The following lists events that happened during 1996 in Australia.

Incumbents

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 ...

(until 16 February), then

Sir William Deane Sir William Patrick Deane (born 4 January 1931) is an Australian barrister and jurist who served as the 22nd governor-general of Australia, in office from 1996 to 2001. He was previously a Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1982 to ...

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 ...

(until 11 March), then

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the ...

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 ...

–

Kim Beazley Kim Christian Beazley (born 14 December 1948) is an Australian former politician and diplomat. He was leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and leader of the opposition from 1996 to 2001 and 2005 to 2006, having previously been a cabine ...

(until 11 March), then

Tim Fischer Timothy Andrew Fischer (3 May 1946 – 22 August 2019) was an Australian politician and diplomat who served as leader of the National Party of Australia, National Party from 1990 to 1999. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Deputy Prime ...

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 ...

–

(until 11 March), then

* Chief Justice – Sir Gerard Brennan

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 ...

–

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 ...

– Peter Collins *

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 ...

(until 19 February), then

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 ...

–

(until 19 February), then

Peter Beattie Peter Douglas Beattie (born 18 November 1952) is an Australian former politician who served as the 36th Premier of Queensland, in office from 1998 to 2007. He was the state leader of the Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch), Labor Party ...

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 * ...

(until 28 November), then

John Olsen John Wayne Olsen, AO (born 7 June 1945) is a former Australian politician, diplomat and football commissioner. He was Premier of South Australia between 28 November 1996 and 22 October 2001. He is now President of the Federal Liberal Party, C ...

–

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 ...

(until 18 March), then

Tony Rundle Anthony Maxwell Rundle AO (born 5 March 1939 in Scottsdale, Tasmania) was the Premier of the Australian State of Tasmania from 18 March 1996 to 14 September 1998. He succeeded Ray Groom and was succeeded himself by Jim Bacon. He is a Liberal ...

– 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 **

–

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, ...

–

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 ...

(until 15 October), then Geoff Gallop * Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory –

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 ...

–

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 ...

(until 5 March), then Andrew Whitecross *

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 ...

–

Shane Stone Shane Leslie Stone (born 25 September 1950) is an Australian political figure. He is currently the Chair of the Council for the Order of Australia. He was also the Coordinator-General of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency and its pre ...

– Brian Ede (until 9 April), then

Maggie Hickey Margaret Anne Hickey (born 16 October 1946) is a former Australian politician. She represented the electoral division of Barkly for the Labor Party in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 1990 to 2001. She was Leader of the Opposit ...

Head of Government 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 administrativ ...

– Michael King

Governors and Administrators

* Governor of New South Wales – Peter Sinclair (until 1 March), then

Gordon Samuels Gordon Jacob Samuels, (12 August 1923 – 10 December 2007) was a British-Australian lawyer and judge who served as the 36th Governor of New South Wales from 1996 to 2001. Born in London in 1923, Samuels was educated at University College Schoo ...

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 (until 21 July), then Sir Eric Neal *

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 Guy Green *

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 (until 30 June) *

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

*15 January – New South Wales Police Commissioner Tony Lauer announces his resignation.

February

*3 February – Liberal Frank Tanti wins the

1996 Mundingburra state by-election File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone on ...

causing Labor to lose its Parliamentary majority in Queensland. *5 February – New South Wales Royal Commissioner Mr. Justice Wood's interim report concludes that the police service's internal security, ICAC and the Ombudsman's Office are all incapable of dealing with police corruption. *8 February – Queensland Premier

declares the Labor leadership open, but is re-elected unopposed. *19 February – Rob Borbidge becomes

and Joan Sheldon becomes Deputy Premier after

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

Liz Cunningham Elizabeth Anne Cunningham is an Australian politician. She was an independent member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 1995 to 2015, representing the electorate of Gladstone. A conservative MLA in a traditionally Labor district, Cu ...

declares her support for the Coalition.

becomes Labor leader, with

Jim Elder Robert James Elder, OC (born 27 July 1934) is a Canadian retired businessman and former equestrian. He competed at six Olympic Games between 1956 and 1984, winning one gold and one bronze medal. He missed the 1964 and 1980 Olympics because Canad ...

as deputy. *24 February – A state election is held in

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. The

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

government of

is re-elected; however, Groom's promise to only govern in a majority saw him resign. A swing of 12% against the Liberal Party saw them reduced to 16 seats. with Labor gaining 14 and the Greens 4, with Bruce Goodluck as an Independent.

