The following lists events that happened during 1994 in Australia.
Incumbents
![Keating Paul BANNER](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Keating_Paul_BANNER.jpg)
*
Monarch
A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power i ...
–
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 –
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 ...
*
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 i ...
–
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He previously serv ...
**
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 ...
–
Brian Howe
**
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 ...
–
John Hewson
John Robert Hewson AM (born 28 October 1946) is an Australian former politician who served as leader of the Liberal Party from 1990 to 1994. He led the Liberal-National Coalition to defeat at the 1993 Australian federal election.
Hewson wa ...
(until 23 May), then
Alexander Downer
*
Chief Justice –
Sir Anthony Mason
Sir Anthony Frank Mason HonFAIB DistFRSN (born 21 April 1925) is an Australian judge who served as the ninth Chief Justice of Australia, in office from 1987 to 1995. He was first appointed to the High Court of Australia, High Court in 1972, ...
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 legislatu ...
–
John Fahey
**
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 ...
–
Bob Carr
Robert John Carr (born 28 September 1947) is an Australian retired politician and journalist who served as the 39th Premier of New South Wales from 1995 to 2005, as the leader of the NSW Branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He later en ...
*
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 ...
–
Wayne Goss
Wayne Keith Goss (26 February 1951 – 10 November 2014) was Premier of Queensland from 7 December 1989 until 19 February 1996, becoming the first Labor Premier of the state in over thirty two years. Prior to entering politics, Goss was a solic ...
**
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 ...
–
Rob Borbidge
Robert Edward Borbidge (born 12 August 1954) is a former Australian politician who served as the 35th Premier of Queensland from 1996 to 1998. He was the leader of the Queensland branch of the National Party, and was the last member of that p ...
*
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 ...
–
Dean Brown
Dean may refer to:
People
* Dean (given name)
* Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin
* Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk
* Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean
Titles
* ...
**
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 ...
–
Lynn Arnold
Lynn Maurice Ferguson Arnold, AO (born 27 January 1949) is an Anglican priest and a former Australian politician, who represented the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party, serving as Premier of South Australia between 4 Septem ...
(until 5 November), then
Mike Rann
Michael David Rann, , (born 5 January 1953) is an Australian former politician who was the 44th premier of South Australia from 2002 to 2011. He was later Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2014, and Australian am ...
*
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 ...
–
Ray Groom
Raymond John Groom (born 3 September 1944) is an Australian lawyer and former sportsman and politician, representing the Liberal Party in the Federal Parliament 1975–84 and the Tasmanian Parliament 1986–2001. He was a Federal and state mi ...
**
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 ...
–
Michael Field
*
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 Assemb ...
–
Jeff Kennett
**
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 ...
–
John Brumby
John Mansfield Brumby (born 21 April 1953) is the current Chancellor of La Trobe University and former Victorian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became leader of the Victorian Labor Party and premier ...
*
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 ...
–
Richard Court
Richard Fairfax Court (born 27 September 1947) is a former Australian politician and diplomat. He served as Premier of Western Australia from 1993 to 2001 and as Australian Ambassador to Japan from 2017 to 2020. A member of the Liberal Party, ...
**
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 ...
–
Carmen Lawrence
Carmen Mary Lawrence (born 2 March 1948) is an Australian academic and former politician who was the Premier of Western Australia from 1990 to 1993, the first woman to become the premier of an Australian state. A member of the Labor Party, sh ...
(until 7 February), then
Ian Taylor (until 12 October), then
Jim McGinty
James Andrew McGinty (born 22 September 1949) is an Australian former politician. He was a Labor member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1990 to 2009, representing the district of Fremantle. He was Labor Party leader and L ...
*
Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory –
Rosemary Follett
Rosemary Follett (born 27 March 1948) is a former Australian politician who was the inaugural Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory, serving in 1989 and again between 1991 and 1995. She was the first woman to become head of gove ...
**
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 ...
–
Kate Carnell
Anne Katherine Carnell (née Knowlman; born 30 May 1955) is an Australian businesswoman and former Liberal Party politician, who served as the third Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) from 1995 to 2000.
Early life and p ...
*
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 was ...
–
Marshall Perron
Marshall Bruce Perron (born 5 February 1942) is a former Australian politician, who was a Country Liberal Party member of the Legislative Assembly in the Northern Territory from the formation of the Assembly in 1974 until his resignation in 1995 ...
**
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 ...
–
Brian Ede
*
Head of Government of Norfolk Island – John Brown (until 4 May), then Michael King
Governors and administrators
*
Governor of New South Wales –
Peter Sinclair
*
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 performs constitutional and ceremonial func ...
