DunstanDonald Dunstan (Australian Governor)Lieutenant General Sir Donald Beaumont Dunstan, AC, KBE, CB was an Australian Army officer who was Governor of South Australia from 23 April 1982 until 5 February 1991.-Military career:...
- Governor of Tasmania – Sir Phillip BennettPhillip BennettGeneral Sir Phillip Harvey Bennett AC, KBE, DSO is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army who served as Chief of the Australian Defence Force from 1984 to 1987, and later as Governor of Tasmania from 1987 to 1995....
- Governor of Victoria – Dr Davis McCaugheyDavis McCaugheyJohn Davis McCaughey, AC was a bible scholar, church and university administrator, and was Governor of Victoria from 1986–1992.-Working life:...
- Governor of Western AustraliaGovernor of Western AustraliaThe Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
– Professor Gordon ReidGordon Reid (Governor)Gordon Stanley Reid AC was an Australian academic who was Governor of Western Australia from 1984 to 1989....
(until 30 October) - Administrator of the Northern TerritoryAdministrator of the Northern TerritoryThe Administrator of the Northern Territory is an official appointed by the Governor-General of Australia to exercise powers analogous to that of a state governor...
– Eric JohnstonEric Johnston (NT Administrator)Commodore Eric Eugene Johnston AO, OBE, RAN was Administrator of the Northern Territory from 1 January 1981 to 1 July 1989. Earlier he was a serving officer in the Royal Australian Navy and commanded HMAS Perth in action during the Vietnam War...
(until 1 July), then James MuirheadJames MuirheadJames Henry Muirhead AC KStJ QC was an Administrator of the Northern Territory and a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.-Pre-Northern Territory:...
Events
- 1 January – HECS is introduced with the commencement of the Higher Education Funding Act 1988.
- 10 January – Assistant Australian Federal PoliceAustralian Federal PoliceThe Australian Federal Police is the federal police agency of the Commonwealth of Australia. Although the AFP was created by the amalgamation in 1979 of three Commonwealth law enforcement agencies, it traces its history from Commonwealth law enforcement agencies dating back to the federation of...
commissioner Colin WinchesterColin WinchesterColin Stanley Winchester APM, was an Assistant Commissioner in the Australian Federal Police . Winchester commanded ACT Police, the community policing component of the AFP Australian Federal Police responsible for the Australian Capital Territory.On 10 January 1989, at about 9:15 pm, he was...
is shot dead in the driveway of his CanberraCanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
home by a sniper, later identified as David Harold EastmanDavid EastmanDavid Harold Eastman is a former public servant from Canberra, Australia. In 1995 he was convicted of the murder of Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Colin Winchester. On 10 January 1989, Eastman shot Winchester twice in the head at point blank range in the driveway of Winchester's...
. - 1 February – Joan KirnerJoan KirnerJoan Elizabeth Kirner AM , Australian politician, was the 42nd Premier of Victoria, the first woman to hold the position, which she held for two years prior to a landslide election defeat.-Biography:...
becomes Victoria's first female Deputy Premier after the resignation of Robert FordhamRobert FordhamRobert Clive Fordham is an Australian former politician, who was a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly representing the state seat of Footscray for the Australian Labor Party from 1970 to 1992...
over the VEDC (Victorian Economic Development Corporation) crisis. - 1 March – The Industrial Relations Commission replaces the Australian Conciliation & Arbitration Commission.
- 4 March – First ACT (Australian Capital TerritoryAustralian Capital TerritoryThe Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
) elections held - 6 March – Former National Safety Council boss John FriedrichJohn FriedrichJohann Friedrich Hohenberger OAM , also known as John Friedrich, was executive director of the National Safety Council of Australia during the 1980s. He the subject of Victoria's biggest fraud case and known as "Australia's greatest conman".-Early life and career:Hohenberger was a West German...
is arrested in Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
over allegations that he defrauded investors of $237 million. - 20 March – Prime MinisterPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Bob HawkeBob HawkeRobert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
weeps on national television, as he admits marital infidelity. - 9 May – Andrew PeacockAndrew PeacockAndrew Sharp Peacock AC, GCL , is a former Australian Liberal politician. He was a minister in the Gorton, McMahon and Fraser governments, and was federal leader of the Liberal Party of Australia 1983–1985 and 1989–1990...
deposes John HowardJohn HowardJohn Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
as Federal Opposition Leader and Leader of the Liberal Party. - 11 May – The ACT Legislative Assembly meets for the first time
- 15 May – Australia's first private tertiary institution, Bond UniversityBond UniversityBond University is a private university located in Robina, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is also the first private university established in Australia...
