2007 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 IIElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,... - Governor-GeneralGovernor-General of AustraliaThe Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
– Michael JefferyMichael JefferyMajor General Philip Michael Jeffery AC, CVO, MC was the 24th Governor-General of Australia , the first Australian career soldier to be appointed governor-general... - 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...
– 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....
(until 3 December), then Kevin RuddKevin RuddKevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
Premiers and Chief Ministers
- Premier of New South Wales – Morris IemmaMorris IemmaMorris Iemma , is a former Australian politician and 40th Premier of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr after he resigned on 3 August 2005. Iemma led the Australian Labor Party to victory in the 2007 election before resigning as Premier on 5 September 2008, and as a Member of Parliament on 19...
- Premier of South Australia – Mike RannMike RannMichael David Rann MHA, CNZM , Australian politician, served as the 44th Premier of South Australia. He led the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party to minority government at the 2002 election, before attaining a landslide win at the 2006 election...
- Premier of Queensland – Peter BeattiePeter BeattiePeter Douglas Beattie , Australian politician, was the 36th Premier of the Australian state of Queensland for nine years and leader of the Australian Labor Party in that state for eleven and a half years...
(until 13 September), then Anna BlighAnna BlighAnna Maria Bligh is an Australian politician and the Premier of Queensland since 2007. The 2009 Queensland state election was the first time a female-led political party won or retained state or federal government in Australia... - Premier of Tasmania – Paul LennonPaul LennonPaul Anthony Lennon is an Australian Labor Party politician. He was Premier of Tasmania from 21 March 2004 until his resignation on 26 May 2008. He was member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for the seat of Franklin from 1990 until officially resigning on 27 May 2008...
- 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...
– Alan CarpenterAlan CarpenterAlan John Carpenter is a former Australian politician. He was the 28th Premier of Western Australia, serving from 2006 to 2008. He took office following the resignation of Dr Geoff Gallop... - Premier of Victoria – Steve BracksSteve BracksStephen Philip Bracks AC is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria. He first won the electoral district of Williamstown in 1994 for the Australian Labor Party, and was party leader and Premier from 1999 to 2007....
(until 30 July), then John BrumbyJohn BrumbyJohn Mansfield Brumby , is an Australian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became Premier after the resignation of Steve Bracks. He also served as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. He contested his first election... - 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...
– Jon StanhopeJon StanhopeJonathan Ronald Stanhope is a former Australian politician who was Labor Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 2001 to 2011. Stanhope represented the Ginninderra electorate in the ACT Legislative Assembly from 1998 until 2011. He resigned as Chief Minister on 12 May 2011 and as... - 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...
– Clare MartinClare MartinClare Majella Martin is a former Australian politician. She is the current CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service . A former journalist, she was elected to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in a shock by-election win in 1995...
(until 26 November), then Paul HendersonPaul Henderson (Australian politician)Paul Raymond Henderson is an Australian politician and the current Chief Minister of the Northern Territory.Henderson was born in Croix-Chapeau, France, where his father was serving with the United States military. He was educated in Great Britain to A-Levels and studied mechanical... - Chief Minister of Norfolk Island – David Ernest Buffett (until 28 March), then Andre NobbsAndre NobbsAndre Neville Nobbs is a political figure from the Australian territory of Norfolk Island.He was elected to the Norfolk Island legislative Assembly in 2010 to become the Minister for Tourism, Industry and Development.-Chief Minister of Norfolk Island:...
Governors and Administrators
- Governor of New South Wales – Marie BashirMarie BashirMarie Roslyn Bashir AC, CVO is the present Governor of New South Wales since 2001 and also the Chancellor of the University of Sydney since 2007. Born in Narrandera, New South Wales, Bashir graduated from the University of Sydney in 1956 and held various medical positions, with a particular...
- Governor of South Australia – Marjorie Jackson-NelsonMarjorie JacksonMarjorie Jackson-Nelson, AC, CVO, MBE is a former Governor of South Australia and a former Australian athlete...
(until 31 July), then Kevin ScarceKevin ScarceRear Admiral Kevin John Scarce, AC, CSC, RANR is a retired officer of the Royal Australian Navy and the Governor of South Australia. He succeeded Marjorie Jackson-Nelson as Governor on 8 August 2007...
(from 8 August) - Governor of Queensland – Quentin BryceQuentin BryceQuentin Bryce, AC, CVO is the 25th and current Governor-General of Australia and former Governor of Queensland....
- Governor of Tasmania – William CoxWilliam Cox (governor)William John Ellis Cox, AC, RFD, ED, QC was Governor of Tasmania from 15 December 2004 to 2 April 2008, prior to which he was the state's Chief Justice and Lieutenant Governor....
- 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;...
– Ken MichaelKen MichaelKenneth Comninos Michael, AC was the 32nd Governor of Western Australia, succeeding Lieutenant-General John Sanderson.His vice-regal appointment was announced on 6 June 2005 by the then Premier Geoff Gallop and he was sworn in at Government House, Perth on 18 January 2006 by the Chief Justice of... - Governor of Victoria – David de KretserDavid de KretserDavid Morritz de Kretser, AC is an Australian medical researcher and a former Governor of Victoria from 2006 to 2011.-Biography:...
- 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...
– Ted EganTed EganEdward Joseph Egan AO is an Australian folk musician, and was a public servant who served as Administrator of the Northern Territory from 2003 to 2007.-Early life:...
(until 30 October), then Tom PaulingTom PaulingThomas Ian "Tom" Pauling, AO, QC is an Australian lawyer who is currently serving as Administrator of the Northern Territory....
(from 9 November) - Administrator of Norfolk Island – Grant TamblingGrant TamblingGrant Ernest John Tambling, AM is an Australian politician and former Administrator of Norfolk Island.Tambling was born and raised in Darwin in the Northern Territory, and studied both there and in Adelaide...
(until September), then Owen WalshOwen WalshOwen Edward John Walsh is the current Administrator of the Australian territory of Norfolk Island.Walsh was educated at the University of Tasmania, from which he graduated with degrees in Arts and Law...
(acting)
January
- 1 January – An estimated five hundred rioters turn on policePoliceThe police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
in Rye, VictoriaRye, VictoriaRye is a seaside resort town, approximately 83 km south of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia. Its bay beach is popular with swimmers, fishermen, yachtsmen and kitesurfers. Its ocean beach is also popular with surfers...
. - 4 January – Storms lash the town of EsperanceEsperance, Western AustraliaEsperance is a large town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located on the Southern Ocean coastline approximately east-southeast of the state capital, Perth. The shire of Esperance is home to 9,536 people as of the 2006 census, its major industries are tourism, agriculture,...
, Western Australia. A natural disasterNatural disasterA natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
area is declared. - 13 January – Youth attending an illegal drag race in the Melbourne suburb of Noble Park turn on policePoliceThe police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
throwing flares and trashing a video store. - 15 January – The first day of competition at the Australian OpenAustralian OpenThe Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
is marred by clashes between SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n and CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n supporters and the VictorianVictoria (Australia)Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
policePoliceThe police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
. - 16 January – Large parts of VictoriaVictoria (Australia)Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
are hit with power outages, including MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Geelong and Bendigo, after bushfires knock out power transmission lines connecting the state to the national electricity gridElectricity distributionFile:Electricity grid simple- North America.svg|thumb|380px|right|Simplified diagram of AC electricity distribution from generation stations to consumers...
. - 23 January – 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....
reshuffles his federal cabinet. Such changes include the sacking of the Immigration Minister, Amanda VanstoneAmanda VanstoneAmanda Eloise Vanstone is a former Australian politician and a former Ambassador to Italy. She was a Liberal Senator for South Australia from 1984 to 2007, and held several ministerial portfolios in the Howard Government. After her resignation from the Senate in 2007, she served as the Australian...
. - 26 January – Organisers of the Big Day OutBig Day OutThe Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
in Sydney plead with event-goers not to bring Australian flagsFlag of AustraliaThe flag of Australia is a defaced Blue Ensign: a blue field with the Union Flag in the canton , and a large white seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter...
with them, fearing outbreaks of racial violence. The plea is ignored, and the day passes without incident. - 31 January – A report commissioned by the Government of New South WalesGovernment of New South WalesThe form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
predicts large temperature risesGlobal warmingGlobal warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
and a decrease in rainfall of up to 40 per cent over the next 70 years.
February
- 5 February – The first inquest into the deaths of the Balibo FiveBalibo FiveThe Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian television networks based in the town of Balibo in East Timor where they were killed on 16 October 1975 during Indonesian incursions prior to the invasion....
begins. - 7 February – James HardieJames HardieJames Hardie Industries Ltd. is an industrial building materials company headquartered in Ireland and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange which specialises in fibre cement products. James Hardie manufactures and develops technologies, materials and processes for the production of building...
announces that it has approved long-term compensation arrangements for asbestosAsbestosAsbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
victims. - 11 February – 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...
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....
causes a diplomatic stir when he publicly criticises U.S. presidential nominee Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
for his plan to withdraw U.S. troops from IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
March
- 3 March – Liberal Senator Ian CampbellIan Campbell (Australian politician)Ian Gordon Campbell , Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate representing Western Australia between 1990 and 2007.-Early life:...
resigns his cabinet portfolio as Minister for Human Services after it is revealed that he, like Kevin RuddKevin RuddKevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
, had met with disgraced former 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...
, Brian BurkeBrian BurkeBrian Thomas Burke was Labor premier of Western Australia from 25 February 1983 until his resignation on 25 February 1988...
. - 4 March – At the request of president Xanana GusmãoXanana GusmãoKay Rala Xanana Gusmão GCL is a former militant who was the first President of East Timor, serving from May 2002 to May 2007...
and prime minister José Ramos-Horta, Australian Special Air Service troops raid a rebel stronghold in SameSame (East Timor)Same is a city and subdistrict in the interior of East Timor, 81 km south of Dili, the national capital. Same has a population of 25,000 and is the capital of the district of Manufahi, which was known as the district of Same in Portuguese Timor....
, East TimorEast TimorThe Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, in an attempt to capture rebel leader Alfredo ReinhadoAlfredo ReinhadoAlfredo Alves Reinado , sometimes spelled Reinhado, was a major in the military of Timor-Leste, the Timor Leste Defence Force . He deserted on May 4, 2006 to join approximately 600 former soldiers who had been sacked in March 2006 after complaining of regional discrimination in promotions, sparking...
. Four Timorese men are killed in the battle, and Reinhado escapes. - 6 March – The Australian government approves a proposed A$Australian dollarThe Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
11.1 billion sale of the national airline QantasQantasQantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
to an international consortium after the Foreign Investment Review Board finds that the sale would not breach foreign ownership laws. - 7 March – Five Australians are killed when Garuda Indonesia Flight 200Garuda Indonesia Flight 200Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 was the scheduled domestic passenger flight of a Boeing 737-497 operated by Garuda Indonesia between Jakarta and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The aircraft crashed and burst into flames while landing at Adisucipto International Airport on March 7, 2007...
crashes and explodes in JavaJavaJava is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
: a journalist, two 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...
officers, an Australian embassy official and a foreign aid worker. - 8 March – Two people are killed when Severe Tropical Cyclone George makes landfall near Port Hedland, Western AustraliaPort Hedland, Western AustraliaPort Hedland is the highest tonnage port in Australia and largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with a population of approximately 14,000 ....