–
Leneen Forde
*
Governor of South Australia –
Dame Roma Mitchell
*
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 Phillip Bennett
*
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 th ...
–
Richard McGarvie
Richard Elgin McGarvie, (21 May 1926 – 24 May 2003) was a judge in the Supreme Court of Victoria from 1976 to 1992, and the 24th Governor of Victoria from 1992 to 1997.
Early life
McGarvie was born and brought up on his parents' dairy farm a ...
*
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 constitutiona ...
–
Michael Jeffery
Major General Philip Michael Jeffery, (12 December 1937 – 18 December 2020) was a senior Australian Army officer and vice-regal representative. He was the 28th governor of Western Australia from 1993 to 2000, and the 24th governor-general o ...
*
Administrator of the Australian Indian Ocean Territories – Danny Gillespie (from 1 July)
*
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''.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 ...
–
Austin Asche
Keith John Austin Asche ( ; born 28 November 1925) is a former Administrator of the Northern Territory of Australia and was the third Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.
Early years, education and family
Asche was bor ...
Events
January
*1 January –
**The Duchess of York's sister, Jane Makim, marries for a second time in a cliff-top ceremony in Sydney. The ceremony, conducted by a female celebrant, took place at the exclusive Jonah's Restaurant.
**Queensland Minerals and Energy Minister, Tom McGrady, announces that an inquiry will be held into an accident at a central Queensland open cut coal mine in which two men were killed and another two seriously injured.
*2 to 15 January –
Major bushfires devastate coastal
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
—four people are killed and over 300 homes are lost.
*22 January – Industry, Technology and Regional Development Minister
Alan Griffiths resigns over the "sandwich shop" affair, causing a Cabinet reshuffle.
*26 January – Student
David Kang
David Kang (born 1970) is an Australian barrister. In January 1994 he fired two blank shots from a starting pistol at Charles, Prince of Wales in protest at the treatment of several hundred Cambodian asylum seekers held in detention camps in Au ...
fires two blank shots from a
starting pistol
A starting pistol or starter pistol is a blank handgun that is fired to start track and field races, as well as competitive swimming races at some meets. Starter guns cannot fire real ammunition without first being extensively modified: Blank ...
at the Prince of Wales (now
Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person t ...
) in
Sydney, Australia.
February
*1 February – Australian businessman Christopher Skase is arrested in Spain.
*3 February – Prime Minister
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He previously serv ...
threatens to change the rules on election of Senators, as what he regarded as "the unrepresentative swill" continues to thwart and embarrass his Government.
*4 February – Labor MP
John Dawkins
John Sydney "Joe" Dawkins, AO (born 2 March 1947) is an Australian former politician who was Treasurer in the Keating Labor government from December 1991 to December 1993. He is notable for his reforms of tertiary education as Minister for E ...
resigns.
*8 February – Prime Minister
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He previously serv ...
introduces changes to Question Time, with a roster of ministers and at least 14 questions to be asked each sitting day. Response was mixed.
*11 February –
Neal Blewitt resigns to become High Commissioner in London.
*14 February – During a ''Four Corners'' programme on the ABC, Liberals speak of a possible leadership change.
*16 February – It is announced that former Prime Minister
Bob Hawke and Former Treasurer
John Kerin
John Charles Kerin (born 21 November 1937) is an Australian economist and former Labor Party politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1972 to 1975 and again from 1978 to 1993. He held a number of senior ministerial roles in ...
are to be summonsed before a Senate Inquiry into foreign media ownership of the Fairfax Group.
*27 February – Sport and Environment Minister
Ros Kelly
Roslyn Joan Kelly AO (née Raw; born 25 January 1948) is a former member of the Australian House of Representatives, having represented the Division of Canberra from 18 October 1980 to 30 January 1995. She was a minister in the governments ...
resigns over the "
sports rorts affair", which involved her department's law methods and alleged political bias in administering some $30 million in grants to sporting bodies.
March
*2 March – A bomb explodes in the Adelaide headquarters of the National Crime Authority killing one man, Detective-Sergeant Geoff Bowen, and severely wounding another.
*4 March – Australian authorities request the extradition from Spain of
Christopher Skase, who has been held in a hospital on the Spanish island of
Majorca since January.
*12 March – The
1994 Fremantle by-election is won by former West Australian Premier
Carmen Lawrence
Carmen Mary Lawrence (born 2 March 1948) is an Australian academic and former politician who was the Premier of Western Australia from 1990 to 1993, the first woman to become the premier of an Australian state. A member of the Labor Party, sh ...
