The following lists events that happened during 1980 in Australia.

Incumbents

Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

–

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

–

Sir Zelman Cowen Sir Zelman Cowen, (7 October 1919 – 8 December 2011) was an Australian legal scholar and university administrator who served as the 19th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1977 to 1982. Cowen was born in Melbourne, and attended ...

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

–

Malcolm Fraser John Malcolm Fraser (; 21 May 1930 – 20 March 2015) was an Australian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Australia from 1975 to 1983, holding office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Fraser was raised on hi ...

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

–

Doug Anthony John Douglas Anthony, (31 December 192920 December 2020) was an Australian politician. He served as leader of the National Party of Australia from 1971 to 1984 and was the second and longest-serving Deputy Prime Minister, holding the position ...

Opposition Leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

–

Bill Hayden William George Hayden (born 23 January 1933) is an Australian politician who served as the 21st governor-general of Australia from 1989 to 1996. He was Leader of the Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1977 to 1983, and served as ...

* Chief Justice –

Sir Garfield Barwick Sir Garfield Edward John Barwick, (22 June 190313 July 1997) was an Australian judge who was the seventh and longest serving Chief Justice of Australia, in office from 1964 to 1981. He had earlier been a Liberal Party politician, serving as a ...

State and territory leaders

Premier of New South Wales The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster Parliamentary System, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislature. ...

–

Neville Wran Neville Kenneth Wran, (11 October 1926 – 20 April 2014) was an Australian politician who was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 to 1986. He was the national president of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1980 to 1986 and chairman of ...

– John Mason *

Premier of Queensland The premier of Queensland is the head of government in the Australian state of Queensland. By convention the premier is the leader of the party with a parliamentary majority in the unicameral Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The premier is ap ...

–

Joh Bjelke-Petersen Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen (13 January 191123 April 2005), known as Joh Bjelke-Petersen, was a conservative Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, during ...

–

Ed Casey Edmund Denis Casey (2 January 1933 – 1 May 2006), known as Ed, was best known as the leader of the Australian Labor Party in Queensland between 1978 and 1982. He also served as Primary Industries Minister in the government of Wayne Goss betwe ...

Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier is ...

–

David Tonkin David Oliver Tonkin AO (20 July 1929 – 2 October 2000) was an Australian politician who served as the 38th Premier of South Australia from 18 September 1979 to 10 November 1982. He was elected to the House of Assembly seat of Bragg at the 1 ...

–

John Bannon John Charles Bannon (7 May 1943 – 13 December 2015) was an Australian politician and academic. He was the 39th Premier of South Australia, leading the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party from a single term in opposition ba ...

Premier of Tasmania The premier of Tasmania is the head of the executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the leader of the party or political grouping which has majority support in the House of Assembly is invited by the governor of Ta ...

– Doug Lowe **

–

Geoff Pearsall Geoffrey Alan "Geoff" Pearsall (born 15 September 1946) is a former Australian politician. A member of the Liberal Party, he served as a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1969 until 1988 and as Leader of the Opposition (1979–1981 ...

Premier of Victoria The premier of Victoria is the head of 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 Victorian Legislative Assembly ...

–

Rupert Hamer Sir Rupert James Hamer, (29 July 1916 – 23 March 2004), generally known until he was knighted in 1982 as Dick Hamer, was an Australian Liberal Party politician who served as the 39th Premier of Victoria from 1972 to 1981. Early years Hamer ...

–

Frank Wilkes Frank Noel Wilkes (16 June 1922 – 20 August 2015) was an Australian politician who served as the Leader of the Labor Opposition in Victoria from 1977 to 1981. Early life Wilkes was born in Melbourne and educated at Northcote Primary and Se ...

Premier of Western Australia The premier of Western Australia is the head of government of the state of Western Australia. The role of premier at a state level is similar to the role of the prime minister of Australia at a federal level. The premier leads the executive bra ...

–

Sir Charles Court Sir Charles Walter Michael Court, (29 September 1911 – 22 December 2007) was a Western Australian politician, and the 21st Premier of Western Australia from 1974 to 1982. He was a member of the Liberal Party. Early life Court's family e ...

– Ron Davies *

Chief Minister of the Northern Territory The chief minister of the Northern Territory is the head of government of the Northern Territory. The office is the equivalent of a state premier. When the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly was created in 1974, the head of government wa ...

–

Paul Everingham Paul Anthony Edward Everingham (born 4 February 1943) is a former Australian politician who was the head of government of the Northern Territory of Australia from 1977 to 1984, serving as the second and last Majority Leader (1977–1978) and ...