. A third death occurs three days later when a man dies of head injuries sustained in the cyclone. - 9 March – Shadow Attorney-General Kelvin ThomsonKelvin ThomsonKelvin John Thomson is an Australian politician. Since March 1996 Thomson has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of Wills in Victoria.-Early life:...
resigns from the Opposition front bench after it is revealed that he wrote a positive character reference for Melbourne gangland figure and fugitive Tony MokbelTony MokbelAntonios Sajih 'Tony' Mokbel is an Australian from Melbourne, Australia, who was a fugitive until his recapture in Athens, Greece on 5 June 2007. He is of Lebanese descent and born in Kuwait. Detectives from Operation Purana allege that he is the mastermind behind the Melbourne amphetamines trade...
six years ago. - 14 March – An electrical fault on a Northern LineNorthern railway line, SydneyThe Northern Line is part of the metropolitan rail network in Sydney known as CityRail. It serves the northern suburbs of Sydney and the Lower North Shore, along with parts of the Inner West and the Hills District. The line utilises the Epping to Chatswood Line and parts of the Main Northern Line,...
train near the Sydney Harbour BridgeSydney Harbour BridgeThe Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
strands 4,000 passengers on Sydney's CityRailCityRailCityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
train system for nearly three hours, and causes substantial delays during the evening rush hour. - 16 March – Senator Santo SantoroSanto SantoroSanto Santoro , Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate from October 2002 to March 2007, representing the state of Queensland....
resigns as Minister for Ageing following a scandal involving his ownership of shares in a company related to his portfolio. He resigns from the Senate on 20 March. - 18 March – More than 200,000 people walk across the Sydney Harbour BridgeSydney Harbour BridgeThe Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
to celebrate its 75th anniversary. - 23 March – Three people are killed when three trucks and four cars are involved in a major collision and explosion in MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
's Burnley TunnelBurnley TunnelThe Burnley Tunnel is a tollway tunnel in Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia, which carries traffic eastbound from the West Gate Freeway to the Monash Freeway. It is part of the CityLink Tollway operated by Transurban. Running under the Yarra River and the inner suburbs of Richmond and Burnley, the...
. - 23 March – The PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
games console is released in Australia, exactly a year after the Australian release of MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. - 24 March – 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...
and Premier Morris IemmaMorris IemmaMorris Iemma , is a former Australian politician and 40th Premier of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr after he resigned on 3 August 2005. Iemma led the Australian Labor Party to victory in the 2007 election before resigning as Premier on 5 September 2008, and as a Member of Parliament on 19...
are returned to power with a reduced majority in the 2007 New South Wales state election. Peter DebnamPeter DebnamPeter John Debnam , is a former Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Vaucluse between 1994 and 2011. Debnam is a former Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Western Sydney,...
resigns as Opposition Leader & Barry O'FarrellBarry O'FarrellBarry Robert O'Farrell MP, is an Australian politician and is the 43rd Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Western Sydney, Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party and a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Ku-ring-gai for the Liberal Party since 1999.Born in...
is elected leader on 4 April. - 26 March – Australian Guantanamo Bay detainee David Matthew Hicks pleads guilty to a charge of providing material support for terrorismProviding material support for terrorismProviding material support for terrorism is a provision of the USA PATRIOT Act which prohibits material support to groups designated as terrorists. The four types of support described are “training,” “expert advice or assistance,” “service,” and “personnel.” In June 2010 the United States Supreme...
before a United States military commissionGuantanamo military commissionThe Guantanamo military commissions are military tribunals created by the Military Commissions Act of 2006 for prosecuting detainees held in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps.- History :...
in CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. - 28 March – Four people are killed after a private charter boat collides with a Sydney Harbour ferrySydney FerriesSydney Ferries is an agency of the New South Wales Government Department of Transport, providing ferry services on Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River in Sydney, Australia....
. - 29 March – New South Wales PoliceNew South Wales PoliceThe New South Wales Police Force is the primary law enforcement agency in the State of New South Wales, Australia. It is an agency of the Government of New South Wales within the New South Wales Ministry for Police...
arrest three people, including an Australian ArmyAustralian ArmyThe Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
captainCaptain (OF-2)The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
, for alleged involvement in the theft and distribution of M72 LAWM72 LAWThe M72 LAW is a portable one-shot 66 mm unguided anti-tank weapon, designed in the United States by Paul V. Choate, Charles B. Weeks, and Frank A. Spinale et al...
rocket launchers to criminals. - 31 March – Earth HourEarth HourEarth Hour is a global event organized by WWF and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change...
, in which Sydneysiders were encouraged to turn off their lights between 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm, takes place.
April
- 2 April – The Bureau of Meteorology issues a tsunamiTsunamiA tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
warning for the east coast of Australia after an earthquake2007 Solomon Islands earthquakeThe 2007 Solomon Islands earthquake took place on 2 April 2007, near the provincial capital of Gizo on Ghizo Island, in the Solomon Islands. Its magnitude was calculated by the United States Geological Survey as being at 8.1 on the moment magnitude scale...
in the South Pacific Ocean is detected. Precautions are taken, such as the suspension of Sydney Ferry services, but Australia is unaffected. The tsunami, however, causes devastation in the Solomon IslandsSolomon IslandsSolomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. - 10 April – Four elderly residents of the Broughton Hall nursing home in Melbourne die after a gastroenteritisGastroenteritisGastroenteritis is marked by severe inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract involving both the stomach and small intestine resulting in acute diarrhea and vomiting. It can be transferred by contact with contaminated food and water...
outbreak at the home over the Easter weekend. A fifth resident dies in hospital on 16 April. - 19 April – Prime Minister 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....
announces a report which states that unless significant rain falls in the Murray-Darling BasinMurray-Darling BasinThe Murray-Darling basin is a large geographical area in the interior of southeastern Australia, whose name is derived from its two major rivers, the Murray River and the Darling River. It drains one-seventh of the Australian land mass, and is currently by far the most significant agricultural...
within the next six to eight weeks, Australia will face a major agricultural crisis with no irrigation allocations available to farmers. - 24 April – Two Australian soldiers are injured when a roadside bomb goes off in IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. - 26 April – Former immigration minister Senator Amanda VanstoneAmanda VanstoneAmanda Eloise Vanstone is a former Australian politician and a former Ambassador to Italy. She was a Liberal Senator for South Australia from 1984 to 2007, and held several ministerial portfolios in the Howard Government. After her resignation from the Senate in 2007, she served as the Australian...
announces her immediate resignation from the Australian SenateAustralian SenateThe Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
. It is announced later that day that Vanstone will take up the position of Australia's Ambassador to Italy in late June.
May
- 20 May – Australian Guantanamo Bay detainee David Matthew Hicks returns to Australia, where he will serve the remaining seven months of his sentence at Adelaide's Yatala Labour PrisonYatala Labour PrisonYatala Labour Prison is a low- to high-security men's prison in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. It was built in 1854 to enable prisoners to work at the creek, quarrying rock for roads and construction...
.
June
- 1 June – The Australian Government climate task force releases its report, recommending Australia implement an emissions tradingEmissions tradingEmissions trading is a market-based approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants....
scheme by 2012. Prime Minister 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....
declines to set a target for greenhouse gas reduction until after the 2007 election. - 5 June – Eleven people are killed, 12 seriously injured, 50 others wounded and 13 still missing after a V/LineV/LineV/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
train collides with a truck at a level crossing near Kerang, VictoriaKerang, VictoriaKerang is a rural town on the Loddon River in northern Victoria in Australia. It is the commercial centre to an irrigation district based on livestock, horticulture, lucerne and grain. It is located north-west of Melbourne on the Murray Valley Highway a few kilometres north of its intersection...
. - 6 June – Fugitive Tony MokbelTony MokbelAntonios Sajih 'Tony' Mokbel is an Australian from Melbourne, Australia, who was a fugitive until his recapture in Athens, Greece on 5 June 2007. He is of Lebanese descent and born in Kuwait. Detectives from Operation Purana allege that he is the mastermind behind the Melbourne amphetamines trade...
is recaptured in Greece after being missing since March 2006. - 8 June – 10 June – Major storms strike NewcastleNewcastle, 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...
, the Hunter regionHunter ValleyThe Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
and the Central CoastCentral Coast, New South WalesThe Central Coast is an urban region in the Australian state of New South Wales, located on the coast north of Sydney and south of Lake Macquarie....
, killing at least nine people and causing major flooding. The coal freighter Pasha Bulker is forced to run aground on Nobby's Beach, a major Newcastle beach. - 18 June – Victoria PoliceVictoria PoliceVictoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia. , the Victoria Police has over 12,190 sworn members, along with over 400 recruits, reservists and Protective Service Officers, and over 2,900 civilian staff across 393 police stations.-Early history:The Victoria Police...
cordon off a large part of the Melbourne city centreMelbourne city centreMelbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...
after a gunman shoots three people, killing one, and then escapes. - 21 June – After the release of a report into child abuseChild abuseChild abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
and domestic violenceDomestic violenceDomestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
in indigenousIndigenous AustraliansIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
communities, the Prime Minister declares the situation a "national emergency" and announces a series of measures (most of which are controversial) to deal with the crisis. - 25 June – John LawsJohn LawsRichard John Sinclair "John" Laws, CBE , an Australian radio presenter, sometimes known as Lawsie, was from the 1970s until his retirement in 2007, the host of a hugely successful morning radio program, which mixed music with interviews, opinion, live advertising readings and listener talkback...
announces his retirement from radio after a career spanning 54 years.
July
- 2 July – The Pasha Bulker is refloated after 25 days aground.
- 2 July – Thai Airways InternationalThai Airways InternationalThai Airways International Public Company Limited is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Thai is a...
flight TG999 arrives in Melbourne from BangkokBangkokBangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, causing a health scare when one of the passengers is later diagnosed with polioPoliomyelitisPoliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
. - 3 July – WesfarmersWesfarmersWesfarmers Limited is one of Australia’s largest public companies and one of Australia's largest retailers. Its headquarters are in Perth, Western Australia....
announces a A$Australian dollarThe Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
22 billion takeover of the Coles GroupColes GroupColes Group Limited was an Australian public company that operated numerous retail chains. It was Australia's second-largest retailer, behind Woolworths Limited...
in the nation's largest ever corporate takeover. - 3 July – Dr. Mohamed HaneefMohamed HaneefMuhamed Haneef is an Indian doctor who was wrongly accused of aiding terrorists, and left Australia upon cancellation of his visa amid great political controversy....
is arrested at Brisbane AirportBrisbane AirportBrisbane Airport is the sole passenger airport serving Brisbane and the third busiest in Australia, after Melbourne and Sydney Airports. Brisbane Airport has won many awards. Located in the suburb with the same name, the airport serves the city of Brisbane and the surrounding metropolitan area...
on suspicion of being involved in the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack2007 Glasgow International Airport attackThe 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack was a terrorist attack which occurred on Saturday 30 June 2007, at 15:11 BST, when a dark green Jeep Cherokee loaded with propane canisters was driven into the glass doors of the Glasgow International Airport terminal and set ablaze...
. - 7 July – Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney hosts one of seven global legs of the Live EarthLive Earth-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
concert series, which aim to promote action on climate changeClimate changeClimate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
. - 14 July – Dr. Mohamed HaneefMohamed HaneefMuhamed Haneef is an Indian doctor who was wrongly accused of aiding terrorists, and left Australia upon cancellation of his visa amid great political controversy....
is charged with providing support to a terrorist organisation, after it is alleged that he "recklessly" provided his mobile phone SIM cardSubscriber Identity ModuleA subscriber identity module or subscriber identification module is an integrated circuit that securely stores the International Mobile Subscriber Identity and the related key used to identify and authenticate subscriber on mobile telephony devices .A SIM is held on a removable SIM card, which...
to the group responsible for the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack2007 Glasgow International Airport attackThe 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack was a terrorist attack which occurred on Saturday 30 June 2007, at 15:11 BST, when a dark green Jeep Cherokee loaded with propane canisters was driven into the glass doors of the Glasgow International Airport terminal and set ablaze...
