1984 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1984 in Australia.

1984 in Australia
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor-General	Sir Ninian Stephen
Prime minister	Bob Hawke
Population	15,393,472
Australian of the Year	Lowitja O'Donoghue
Elections	NSW, Federal, Referendum

← 1983 1982 1981 1984 in Australia → 1985 1986 1987
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
See also:	Other events of 1984 Federal election Timeline of Australian history

Incumbents

 

Sir Ninian Stephen

 

Bob Hawke

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Sir Ninian Stephen
• Prime Minister – Bob Hawke
  • Deputy Prime Minister – Lionel Bowen
  • Opposition Leader – Andrew Peacock
• Chief Justice – Sir Harry Gibbs

State and territory leaders

• Premier of New South Wales – Neville Wran
  • Opposition Leader – Nick Greiner
• Premier of Queensland – (Sir) Joh Bjelke-Petersen
  • Opposition Leader – Keith Wright (until 29 August), then Nev Warburton
• Premier of South Australia – John Bannon
  • Opposition Leader – John Olsen
• Premier of Tasmania – Robin Gray
  • Opposition Leader – Ken Wriedt
• Premier of Victoria – John Cain Jr.
  • Opposition Leader – Jeff Kennett
• Premier of Western Australia – Brian Burke
  • Opposition Leader – Ray O'Connor (until 15 February), then Bill Hassell
• Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Paul Everingham (until 15 October), then Ian Tuxworth
  • Opposition Leader – Bob Collins
• Chief Minister of Norfolk Island – David Buffett

Governors and administrators

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir James Rowland
• Governor of Queensland – Sir James Ramsay
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Donald Dunstan
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir James Plimsoll
• Governor of Victoria – Sir Brian Murray
• Governor of Western Australia – Gordon Reid (from 2 July)
• Administrator of Norfolk Island – Raymond Trebilco
• Administrator of the Northern Territory – Eric Johnston

Events

January

• 17 January – Ian Sinclair is elected leader of the National Party of Australia following Doug Anthony's retirement.^[1]
• 26 January – Aboriginal leader Lowitja (Lois) O'Donoghue becomes Australian of the Year.^[2]
• 27 to 30 January – The final Narara Music Festival on the Central Coast of New South Wales features INXS, Simple Minds, The Pretenders, Talking Heads, Eurythmics and Def Leppard.^[3][4]

February

• 1 February – Medicare comes into effect in Australia.^[5]
• 2 February – Melbourne newspaper The Age publishes phone taps incriminating an unknown judge.^[6]
• 14 February – Elton John marries Renate Blauel in Sydney.^[7]

March

• 6 March –
  • A bomb blast wrecks the home of Judge Richard Gee in the Sydney suburb of Belrose.^[8]
  • High Court Judge, Justice Lionel Murphy is named in Parliament as the judge referred to in The Age tapes published on 2 February.^[9]
• 24 March – Wran Government re-elected in NSW for a 4th term.^[10]
• 26 March – The $100 note is introduced.^[11]

April

• April – A 915g jar of Vegemite is the first product in Australia to be electronically scanned at a checkout.^[12]
• 19 April – Advance Australia Fair is proclaimed as Australia's national anthem, and green and gold as the national colours.^[13][14]

May

• 14 May – The one dollar coin is introduced in Australia.^[15]
• 18 May – In New South Wales gay sex between consenting adult males is decriminalised.^[16][17]

July

• 4 July – Pearl, wife of Justice Ray Watson killed when their home is bombed. It is believed Judge Watson was the target.^[18]
• 16 July – Letters Patent issued for the Royal Commission into British Nuclear Tests in Australia^[19]
• 18 July – National Crime Authority is established.^[20][21]

August

• August – Brenda Hodge becomes the last person to be sentenced to death by Western Australia, and in the country as a whole, before the complete abolition of capital punishment. Her sentence is later commuted to life imprisonment.
• 1 August – Australian banks are deregulated.
• 7 August – Margaret, 35, and Seana Tapp, 9 are attacked and murdered by an unknown man in their suburban Melbourne home.^[22] Seana is also sexually assaulted.^[23]
• 21 August – The Federal budget is televised for the first time.^[24]

September

• 2 September – 7 people shot dead and 12 wounded in a bikie shootout between rival bikie gangs the Bandidos and Comancheros in the Sydney suburb of Milperra.^[25]
• 5 September – Western Australia becomes the last Australian state to abolish capital punishment for ordinary crimes (i.e. murder). New South Wales maintained it as a punishment for treason and piracy with violence until 1985†, when capital punishment was finally abolished in Australia.