, opens on the Gold CoastGold Coast, QueenslandGold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
. - 29 May – The Australian Labor PartyAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
in TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
signs the Labor–Green Accord with the Tasmanian GreensTasmanian GreensThe Tasmanian Greens are a political party in Australia which developed from numerous environmental campaigns in Tasmania, including the flooding of Lake Pedder and the Franklin Dam campaign...
to form government. - 30 May – Ananda MargaAnanda MargaAnanda Marga, organizationally known as Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha , meaning the samgha for the propagation of the marga of ananda , is a social and spiritual movement founded in Jamalpur, Bihar, India in 1955 by Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar .Ánanda Márga followers describe Ánanda Márga as a...
member Tim Anderson is arrested on charges related to the 1978 Hilton bombingSydney Hilton bombingThe Sydney Hilton bombing occurred on 13 February 1978, when a bomb exploded outside the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. At the time the hotel was the site of the first Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting , a regional off-shoot of the biennial meetings of the heads...
. - 5 July – Findings from the Fitzgerald InquiryFitzgerald InquiryThe Fitzgerald Inquiry into Queensland Police corruption was a judicial inquiry presided over by Tony Fitzgerald QC. The inquiry resulted in the deposition of a premier, two by-elections, the jailing of three former ministers and a police commissioner who was jailed and lost his...
are released in Queensland. - 13 August – Thirteen people die in a hot air balloon accident near Alice Springs, Northern TerritoryNorthern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. - 23 August – All of Australia's 1,645 domestic airline pilots resign over an airline's move to sack and sue them over a dispute, following a strike1989 Australian pilots' strikeThe 1989 Australian pilots' dispute was one of the most expensive and dramatic industrial disputes in Australia's history. It was co-ordinated by the Australian Federation of Air Pilots after a prolonged period of wage suppression, to support its campaign for a large pay increase The 1989...
. - 20 October – Grafton bus crashGrafton bus crashThe Grafton bus crash killed 21 people and injured 22 on the Pacific Highway on the North Coast of New South Wales near Grafton. At some time between 3:50 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. on Friday, 20 October 1989 a southbound semi-trailer truck carrying a load of tinned fruit juice veered onto the wrong side...
– 21 people are killed and 22 are injured when a tourist bus collides with a semi-trailer on the Pacific HighwayPacific Highway (Australia)The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...
near GraftonGrafton, New South WalesThe city of Grafton is the commercial hub of the Clarence River Valley. Established in 1851, Grafton features many historic buildings and tree-lined streets. Located approximately 630 kilometres north of Sydney and 340 km south of Brisbane, Grafton and the Clarence Valley can be reached...
. - 10 November – Gaby KennardGaby KennardGaby Kennard was the first Australian woman to circumnavigate the globe by airplane. In 1989, she began her journey, following Amelia Earhart's route as much as possible. The trip took 99 days and covered 29,000 nautical miles...
becomes the first Australian woman to fly non-stop around the world. - 25 November – ElectionsSouth Australian state election, 1989State elections were held in Australia on November 25, 1989. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia John Bannon defeated the Liberal Party of Australia led by Leader of the Opposition John...
in South AustraliaSouth AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
narrowly return the Labor government of John Bannon to power. - 2 December – After 32 years in power, 19 of those under Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, the National PartyNational Party of AustraliaThe National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
government is voted out of office in QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
amid widespread allegations of corruption & is replaced by the Australian Labor PartyAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
. led by Wayne Goss. - 22 December – Kempsey bus crashKempsey bus crashThe Kempsey bus crash occurred in Australia on December 22, 1989 when two full tourist coaches, each travelling at 100km/h, collided head-on on the Pacific Highway at Clybucca Flat, 12 km north of Kempsey, New South Wales. The collision killed both drivers instantly. The impact snapped seats from...
– Two tourist coaches collide on the Pacific HighwayPacific Highway (Australia)The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...
north of Kempsey, New South WalesKempsey, New South WalesKempsey is a town in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia and is the council seat for Kempsey Shire. It is located 15 kilometres inland from the coast of the Pacific Ocean where the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line cross the Macleay River...