. - 27 July – Steve BracksSteve BracksStephen Philip Bracks AC is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria. He first won the electoral district of Williamstown in 1994 for the Australian Labor Party, and was party leader and Premier from 1999 to 2007....
resigns as Premier of VictoriaPremiers of VictoriaThe Premier of Victoria is the leader of the government in the Australian state of Victoria. The Premier is appointed by the Governor of Victoria, and is the leader of the political party able to secure a majority in the Legislative Assembly....
. Deputy Premier John ThwaitesJohn Thwaites (Australian politician)Johnstone William "John" Thwaites , Australian politician, was Deputy Premier of the state of Victoria from 1999 to 2007.-Early life :...
also resigns. - 27 July – The Director of Public ProsecutionsDirector of Public ProsecutionsThe Director of Public Prosecutions is the officer charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world...
drops the terrorism support charges against Dr. Mohamed HaneefMohamed HaneefMuhamed Haneef is an Indian doctor who was wrongly accused of aiding terrorists, and left Australia upon cancellation of his visa amid great political controversy....
. - 30 July – John BrumbyJohn BrumbyJohn Mansfield Brumby , is an Australian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became Premier after the resignation of Steve Bracks. He also served as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. He contested his first election...
and Rob HullsRob HullsRob Justin Hulls has been a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 1996, representing the electorate of Niddrie. As well as previously serving as the Deputy Premier of Victoria, he was also the state Attorney-General and Minister for Racing.Rob Hulls was born in Melbourne and was...
are elected unopposed as Premier and Deputy Premier of Victoria respectively, following the sudden resignation of Steve BracksSteve BracksStephen Philip Bracks AC is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria. He first won the electoral district of Williamstown in 1994 for the Australian Labor Party, and was party leader and Premier from 1999 to 2007....
and John ThwaitesJohn Thwaites (Australian politician)Johnstone William "John" Thwaites , Australian politician, was Deputy Premier of the state of Victoria from 1999 to 2007.-Early life :...
.
August
- 14 August – The federal CabinetCabinet of AustraliaThe Cabinet of Australia is the council of senior ministers of the Crown, responsible to parliament. The Cabinet is appointed by the Governor-General, on the advice of the Prime Minister the Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, and serves at the former's pleasure. The strictly private...
approves uraniumUraniumUranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
exports to India outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation TreatyNuclear Non-Proliferation TreatyThe Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to...
. - 15 August – Three journalists (Paul Daley and Michael Brissenden of the ABCAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
, and Tony Wright of The AgeThe AgeThe Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
and previously The BulletinThe BulletinThe Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
) give details of a dinner they attended in 2005 with TreasurerTreasurer of AustraliaThe Treasurer of Australia is the minister in the Government of Australia responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising. He is the head of the Department of the Treasury. The Treasurer plays a key role in the economic policy of the government...
Peter CostelloPeter CostelloPeter Howard Costello AC is an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the Treasurer in the Australian government from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Treasurer in Australian history. Costello was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2009, representing...
, at which Costello outlined his intention to challenge 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...
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....
for the leadership of the Liberal PartyLiberal Party of AustraliaThe Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
. - 19 August – Leader of the Opposition Kevin RuddKevin RuddKevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
admits that he once visited New York strip club Scores in 2003. - 21 August – The Federal Court of AustraliaFederal Court of AustraliaThe Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
reverses the decision of Immigration MinisterMinister for Immigration and Citizenship (Australia)In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship is responsible for overseeing the Department of Immigration and Citizenship....
Kevin AndrewsKevin Andrews (Australian politician)Kevin James Andrews is an Australian politician and member of the Liberal Party of Australia. He is a member of the House of Representatives and was Minister for Immigration and Citizenship in the Howard Government, having previously been Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations from 7...
to cancel the visa of former terrorism suspect Dr. Mohamed HaneefMohamed HaneefMuhamed Haneef is an Indian doctor who was wrongly accused of aiding terrorists, and left Australia upon cancellation of his visa amid great political controversy....
on character grounds, although the Australian Government announces it will appeal the decision. - 27 August – The Australian Government releases a draft booklet of Australian facts and values from which 20 questions of a citizenship testAustralian citizenship testThe Australian citizenship test is a test applicants for Australian citizenship who also meet the basic requirements for citizenship are required to take. It was introduced in 2007 to assess the applicants' adequate knowledge of Australia, the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship and...
will be drawn. Applicants for citizenship will be required to score 12 out of 20 (60%) in the test to be eligible.
September
- 2 September – 9 September – The Asia-Pacific Economic CooperationAsia-Pacific Economic CooperationAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim countries that seeks to promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region...
hosts its annual leaders meetingAPEC Australia 2007APEC Australia 2007 was a series of political meetings held around Australia between the 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation during 2007...
in Sydney. A public holiday was held in the Sydney Metropolitan area on 7 September. - 10 September – Peter BeattiePeter BeattiePeter Douglas Beattie , Australian politician, was the 36th Premier of the Australian state of Queensland for nine years and leader of the Australian Labor Party in that state for eleven and a half years...
announces he will resign as Premier of QueenslandPremiers of QueenslandBefore the 1890s, there was no developed party system in Queensland. Political affiliation labels before that time indicate a general tendency only. Before the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, political parties were more akin to parliamentary factions, and were fluid, informal and... - 11 September – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen HarperStephen HarperStephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
became the first Canadian Prime Minister, since Canadian ConfederationCanadian ConfederationCanadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
, to address the Parliament of AustraliaParliament of AustraliaThe Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
. - 13 September – Anna BlighAnna BlighAnna Maria Bligh is an Australian politician and the Premier of Queensland since 2007. The 2009 Queensland state election was the first time a female-led political party won or retained state or federal government in Australia...
is sworn in as Queensland's first female premier. - 15 September – A three-year-old toddler, Qian Xun XueQian Xun Xue caseThe Xue family murder and abandonment case involves the abandonment of a three-year-old girl, Qian Xun Xue also known as Clare Xue, at Southern Cross Station in Melbourne, Australia, the murder of her mother, Anan Liu , in Auckland, New Zealand, and the search for and subsequent capture of her...
(nicknamed "Pumpkin" by authorities), is found wandering alone at Melbourne's Southern Cross StationSouthern Cross StationSouthern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
. Police believe the child had arrived several days before from New Zealand, and that her father had fled to the United States. - 22 September – The 171 year old MyerMyerMyer is Australia's largest department store chain, retailing a broad range of merchandise including women's, men's and children's clothing, footwear and accessories; cosmetics and fragrance; homewares; electrical; furniture and bedding; toys; books and stationery; food and confectionery; and...
building in HobartHobartHobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
is destroyed by fire.
October
- 4 October – The controversial GunnsGunnsGunns Limited is a major forestry enterprise located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1875 by brothers John and Thomas Gunn, it is one of Australia's oldest companies. It has over 900 square kilometres of plantations, mainly eucalyptus trees. It is Tasmania’s largest private land-owner...
Bell Bay Pulp MillBell Bay Pulp MillThe Bell Bay Pulp Mill, also known as the Tamar Valley Pulp Mill or Gunns Pulp Mill, is a proposed $2.3 billion pulp mill which Gunns Limited is planning to build in the Tamar Valley, near Launceston, Tasmania.-Proposed mill:...
is given the go-ahead by federal Environment and Water Resources Minister Malcolm TurnbullMalcolm TurnbullMalcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.Turnbull has represented the Division...
, with some conditions imposed on its development and with the Shadow minister for Environment and Water 's backing.
November
- 6 November – An Australian children's toy known as BindeezBindeezBindeez are a children's toy that was awarded Australian "Toy of the Year" for 2007. Toy Wishes magazine named it as one of the products among its 12 best toys of 2007. It is manufactured in China for the Australian-owned company Moose Enterprise P/L, and distributed in North America by Spin...
is recalled and a safety warning is issued after several children who had swallowed the beads were hospitalised suffering the symptoms of ingestion of gamma-Hydroxybutyric acidGamma-Hydroxybutyric acidγ-Hydroxybutyric acid , also known as 4-hydroxybutanoic acid and sodium oxybate when used for medicinal purposes, is a naturally occurring substance found in the central nervous system, wine, beef, small citrus fruits, and almost all animals in small amounts. It is also categorized as an illegal...
or GHB. The toys are also recalled in the United States and United Kingdom after several U.S. children suffer the same effects. - 9 November – The Assistant Commissioner of Victoria PoliceVictoria PoliceVictoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia. , the Victoria Police has over 12,190 sworn members, along with over 400 recruits, reservists and Protective Service Officers, and over 2,900 civilian staff across 393 police stations.-Early history:The Victoria Police...
, Noel Ashby, resigns, after a long service. - 21 November – Three days before the federal election, members of the Liberal PartyLiberal Party of AustraliaThe Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
are caught letterboxing the electorate of LindsayDivision of LindsayThe Division of Lindsay is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in the outer western suburbs of Sydney, and is centred around Penrith. It also includes the suburbs of Castlereagh, Mulgoa and Werrington....
with pamphlets from a bogus Islamic organisation, praising Labor for its support of the Bali bombers. Jackie KellyJackie KellyJacqueline Marie Kelly , former Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until November 2007, representing the Division of Lindsay, New South Wales.-Early career:...
, the retiring member for Lindsay whose husband was involved in the scandal, dismissed the incident as a "ChaserThe ChaserThe Chaser are an Australian satirical comedian group, known for their television programmes on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation channel. The group take their name from their production of satirical newspaper, a publication known to challenge conventions of taste...
-style prank." - 24 November – A federal election is held. Kevin RuddKevin RuddKevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
is elected as Prime Minister of AustraliaPrime 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...
after 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...
wins a majority in the House of RepresentativesAustralian House of RepresentativesThe House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
. - 25 November – Peter CostelloPeter CostelloPeter Howard Costello AC is an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the Treasurer in the Australian government from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Treasurer in Australian history. Costello was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2009, representing...
indicates he will not run for either Leader or Deputy Leader of the Liberal PartyLiberal Party of AustraliaThe Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
following their electoral defeat. - 26 November – Clare MartinClare MartinClare Majella Martin is a former Australian politician. She is the current CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service . A former journalist, she was elected to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in a shock by-election win in 1995...
announces her resignation as 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...
. Paul HendersonPaul Henderson (Australian politician)Paul Raymond Henderson is an Australian politician and the current Chief Minister of the Northern Territory.Henderson was born in Croix-Chapeau, France, where his father was serving with the United States military. He was educated in Great Britain to A-Levels and studied mechanical...
, the Territory's education minister is sworn in as her replacement on the same day. - 29 November – Brendan NelsonBrendan NelsonDr Brendan John Nelson is a former Australian politician and former federal Opposition leader. He served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from the 1996 federal election until 19 October 2009 as the Liberal member for Bradfield, a northern Sydney seat...
is elected Opposition Leader by 45 votes to 42 over Malcolm TurnbullMalcolm TurnbullMalcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.Turnbull has represented the Division...
. Julie BishopJulie BishopJulie Isabel Bishop is an Australian politician and the current Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Australia. She holds this title as the deputy leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. She is the party's first female Deputy Leader and the third woman in Australian history to...
is elected Deputy Leader.