, an electorate which had been vacated by
John Dawkins
John Sydney "Joe" Dawkins, AO (born 2 March 1947) is an Australian former politician who was Treasurer in the Keating Labor government from December 1991 to December 1993. He is notable for his reforms of tertiary education as Minister for E ...
.
*15 March –
Sallyanne Atkinson, former Brisbane Lord Mayor, is appointed Federal Trade Commissioner in Paris.
*18 March – It is announced that David Barbagallo and Dennis Atkins, advisors to Queensland Premier
Wayne Goss
Wayne Keith Goss (26 February 1951 – 10 November 2014) was Premier of Queensland from 7 December 1989 until 19 February 1996, becoming the first Labor Premier of the state in over thirty two years. Prior to entering politics, Goss was a solic ...
, will face a
Criminal Justice Commission Inquiry into their alleged misconduct.
*19 March –
**The
1994 Bonython by-election
The 1994 Bonython by-election was held in the Australian federal electorate of Bonython in South Australia on 19 March 1994. The by-election was triggered by the retirement of the sitting member, the Australian Labor Party's Neal Blewett, on 11 ...
in South Australia is won by former Independent Labor MP for Elizabeth,
Martyn Evans
Martyn John Evans (born 27 November 1953 in Birmingham, England), is a former South Australian Australian independent and Australian Labor Party state and federal politician.
Evans was educated at The University of Adelaide, and was a State ...
.
**On a charter flight from Cairns, a Piper Aztec crashes in the Belleden Ker Range, Queensland, killing all four on board.
*21 March – A Britten Norman Islander crashes on take-off from
Weipa
Weipa () is a coastal mining town in the local government area of Weipa Town in Queensland. It is the largest town on the Cape York Peninsula. It exists because of the enormous bauxite deposits along the coast. The Port of Weipa is mainly invol ...
, Queensland, killing the pilot and five passengers.
*24 March – Federal Health Minister
Graham Richardson
Graham Frederick Richardson (born 27 September 1949) is an Australian former Labor Party politician who was a Senator for New South Wales from 1983 to 1994 and served as a Cabinet Minister in both the Hawke and Keating Governments. He is c ...
resigns and he is replaced by
Carmen Lawrence
Carmen Mary Lawrence (born 2 March 1948) is an Australian academic and former politician who was the Premier of Western Australia from 1990 to 1993, the first woman to become the premier of an Australian state. A member of the Labor Party, sh ...
.
John Faulkner
John Philip Faulkner (born 12 April 1954) is an Australian former Labor Party politician who was a Senator for New South Wales from 1989 to 2015. He was a Cabinet Minister in the Keating, Rudd and Gillard Governments.
After his election to ...
enters Cabinet with the Environment portfolio.
*26 March –
**
Jim Soorley
James Gerard Soorley (born 8 April 1951) is a former Australian politician. He served as Labor Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1991 to 2003. Soorley is a former Roman Catholic Priest. Soorley has a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in psychology, from ...
wins a second term as Lord Mayor in the Brisbane City Council elections.
**The
1994 Mackellar by-election is won by
Bronwyn Bishop whose leadership ambitions stalled when she suffered a 5% swing.
**The
1994 Warringah by-election is won by
Tony Abbott
Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Abbott was born in Londo ...
– the electorate vacated by
Michael MacKellar
Michael John Randal MacKellar (27 October 1938 – 9 May 2015) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Liberal Party and served in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1994, representing the Division of Warringah. He was M ...
.
May
*4 May – Prime Minister
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He previously serv ...
's landmark White Paper on employment, ''Working Nation'', is released, proposing measures to boost economic growth and assist the disadvantaged long-term unemployed.
*10 May – Federal Treasurer
Ralph Willis
Ralph Willis AO (born 14 April 1938) is a former Australian politician who served as a Cabinet Minister during the entirety of the Hawke-Keating Government from 1983 to 1996, most notably as Treasurer of Australia from 1993 to 1996 and briefl ...
delivers his Budget speech early to facilitate necessary consultation and discussions with minor parties in the Senate. The promised $6.5 billion social justice package includes a $1.46 billion land fund to finance native title claims.
*20 May – Under increasing pressure, Federal Opposition Leader
John Hewson
John Robert Hewson AM (born 28 October 1946) is an Australian former politician who served as leader of the Liberal Party from 1990 to 1994. He led the Liberal-National Coalition to defeat at the 1993 Australian federal election.