–

Jon Isaacs Jonathan Martin Isaacs (born 10 September 1949) is an Australian former politician. He was the Labor member for Millner in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 1977 to 1981, and was the ALP's first leader in that body and the Te ...

Chief Minister of Norfolk Island This article lists the heads of government of Norfolk Island. (Dates in italics indicate ''de facto'' continuation of office, irrespective of continuation of status of that office) See also *History of Norfolk Island *List of administrative ...

–

David Buffett David Ernest Buffett AM (born 17 October 1942) is a political figure from the Australian territory of Norfolk Island. He served as Chief Minister of Norfolk Island from March 2010 to March 2013; he has also held the position three previous o ...

Governors and administrators

Governor of New South Wales The governor of New South Wales is the viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governors of the ...

– Sir Roden Cutler *

Governor of Queensland The governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of the monarch of Australia. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governor Governors of the Australian states, performs c ...

– Sir James Ramsay *

Governor of South Australia The governor of South Australia is the representative in South Australia of the Monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III. The governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the governor-gene ...

– Sir Keith Seaman *

Governor of Tasmania The governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of the Monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III. The incumbent governor is Barbara Baker, who was appointed in June 2021. The official residence of the ...

– Sir Stanley Burbury *

Governor of Victoria The governor of Victoria is the representative of the monarch, King Charles III, in the Australian state of Victoria. The governor is one of seven viceregal representatives in the country, analogous to the governors of the other states, and the ...

– Sir Henry Winneke *

Governor of Western Australia The governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of the monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III. As with the other governors of the Australian states, the governor of Western Australia performs constitutional ...

– Sir Wallace Kyle (until 30 September), then Sir Richard Trowbridge (from 25 November) *

Administrator of Norfolk Island The administrator of Norfolk Island acts as a representative both of The Crown and of the Government of Australia, as well as carrying out other duties according to the ''Norfolk Island Amendment Act 2015''.Peter Coleman William Peter Coleman (15 December 1928 – 31 March 2019) was an Australian writer and politician. A widely published journalist for over 60 years, he was editor of '' The Bulletin'' (1964–1967) and of '' Quadrant'' for 20 years, and publi ...

Administrator of the Northern Territory The Administrator of the Northern Territory is an official appointed by the Governor-General of Australia to represent the government of the Commonwealth in the Northern Territory, Australia. They perform functions similar to those of a state gov ...

– John England

Events

January

9 January Events Pre-1600 * 681 – Twelfth Council of Toledo: King Erwig of the Visigoths initiates a council in which he implements diverse measures against the Jews in Spain. *1127 – Jin–Song Wars: Invading Jurchen soldiers from the J ...

– Prime Minister

announces sanctions against the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

following its invasion of Afghanistan. *

17 January Events Pre-1600 *38 BC – Octavian divorces his wife Scribonia and marries Livia Drusilla, ending the fragile peace between the Second Triumvirate and Sextus Pompey. * 1362 – Saint Marcellus' flood kills at least 25,000 people on ...

– Debbie Wardley becomes Australia's first female pilot to take to the skies when she co-pilots a

Fokker Friendship The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner developed and manufactured by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. It is the most numerous post-war aircraft manufactured in the Netherlands; the F27 was also one of the most successful Europe ...

on Ansett Flight 232 on the so-called "milk run" from

Alice Springs Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Al ...

to Darwin. The flight marks the end of a 15-month legal battle with

Ansett Airlines Ansett Australia was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne, Australia. The airline flew domestically within Australia and from the 1990s to destinations in Asia. After operating for 65 years, the airline was placed into Adminis ...

to overcome gender-based discrimination which had prevented her from earlier taking the controls. *

24 January Events Pre-1600 * 41 – Claudius is proclaimed Roman emperor by the Praetorian Guard after they assassinate the previous emperor, his nephew Caligula. * 914 – Start of the First Fatimid invasion of Egypt. *1438 – The Counc ...

– The first section of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

's underground railway loop is opened. *

27 January Events Pre-1600 * 98 – Trajan succeeds his adoptive father Nerva as Roman emperor; under his rule the Roman Empire will reach its maximum extent. * 945 – The co-emperors Stephen and Constantine are overthrown and forced to becom ...