December
- 3 December – On his first day as Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd ratifies the Kyoto ProtocolKyoto ProtocolThe Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
on climate changeClimate changeClimate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
. - 11 December – Julia GillardJulia GillardJulia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
becomes Acting Prime Minister as Kevin RuddKevin RuddKevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
attends the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference2007 United Nations Climate Change ConferenceThe 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference took place at the Bali International Conference Centre, Nusa Dua, in Bali, Indonesia, between December 3 and December 15, 2007 . Representatives from over 180 countries attended, together with observers from intergovernmental and nongovernmental...
in BaliBaliBali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
, technically making her Australia's first female prime minister. - 13 December – Zed SeseljaZed SeseljaZed Seselja is a Liberal Party Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly since 2004. He has been the territory's 12th Opposition Leader since December 2007, when he was appointed to the position following the resignation of Bill Stefaniak...
becomes Opposition Leader of the ACTLeader of the Opposition (Australian Capital Territory)The Leader of the Opposition of the Australian Capital Territory is an official role usually occupied by the leader of the second largest party or coalition in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly...
after the resignation of Bill StefaniakBill StefaniakWilliam George "Bill" Stefaniak is an Australian Liberal Party politician. He was the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Capital Territory after succeeding in a leadership challenge against former leader Brendan Smyth on 16 May 2006. He is a former Major in the Australian Army Reserve and...
. This follows the expulsion from the party of former Shadow Treasurer Richard MulcahyRichard MulcahyRichard James Mulcahy was an Irish politician, army general and commander in chief, leader of Fine Gael and Cabinet Minister...
on 10 December. - 21 December – The Federal CourtFederal Court of AustraliaThe Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
upholds the ruling of Justice Spender that former immigration minister Kevin AndrewsKevin Andrews (Australian politician)Kevin James Andrews is an Australian politician and member of the Liberal Party of Australia. He is a member of the House of Representatives and was Minister for Immigration and Citizenship in the Howard Government, having previously been Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations from 7...
was wrong to revoke the visa of Indian doctor and terrorism suspect Mohamed HaneefMohamed HaneefMuhamed Haneef is an Indian doctor who was wrongly accused of aiding terrorists, and left Australia upon cancellation of his visa amid great political controversy....
.
Arts & Literature
- 1 March – John BeardJohn Beard (artist)John Beard is a Welsh artist and painter born in Aberdare, Wales, he is now based in Sydney, Lisbon and London. -Life and art:John Beard won the Welsh National Art Scholarship in 1962 at just 19 years of age...
wins the 2007 Archibald PrizeArchibald PrizeThe Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after a bequest from J. F. Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin who died in 1919...
for his portrait of fellow artist Janet LaurenceJanet LaurenceJanet Laurence is a Sydney based Australian artist who works in mixed media and installation. Her work has been included in major survey exhibitions, nationally and internationally and is regularly exhibited in Sydney, Melbourne and Japan....
. - 13 April – Australian author Peter Carey is announced as one of 15 finalists for the 2007 Man Booker PrizeMan Booker PrizeThe Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
. - 5 June – Australian crime writer Peter TemplePeter TemplePeter Temple is an Australian crime fiction writer.Formerly a journalist and journalism lecturer, Temple turned to fiction writing in the 1990s. His Jack Irish novels are set in Melbourne, Australia, and feature an unusual lawyer-gambler protagonist...
wins the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger AwardGold DaggerThe Gold Dagger Award was an award given annually by the Crime Writers' Association for the best crime novel of the year.For its first five years, the organization's top honor was known as the Crossed Red Herring Award....
for his novel The Broken ShoreThe Broken ShoreThe Broken Shore is a Duncan Lawrie Dagger award winning novel by Australian author Peter Temple.-Plot Summary:The novel's central character is Joe Cashin, a Melbourne homicide detective. Following serious physical injuries he is posted to his hometown where he begins the process of rebuilding...
. - 21 June – CarpentariaCarpentaria (novel)Carpentaria is the second novel by the Indigenous Australian author Alexis Wright. It met with widespread critical acclaim when it was published in mid-2006, and went on to win Australia's premier literary prize, the Miles Franklin Award, in mid-2007....
by Alexis WrightAlexis WrightAlexis Wright is an Indigenous Australian writer best known for winning the Miles Franklin Award for her 2006 novel Carpentaria....
is announced as the winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award
- Alexis WrightAlexis WrightAlexis Wright is an Indigenous Australian writer best known for winning the Miles Franklin Award for her 2006 novel Carpentaria....
is awarded the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal for CarpentariaCarpentaria (novel)Carpentaria is the second novel by the Indigenous Australian author Alexis Wright. It met with widespread critical acclaim when it was published in mid-2006, and went on to win Australia's premier literary prize, the Miles Franklin Award, in mid-2007....
. - Peter Carey's novel Theft: A Love StoryTheft: A Love StoryTheft: A Love Story is a novel by Australian writer Peter Carey. It won the 2006 Vance Palmer Prize, the Victorian Premier's Literary Award prize for fiction.-Awards and nominations:...
wins the Christina Stead Prize for fictionNew South Wales Premier's Literary AwardsThe New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards were established in 1979 by the New South Wales Premier Neville Wran. Commenting on its purpose, Wran said: "We want the arts to take, and be seen to take, their proper place in our social priorities...
. - Alexis WrightAlexis WrightAlexis Wright is an Indigenous Australian writer best known for winning the Miles Franklin Award for her 2006 novel Carpentaria....
's novel CarpentariaCarpentaria (novel)Carpentaria is the second novel by the Indigenous Australian author Alexis Wright. It met with widespread critical acclaim when it was published in mid-2006, and went on to win Australia's premier literary prize, the Miles Franklin Award, in mid-2007....
wins the Vance Palmer Prize for FictionVance Palmer Prize for FictionThe Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction is a component of the annual Victorian Premier's Literary Award and is valued at A$30,000. Most Australian state premiers present annual Australian literary awards to promote Australian writing in all its forms. The award is named after Vance Palmer...
.
Film
- 23 January – The Australian film Clubland is picked up by a US distributor at the Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film FestivalThe Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. - 25 February – The Australian animated film Happy FeetHappy FeetHappy Feet is a 2006 American-Australian computer-animated family film with music, directed and co-written by George Miller. It was produced at Sydney-based visual effects and animation studio Animal Logic for Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures and Kingdom Feature Productions and was released...
, directed by George MillerGeorge Miller (producer)George Miller is an Australian film director, screenwriter, producer, and former medical doctor. He is most well known for his work on the Mad Max movies, but has been involved in a wide range of projects, including the Oscar-winning Happy Feet and "Babe" family films.Miller is the older brother...
, wins the Academy Award for Best Animated FeatureAcademy Award for Best Animated FeatureThe Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is one of the annual awards given by the Los Angeles-based professional organization, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
. - 26 March – The documentary Bra BoysBra BoysThe Bra Boys is an Australian surf gang founded and based in Maroubra, an eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. Dating back to the 1990s, the gang has gained notoriety through violent clashes with members of the public and police...
became Australia's highest-grossing non-IMAX documentary. - 30 April – Filming begins in Sydney on Baz LuhrmannBaz LuhrmannMark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
's epic World War II drama AustraliaAustralia (2008 film)Australia is a 2008 epic historical romance film directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. It is the second-highest grossing Australian film of all time, behind Crocodile Dundee. The screenplay was written by Luhrmann and screenwriter Stuart Beattie, with Ronald Harwood...
, starring Nicole KidmanNicole KidmanNicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
and Hugh JackmanHugh JackmanHugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
.
Television
- 29 January – Former Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Australian game show)Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was an Australian television game show which would offer a maximum cash prize of $1,000,000 for answering 15 successive multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty as a team...
host and CEO of the 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...
, Eddie McGuireEddie McGuireEdward Joseph "Eddie" McGuire AM is an Australian television presenter and businessman known for his long association with Australian rules football and the Channel 9 television network....
, returns to screens as the host of Nine's new game show 1 vs. 1001 vs. 100 (Australian game show)1 vs. 100 was an Australian spin-off game show based on the American version of the same name and the original Dutch version created by Endemol. The game pits one person against 100 others for a chance to win one million dollars...
. Also debuting on the same night, but at a different time, is 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...
's big money game show The Rich ListThe Rich List (Australian game show)For other versions of the show, please see The Rich List.The Rich List is an Australian game show which is based on the format initially created for transmission in the United Kingdom created by 12 Yard. The game consists of two teams who name as many items relating to a topic as they can while...
. - 9 February – The Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
signs a five-year broadcasting contract with 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...
, 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...
and pay TV provider FoxtelFoxtelFoxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....
, in a controversial deal that will see half of the AFL matches played each week broadcast on Foxtel instead of free-to-air television. - 12 February – Jodi Power, a family friend of convicted drug smuggler Schapelle CorbySchapelle CorbySchapelle Leigh Corby is an Australian woman convicted of drug smuggling who is imprisoned in Indonesia.Corby is serving a 20-year sentence for the importation of of cannabis into Bali, Indonesia...
, made allegations in a paid interview on Channel SevenSeven 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...
's Today TonightToday TonightToday Tonight is a controversial Australian News and Current Affairs program, produced by the Seven Network and shown weeknightly at in direct competition with rival Nine Network program A Current Affair....
that Corby's sister Mercedes had previously asked Power to transport drugs to Bali and that Mercedes had confessed to smuggling compressed cannabis concealed inside her body into Indonesia. Mercedes is interviewed by Channel NineNine 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...
's rival program A Current Affair on 14 February. - 1 April – When it was announced on Weekend SunriseSunrise (TV program)Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On weekdays the programme follows Seven Early News, and runs from 6am through to 9am.-History:...
, 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...
pays $3 million for the broadcast rights to the fourth series of Kath & KimKath & KimKath & Kim is a Logie Award-winning character-driven Australian television situation comedy series. The series was created by, and is written by Jane Turner and Gina Riley who play the title characters: a suburban mother and daughter with a dysfunctional relationship...
, a popular sitcom which had previously aired until their final appearance on the ABCABC TelevisionABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
in 2005/06 as Da Kath & Kim Code. - 16 April – Australia's Leader of the Opposition Kevin RuddKevin RuddKevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
and Minister for Workplace Relations Joe HockeyJoe HockeyJoseph Benedict "Joe" Hockey , is an Australian politician and member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of North Sydney for the Liberal Party of Australia since 1996....
discontinue their weekly appearances on Seven's breakfast news program SunriseSunrise (TV program)Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On weekdays the programme follows Seven Early News, and runs from 6am through to 9am.-History:...
after four years. The decision follows possibly politically-damaging accusations that Sunrise had requested that Rudd appear at a dawn service for ANZAC DayANZAC DayAnzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
in Long TanLong TanFor the footballer, see Long Tan. Long Tân , is a village in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province, Vietnam, at . When it was part of South Vietnam, it was in Phước Tuy province....
, VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, with the service held an hour early to accommodate the time difference for live television. - 18 May – After a tumultuous 15-month reign, the CEO of the 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...
, Eddie McGuireEddie McGuireEdward Joseph "Eddie" McGuire AM is an Australian television presenter and businessman known for his long association with Australian rules football and the Channel 9 television network....
, resigns. - 1 June – The very last ever episode of Bert's Family FeudBert's Family FeudBert's Family Feud was the third Australian version of the game show Family Feud. The series was produced by Grundy Television in conjunction with FremantleMedia. It was broadcast on the Nine Network and hosted by Bert Newton...
goes to air on the 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...
after a 18 month run. The show was axed due to the strong competition prize win of rival Seven Network game show Deal or No DealDeal or No Deal (Australian game show)Deal or No Deal is an Australian game show airing on the Seven Network and in New Zealand on Prime . It was the first international version of the game show, after the original Dutch version. It was the first of the versions to use the Deal or No Deal name...