October

• 1 October – National Film and Sound Archive (Screensound Australia) opens in Canberra.^[26]

November

• 6 November – In a crime that shocks the city, Melbourne schoolgirl Kylie Maybury is kidnapped, raped and murdered after being sent on an errand to buy a bag of sugar.^[27]
• 26 November –
  • Former NSW Corrective Services Minister Rex Jackson appears in Court on conspiracy charges for the early release of prisoners.^[28]
  • A good performance by Andrew Peacock in the leaders' televised debate boosts his poll ratings.^[29]

December

• 2 December – Hawke Government re-elected with a reduced majority.^[30]
• 7 December – Andrew Peacock and John Howard retain their respective positions in the Opposition.^[31]

Arts and literature

• Tim Winton's novel Shallows wins the Miles Franklin Award^[32]

Film

• Annie's Coming Out
• Razorback

Television

• 30 January – Perfect Match is launched in the 5:30 pm timeslot, bringing in record ratings for that timeslot & ensuring Ten's Eyewitness News won the 6–7 p.m. timeslot.
• 3 February – Australia's first nationally televised telethon screens on Network Ten. It is a 26-hour effort to raise money for Australia's Olympic athletes.^[33]
• 11 February – The Nine Network's Hey Hey It's Saturday moves from Saturday mornings to the 9:30 pm timeslot and renamed Hey Hey It's Saturday Night.
• 26 July – French-American-Canadian animated television series Inspector Gadget begins on ABC.
• Christopher Skase purchases TVQ-0.^[34]
• Network Ten televises the 1984 Summer Olympics from Los Angeles. Also, all stations adopt a uniform on-air look for the first time.
• The first televised federal election debate takes place.

Sport

VFL

• 29 September – Essendon (14.21.105) defeat Hawthorn (12.9.81) to win the 88th VFL premiership^[35]
• Brownlow Medal awarded to Peter Moore (Melbourne)^[36]

Rugby league

• 23 September – Minor premiers Canterbury Bulldogs defeat Parramatta Eels 6–4 to win the 77th NSWRL premiership.^[37] Western Suburbs Magpies finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon.

Other

• 25 March – Robert de Castella is Australia's only competitor at the twelfth IAAF World Cross Country Championships, staged in New York, USA. He finishes in 21st place (34:08.0) in the race over 12,086 metres.^[38]
• 10 June – Andrew Lloyd wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:14:36 in Sydney, while Mora Main claims the women's title in 2:46:00.^[39][40]
• 6 November – Black Knight wins the Melbourne Cup.^[41]

Births

• 1 January – Michael Witt, rugby league player
• 10 January – Trent Cutler, rugby league player
• 26 January – Ryan Hoffman, rugby league player
• 7 March – Jacob Lillyman, rugby league player
• 22 March – Tara Simmons, musician (died 2019)
• 30 March – Samantha Stosur, tennis player
• 3 April – Allana Slater, gymnast
• 10 April – Peter Veness, journalist (d. 2012)
• 13 April – Kris Britt, cricketer
• 26 April – Petrina Price, high jumper
• 3 May – Jacqui Dunn, artistic gymnast^[42]
• 4 May – Kiel Brown, field hockey midfielder
• 10 May – Alana Boyd, pole vaulter
• 15 May
  • Samantha Noble, actress
  • Beau Scott, Australian rugby league player
• 31 May – Jason Smith, actor
• 3 June – Todd Reid, tennis player (died 2018)
• June 14 – Jay Lyon, actor, musician and model
• 9 July – Alexandra Croak, gymnast & diver
• 20 July – James Mackay, actor
• 24 July – Patrick Harvey, actor
• 30 July – Trudy McIntosh, artistic gymnast^[43]
• 4 September – Adam Marshall, politician
• 20 September – Jason Chatfield, artist, comedian
• 3 October – Jarrod Bannister, athlete (d. 2018)^[44]
• 8 October — Laura Wells, International Plus Sized Model and Environmentalist.
• 17 October – Michelle Ang, actress
• 30 October – Cameron Ciraldo, rugby league player and coach
• 9 November – Delta Goodrem, singer and actress
• 13 November – Jamie Soward, rugby league player
• 14 November – Courtney Johns, Australian footballer
• 25 November – Peter Siddle, cricketer
• 28 November – Andrew Bogut, basketball player
• 8 December – Tim Paine, cricketer
• 12 December
  • Sophie Edington, swimmer
  • Daniel Merrett, Australian footballer
• 25 December – Lisa and Jessica Origliasso, singer/songwriters

