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

List of events

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Decades:

1960s
1970s
1980s
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Incumbents

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)

References

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

Years in Australia (1788–present)

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