, 35 are killed and 39 injured. - 28 December – A magnitude 5.6 earthquake1989 Newcastle earthquakeThe 1989 Newcastle earthquake was a Richter magnitude 5.6 earthquake that occurred in Newcastle, New South Wales on Thursday, 28 December 1989, at 10:27 am. It was one of Australia's most serious natural disasters, killing 13 people and injuring more than 160...
hits Newcastle, New South WalesNewcastle, New South WalesThe Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, killing 13 people.
Unknown Dates
- The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is established in New South Wales.
- Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
decriminalises homosexual acts between consenting adults. - Alan BondAlan Bond (businessman)Alan Bond is an Australian businessman noted for his criminal convictions and high-profile business dealings, including what was at the time the biggest corporate collapse in Australian history. Bond was born in the Hammersmith district of London, England, and emigrated to Australia with his...
's Bond Corporation goes into receivership with the largest debt in Australian history.
Arts and literature
- Peter Carey's novel Oscar and LucindaOscar and LucindaOscar and Lucinda is a novel by Peter Carey which won the 1988 Booker Prize, the 1989 Miles Franklin Award, and was shortlisted for The Best of the Booker.-Plot introduction:...
wins the Miles Franklin AwardMiles Franklin AwardThe Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize for the best Australian ‘published novel or play portraying Australian life in any of its phases’. The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin , who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career ...
Television
- January – Young Talent TimeYoung Talent TimeYoung Talent Time is an Australian television variety program screened on Network Ten, running from 1971 until 1988. The series features a core group of young performers in the vein of The Mickey Mouse Club, and a weekly junior talent quest. The "Young Talent Team" regularly performed popular...
is cancelled before the new series goes to air. - 31 March – Phase 1 of Aggregation of televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
services occurs in Southern NSWNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, with WIN TelevisionWIN TelevisionWIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions covering a...
becoming a regional Nine NetworkNine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
affiliate, Prime TelevisionPrime TelevisionPRIME7 is an Australian television network owned by Prime Media Group Limited. Prime Television launched on 17 March 1962 as CBN/CWN in Orange and Dubbo, New South Wales, and has since expanded to cover regional New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory as a Seven Network...
becoming the Seven NetworkSeven NetworkThe Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
affiliate & Capital Television (now Southern Cross TenSouthern Cross TenSouthern Cross Ten is an Australian television channel broadcast by the Macquarie Media Group in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia. The channel is owned by the Macquarie Media Group as is affiliated to Network Ten...
) becoming the Network TenNetwork TenNetwork Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
affiliate. - 12 April – Fast Forward premieres in Australia (1989–1992).
- June – NeighboursNeighboursNeighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
introduces a new look theme song. The theme is sung by Barry CrockerBarry CrockerBarry Hugh Crocker OAM is a popular Australian singer, with a crooning vocal style.-Biography:...
when it lasted until the end of 1994. - July – Bob Shanks takes over as managing director of Network Ten due to ailing ratings & totally revamps the network, giving it the name 10 TV Australia as well as introducing a new lineup with increased game show content. Most of the new shows are axed by the end of the year.
- August – Acropolis NowAcropolis NowAcropolis Now was an Australian sitcom set in a Greek bar of the same name that ran for 63 episodes from 1989 to 1992 on the Seven Network. It was created by Nick Giannopoulos, George Kapiniaris and Simon Palomares, who also starred in the series. They were already quite well known for their comedy...
premieres in Australia (1989–1992). - September – Network Ten is sold to Steve Cosser, head of Broadcom Australia, for $22 million.
- 31 December – Phase 2 of Aggregation of Television services occurs in OrangeOrange, New South WalesOrange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
& Wagga Wagga, with aggregation occurring in Wollongong & CanberraCanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
in March - The Big GigThe Big GigThe Big Gig was a popular Australian television comedy series based on the British TV series Saturday Live. It was produced and broadcast by the ABC in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was produced and directed by Ted Robinson, who started his career as the director of the second series of the...
premieres in Australia (1989–1992).