Hewson wa ...
calls a sudden leadership spill. having sacked
Peter Reith
Peter Keaston Reith (15 July 1950 – 8 November 2022) was an Australian politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1982 to 1983 and from 1984 to 2001, representing the Liberal Party. He was the party's deputy leader from 199 ...
from the shadow ministry for endorsing ''Fightback!'', the policy which he as leader had declared "dead and buried" at a Liberal policy retreat only 4 weeks earlier.
*23 May –
John Hewson
John Robert Hewson AM (born 28 October 1946) is an Australian former politician who served as leader of the Liberal Party from 1990 to 1994. He led the Liberal-National Coalition to defeat at the 1993 Australian federal election.
Hewson wa ...
is replaced as
Leader of the Opposition by
Alexander Downer 43:36. Wooldridge gives way to
Peter Costello
Peter Howard Costello (born 14 August 1957) is an Australian businessman, lawyer and former politician who served as the treasurer of Australia in government of John Howard from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving treasurer in Australia' ...
as deputy.
June
*4 June– The
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 ...
led by
Marshall Perron
Marshall Bruce Perron (born 5 February 1942) is a former Australian politician, who was a Country Liberal Party member of the Legislative Assembly in the Northern Territory from the formation of the Assembly in 1974 until his resignation in 1995 ...
holds government when it wins the
Northern Territory election.
*15 June – Federal Opposition Leader
Alexander Downer declares that "a vote for me is a vote for the Australian flag, a vote for Mr. Keating is a vote to rip it up".
July
*5 July – Federal Opposition Leader
Alexander Downer asserts that changes to the Constitution are "not worth the bother or effort".
*11 July – During a tour of the Northern Territory,
Alexander Downer displays lack of knowledge on the Territory's Land Rights Act and its implications for Coalition policies on native title.
*15 July – Former Western Australian Premier
Brian Burke is sentenced to eight months' jail.
*19 July – In Spain,
Christopher Skase begins his fight against extradition in a Majorca court.
*25 July –
Telephone numbers in Australia
The Australian telephone numbering plan describes the allocation of phone numbers in Australia. It has changed many times, the most recent major reorganisation by the Australian Communications & Media Authority taking place between 1994 and ...
begin transitioning to eight digits.
Mona Vale in Sydney is the first suburb to change to the new numbers.
*31 July – Federal Opposition Leader
Alexander Downer states that the Mabo legislation would be repealed "if necessary".
*August – ''
Wollemia
''Wollemia'' is a genus of coniferous trees in the family Araucariaceae. It was known only through fossil records until 1994, when the Australian species ''Wollemia nobilis'' was discovered in a temperate rainforest wilderness area of the Wollemi ...
nobilis'', a "fossil tree", is discovered by bushwalker David Noble only 150 km from Sydney.
August
*7 August –
Victoria Police
Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the Australian state of Victoria. It was formed in 1853 and currently operates under the ''Victoria Police Act 2013''.
, Victoria Police had over 22,300 staff, comprising over 16,700 ...
officers
raid Tasty, a predominantly gay nightclub in Melbourne. Club patrons are detained and strip-searched for several hours, resulting in a landmark class action legal case.
*26 August – Federal Opposition Leader
Alexander Downer dismisses
John Hewson
John Robert Hewson AM (born 28 October 1946) is an Australian former politician who served as leader of the Liberal Party from 1990 to 1994. He led the Liberal-National Coalition to defeat at the 1993 Australian federal election.
Hewson wa ...
from the shadow cabinet because of his continuing calls for moderation on homosexual issues.
*28 August – Australia finishes the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada with a record 87 gold medals.
September
*5 September –
**New South Wales state MP
John Newman is shot outside his home, in Australia's first
political assassination
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...
since 1977.
**Federal Opposition Leader
Alexander Downer releases a policy blueprint for the Liberal Party entitled ''The Things That Matter''. On 8 September, his puns on the title delivered during a speech at the New South Wales party's annual dinner further erode his public standing.
*15 September –
Andrew Peacock
Andrew Sharp Peacock (13 February 193916 April 2021) was an Australian politician and diplomat. He served as a cabinet minister and went on to become leader of the Liberal Party on two occasions (1983–1985 and 1989–1990), leading the pa ...
resigns from the blue-ribbon seat of Kooyong.
*23 September – The shadow cabinet agrees not to oppose Labor's Human Rights (Sexual Conduct) Bill to override Tasmania's anti-gay laws, sparking revolt in conservative ranks. During the Bill's passage, the Coalition breaks ranks.