– Frank Nugan of the failed

Nugan Hand Bank Nugan Hand Bank was an Australian merchant bank that collapsed in 1980 after the suicide of one of its founders, Australian lawyer Francis John Nugan, resulting in a major scandal. News stories suggested that the bank had been involved in illega ...

is found dead at the wheel of his Mercedes by police at Lithgow.

February

19 February Events Pre-1600 * 197 – Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies. * 356 – The anti-paganism policy of Constantius II forbids the worship of pa ...

- Rock singer

Bon Scott Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott (9 July 1946 – 19 February 1980) was an Australian singer and songwriter. He was the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980. Born in Forfar in Angus, Scotland, ...

of the band

AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...

, at age 33 found dead having slept in parked car in London, UK. *

21 February Events Pre-1600 * 452 or 453 – Severianus, Bishop of Scythopolis, is martyred in Palestine. *1245 – Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland, is granted resignation after confessing to torture and forgery. * 1440 – The Prus ...

– A Beech 200 light aircraft crashes at

Sydney Airport Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (colloquially Mascot Airport, Kingsford Smith Airport, or Sydney Airport; ; ) is an international airport in Sydney, Australia, located 8 km (5 mi) south of the Sydney central business district, in the ...

, killing 13. *

23 February Events Pre-1600 * 303 – Roman emperor Diocletian orders the destruction of the Christian church in Nicomedia, beginning eight years of Diocletianic Persecution. * 532 – Byzantine emperor Justinian I lays the foundation stone of a ...

– The

1980 Western Australian state election Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 23 February 1980 to elect all 55 members to the Legislative Assembly and 16 members to the 32-seat Legislative Council. The Liberal- National Country coalition government, led by Premier ...

takes place and the

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

National National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

coalition A coalition is a group formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political or economical spaces. Formation According to ''A Gui ...

government of

is re-elected.

March

* 1 March – The federal executive of the

Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms the f ...

decides to intervene in the Queensland branch. Most key office-holders are replaced. *

25 March Events Pre-1600 * 421 – Italian city Venice is founded with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo di Rialto on the islet of Rialto. * 708 – Pope Constantine becomes the 88th pope. He would be the last pope to vi ...

– Defence Minister

James Killen Sir Denis James "Jim" Killen, (23 November 1925 – 12 January 2007) was an Australian politician and a Liberal Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from December 1955 to August 1983, representing the Division of Moreton in Q ...

announces that

Cockburn Sound Cockburn Sound (Nyungar Aboriginal Australian name: Derbal Nara) is an inlet of the Indian Ocean on the coast of Western Australia. It extends from the south of the mouth of the Swan River at Fremantle for about 25 km to Point Peron ne ...

Western Australia will offer base and home port facilities to the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

April

13 April Events Pre-1600 *1111 – Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. * 1204 – Constantinople falls to the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade, temporarily ending the Byzantine Empire. 1601–1900 *1612 – In one of the epic samurai ...

– A sensitive report, ''The Threat of the Internal Security of Australia'' is lost by the Office of National Assessment. *

26 April Events Pre-1600 * 1336 – Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ascends Mont Ventoux. *1348 – Czech king Karel IV founds the Charles University in Prague, which was later named after him and was the first university in Central Europe. * 1 ...

– Louise and Charmian Faulkner disappear from outside their flat in St Kilda,

, Australia. *

30 April Events Pre-1600 * 311 – The Diocletianic Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire ends. *1315 – Enguerrand de Marigny is hanged at the instigation of Charles, Count of Valois. *1492 – Spain gives Christopher Columbus his ...

– Automotive company

Chrysler Australia Fiat Chrysler Australia, officially FCA Australia, is the official Stellantis subsidiary in that country, operating as distributor of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Abarth, Alfa Romeo and Fiat vehicles. However, there had previously been a "Chrysler Au ...

Limited is taken over by Japanese company

Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...

after the American-based

Chrysler Corporation Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

sold its Australian subsidiary to the dynamic Japanese automobile manufacturer for $80 million. The declining fortunes of

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

's North American operations forced the sale.

May

1 May Events Pre-1600 * 305 – Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman emperor. * 880 – The Nea Ekklesia is inaugurated in Constantinople, setting the model for all later cross-in-square Orthodox churches. *1169 – N ...

– The Australian branch of

Earthwatch Institute Earthwatch Institute is an international environmental charity. Founded as Educational Expeditions International in 1971 by Bob Citron and Clarence Truesdale, Earthwatch supports hundreds of Ph.D. researchers across dozens of countries, conduct ...

is established in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. *

15 May Events Pre-1600 * 221 – Liu Bei, Chinese warlord, proclaims himself emperor of Shu Han, the successor of the Han dynasty. * 392 – Emperor Valentinian II is assassinated while advancing into Gaul against the Frankish usurper Arbog ...