Sport
- 13 March – NSWRLNew South Wales Rugby LeagueThe New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
unveils massive advertisingAdvertisingAdvertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
campaign featuring rock legend Tina TurnerTina TurnerTina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
singing What You Get is What You See. - 17 March – First day of the Australian Track & Field Championships for the 1988–1989 season, which are held at the QEII Stadium in Brisbane, Queensland.
- 23 July – Bradley Camp wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:10:10 in BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, while Jan Federick claims the women's title in 2:51:30. - 11 August – Canterbury BulldogsCanterbury BulldogsThe Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
& Canberra RaidersCanberra RaidersThe Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
meet at the WACA GroundWACA GroundThe WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association....
in PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
in the first NSWRL match played outside the eastern states. On the same day, it is announced that the VFL will become known as the AFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
from next season. - 13 August – Marconi Fairfield win the NSLNational Soccer LeagueThe National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
with a 2–0 victory over Sydney Olympic, in the last season to be played in traditional Winter format. - 24 September – Canberra upset BalmainBalmain TigersThe Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
19-14 in extra time at the Sydney Football Stadium (now Aussie Stadium) to win one of the most dramatic & exciting grand finals ever & take the NSWRL premiership outside SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
for the first time. - 30 September – HawthornHawthorn Football ClubThe Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
(21.18.144) defeat GeelongGeelong Football ClubThe Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
(21.12.138) to win the 93rd and indeed final VFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
premiership until 1996, when the VFA would become known as the VFL. - Brownlow MedalBrownlow MedalThe Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
awarded to Paul CouchPaul CouchPaul Couch is a retired Australian rules footballer who played for Geelong in the Australian Football League.Prior to playing with Geelong, Couch initially tried out with Fitzroy, but was rejected for being too slow....
(GeelongGeelong Football ClubThe Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
). - CricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
– AustraliaAustralian cricket teamThe Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
regains The AshesThe AshesThe Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
on EnglishEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
soil for the first time in 40 years defeating EnglandEnglish cricket teamThe England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
4-0 in the 6 test series.
Births
- 1 February – Steven BrowneSteven BrowneSteven Browne is an Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League from 2008–2010. He currently plays for West Perth in the West Australian Football League ....
, Australian rules footballer - 8 February – Bronte BarrattBronte BarrattBronte Amelia Arnold Barratt OAM is a competitive swimmer from Australia. At the World Short Course Championships held in Shanghai in 2006, Barratt won the gold medal in women's 4x200m freestyle relay and an individual silver medal in the 400m freestyle.In 2007, she broke the oldest record in...
, swimmer - 25 February – Hayden DoyleHayden DoyleHayden James Doyle is an Australian footballer who currently plays for Oakleigh Cannons in the Victorian Premier League.-Career:...
, soccer player - 15 March – Bryce Gibbs, Australian rules footballer
- 24 March – James SellarJames SellarJames Sellar is an Australian rules footballer. He was selected in the 2006 AFL Draft by the Adelaide Football Club at No. 14 overall, considered a bargain pick at the time considering he was touted as a potential top-5 pick. Sellar was educated at Brighton Secondary School along with other AFL...
, Australian rules footballer - 4 April – Chris HerdChris HerdChristopher "Chris" Herd is an Australian football player who plays for Premier League club Aston Villa. He has also represented his country at under-20 level...
, soccer player - 20 April – Amy SteelAmy Steel (netballer)Amy Steel is an Australian netball player currently playing for the Queensland Firebirds in the ANZ Championship. She has also previously played for the Melbourne Kestrels in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy from 2005–2007...
, netballer - 15 May – James HollandJames Holland (footballer)James Holland is a professional football player who plays for Dutch club AZ Alkmaar and the Socceroos.-Club career:...
, soccer player - 26 May – Laurence BraudeLaurence BraudeLaurence Braude is an Australian footballer currently playing for MPS Portland Phoenix in the USL Premier Development League.-Early life:...
, soccer player - 30 May – Catherine McNeilCatherine McNeilCatherine McNeil is an Australian fashion model. At fourteen years old, she won a model search contest hosted by Girlfriend.-Career:...
, fashion model - 9 June – Josephine TomicJosephine TomicJosephine Tomic is an Australian racing cyclist from Perth.She began cycling on the road aged 14 and represented her country for the first time only a year later in 2004, competing in the Oceania championships...
, racing cyclist - 12 June – Shane LowryShane Lowry (footballer)Shane Thomas Lowry is an Irish-Australian professional football player who currently plays as a centre defender or left fullback for the Australia national football team and Millwall, on loan from Aston Villa...