*25 – 28 September – 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 t ...
's biennial conference in Hobart reveals the dominance of
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He previously serv ...
and the party's parliamentary wing. A decision over the 3 mines uranium policy is shelved, but the pre-selection of women in 35% of winnable seats by the year 2002 is endorsed.
October
*2 October – A Seaview Air Aero Commander crashes into the sea on flight to Lord Howe Island with the loss of all 9 people on board.
*9 October – Four people are killed when their Cessna 337A crashes soon after take-off from
Walgett
Walgett is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of Walgett Shire. It is near the junctions of the Barwon and Namoi Rivers and the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highways. In 2016, Walgett had a population of 2,145.
In the 2 ...
, New South Wales.
*19 October – Liberal Tasmanian MP
Chris Miles resigns due to the party's decision not to oppose Labor's Human Rights (Sexual Conduct) Bill.
*28 – 30 October – Against strong opposition, the Liberal Federal Conference carries reforms to enhance the power of the federal Executive to intervene in state divisions to ensure fiscal probity and to select quality candidates.
*The
Hyundai Excel (X3)
The Hyundai Excel (), also known as the Hyundai Pony, Hyundai Pony Excel, Hyundai Presto, Mitsubishi Precis, Hyundai X2 and Hyundai XL, is an automobile which was produced by Hyundai Motor Company from 1985 to 1999. It was the first front-wheel ...
is launched in Australia.
November
*4 November –
Sydney Airport's third runway opens, resulting in protests about noise levels.
*11 November – At a joint meeting of the Coalition parties, Federal Liberal Leader
Alexander Downer ignores substantial opposition to Labor's Racial Hatred Bill and amendments to the Racial Discrimination Act, proposing a Liberal Bill instead. Queensland National backbencher
Bob Katter
Robert Bellarmine Carl Katter (born 22 May 1945) is an Australian politician who has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1993. He was previously active in Queensland state politics from 1974 to 1992. Katter was a member of the ...
declares that Mr. Downer's days as leader are numbered.
*19 November – Liberal MP
Petro Georgio wins the
1994 Kooyong by-election.
December
*2 December – The Australian government agrees to pay reparations to
aborigines who were displaced during the
nuclear tests
Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine nuclear weapons' effectiveness, yield, and explosive capability. Testing nuclear weapons offers practical information about how the weapons function, how detonations are affected by ...
in the 1950s and 1960s.
*9 December – Liberal Queensland MP
Ron Boswell resigns due to the party's decision not to oppose Labor's Human Rights (Sexual Conduct) Bill.
*17 December – A Spanish court overturns
Christopher Skase's extradition from Spain.
["Skase to Go Free", Courier-Mail 17 December 1994, p.1]
*22 December – Prime Minister
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He previously serv ...
confirms Resource Minister Beddall's decision to renew woodchip licences and increase woodchip volumes, a decision which went against Environment Minister Faulkner's advice and enraged the environment movement.
Arts and literature
*
Rodney Hall's novel ''
The Grisly Wife'' wins the
Miles Franklin Award
Film
*
Muriel's Wedding
''Muriel's Wedding'' is a 1994 Australian comedy-drama film written and directed by P.J. Hogan. The film, which stars Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Jeanie Drynan, Sophie Lee, and Bill Hunter, focuses on the socially awkward Muriel whose ambi ...
*
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
''The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' is a 1994 Australian road comedy film written and directed by Stephan Elliott. The plot follows two drag queens, played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, and a transgender woman, played by Tere ...
*
Sirens
Siren or sirens may refer to:
Common meanings
* Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies
* Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology
Places
* Siren (town), Wisconsin
* Siren, Wisco ...
*
The Sum of Us
Television
*18 January – ''
Blue Heelers
''Blue Heelers'' is an Australian Police procedural, police drama series that was produced by Endemol Australia, Southern Star Group and ran for 12 years on the Seven Network, from 1994 to 2006. Although based around the policing of the town, ...
'' premieres on
Channel 7.
*28 April – The
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
n
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
market is
aggregated, with
TasTV
TVT is Tasmania's first television station, delivering its first official broadcast on 23 May 1960. The callsign stands for "TeleVision Tasmania". Unlike the commercial stations in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, and later Perth, TVT held ...
(now
WIN Television
WIN Television is an Australian television network owned by WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single television station covering the Wollongong region. The WIN Netw ...