– The telecommunications tower on

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

's Black Mountain is officially opened. *

24 May Events Pre-1600 * 919 – The nobles of Franconia and Saxony elect Henry the Fowler at the Imperial Diet in Fritzlar as king of the East Frankish Kingdom. *1218 – The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. *1276 – Magnus Lad ...

– **

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

and Prince Philip arrive in Australia. **The Australian Olympic Federation announces it will send an

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

delegation to

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, despite objections raised by the

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

. The tight 6–5 ballot, announced by Federation President, Syd Grange at Melbourne's Sheraton Hotel, ends speculation about Australia's role following America's boycott of the games. Prime Minister

is critical of the decision, expressing hope that the Australian participation would not be interpreted as an endorsement of Soviet policy. *

26 May Events Pre-1600 * 17 – Germanicus celebrates a triumph in Rome for his victories over the Cherusci, Chatti, and other German tribes west of the Elbe. * 451 – Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sasanian Empire take ...

– The

High Court of Australia The High Court of Australia is Australia's apex court. It exercises Original jurisdiction, original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified within Constitution of Australia, Australia's Constitution. The High Court was established fol ...

building in

is opened by

. Prince Philip is also in attendance. *

31 May Events Pre-1600 * 455 – Emperor Petronius Maximus is stoned to death by an angry mob while fleeing Rome. *1223 – Mongol invasion of the Cumans: Battle of the Kalka River: Mongol armies of Genghis Khan led by Subutai defeat Kieva ...

– The

Royal Commission into Drug Trafficking Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

(Woodward Royal Commission) estimates that there are at least 20,000

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

addicts in Australia.

June

7 June Events Pre-1600 * 421 – Emperor Theodosius II marries Aelia Eudocia at Constantinople (Byzantine Empire). * 879 – Pope John VIII recognizes the Duchy of Croatia under Duke Branimir as an independent state. *1002 – Henry II ...

– The

1980 Northern Territory general election A general election was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday June 7, 1980. It was the first to be held since self-government was attained two years earlier, and was won by the incumbent Country Liberal Party (CLP) under Chief Minister Paul E ...

takes place and Paul Everingham's

Country Liberal Party The Country Liberal Party of the Northern Territory (CLP) is a centre-right political party in Australia's Northern Territory. In local politics it operates in a two-party system with the Australian Labor Party (ALP). It also contests federal ...

government is re-elected. *

23 June 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

– **Australia's first "

test tube baby In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation where an ovum, egg is combined with spermatozoon, sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating an individual's Ovulation cycle, ovulatory process, remo ...

" (Candice Reed) is born in Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital. **

David Opas David Louis Opas (30 June 1936 – 23 June 1980) was a judge of the Family Court of Australia. He was shot and killed during a period when a series of related gun and bomb attacks, killing three more people, were carried out against judges and o ...

, a Judge of the

Family Court of Australia The Family Court of Australia was a superior Australian federal court of record which deals with family law matters, such as divorce applications, parenting disputes, and the division of property when a couple separate. Together with the Fede ...

is shot and killed outside his home. * 26 June – Australian Richard Thorp, of the United States firm Mitchell, Giurgola and Thorp, wins the competition for the design of the new

Parliament House, Canberra Parliament House, also referred to as Capital Hill or simply Parliament, is the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia, and the seat of the legislative branch of the Australian Government. Located in Canberra, the Parliament building is ...

July

1 July Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor. * 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...

– Women are allowed to join surf clubs as full members. *

4 July Events Pre-1600 *362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans. * 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and proclaime ...

–

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

's ''Sun'' newspaper cease publication.

August

* 17 August – Nine-week-old Azaria Chamberlain disappears from a campsite at Ayers Rock (

Uluru Uluru (; pjt, Uluṟu ), also known as Ayers Rock ( ) and officially Gazette#Gazette as a verb, gazetted as UluruAyers Rock, is a large sandstone geological formation, formation in the centre of Australia. It is in the southern part of the ...

), later confirmed to be taken by a

dingo The dingo (''Canis familiaris'', ''Canis familiaris dingo'', ''Canis dingo'', or ''Canis lupus dingo'') is an ancient (Basal (phylogenetics), basal) lineage of dog found in Australia (continent), Australia. Its taxonomic classification is de ...