, soccer player - 1 July – Daniel RicciardoDaniel RicciardoDaniel Ricciardo is an Australian racing driver currently competing in Formula 1 for Hispania Racing. He won the British Formula Three Championship in 2009.-Formula Ford and Formula BMW:...
, racecar driver - 13 July – Jack BobridgeJack BobridgeJack Bobridge is an Australian professional racing cyclist. He came fourth as part of the Australian team pursuit at the 2008 Olympics, losing the bronze medal race to New Zealand. In May 2009, Bobridge signed with , with his contract starting on 1 January 2010 and continuing until 2012...
, racing cyclist - 18 July – Sebastian RyallSebastian RyallSebastian Ryall is an Australian football player who currently plays as a defender for Sydney FC.-Melbourne Victory:Ryall played junior football for West Pymble Soccer Club in Sydney...
, soccer player - 27 July – Talia ZuckerTalia Zucker-Biography:She also played the role of Claire Jardine in the ABC series Dirt Game with Joel Edgerton and Gerald Lepkowski in 2009. Talia appeared as a guest character in the Australian drama series City Homicide and played a lead role in the children's series Scooter: Secret Agent and Legacy of the...
, actress - 15 August – Ryan McGowanRyan McGowanRyan McGowan is an Australian football player who currently plays as a Defender for Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Premier League...
, soccer player - 19 September – Kimberly MasonKimberly MasonKimberly Mason is Australia's current premier Rhythmic Gymnast . She started rhythmic gymnastics in 1996 originally at PLC Sydney New South Wales, under head coach Nicole Higham, herself an ex rhythmic gymnast...
, rhythmic gymnast - 22 September – Renee RollasonRenee RollasonRenee Rollason is an Australian football player, who currently plays for Central Coast Mariners in the Australian W-League.Rollason made her debut against Melbourne Victory on Saturday, 25 October 2008...
, soccer player - 18 October – Leigh HowardLeigh HowardLeigh Howard is an Australian professional racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team .-Biography:Born in Geelong, Victoria, Howard now resides in Waurn Ponds. He began cycling competitively at the age of 10 and first represented Australia in 2005 at the age of 16.Howard won the bronze medal in the...
, racing cyclist - 24 October – Eliza Taylor-CotterEliza Taylor-CotterElizabeth Jane "Eliza" Taylor-Cotter is an Australian actress, best known for her role as Janae Timmins in long-running soap opera Neighbours.-Biography and Career:...
, actress - 26 October – Daniel MullenDaniel Mullen (footballer)Daniel John Mullen is an Australian football Defender who currently plays for in the Hyundai A-League. His natural position is at centre back but he plays regularly at right back at club level....
, soccer player - 22 December – Jared PetrenkoJared PetrenkoJared Petrenko is a professional Australian Rules football player currently playing for the Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League. He is of both Indigenous Australian and Ukrainian descent, and his Indigenous tribal ancestry can be traced to the Adnyamathanha.Petrenko grew up in Henley...
, Australian rules footballer - 22 December – Jharal Yow YehJharal Yow YehJharal Yow Yeh is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League...
, rugby league footballer - 31 December – Brydan KleinBrydan KleinBrydan Klein is an Australian professional tennis player. He prefers to play on a fast surface, such as grass or hard.Klein has yet to become an active competitor on the main ATP Tour. However, he did receive a wildcard from Tennis Australia for the 2008 Australian Open, but lost to Paul Capdeville...
, tennis player
Deaths
- 17 March – Donald FriendDonald FriendDonald Stuart Leslie Friend was an Australian artist, writer and diarist.- Early life :Born in Sydney, precociously talented both as an artist and a writer, Friend grew up in the artistic circle of his bohemian mother...
, artist - 11 August – John MeillonJohn MeillonJohn Meillon was an Australian actor, most widely known outside Australia for his role as Walter Reilly in the films "Crocodile" Dundee and "Crocodile" Dundee II. He also voiced Victoria Bitter beer commercials until his death.-Biography:Meillon was born in Mosman, Sydney...
, actor - 26 October – Gordon ReidGordon Reid (Governor)Gordon Stanley Reid AC was an Australian academic who was Governor of Western Australia from 1984 to 1989....
, Governor of Western Australia