. - 22 June – Mornings with Kerri-AnneMornings with Kerri-AnneKerri-Anne is an Australian morning television program shown on the Nine Network, hosted by Kerri-Anne Kennerley. It aired weekdays at 9am for two hours. The final episode of the series aired on November 25, 2011.-History:...
is axed by WINWIN 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...
. Only NineNine 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...
or NBNNBN TelevisionNBN Television is a television station based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The station was inaugurated on 4 March 1962 as the first regional commercial television station in New South Wales, and has since expanded to 39 transmitters throughout the northern half of New South Wales and...
will continue the show. Mornings with Kerri-AnneMornings with Kerri-AnneKerri-Anne is an Australian morning television program shown on the Nine Network, hosted by Kerri-Anne Kennerley. It aired weekdays at 9am for two hours. The final episode of the series aired on November 25, 2011.-History:...
is replaced by SusieSusie (TV program)Susie was an Australian morning talk and variety show, produced by WIN Television and hosted by Susie Elelman in Wollongong, New South Wales. The hour-long show premiered 25 June 2007, is broadcast on WIN Television each weekday morning at . It is also broadcast on two Nine Network affiliate...
a talk show with Susie Elelman in WollongongWollongong, New South WalesWollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney...
debuted on 25 June, just one week after Seven's The Morning ShowThe Morning Show (TV program)The Morning Show is an Australian morning talk show that premiered on the Seven Network on 18 June 2007. The show airs between 9am and 11:30am weekdays and follows Seven's breakfast news program Sunrise, with both programs closely interlinked....
introduced. The Morning Show will definitely be hosted by Larry EmdurLarry EmdurLarry Emdur is an Australian television personality. He is currently co-hosting Saturday's Weekend Sunrise alongside Samantha Armytage....
and Kylie GilliesKylie GilliesKylie Gillies is a television presenter for the Seven Network based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She currently co-hosts The Morning Show with Larry Emdur.-Career:...
. - 5 July – High-budget drama series Sea PatrolSea Patrol (TV series)Sea Patrol is an Australian television drama, set on board HMAS Hammersley, a fictional patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy . The series focuses on the ship and the lives of its crew members....
makes its debut on the 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...
. - 23 July – Top-rating soap opera 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...
makes a super international revamp over to continue its long-run on 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...
. - 30 July – Aleisha Cowcher wins Big Brother Australia 2007Big Brother Australia 2007Big Brother Australia 2007 was the seventh season of the Australian reality television series Big Brother Australia. Episodes were broadcast on Network Ten in Australia, and the first episode aired on 22 April 2007...
becoming the second ever female winner. - 19 August – Fourth series premiere of Kath & KimKath & KimKath & Kim is a Logie Award-winning character-driven Australian television situation comedy series. The series was created by, and is written by Jane Turner and Gina Riley who play the title characters: a suburban mother and daughter with a dysfunctional relationship...
at 7:30 pm, now on 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...
, attracts an audience of 2.521 million nationally, making it the most watched television programme so far in 2007 and the highest rating ever for a first episode in the history of Australian television. - 6 September – Julian MorrowJulian MorrowJulian Francis Xavier Morrow is an Australian comedian and television producer from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He is best known for being a member of the satirical team The Chaser...
and Chas LicciardelloChas LicciardelloChas John Licciardello is a comedian from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser...
from The Chaser's War on EverythingThe Chaser's War on EverythingThe Chaser's War on Everything is an Australian television satirical comedy series broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television station ABC1. It has won an AFI Award. The cast perform sketches mocking social and political issues, and often feature comedic publicity stunts...
along with nine other production crew members are arrested in Sydney during the APEC summit for entering a restricted area. Those arrested were travelling in a fake Canadian motorcadeMotorcadeA motorcade is a procession of vehicles. The term motorcade was coined by Lyle Abbot , and is formed after cavalcade on the false notion that "-cade" was a suffix meaning "procession"...
and Licciardello was dressed up as Osama bin LadenOsama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
. - 15 October – Seven HDSeven HDSeven HD was an Australian television channel, owned by the Seven Media Group, that launched on 15 October 2007. The channel was available to high definition digital television viewers in metropolitan areas, Tasmania and Regional Queensland through a number of owned-and-operated stations, as well...
is introduced, becoming the first HD-only channel operated by a Melbourne-based commercial television network. - 21 October – The 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...
includes the "wormWorm (marketing)The "worm" is a market research analysis tool developed by Roy Morgan Research , with the purpose of gauging an audience's reaction to some visual stimuli over some time period...
" audience reaction graph in their broadcast of the election debate between 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....
and Kevin RuddKevin RuddKevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
, despite agreements to the contrary. The National Press ClubNational Press Club (Australia)The National Press Club is an association of primarily news journalists, but also includes academics, business people and members of the public service, and is based in Canberra, Australia. It was founded in the 1960s as the National Press Luncheon Club by a few journalists with the backing of the...
cut Nine's transmission feed, and the ABCAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
cut their backup feed. Nine continued to transmit by adding the worm to the Sky NewsSky NewsSky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
broadcast. - 2 November – 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...
's news anchorperson Charmaine DragunCharmaine DragunCharmaine Dragun was an Australian broadcast journalist and presenter. She was, with Tim Webster, the regular presenter of Ten News Perth's 5pm bulletin, which was broadcast at the time from the TEN-10 Sydney studios at Pyrmont...
is found dead near Sydney, apparently due to a suicide. - 25 November – Natalie GauciNatalie GauciNatalie Gauci is an Australian singer of Italian and Maltese descent. Gauci undertook music tuition at the Victorian College of the Arts, formed her own band that played gigs in Melbourne, while also working as a music teacher...
is based only on Sony BMG after taking out the title as Australian IdolAustralian IdolAustralian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
. - 30 November – Daryl SomersDaryl SomersDaryl Paul Somers OAM , is an Australian television personality. The son of a dairy farmer and a cabaret singer, Somers rose to national fame as the host of the long-running comedy-variety program Hey Hey It's Saturday.-Early life:Somers, who has an Irish Catholic heritage, was educated at...
quits the-highest rating Seven's Saturday Night FeverSaturday Night FeverSaturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
styled-reality show Dancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show airing on the Seven Network and filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne...
. - 1 December – In Australia's Funniest Home Videos Toni PearenToni PearenToni Pearen is an Australian actress, singer, songwriter and TV presenter born in Cronulla, Sydney on 5 June 1972. She initially became recognisable through her role on soap opera E Street from 1989 until 1992. She had a pop music career in the early 1990s which included the release of an album and...
Says Goodbye (But Not Summer Series) "I'm Toni Pearen Where Everyones a Movie Star Goodbye!" - 16 December – Ten HDTen HDTen HD was an Australian free-to-air television channel that launched on 16 December 2007. The channel was available to high definition digital television viewers through owned-and-operated stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth...
launches.
Sport
- 1 January – Cricketer Justin LangerJustin LangerJustin Lee Langer AM is a former international cricketer who represented Australia in 105 Test matches and the current Assistant Coach and Batting Coach of the Australian cricket team. A left-handed batsman, his opening partnership with Matthew Hayden was one of the most successful of all time...
announces his retirement from Test cricket following the 2006-07 Ashes series2006-07 Ashes seriesThe 2006–07 cricket series between Australia and England for the Ashes was played in Australia from 23 November 2006 to 5 January 2007. Australia won the series and regained the Ashes that had been lost to England in the 2005 Ashes series...
, after similar announcements from teammates Shane WarneShane WarneShane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
and Glenn McGrathGlenn McGrathGlenn Donald McGrath AM , nicknamed "Pigeon", is a former Australian cricket player. He is one of the most highly regarded fast-medium pace bowlers in cricketing history, and a leading contributor to Australia's domination of world cricket from the mid-1990s to the early 21st century...
. - 5 January – 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...
wins the Fifth Ashes Test2006-07 Ashes seriesThe 2006–07 cricket series between Australia and England for the Ashes was played in Australia from 23 November 2006 to 5 January 2007. Australia won the series and regained the Ashes that had been lost to England in the 2005 Ashes series...
against by 10 wickets at the SCGSydney Cricket GroundThe Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
in Sydney, New South Wales – achieving a 5–0 "whitewash" of every Test in the series for the first time in 86 years. - 18 February – Season premiers Melbourne Victory FC win the second A-LeagueA-LeagueThe A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
association football grand final at Telstra DomeTelstra DomeDocklands Stadium is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands precinct of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
in MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, beating Adelaide United 6–0, with Archie ThompsonArchie ThompsonArchibald Gerald Thompson is a New Zealand-born Australian professional football player, currently playing for Melbourne Victory in the Hyundai A-League, where he holds the League all time scoring record...
scoring 5 goals. - 1 March – Jockey Chris MunceChris MunceChris Munce is a highly successful Thoroughbred horse racing jockey who was convicted in Hong Kong on 1 March 2007 of taking bribes in exchange for racing tips.- Overview :...
is sentenced to 30 months imprisonment in Hong Kong for taking bribes in exchange for racing tips. His lawyers are appealing. - 4 March – Troy BaylissTroy BaylissTroy Bayliss is a retired Australian motorcycle racer. During his career Bayliss won the Superbike World Championship three times, as well as the British Superbike Championship and a MotoGP race, all with Ducati. He finished his career after winning the 2008 World Superbike title...
and British rider James ToselandJames ToselandJames Michael Toseland is a former English motorcycle racer. Toseland was the World Superbike Champion on a Ten Kate Honda, who also won the Superbike World Championship on a Ducati. He is one of only two men, the other being Troy Corser, to have won the Superbike World Championship for two...
each take a race win at the 2007 Australian Superbike World Championship round2007 Phillip Island Superbike World Championship roundThe 2007 Phillip Island Superbike World Championship round was the second round of the 2007 Superbike World Championship season. It took place on the weekend of 2–4 March 2007, at the 4.445 km Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Australia....
at Phillip IslandPhillip Island Grand Prix CircuitThe Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a motor racing racing circuit on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. The circuit was opened in 1956.-Road circuit:...
. - 9 March – Brisbane BulletsBrisbane BulletsThe Brisbane Bullets were, until 2008, a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League. The Bullets were one of only two teams that survived since the NBL's inception in 1979; the only surviving team is now the Wollongong Hawks. The team played in Midnight Navy...
clinch their first title in twenty years by defeating Melbourne TigersMelbourne TigersThe Melbourne Tigers are Australia's oldest and most respected basketball team, established circa 1931 in a local church hall League. Entering the National Basketball League in 1984, they are now the only Melbourne team, after the South Dragons withdrew from the league.The Melbourne Tigers are the...
103–94 in Game 4 of the NBLNational Basketball League (Australia)The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
Grand Final series. - 10 March – Motorcycle racer Casey StonerCasey StonerCasey Stoner is an Australian professional motorcycle racer. Born in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia and raised in Southport, Queensland, Stoner raced from a young age and moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a racing career...
wins the first grand prix of the MotoGP season and the first ever 800cc grand prix, beating world champion Valentino RossiValentino RossiValentino Rossi, , is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.Following his father, Graziano Rossi,...
at the Losail International CircuitLosail International CircuitLosail International Circuit is a motor racing circuit located just outside Doha in the Persian Gulf State of Qatar.Built in just under a year by 1,000 workers at the cost of $US 58 million, the track opened in 2004 to the inaugural Marlboro Grand Prix of Qatar, won by Sete Gibernau...
in QatarQatarQatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
. - 17 March – The Carlton BluesCarlton Football ClubThe Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
win the 2007 NAB Cup2007 NAB Cup-Knock-Out Chart:- Final Placings :1. Carlton 2. Brisbane 3. Geelong 4. North Melbourne 5. Port Adelaide 6. Hawthorn 7. Fremantle 8. Western Bulldogs 9. Adelaide 10. Essendon 11. St. Kilda 12. Melbourne 13. Sydney 14. Richmond 15. West Coast...