. *

22 August Events Pre-1600 * 392 – Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. * 851 – Battle of Jengland: Erispoe defeats Charles the Bald near the Breton town of Jengland. *1138 – Battle of the Standard between Scotland ...

– Confusion reigns at the inquest into the death of Frank Nugan of the failed Nugan Hand banking group. A letter is produced on the final day of the inquest signed by the secretary to the Commissioner Mr. Justice Woodward, who presided over the

, appears to clear Nugan of any involvement with narcotics dealing.

September

* 26 September – The

Lonie Report The Victorian Transport Study, better known as the Lonie Report, was an extensive study of freight and passenger transport within the state of Victoria, Australia. The study was set up on 13 June 1979 by the Government of Victoria, and the report ...

in Victoria recommends the closure of half the suburban rail lines, all country passenger rail lines and a number of tram routes. It also recommends huge

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

expansion. The report is controversial and protests cause its recommendations to be moderated. *30 September – Bob Hawke retires as President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) to contest the seat of Division of Wills, Wills in the federal election. Cliff Dolan becomes the new President of the ACTU.

October

*1 October – The Costigan Royal Commission begins, with the purpose of inquiring into the activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union. *9 October – The standard-gauge railway from Tarcoola railway station, Tarcoola to

is opened. *16 October – Violet Roberts, 52, and Bruce Roberts, 22, are released from prison after serving almost five years of their sentence for murdering their husband and father, Eric Roberts. The mother and son are "released on licence" just 24 hours after the New South Wales Attorney-General Frank Walker (Australian politician), Frank Walker recommended the action to the Department of Corrective Services, following sustained pressure from supporters who argued that the sentences were unduly harsh. The Attorney-General had publicly described them as a miscarriage of justice. *18 October – 1980 Australian federal election:

/National Party of Australia, National Country Coalition (Australia), Coalition Fraser government, government is re-elected with a substantially reduced majority, defeating the Australian Labor Party, Labor Party led by

. The Government also loses control of the Senate, with the Australian Democrats winning the balance of power.

November

*20 November – Former Prime Minister Sir John McEwen dies. *29 November – The 1980 Queensland state election takes place with the National Party government of

being re-elected.

December

*2 December – The Federal Government lifts controls regulating the interest rates offered by banks on customer deposits. *15 December – The Azaria Chamberlain disappearance, Azaria Chamberlain inquest begins in

. *17 December – Turkish Consul-General, Sarik Ariyak, and his bodyguard, Engin Sever, are shot dead in the street outside the consulate in Dover Heights, Sydney, becoming the victims of Australia's first political assassinations. The obscure international terrorist army, the "Justice Commandoes of Armenian Genocide", claim responsibility for the deaths only 20 minutes after the shootings. *19 December – The Woolworths Maitland store, near Newcastle, New South Wales is bombed, suffering more than $300,000 worth of damage. *20 December – The Woolworths Orange store receives a call from a man threatening to bomb a Woolworths store unless he is paid $1 million. *23 December – Victoria (Australia), Victoria decriminalises homosexual acts between consenting adults, with the Royal Assent of the Crimes (Sexual Offences) Act 1980. *24 December – Woolworths' Town Hall store in the centre of

is devastated by a bomb blast – the chain's third store to be targeted in nine days. Authorities received only 10 minutes' warning of the bombing, which miraculously caused no serious casualties after 2,000 shoppers and staff were evacuated from the area. *26 December – Police offer a $250,000 reward for information relating to the recent Woolworths bombings. The reward is the largest ever offered in Australian history.

Arts and literature

* Jessica Anderson (writer), Jessica Anderson's novel ''The Impersonators'' wins the Miles Franklin Award * See also: 1980 in Australian literature

Film

*5 July – The Australian film 'Breaker' Morant opens in

and

, having been the toast of the recent 1980 Cannes Film Festival. * The Club (1980 film), The Club

Television

*17 January – Gippsland's Southern Cross Ten, GLV-10 becomes GLV-8. This is done so that

's ATV-0 can become ATV-10. *20 January – ATV-0 becomes ATV-10. This move prompts the 0–10 Network to change its name to Network Ten, although Brisbane's TVQ-10, TVQ-0 would continue to broadcast on Channel 0 until 1988. On the same night, Ten's new drama series ''Arcade (TV series), Arcade'' premieres. It is regarded as the biggest flop in Australian television history, costing over Australian Dollar, $3 million to make and being axed after 49 episodes. *17 July – Nine Network's new quiz show ''Sale of the Century (Australian game show), Sale of the Century'' launches, bringing in record ratings with Nine winning the 7pm timeslot. *30 January – ''Kingswood Country'' debuts on the Seven Network. *15 October – Mini-series ''The Last Outlaw (miniseries), The Last Outlaw'' debuts on Seven. *24 October – Special Broadcasting Service, SBS commences transmission in

& Melbourne on VHF Channel 0 & Ultra high frequency, UHF Channel 28, becoming the first television station, station in Australia to use UHF frequencies.