Deaths

• 9 January – Bob Dyer, television host (born in the United States) (b. 1909)
• 21 January – Alan Marshall, writer (b. 1902)
• 17 May – Nigel Drury, Queensland politician (b. 1911)
• 26 May – Hilda Abbott, Red Cross leader and wife of the administrator of the Northern Territory (b. 1890)
• 19 June – Sir Phillip Lynch, Victorian politician (b. 1933)
• 21 June – Denis Murphy, Queensland politician (b. 1936)
• 6 July – Mina Wylie, swimmer (b. 1891)
• 13 August – Clyde Cook, actor (b. 1891)
• 29 September – Hal Porter, author and playwright (b. 1911)
• 6 November – Kylie Maybury, murder victim (b. 1978)
• 20 December – Grace Cossington Smith, artist (b. 1892)

See also

• 1984 in Australian television
• List of Australian films of 1984

References

1. Malone, Paul (18 January 1988). "New leader Sinclair faces questions on credibility". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
2. "Jon Seiben on visit anyway". The Canberra Times. 28 January 1985. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
3. Dempsey, Shelley (30 January 1985). "2CC chats with performers at Narara". The Canberra Times.
4. "Rain drowns the music, and floods leave festival fans stranded in the mud". The Canberra Times. 31 January 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
5. "Teething troubles likely for Labor's newborn Medicare". The Canberra Times. 1 February 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
6. "Police to investigate allegations about judge". The Canberra Times. 3 February 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
7. Miller, Julie. "Rocketman: Elton John's Forgotten 1984 Wedding to Renate Blauel". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
8. Coulthart, Ross (7 July 2013). "Investigation exposes the dad accused of an unsolved crime spree that killed four people". The Sunday Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
9. Malone, Paul (7 March 1984). "Judge named by Qld minister". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
10. Malone, Paul (25 March 1984). "Labor back, but about 11 seats lost". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
11. "New $100 note on Monday". The Canberra Times. 21 March 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
12. Sheedy, Chris; Jenny Bond (2006). 100 Great Icons. Milsons Point, New South Wales: Random House Australia. pp. 34–35. ISBN 978-1-74166-501-7.
13. "'Advance Australia' national anthem". The Canberra Times. 12 April 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
14. "Green and gold our official colours". The Canberra Times. 20 April 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
15. "New, shiny, $1 coin raises some eyebrows". The Canberra Times. 15 May 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
16. "NSW Assembly passes homosexuality law reform". The Canberra Times. 17 May 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
17. "Homosexuality Bill passes all stages". The Canberra Times. 19 May 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
18. "Family Court judge's wife killed, home damaged". The Canberra Times. 5 July 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
19. "Report of the Royal Commission into British Nuclear Tests in Australia". Australian Parliament House. 20 November 1985. p. 7 (PDF). Retrieved 17 January 2021.
20. "Three states to join national crime body". The Canberra Times. 3 July 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
21. Waterford, Jack (22 July 1984). "Top ACT judge enters fray over 'Mr Justice Policeman'". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
22. "Mother, daughter killed in beds". The Canberra Times. 10 August 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
23. Jolly, Nathan (1 December 2019). "Why the murders of mother and daughter Margaret and Seana remain unsolved". news.com.au. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
24. Morris, Joan (19 August 1984). "Television history being made". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
25. "Seven shot dead at hotel". The Canberra Times. 3 September 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
26. Jeffrey, Brian (2 October 1984). "Archive grew out of concern for film and sound heritage". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
27. "Body of girl, 6, found in gutter". The Canberra Times. 8 November 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
28. "Jackson needed to raise money, Crown alleges". The Canberra Times. 27 November 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
29. Jones, Bruce (26 November 1984). "Peacock's 'impressive performance'". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
30. Malone, Paul (2 December 1984). "Informal vote takes icing off ALP cake". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
31. Coyle, Kerry (8 December 1984). "Peacock, Howard returned". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
32. "Franklin award to Winton". The Canberra Times. 15 May 1985. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
33. "Olympics telethon aims for LA and beyond". The Canberra Times. 3 February 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
34. "Qld TV channel buyer pursuing media interest". The Canberra Times. 6 May 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
35. "Winners at last..." The Canberra Times. 30 September 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
36. "Melbourne ruckman Peter Moore wins second Brownlow". The Canberra Times. 25 September 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
37. "Canterbury the best". The Canberra Times. 24 September 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
38. "De Castella confident despite losses". 7 April 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
39. "Wang Australian Marathon 1984 results (page 1)". ausrunning. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
40. "Wang Australian Marathon 1984 results (page 3)". ausrunning. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
41. "The Melbourne Cup in pictures..." The Canberra Times. 8 November 1984. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
42. "Jacqui Dunn". m2002.thecgf.com. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
43. "Trudy MCINTOSH - Olympic Gymnastics Artistic | Australia". Olympic.org. International Olympic Committee. 20 June 2016.
44. "Jarrod Bannister". Olympic.org. International Olympic Committee.