, the pre-season competition of the Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, beating the Brisbane LionsBrisbane LionsThe Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
. - 18 March – Kimi RäikkönenKimi RäikkönenKimi Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish racing driver, who will drive in Formula One for Lotus in . After nine seasons racing in Formula One, in which he took the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he competed in the World Rally Championship from 2009-2011.Räikkönen entered...
wins the 20072007 Formula One seasonThe 2007 Formula One season was the 58th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship, which began on 18 March and ended on 21 October after seventeen events. The Drivers' Championship was won by Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen by one point at the...
Australian Grand PrixAustralian Grand PrixThe Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...
for the Scuderia FerrariScuderia FerrariScuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
team. - 18 March – The Gold Coast TitansGold Coast TitansGold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
play their first ever match against the St George Illawarra DragonsSt George Illawarra DragonsThe St George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing the St. George and Illawarra regions. They have competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 as a joint venture between Sydney's historic St. George Dragons club and 1982 expansion club, the...
at Suncorp StadiumSuncorp StadiumLang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium...
. They lose 20–18. Their first home gameCarrara StadiumCarrara Stadium is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara....
is against the Cronulla SharksCronulla SharksThe Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales...
one week later. - 18 March – 1 April – The 2007 World Aquatics Championships2007 World Aquatics ChampionshipsThe 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...
were held in MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. - 20 March – West Coast EaglesWest Coast EaglesThe West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
midfielder Ben CousinsBen CousinsBenjamin Luke "Ben" Cousins is a former Australian rules footballer, best known for his 270-game career with and in the Australian Football League ....
is suspended indefinitely by his club after missing two days of training in a row. He later attends a four-week rehabilitation clinic in the United States. - 23 March – TasmaniaTasmanian TigersThe Tasmanian cricket team, nicknamed the Tigers, represents the Australian state of Tasmania in cricket tournaments. They compete annually in the Australian domestic senior men's cricket season, which currently consists of the first-class Sheffield Shield, the limited overs Ford Ranger Cup, and...
wins the Pura CupPura CupThe Sheffield Shield is the domestic cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Prior to the Shield being established, a number of intercolonial matches were played. The Shield, donated by Lord Sheffield, was first contested during...
cricket competition for the first time, beating New South WalesNew South Wales BluesThe New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
by 421 runs at Bellerive OvalBellerive OvalBellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket and Australian Rules Football ground located in Bellerive, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia...
in HobartHobartHobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
. - 31 March – Retired swimmer Ian ThorpeIan ThorpeIan James Thorpe OAM , nicknamed the Thorpedo and Thorpey, is an Australian swimmer who specialises in freestyle, but also competes in backstroke and the individual medley. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and with three gold and two silver medals, was the most...
is accused in French sports newspaper L'EquipeL'ÉquipeL'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling...
of having tested positive for abnormal levels of testosterone in May 2006. FINAFinaFina may refer to:*Fina, a character in the Skies of Arcadia video game*FINA, the International Swimming Federation*FINA, the North American Forum on Integration...
demands an investigation into the allegations, which Thorpe denies. Thorpe is eventually found to have no case to answer - 8 April – Will PowerWill PowerWilliam Steven Power is an Australian motorsport driver, who currently competes in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, driving for Team Penske.-Australian Racing:...
becomes the first Australian to win a Champ CarChamp CarChamp Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
race after taking victory at the opening round of the season at the Vegas Grand Prix in Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. - 10 April – Rugby LeagueRugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
legend Andrew JohnsAndrew JohnsAndrew Gary "Joey" Johns is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time. He was heralded as the world's best halfback for a number of years...
announces his retirement following a neck injury. - 15 April – Australian cyclist Stuart O'GradyStuart O'GradyStuart O'Grady OAM , nicknamed Stuey, is an Australian professional road bicycle racer on UCI ProTeam , who started as a track cyclist. He and Graeme Brown won a gold medal in Men's Madison at the 2004 Summer Olympics...
wins the Paris–Roubaix Classic. - 28 April – Australia wins the 2007 Cricket World Cup2007 Cricket World CupThe 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
in the West Indies, beating Sri Lanka by 53 runs. - 23 May – Queensland defeat New South Wales 25–18 in the first State of OriginRugby League State of OriginState of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
match in the 2007 series.2007 Rugby League State of Origin seriesThe 2007 State of Origin series was the 26th year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches contested between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was played under 'State of Origin' selection rules. Queensland won the series by winning the... - 7 July – 29 July – The 2007 AFC Asian Cup2007 AFC Asian CupThe Asian Football Confederation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals were held from July 7 to July 29, 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tournament was won by first-time champions Iraq, who defeated Saudi...
football (soccer)Football (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
tournament takes place in IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia, ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. The Socceroos took part for the first time since joining the AFCAsian Football ConfederationThe Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
in 2006. The Socceroos were drawn in Group A with ThailandThailand national football teamThe Thailand national football team represents Thailand in international football competition and is governed by the Football Association of Thailand. The team has a history of success in Southeast Asian competition, with three ASEAN Football Championship titles and nine senior-level Southeast...
, IraqIraq national football teamThe Iraqi national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They won the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament.-The Golden Generation:...
and OmanOman national football teamThe Oman national football team is the national team of Oman. Although the team was officially founded in 1978, the squad was formed long before, and has established a proper football association in only December, 2005...
. They successfully reached the quarter finals, but were defeated by JapanJapan national football teamThe Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
in a penalty shootout. - 21 July – Ben CousinsBen CousinsBenjamin Luke "Ben" Cousins is a former Australian rules footballer, best known for his 270-game career with and in the Australian Football League ....
makes his AFL comeback for the Eagles against rivals the Sydney SwansSydney SwansThe Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
. - 23 July – Denis PaganDenis PaganDenis Pagan is a former Australian rules football coach and player in the VFL/AFL. He is current coach of Northern Knights in TAC Cup.-Playing career:...
is sacked as the coach of Carlton Football ClubCarlton Football ClubThe Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
. - 25 July – After 26 years1981 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1981.-Grand final:Carlton defeated Collingwood 12.20 to 10.12 , in front of a crowd of 112,964 people...
as EssendonEssendon Football ClubThe Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
coach, it is announced that the contract of Kevin Sheedy will not be renewed at the end of the season2007 AFL seasonThe 2007 AFL Season was the 111th season of the Australian Football League, the highest-level professional Australian rules football league in Australia...
. - 29 July – Australian cyclist Cadel EvansCadel EvansCadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
comes second in the final standings of the 2007 Tour de France2007 Tour de FranceThe 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
. - 23 August – A horse is diagnosed with horse fluHorse fluEquine influenza is the disease caused by strains of Influenza A that are enzootic in horse species. Equine influenza occurs globally, and is caused by two main strains of virus: equine-1 and equine-2...
(equine influenza) in a quarantine station at Eastern CreekEastern Creek, New South WalesEastern Creek is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Eastern Creek is located 35 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.Eastern Creek is west of the...
. Further horses are diagnosed at the quarantine centre, Centennial ParkCentennial Park, New South WalesCentennial Park is a large public, urban park that occupies 220 hectares in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Centennial Park is located 4 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the City of Randwick...
and outside New South Wales over the next few days, resulting in the cancellation of raceHorse racingHorse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
meetings Australia-wide and suspension of horse transportation for 72 hours on 25 August. - 26 August – Melbourne Aussie rules fans farewell Essendon Football ClubEssendon Football ClubThe Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
coach Kevin Sheedy and captain James HirdJames HirdJames Hird is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League....
, as the Bombers are defeated by RichmondRichmond Football ClubThe Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
17.17 (119) to 13.14 (92) at the MCGMelbourne Cricket GroundThe Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
. - 30 August – News LimitedNews LimitedNews Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The publicly listed company's interests span newspaper and magazine publishing, Internet, Pay TV, National Rugby League, market research, DVD and film distribution, and film and television production trading assets.News Limited...
papers reveal that Andrew JohnsAndrew JohnsAndrew Gary "Joey" Johns is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time. He was heralded as the world's best halfback for a number of years...
was arrested in London for possessing ecstasyMethylenedioxymethamphetamineMDMA is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" , usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants...
. He later admits to using recreational drugs throughout his career. - 30 August – The 2007 Spring Racing Carnival at Randwick RacecourseRandwick RacecourseRoyal Randwick Racecourse is a racecourse for horseracing in the Eastern Suburbs in Sydney, New South Wales. Randwick Racecourse, is operated by the Australian Jockey Club and known to many Sydney racegoers as headquarters...
is cancelled to the equine influenza outbreak. - 30 August – Jana RawlinsonJana RawlinsonJana Pittman-Rawlinson is an Australian athlete, who specialises in the 400 metres run and 400 metre hurdles events. She is a two-time world champion in the 400 m hurdles, from 2003 and 2007...
(née Pittman) wins the women's 400m hurdles at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics2007 World Championships in AthleticsThe 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
in OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan. - 1 September – Nathan DeakesNathan DeakesNathan Deakes is an Australian race walker. Deakes trains with the Australian Institute of Sport....
wins the 50 km walk at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics2007 World Championships in AthleticsThe 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
in OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan. - 23 September – Motorcycle racer Casey StonerCasey StonerCasey Stoner is an Australian professional motorcycle racer. Born in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia and raised in Southport, Queensland, Stoner raced from a young age and moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a racing career...
gains an unbeatable lead in the MotoGP world championships when he finished third in a race in Tokyo. - 29 September – The Geelong Football ClubGeelong 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...
(24.19.163) defeat Port AdelaidePort Adelaide Football ClubThe Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
(6.8.44) to win the 111th VFL/AFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
premiership. It is the first premiership since 1963 for the Cats, the first premiership won by a Victorian team since 2000 and the largest ever winning margin in VFL/AFL grand final history. - 30 September – The Melbourne StormMelbourne StormThe Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
defeat the Manly-Warringah Sea EaglesManly-Warringah Sea EaglesThe Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
(34–8) at Telstra StadiumTelstra StadiumStadium Australia, currently also known as ANZ Stadium due to naming rights, formerly known as Telstra Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Sydney Olympic Park precinct of Homebush Bay...
, to win the 100th 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...
/ARLAustralian Rugby LeagueThe Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
/NRLNational Rugby LeagueThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
premiership. - 6 October – EnglandEngland national rugby union teamThe England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
knock the WallabiesAustralia national rugby union teamThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
out of the quarter finals of the 2007 Rugby World Cup2007 Rugby World CupThe 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
in France. - 7 October – The 2007 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 10002007 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000The 2007 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 was an endurance race for V8 Supercars, held on 7 October 2007 at the Mount Panorama Circuit near Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia...
was won by defending champions Craig LowndesCraig LowndesCraig Lowndes is a multi-championship winning Australian racing driver. He is a three-time V8 Supercar champion and five-time winner of Australia's most famous motor race, the Bathurst 1000...
and Jamie WhincupJamie WhincupJamie Whincup is Australian auto racing driver who competes in the V8 Supercar, driving for TeamVodafone. He is a two-time V8 Supercars champion and three-time Bathurst 1000 winner.-Early career:...
for TeamVodafone ahead of two other Ford FalconsFord BF FalconThe Ford BF Falcon was a full-size car that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in Victoria, Australia. The BF Falcon started production in October 2005 and a MkII update was released in October 2006...
. It was the first Ford whitewash of the Bathurst podium since 19881988 Tooheys 1000The 1988 Tooheys 1000 was the 29th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 2 October 1988 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst...