) taking a
Nine Network affiliation and
Southern Cross
Crux () is a constellation of the southern sky that is centred on four bright stars in a cross-shaped asterism commonly known as the Southern Cross. It lies on the southern end of the Milky Way's visible band. The name ''Crux'' is Latin for ...
taking a dual Seven and
Ten affiliation.
*21 July – ''
Mother and Son
''Mother and Son'' is an Australian television sitcom that was broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) from 16 January 1984 until 21 March 1994. The show stars Ruth Cracknell, Garry McDonald, Henri Szeps and Judy Morris. It ...
'' finale airs. (1984–1994)
*''
Hey Dad...!'' hosts its final original episode (1984–1994)
*''
A Country Practice'' (1981–1993 on Channel 7) revival attempt on Channel 10 backfires.
Sport
*9 February – Twenty minute quarters and the "final 8" are introduced in the
AFL
AFL may refer to:
Sports
* American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues:
** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
.
*February –
Australia takes its first
Winter Olympic
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were hel ...
medal when the
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
short track speed skating
Short-track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters (typically between four and six) skate on an oval ice track with a length of . The rink itself is long by wide, which is the same size as a ...
team wins bronze in the
5000m relay at the
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games ( no, De 17. olympiske vinterleker; nn, Dei 17. olympiske vinterleikane) and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, was an international winter multi-sport event held fro ...
in
Lillehammer,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
.
*2 March – Rumours of a breakaway competition reported after relations deteriorate between the
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite c ...
& the
NSWRL
The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was ...
*10 March – First day of the Australian Track & Field Championships for the 1993–1994 season, which are held at the
Sydney Athletic Field in
Sydney. The combined events championships were conducted in Canberra on 17 and 18 March 1994.
*1 May –
Adelaide City
Adelaide City Football Club is a soccer club based in Adelaide, South Australia. The club was known historically as Juventus — the original name given to the club by its founders in Adelaide's Italian community.
Adelaide City is one of Aust ...
become
NSL Champions for the third time, defeating a
Mark Viduka
Mark Antony Viduka ( ; born 9 October 1975) is an Australian retired football player who played as a centre forward. He captained the Australia national team to the Round of 16 at the 2006 FIFA World Cup which remains their best ever performance ...
inspired
Melbourne Knights
Melbourne Knights Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in the suburb of Sunshine North, Melbourne. The club currently competes in the National Premier Leagues Victoria, the second-tier of the Australian soccer league ...
at
Olympic Park
An Olympic Park is a sports campus for hosting the Olympic Games. Typically it contains the Olympic Stadium and the International Broadcast Centre. It may also contain the Olympic Village or some of the other sports venues, such as the aquatics ...
.
*23 May – Queensland stage heart-stopping fightback in the last five minutes of the
1994 State of Origin series' 1st game. After coming from 12–4 down, winger
Mark Coyne scores match-winner in final minute.
*8 June – 87,161 people-an Australian
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...
record-turn out at the
MCG
The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern Hem ...
for State of Origin II. NSW win 14–0.
*17 July –
Michael Dalton wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:16:17 in
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
, while
Joanne Cowan claims the women's title in 2:45:35.
*26 July – NSWRL general manager
John Ribot
John Ribot () (born John Ribot de Bresac on 3 March 1955), also known by the nickname of "Reebs", is an Australian sports administrator, former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s. Once a Queensland State of Origin and Australian int ...
concedes a privately run competition is feasible as news of a "
Super League" competition surfaces.
*24 September –
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are a professional Australian rules football club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 as one of two expansion teams in the Australian Football League (AFL), then known as the Victorian Football L ...
(20.20.143) defeated
Geelong (8.15.63) to win the 98th AFL premiership.
*25 September –
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby ...
captain & rugby league legend
Mal Meninga
Malcolm Norman Meninga (; born 8 July 1960) is an Australian professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Australian national team and a former professional rugby league footballer. Meninga is widely regarded as one of the fin ...
ends club career on winning note when he leads Canberra to a comprehensive 36–12 defeat of minor premiers
Canterbury Bulldogs in the
NSWRL
The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was ...
Grand Final. His playing career would finish two months later when he led the
Kanagroos on a successful tour of Great Britain & France.
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers (also known as the Sydney Tigers from 1995–96) are a rugby league club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful i ...
finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon.