Sport

*5 July – Evonne Cawley (née Goolagong) wins the Wimbledon singles for the second time, easily beating the popular American champion Chris Evert-Lloyd 6–1, 7–6 in the final. She becomes the first woman to have won the Wimbledon singles nine years apart and is the first mother ever to take tennis' most coveted prize. *8 July, Lang Park – The inaugural 1980 State of Origin game is won by Queensland Rugby League, Queensland who defeat New South Wales 20 – 10. *27 July – Lawrence Whitty wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:19:00 in Adelaide. *27 September – The Canterbury Bulldogs defeat the Sydney Roosters, Eastern Suburbs Roosters (now Sydney Roosters) 18–4 to win the 73rd NSWRL premiership. It is the first premiership for Canterbury, New South Wales, Canterbury since 1942 & the last grand final played on a Saturday. In the process, Steve Gearin scores one of the most spectacular tries in history. Penrith Panthers, Penrith finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon. *27 September – On the same day, the Richmond Tigers (23.21.159) defeat the Collingwood Magpies (9.24.78) to win the 84th Australian Football League, VFL premiership. It was the last premiership win for Richmond, Victoria, Richmond until 2017. *5 October – Alan Jones (Formula 1), Alan Jones becomes the second Australians, Australian driver to win the Formula One List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions, World Drivers Championship after winning the 1980 United States Grand Prix, final race of the 1980 Formula One season, season at Watkins Glen, New York. *4 November – Beldale Ball wins the Melbourne Cup. *13 December – The Illawarra Steelers are accepted as the 13th team in the NSWRL premiership for 1982, making them the first team from outside the Sydney metropolitan area to compete in the competition since

in 1909. *8 January – Motorcycle great Andrew Paine born

Births

*5 January – Brad Meyers, rugby league player *7 January – Reece Simmonds, rugby league player *8 January – Adam Goodes, footballer *9 January – Luke Patten, rugby league player and referee *17 January – Kylie Wheeler, heptathlete *25 January – Alayna Burns, track cyclist *8 February – Cameron Muncey, singer and guitarist (Jet (band), Jet) *13 March – Nathan Phillips (actor), Nathan Phillips, actor *27 March – Toni Cronk, field hockey goalkeeper *15 April – Lauryn Mark, Olympic skeet shooter *25 April – Daniel MacPherson, actor *9 May – Grant Hackett, swimmer *10 May – Pete Gray (activist), Pete Gray, environmental activist (d. 2011) *23 May – Ben Ross, rugby league player *24 May – Anthony Minichiello, rugby league player *31 May – Craig Bolton, footballer and sportscaster *5 June – Chris Flannery (rugby league), Chris Flannery, rugby league player *18 June – Craig Mottram, long and middle distance runner *29 June – James Courtney, motor racing driver *9 July ** Brooke Krueger, hammer thrower ** Wil Traval, actor *23 August – Bronwyn Eagles, hammer thrower *24 August – Rachael Carpani, actress *18 September – Chris Tarrant (footballer), Chris Tarrant, Australian rules footballer *16 October – Timana Tahu, rugby league player *5 November – Luke Hemsworth, actor *28 November – Alex Greenwich, politician *16 December ** Natalie Porter, basketball player and Olympic medalist ** Axle Whitehead, actor and singer-songwriter *22 December – Matt Parker, recreational mathematician and author *25 December – Ricky Muir, politician

Deaths

* 7 January – Eddie Scarf, Olympic wrestler and boxer (b. 1908) * 2 May – Clarrie Grimmett, cricketer (born in New Zealand) (b. 1891) * 24 September – Pat Galvin, South Australian politician (b. 1911) * 11 November – Vince Gair, 27th

(b. 1901) * 20 November – John McEwen, Sir John McEwen, 18th Prime Minister of Australia and 1st Deputy Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1900)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1980 in Australia 1980 in Australia, 1980 by country, Australia Years of the 20th century in Australia