. - 14 October – New world champion, Casey StonerCasey StonerCasey Stoner is an Australian professional motorcycle racer. Born in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia and raised in Southport, Queensland, Stoner raced from a young age and moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a racing career...
took victory at the Australian MotoGP Grand Prix2007 Australian motorcycle Grand PrixThe 2007 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix was the sixteenth round of the 2007 MotoGP championship. It was held over the weekend of 12–14 October 2007 at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Philip Island, Victoria.-MotoGP classification:...
, at Phillip IslandPhillip Island Grand Prix CircuitThe Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a motor racing racing circuit on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. The circuit was opened in 1956.-Road circuit:...
, the first Australian to win his home event since Mick Doohan in 1998. - 21 October – Sébastien BourdaisSébastien BourdaisSébastien Olivier Bourdais is a French race car driver. He is one of the most successful drivers in the history of the Champ Car World Series, having won four successive championships from 2004 to 2007....
becomes the first driver to win the Gold Coast Champ Car motor race twice with his victory at the 2007 Lexmark Indy 3002007 Lexmark Indy 300The 2007 Lexmark Indy 300 was the thirteenth and penultimate round of the 2007 Champ Car World Series Season. It was held on 21 October 2007 on the streets of Surfers Paradise, Australia...
. - 6 November – EfficientEfficient (horse)Efficient is a grey Thoroughbred racehorse gelding, bred in New Zealand, who won the 2007 Melbourne Cup, ridden by Michael Rodd, and the 2006 Victoria Derby....
wins the 2007 Melbourne Cup2007 Melbourne CupThe 2007 Melbourne Cup, the 147th running of Australia's most prestigious thoroughbred horse race, was run on Tuesday, November 6, 2007, going at 3:00 pm local time . The race was sponsored by Emirates Airline...
. - 17 November – AustraliaAustralia national netball teamThe Australia national netball team, commonly known as the Australian Netball Diamonds, represent Australia in international netball tests and competitions. The team was formed in 1938 and played in the first international game of netball, against New Zealand...
wins the 2007 Netball World Championships2007 Netball World ChampionshipsThe 2007 World Netball Championships was the 12th staging of the World Netball Championships, a quadrennial international netball world championship co-ordinated by the International Federation of Netball Associations , inaugurated in 1963....
when the Aussies beat New Zealand's Silver FernsSilver FernsThe New Zealand national netball team, commonly known as the Silver Ferns, represent New Zealand in international netball. The team take their nickname from the Silver Tree Fern , which is an iconic emblem for many New Zealand sports teams. The Silver Ferns were formed in 1938 as a representative...
(42–38) in AucklandAucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. - 19 November – Ben CousinsBen CousinsBenjamin Luke "Ben" Cousins is a former Australian rules footballer, best known for his 270-game career with and in the Australian Football League ....
is banned from playing top-flight AFL for 12 months after being charged of bringing the game into disrepute. - 21 November – The OlyroosAustralia national under-23 football teamThe Australia Olympic football team, more commonly known as the Olyroos, is controlled by Football Federation Australia and represents Australia at association football in the Olympic Games...
football team qualifyFootball at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's qualificationThe men's qualification for football tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics. FIFA restricted entry to players born after January 1, 1985.-Qualifications:A total of sixteen teams participated in the finals of the Olympic tournament for men...
for the 2008 Beijing OlympicsFootball at the 2008 Summer OlympicsFootball at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing and several other cities in the People's Republic of China from 6 August to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA were invited to send their full women's national teams and men's U-23 teams to participate...
. - 28 November – Sydney hosts the Asian Football ConfederationAsian Football ConfederationThe Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
awards. - 2 December – Garth TanderGarth TanderGarth Tander is a multiple-championship winning Australian motor racing driver. Since 1998 Tander has been a competitor in touring car racing series V8 Supercar Championship Series. Tander was the 2007 series champion for the HSV Dealer Team and is a three-time winner in Australia's most...
wins the 2007 Dunlop Grand Finale2007 Grand Finale (V8 Supercars)The 2007 Grand Finale was the final round of the 2007 V8 Supercar season. It was held on the weekend of the 30 November to 2 December 2007 at Phillip Island in Victoria.-Qualifying:Timesheets:-Race 1 Results:Timesheets:-External links:* *...
, scoring enough points to overhaul Jamie WhincupJamie WhincupJamie Whincup is Australian auto racing driver who competes in the V8 Supercar, driving for TeamVodafone. He is a two-time V8 Supercars champion and three-time Bathurst 1000 winner.-Early career:...
to win the 2007 V8Supercar Championship Series2007 V8 Supercar seasonThe 2007 V8 Supercar season was the 48th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
at Phillip IslandPhillip Island Grand Prix CircuitThe Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a motor racing racing circuit on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. The circuit was opened in 1956.-Road circuit:...
, his first series title, and the second successive title for the Toll HSV Dealer Team. - 16 December – Craig ParryCraig ParryCraig David Parry is an Australian professional golfer. He has been one of Australia's premier golfers since turning professional in 1985, and has 23 career victories, two of those wins being events on the PGA Tour; the 2002 WGC-NEC Invitational and the 2004 Ford Championship at Doral.Parry was...
wins the Australian OpenAustralian Open (golf)The Australian Open is one of the principal annual golf tournaments on the PGA Tour of Australasia, and also the OneAsia Tour since its formation in 2009. The event was first played in 1904 and takes place toward the end of each year...
golf tournament. - 28 December – Wild Oats XI achieves line honours for the third year running in the 2007 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race2007 Sydney to Hobart Yacht RaceThe 2007 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, sponsored by Rolex, was the 63rd annual running of the "blue water classic" Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. As in past editions of the race, it was hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia based in Sydney, New South Wales...
. Rosebud is declared the handicap winner the following day.
Deaths
- 1 January – Leonard FraserLeonard FraserLeonard John Fraser also known as "The Rockhampton Rapist" was an Australian convicted serial killer.- Crimes :...
, 55, serial killer - 2 January – A. Richard NewtonA. Richard NewtonArthur Richard Newton was the dean of the University of California, Berkeley College of Engineering....
, 55, electrical engineer and academic - 4 January – Ben GannonBen GannonBenjamin Gannon is an English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler.Gannon's debut in the Second XI championship came courtesy of a Gloucestershire XI match against Middlesex, however, Gannon took no part in the match, at no time being called to bat or bowl.In...
, 54, film producer - 4 January – Ken LorrawayKen LorrawayKenneth John Lorraway was a male triple jumper from Australia, who represented his native country twice at the Summer Olympics: 1980 and 1984....
, 50, triple jumper - 12 January – Sir James KillenJames KillenSir Denis James "Jim" Killen, AC, KCMG , was an Australian politician.-Education and early career:Killen was born in Dalby, Queensland and educated at Brisbane Grammar School and the University of Queensland, where he graduated in law...
, 81, Liberal politician - 24 January – Harry Melbourne, 94, confectioner (inventor of Freddo Frog)
- 27 January – Trevor AllanTrevor AllanTrevor Allan OAM was an Australian dual-code rugby international who captained Australia in rugby union before switching to rugby league with English club Leigh.-Rugby union club career:...
, 30, rugby union player and commentator - 9 February – Andrew McAuleyAndrew McAuleyAndrew McAuley was an Australian adventurer. He is best known for his mountaineering and sea kayaking in remote parts of the world. He is presumed to have died following his disappearance at sea while attempting to kayak 1600 km across the Tasman Sea in February 2007.-Personal:McAuley was...
, 39, kayak adventurer - 13 February – Elizabeth JolleyElizabeth JolleyMonica Elizabeth Jolley AO was an English-born writer who settled in Western Australia in the late 1950s. She was 53 when her first book was published, and she went on to publish fifteen novels , four short story collections and three non-fiction books, publishing well into her 70s and achieving...
, 83, author - 28 February – Billy ThorpeBilly ThorpeWilliam Richard "Billy" Thorpe, AM was a renowned English-born Australian pop / rock singer-songwriter and musician...
, 60, musician - 7 March – Morgan MellishMorgan MellishHenry Morgan Saxon Mellish , better known as Morgan Mellish, was an Australian journalist.Mellish was educated at Shore School in North Sydney...
, 36, journalist - 9 March – Ron Evans, 67, footballer and chairman of the AFL
- 11 March – Angela WebberAngela WebberAngela Webber was an Australian author, TV writer, producer and comedian.-Early life:Webber was born in 1954 to Bruce Webber, the head of light entertainment for ABC radio, and Nan, a journalist...
, 52, comedian and writer - 23 March – Damian McDonaldDamian McDonaldDamian McDonald was an Australian road bicycle racer, who was born in Wangaratta.In 1992 he was a reserve for four-man pursuit team at the Barcelona Olympics, barely missing out on a medal when the team won silver. He won a gold medal at the 1994 Commonwealth Games as part of the road time trial...
, 34, Olympic cyclist - 30 March – Basil CatternsBasil CatternsBasil Catterns, MC was an Australian businessman, citizen soldier and amateur yachtsman. Born as Basil Wilfred Thomas Catterns in Balmain, Sydney, the son of an English merchant seaman, Wilfred Catterns, and Emily . An uncle, Basil G...
, 90, WWII soldier - 1 April – John BillingsJohn BillingsJohn Billings, was an Australian physician who pioneered the natural method of family planning known variously as the Billings Ovulation Method, the Ovulation Method, or the Billings Method....
, 89, medical doctor - 2 April – Jeannie FerrisJeannie FerrisJeannie Margaret Ferris was an Australian politician, lobbyist, journalist, and Liberal Senator for South Australia. She was educated at Monash University, where she graduated in agricultural economics....
, 66, Liberal senator - 10 April – Kevin CreaseKevin CreaseKevin John Crease was a South Australian television presenter and news presenter. He was most noted for presenting South Australian edition of the Nine Network's National Nine News with Rob Kelvin between 1987 and 2007....
, 70, South Australian newsreader - 13 April – Joe Lane, 80, bebop jazz vocalist
- 15 April – Justine SaundersJustine SaundersJustine Florence Saunders, OAM was an Australian stage, film and television actress. She was a member of the Woppaburra indigenous people, from the Kanomie clan of Keppel Island in Queensland. She was born next to a railway track. At the age of 11, she was removed from her mother Heather, and...
, 54, actress - 17 April – Len FitzgeraldLen FitzgeraldLen Fitzgerald was a former Australian rules footballer of exceptional talent in the VFL and SANFL. At various time he played in the key positions of centre half-forward, centre half-back and ruck-rover.- VFL career :...
, 76, VFL/SANFL footballer - 17 April – Bruce HaslingdenBruce HaslingdenEdward Bruce Haslingden was an Australian cross country skier who competed in the 1950s. He finished 74th in the 18 km event at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo...
, 84, Olympic cross-country skier - 20 April – Audrey FaganAudrey FaganAudrey Fagan was an Australian police officer, from 2005 holding the rank of Assistant Commissioner and the title of Chief Police Officer for the Australian Capital Territory , which included community policing responsibilities for Canberra and other parts of the ACT. She was awarded the...
, 44, Chief Police Officer of the ACT - 21 April – Lobby LoydeLobby LoydeLobby Loyde , also known as John Barrie Lyde or Barry Lyde, was an Australian rock music guitarist, songwriter and producer....
, 64, musician - 13 May – Kate WebbKate WebbKate Webb was a New Zealand-born Australian foreign correspondent for UPI and Agence France Presse.-Biography:...
, 64, war journalist - 14 May – Aaron McMillanAaron McMillanAaron McMillan was an Australian classical pianist.He attended Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School in Middle Cove, Sydney. Aaron's piano teacher at Glenaeon was Coral Patterson. Coral was Aaron music mentor in his early years and instrumental in his development as a musician, Coral also encouraged...