*20 October –
ARL
ARL may refer to:
Military
* US Navy hull classification symbol for repair ship
* Admiralty Research Laboratory, UK
* United States Army Research Laboratory
* ARL 44, a WWII French tank
Organizations
* Aero Research Limited, a UK adhesives comp ...
chairman
Ken Arthurson
Kenneth Richard "Arko" Arthurson AM (born 1 October 1929) is an Australian rugby league football identity. Affectionately known as "The Godfather of Manly", he played, coached and was later an administrator at the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles cl ...
warns the Broncos that they face expulsion over their involvement with
Super League
Births
* 1 January –
Brendan Elliot, rugby league player
* 14 January
**
Brad Crouch
Bradley Crouch (born 14 January 1994) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by the Adelaide Football Club with the second selection in the ...
, footballer
**
Kane Elgey
Kane Elgey (born 14 January 1994), also known by the nickname of "LG", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played as a for the Gold Coast Titans and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the NRL. Elgey played for ...
, rugby league player
* 21 January
**
Laura Robson
Laura Robson (born 21 January 1994) is a British former professional tennis player. She debuted on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2007, and a year later won the Junior Wimbledon championships at the age of 14. As a junior, she also twice reached t ...
, tennis player
**
Marny Kennedy, actress
* 22 February –
Rachael Leahcar, singer-songwriter
* 8 March –
Dylan Tombides
Dylan James Tombides (8 March 1994 – 18 April 2014) was an Australian professional footballer who played as a striker for West Ham United and the Australian under-17 and under-23 teams.
He partially grew up in Macau and played in Hon ...
, Australian footballer (d.
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
)
* 6 April –
Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Filipina-Australian actress and sister of
Anne Curtis
Anne Curtis-Smith(; born 17 February 1985) is a Filipino-Australian actress, model, television host, entrepreneur and recording artist. She is dubbed as the "''Multimedia Superstar''" for her talent and influence.
Curtis has received numerou ...
* 7 April –
Viktorija Rajicic
Viktorija Rajicic ( sr, Викторија Рајичић, ''Viktorija Rajičić'', ; born 7 April 1994) is an Australian former tennis player. She turned professional after playing in the first round of the WTA Tour doubles event at the Sydn ...
, tennis player
* 9 April -
Brad Smith Brad or Bradley Smith may refer to:
Sportspeople
* Bradley Smith (cricketer) (born 1969), English former cricketer
* Brad Smith (footballer, born 1948), Australian rules footballer and premiership coach of East Fremantle
* Brad Smith (ice hockey) ...
, soccer player
* 15 April –
Mitchell Barnett, rugby league player
* 11 May –
Nene Macdonald, rugby league player
* 15 June –
Alice Englert
Alice Allegra Englert (born 15 June 1994) is an Australian actress, director, writer, singer, and songwriter. She is best known for her roles as Rosa in the film ''Ginger & Rosa'' (2012) and Lena Duchannes in the film '' Beautiful Creatures'' ( ...
, actress
* 17 June –
Jiordan Anna Tolli
Jiordan Anna Tolli (born 1994) is an Australian actress and singer, known for playing the role of Lolly Allen in the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours''. In 2013, Tolli competed in the fifth season of ''The X Factor Australia'' and reached t ...
, actor
* 24 June –
Tory Green
''Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front'' is a 2006 American made-for-television comedy-drama film. It is the third movie in the ''American Girl'' film series, and is based on the ''Molly: An American Girl'' book series written by American c ...
, actor
* 6 July –
Scott James, Olympic snowboarder
* 8 July –
Christopher Smith, youtuber better known as HowToBasic
* 3 August –
Cameron Waters
Cameron Waters (born 3 August 1994) is an Australian motor racing driver who competes in the Repco Supercars Championship. He currently drives the No. 6 Ford Mustang GT for Tickford Racing. He is the cousin of Australian Superbike champion J ...
, motor racing driver
* 4 August –
Pauli Pauli, rugby league player
* 25 August –
Natasha Liu Bordizzo
Natasha Liu Bordizzo (born 25 August 1994) is an Australian actress. She made her debut portraying the character of Snow Vase in Netflix's '' Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny''. In 2019, she portrayed the character of Helena in ...
, actor
* 28 August –
Bobby Andonov, singer
* 6 September –
Joel Lok
Joel Lok (born September 6, 1994) is a Singaporean-Australian actor born in Singapore and based in Melbourne, starring in the recent Australian film in 2007, ''The Home Song Stories'', as the young character, Tom. Joel is the youngest actor to rec ...
, actor
* 16 September –
Maddison Gabriel
Maddison Gabriel (born 16 September 1994) is an Australian model who gained notoriety when, at the age of 12, she was controversially named the face of the 2007 Gold Coast Fashion Week.
Personal life
Gabriel was born to Brian Gabriel and Mich ...