, 30, classical pianist - 16 May – Allan Hird, Sr., 88, VFL footballer
- 20 May – Norman Von NidaNorman Von NidaNorman Guy Von Nida was an Australian professional golfer.Von Nida was born in Strathfield and grew up in Brisbane. He turned professional in 1933, after attracting attention by winning the Queensland Amateur aged just 18...
, 93, golfer - 21 May – Peter HayesPeter Hayes (lawyer)Peter Hayes, QC was a prominent barrister in Melbourne, Australia. He was a director of the Melbourne Football Club from 2000 to 2003.-Professional life:...
, 54, lawyer - 24 May – Bill JohnstonBill Johnston (cricketer)William Arras Johnston was an Australian cricketer who played in forty Test matches from 1947 to 1955. A left arm pace bowler, as well as a left arm orthodox spinner, Johnston was best known as a spearhead of Don Bradman's undefeated 1948 touring team, well known as "The Invincibles"...
, 85, cricketer - 27 May – Ron ArcherRon ArcherThis article is about the cricket player. For Ron Archer see Ted WhiteRonald Graham Archer was an Australian Test cricketer who was born in Highgate Hill, Queensland...
, 73, Test cricketer - 29 May – Norman KayeNorman KayeNorman James Kaye was an Australian actor and musician. He was best known for his roles in the films of director Paul Cox.Kaye was born in Melbourne and educated at Geelong Grammar School...
, 80, actor - 4 June – Tom BurnsTom Burns (Australian politician)Tom Burns AO was an Australian politician who led the Australian Labor Party in Queensland between 1974 and 1978 and was Deputy Premier of Queensland between 1989 and 1996. He served as the Member for Lytton in the Parliament of Queensland between 1972 and 1996...
, 75, ALP politician - 8 June – Lynne RandellLynne RandellLynne Randell was an Australian pop singer. For three years in the mid-1960s she was Australia's most popular female performer and had hits with "Heart" and "Goin' Out of My Head" in 1966, and "Ciao Baby" in 1967. In 1967, Randell toured the United States with The Monkees and performed on-stage...
, 57, 1960s pop singer - 10 June – George Burarrwanga, 50, lead singer of the Warumpi BandWarumpi BandThe Warumpi Band is an Australian band from the bush, coming from Papunya, Northern Territory, Australia.The band was formed in 1980 by Neil Murray, a Victorian "whitefella" working in the region as a schoolteacher and labourer, George Burarrwanga, from Elcho Island, and local boys Gordon and...
- 12 June – Frank ScarrabelottiFrank ScarrabelottiFrank Scarrabelotti was Australia's oldest man at the time of his death aged . Australia's oldest person at the time of his death was Myra Nicholson, who died later in 2007 at the age of 112....
, 109, Australia's oldest man - 6 July – Eileen WearneEileen WearneAlice Eileen Wearne was an Australian athlete who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics and won gold and bronze medals at the 1938 British Empire Games.-Athletic career:...
, 95, sprinter and Australia's oldest Olympic athlete - 9 July – General John BakerJohn Baker (general)General John Stuart Baker, AC, DSM was an Australian army general. He was Chief of the Australian Defence Force from July 1995 to July 1998...
, 71, former Chief of the Australian Defence Force (1995–1998) - 11 July – Richard FranklinRichard Franklin (director)Richard Franklin was an Australian-born film director.-Early life and career:Franklin was born and grew up in Brighton, Melbourne and was educated at Haileybury College. In the 1960s, Franklin was the drummer in the Melbourne band The Pink Finks, which also featured Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford,...
, 58, film director - 11 July – Glenda AdamsGlenda AdamsGlenda Emilie Adams was an Australian novelist and short story writer, probably best known as the winner of the 1987 Miles Franklin Award for Dancing on Coral...
, 68, writer - 12 July – Stan ZemanekStan ZemanekStan Zemanek was an Australian radio broadcaster who presented a popular night time show on 2UE Sydney and which was networked across parts of Australia via Southern Cross....
, 60, radio broadcaster - 16 July – Tom BrooksTom BrooksThomas Francis Brooks OAM was an Australian Test cricket match umpire who was born in Paddington, New South Wales...
, 88, NSW cricketer and international umpire - 22 July – Walter JonaWalter JonaWalter Jona was a former Liberal Party of Australia member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.-Early life and career:...
, 81, Victorian politician - 27 July – Leo "Lucky" GrillsLeo GrillsLeo "Lucky" Grills was an Australian actor and comedian.Born in Hobart, Tasmania, Grills was best known for portraying the unconventional detective "Bluey" Hills in the television series Bluey in 1976....
, 79, comedian and actor - 7 August – Wolfgang SieversWolfgang SieversWolfgang Georg Sievers, AO was an Australian photographer who specialised in architectural and industrial photography.Seivers was born in Berlin, Germany...
, 93, photographer - 12 August – Ronald N. BracewellRonald N. BracewellRonald Newbold Bracewell AO was the Lewis M. Terman Professor of Electrical Engineering, Emeritus of the at Stanford University.- Education :...
, 86, physicist and radio astronomer - 17 August – Tanja LiedtkeTanja LiedtkeTanja Liedtke was a German-born professional dancer. She was most noted as a dancer, choreographer and director of contemporary dance in Australia.- Biography :...
, 30, dancer - 8 September – Vincent Serventy, 91, writer and conservationist
- 13 September – Neville JeffressNeville JeffressNeville Jeffress was an Australian advertising executive and the founder of Media Monitors Australia.-Background:Jeffress was raised and educated in Sydney...
, 87, advertising executive and founder of Media Monitors AustraliaMedia Monitors AustraliaMedia Monitors is a media intelligence group in Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia and Greater China with a corporate history dating from 1904. Media Monitors is a privately-owned company headquartered in Sydney, Australia... - 13 September – Clare OliverClare OliverClare Oliver was an Australian woman whose own health crisis prompted her to become an activist, garnering wide media coverage for her campaign to ban the use of tanning beds. She had wanted to become a journalist and wrote a story before her death that was published in newspapers all over the...
, 26, cancer activist - 18 September – Len ThompsonLen ThompsonLen Thompson was an Australian rules footballer, who played for most of his career at Collingwood.-Collingwood:...
, 60, Collingwood VFL player - 20 September – Myra NicholsonMyra NicholsonMyra Leviston "Nicky" Nicholson was the thrid oldest living Australian and the eleventh-oldest validated person in the world following the death of French doyenne Marie-Simone Capony on 15 September 2007.-Biography:...
, 112, Australia's oldest person - 21 September – Bob Collins, 61, former ALP senator
- 29 September – Lois MaxwellLois MaxwellLois Maxwell was a Canadian actress.Maxwell began her film career in the late 1940s, and won a Golden Globe Award for the New Actress of the Year for her performance in That Hagen Girl...
, 80, Canadian actress who played Miss Moneypenny in the early James Bond films, spent later years of her life in Perth. - 1 October – Chris MainwaringChris MainwaringChris Douglas Mainwaring was an Australian rules footballer. He played for the West Coast Eagles in the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League and East Fremantle in the West Australian Football League...
, 41, West Coast Eagles AFL player - 12 October – Kim Edward BeazleyKim Edward BeazleyKim Edward Beazley, AO , known as Kim Beazley during his career, Australian politician, was Minister for Education in the government of Gough Whitlam and a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives for 32 years, from 1945 to 1977.Beazley, the youngest of seven children, was born in...
, 90, ALP politician and father of Kim BeazleyKim BeazleyIn the October 1998 election, Labor polled a majority of the two-party vote and received the largest swing to a first-term opposition since 1934. However, due to the uneven nature of the swing, Labor came up eight seats short of making Beazley Prime Minister.... - 23 October – John IlhanJohn IlhanJohn Ilhan was the founder of Crazy John's mobile phone retail chain and the richest Australian under 40 years of age in 2003. He was an Australian Muslim of Turkish origin.-Early life:...
, 42, founder of Crazy John's mobile phoneMobile phoneA mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s - 27 October – Charles BattCharles BattCharles Leo Batt OAM , Australian politician, was an ALP member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1974 to 1976, then a member of the Legislative Council from 1979 to 1995....
, 86, Tasmanian politician - 2 November – Charmaine DragunCharmaine DragunCharmaine Dragun was an Australian broadcast journalist and presenter. She was, with Tim Webster, the regular presenter of Ten News Perth's 5pm bulletin, which was broadcast at the time from the TEN-10 Sydney studios at Pyrmont...
, 29, Network Ten WA newsreader - 3 November – Peter AndrenPeter AndrenPeter James Andren AM was an Australian politician. He was an independent member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until October 2007, representing the electorate of Calare, New South Wales....
, 61, Independent MP for Calare - 6 November – George GrljusichGeorge GrljusichGeorge Ned Grljusich was a sports journalist, commentator and former Australian rules footballer from Western Australia.-Education:...
, 68, sports announcer and commentator - 25 November – Matt PriceMatt PriceMatt Price was a Western Australian journalist and newspaper columnist. He was educated at Newman College, Churchands and the University of Western Australia, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1984...
, 46, journalist and newspaper columnist - 27 November – Bernie BantonBernie BantonBernard Douglas Banton AM was an Australian social justice campaigner. He was the widely-recognised face of the legal and political campaign to achieve compensation for the many sufferers of asbestos-related conditions, which they contracted after working for the company James Hardie.Banton...
, 61, asbestos campaigner - 1 December – Ken McGregorKen McGregorKenneth Bruce McGregor was a former tennis player from Australia who won the Men's Singles title at the Australian Championships in 1952. He and his longtime doubles partner, Frank Sedgman, are generally considered to be one of the greatest men's doubles teams of all time...
, 78, tennis champion - 5 December – John Winter, 83, Olympic high jumper
- 10 December – Gordon SamuelsGordon SamuelsGordon Jacob Samuels AC, CVO, QC , was a British-Australian lawyer, Judge and Governor of New South Wales from 1996 to 2001. Born in London in 1923, Samuels was educated at University College School and Balliol College, Oxford. After serving in the Second World War, he was called to the bar and...
, 84, Governor of New South Wales (1996–2001) - 15 December – Clem JonesClem JonesClem Jones AO a surveyor by profession, was the longest serving Lord Mayor of the city of Brisbane, Australia, representing the Australian Labor Party from 1961 to 1975.-Public life:...
, 89, Lord Mayor of Brisbane (1961–1975) - 20 December – Robbie WilliamsRobbie Williams (Indigenous Australian)Robbie Williams was the first Indigenous Australian councillor to sit on the Brisbane City Council. He had held the role only since October 2007, but had been tipped to win a seat in the council elections in March 2008...
, 45, first Indigenous Australian to sit on the Brisbane City Council - 21 December – Ken LeeKen Lee (businessman)Ken Lee was a Chinese-Australian businessman who co-founded the Bing Lee chain of electronic stores with his father, Bing Lee. He also served as the company's chairman from 1987 until 2007.-Early life:Ken Lee grew up in a poor rural region of Shandong province in China...
, 75, founder of Bing LeeBing LeeBing Lee is an Australian retailing company, a chain of superstores specializing in consumer electronics, computer and telecommunication goods. Bing Lee is the largest privately-held electrical retail business in New South Wales with 41 stores and a turnover of about $490 million...
electronics superstores - 22 December – Charles CourtCharles CourtSir Charles Walter Michael Court, was a Western Australian politician, 21st Premier of Western Australia and member for the seat of Nedlands for the Liberal Party for nearly 30 years.-Early life:...
, 96, Premier of Western Australia (1974–1982)