, model
* 23 September –
John Folau
John Folau (born 23 September 1994) is a rugby league and rugby union footballer who plays for the Sydney Rays in the National Rugby Championship competition. He is a former Tonga international rugby league footballer.
Background
Folau was b ...
, Australian-Tongan rugby league player
* 18 October –
Morgan Featherstone, fashion model
* 20 October –
Corey Oates
Corey Oates (born 20 October 1994) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as er for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Oates has represented Queensland in the State of Origin series.
He is the on ...
, rugby league player
* 31 October –
Connor Chapman
Connor Chapman (born 31 October 1994) is an Australian professional footballer who plays for Melbourne Victory. He has represented Australia at under-17, under-20, and under-23 level.
Early years
Chapman grew up in South Western Sydney and b ...
, footballer
* 6 November –
Isaah Yeo
Isaah Ferguson-Yeo (born 6 November 1994) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a and forward for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL and Australia at international level.
At representative level he has played for ...
, rugby league player
* 22 November –
Dacre Montgomery
Dacre Kayd Montgomery-Harvey (; born 22 November 1994) is an Australian actor. He is known for his roles as Billy Hargrove in the Netflix series ''Stranger Things'' (2017–2022), Jason Scott in the 2017 action film ''Power Rangers'', and Steve ...
, actor
* 28 November –
Bonnie Anderson, Australian singer
* 1 December –
Ivy Latimer
Ivy Latimer (born 1 December 1994) is an Australian actor best known for portraying the mermaid Nixie on the television series '' Mako: Island of Secrets''.
Early life and education
Latimer was born on 1 December 1994 in Ventura, California, ...
, actress
* 21 December –
Luke Brooks, rugby league player
Deaths
*
16 January –
Jack Metcalfe, track and field athlete (b.
1912)
*
28 January
Events Pre-1600
* 98 – On the death of Nerva, Trajan is declared Roman emperor in Cologne, the seat of his government in lower Germany.
* 814 – The death of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, brings about the accession of ...
–
Frank Hardy
Francis Joseph Hardy (21 March 1917 – 28 January 1994), published as Frank J. Hardy and also under the pseudonym Ross Franklyn, was an Australian novelist and writer. He is best known for his 1950 novel '' Power Without Glory'', and for his ...
, novelist (b.
1917
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Fo ...
)
*
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 ...
–
John Marriott, Tasmanian politician (b.
1913
Events January
* January 5 – First Balkan War: Battle of Lemnos – Greek admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis forces the Turkish fleet to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles, from which it will not venture for the rest of the ...
)
*
14 May –
Leonard Teale
Leonard George Thiele AO (26 September 192214 May 1994), professionally Leonard Teale, was a well-known Australian actor of radio, television and film and radio announcer, presenter and narrator known for his resonant baritone voice. He is be ...
, actor (b.
1922
Events
January
* January 7 – Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes.
* January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éireann, the day after Éamon de Valera ...
)
*
28 May
Events Pre-1600
*585 BC – A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of the Eclipse, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from w ...
–
Sir Charles Spry, 2nd
Director-General of Security
The Director-General of Security is the executive officer of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Australia's national security agency. The Director-General, through ASIO, has overall responsibility for the protection of th ...
of
ASIO
''Asio'' is a genus of typical owls, or true owls, in the family Strigidae. This group has representatives over most of the planet, and the short-eared owl is one of the most widespread of all bird species, breeding in Europe, Asia, North and ...
(b.
1910
Events
January
* January 13 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; live performances of the operas '' Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''Pagliacci'' are sent out over the airwaves, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York C ...
)
*
27 September –
Sir Nigel Bowen, New South Wales politician and Federal Court Chief Justice (born in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
) (b.
1911
A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole.
Events January
* January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...
)
*
18 October
Events Pre-1600
* 33 – Heartbroken by the deaths of her sons Nero and Drusus, and banished to the island of Pandateria by Tiberius, Agrippina the Elder dies of self-inflicted starvation.
* 320 – Pappus of Alexandria, Greek philoso ...
–
Timothy Conigrave
Tim Conigrave (19 November 1959 – 18 October 1994) was an Australian actor, activist and author of the internationally acclaimed memoir, '' Holding the Man.''
Education and career
Conigrave was born in Melbourne, and attended the Jesuit-run X ...
, actor, activist, and author (b.
1959
Events January
* January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
)
See also
*
1994 in Australian television
*
List of Australian films of 1994
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1994 in Australia
Australia
Years of the 20th century in Australia