March

*2 March – A federal election is held. 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, c ...

coalition defeats the

Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the la ...

government of

with a landslide two-party preferred vote of 53.9% and a 45-seat majority, one of the biggest wins since World War II. *4 March – Prime Minister

outlines his reform agenda, declaring he has been given an emphatic and unambiguous mandate for the partial sale of

Telstra Telstra Group Limited is an Australian telecommunications company that builds and operates telecommunications networks and markets voice, mobile, internet access, pay television and other products and services. It is a member of the S&P/ASX 20 ...

and industrial relations changes. *8 March – Prime Minister

announces cuts to the ministry (from 31 to 28) and dismisses six departmental heads. *11 March – **

is sworn in as Australia's 25th

. Mr. Howard also restores the Queen to the oath of allegiance and the Australian flag to his official car. *12 March – Federal Treasurer

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' ...

declares that the "days of sloth and waste are over" and pledges to cut $8 billion from the budget over the next two years. *15 March – **Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad agrees to visit Australia for the first time in a decade. **Unable to head a minority Government, Tasmanian Premier

resigns the Liberal leadership. *18 March – **Prime Minister

announces that he will move his family into

Kirribilli House Kirribilli House is the secondary official residence of the Prime Minister of Australia. Located in the Sydney harbourside suburb of , New South Wales, the house is at the far eastern end of Kirribilli Avenue. It is one of two official Prime Min ...

in Sydney, becoming the first Prime Minister since Sir William McMahon not to live at The Lodge. **A paedophile inquiry, forming part of the Wood Royal Commission into police corruption, begins in New South Wales. *25 March – Former member for Page, Harry Woods, wins the

1996 Clarence state by-election A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Clarence on 25 May 1996 following the resignation of sitting member, Ian Causley (), to contest federal seat of Page at the 1996 election. On the same day, by-el ...

from the National Party with a 14% swing, thus giving the New South Wales Government a more comfortable 3-seat majority. *27 March – Indonesian President Suharto invites

to visit Jakarta. *29 March – Prime Minister

and Foreign Minister

Alexander Downer Alexander John Gosse Downer (born 9 September 1951) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1994 to 1995, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1996 to 2007, and High Commissioner to the United King ...

meet Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who stops briefly in Brisbane on his way to New Zealand. *30 March – A state election is held in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

The Liberal/National coalition government of Jeff Kennett is re-elected for a second term with a massive 59 to 29 majority over Labor, but suffers a 2.8% swing and loses 2 seats. With 45% of the vote in the Legislative Council, Labor is reduced to 10 of the 44 seats.

April

*4 April –

The Wiggles The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney in 1991. The group are currently composed of Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce and Tsehay Hawkins, as well as supporting members Evie Ferris, John Pearce, ...

' sixth album, ''

Wake up Jeff ''Wake Up Jeff!'' is the sixth album by Australian band the Wiggles, released in 1996 by ABC Music distributed by EMI. It won the ARIA Award for Best Children's Album in 1996. Track list AUS track list US track list Personnel Source: ''Wa ...

'' is released. *8 April – Nine people die in a fire at a home for the intellectually disabled in Melbourne, Victoria. *28 April – Port Arthur massacre:

Martin Bryant Martin John Bryant (born 7 May 1967) is a convicted Australian mass shooter who murdered 35 people and injured 23 others in the Port Arthur massacre, one of the world's deadliest shooting sprees, in Port Arthur, Tasmania, be ...

kills 35 people and injures 21 in a shooting spree at the Port Arthur historic site in

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. Bryant is captured the next day after an 18½ hour standoff with the Special Operations Group of the Tasmania Police. Federal Attorney-General

Daryl Williams Daryl Williams may refer to: * Daryl Williams (politician) (born 1942), Australian politician * Daryl Williams (American football) (born 1992), American football offensive tackle * Daryl Williams (rugby union) (born 1964), New Zealand-born Samoan r ...

says he will press for changes to gun laws. *29 April – Prime Minister

orders an emergency meeting of state police ministers to toughen gun laws and draw up a national plan for firearm registration. The Port Arthur massacre crystallises resolve for a national approach to the issue. *30 April – Prime Minister

imposes a new code of ministerial conduct on his first day in Parliament. It forbids ministers from engaging in any other work, from holding directorships in public companies and from holding shares in companies in the area of their portfolios.

May

*3 May – Queensland Premier

prepares to dump his election pledge of no new taxes and charges, while Queensland Opposition Leader

signals a move by Labor away from economic rationalism towards service delivery. *10 May – Prime Minister

announces new gun control measures, which involve the banning of automatic and semi-automatic weapons, self-loading rifles, shotguns and pump-action shotguns, as well as tightening of other gun laws. A nationwide register will be established, along with requirements for a genuine reason for owning, possessing or using a firearm, minimum standards for storage and mail order sales controls. *15–16 May – Debate takes place in the Tasmanian Parliament on Green-sponsored gay reform legislation. The watered down bill is passed, but then rejected by the Legislative Council 8:6. *18 May – Tasmanian Treasurer

beats

Roger Groom Francis Roger Groom (born 3 November 1936) is a former Australian politician. He was born in Hobart, Tasmania. In 1976, he was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly representing Braddon for the Liberal Party. He held his seat until his res ...

and Michael Hodgman to become Tasmanian Liberal Leader and Premier, with Sue Knowles as deputy. *24 May – Prime Minister

indicates that he may have to drop some of his election promises because of budget constraints. *May – Floods in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales kill five people and cause more than A$55 million in farm losses.

June

*11 June – Peter Ryan replaces Tony Lauer as New South Wales Police Commissioner. *12 June – Two

Blackhawk Helicopters The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System ...

collide near

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

, killing 18 people. *16 June – Prime Minister

wears a bullet-proof vest as he confronts an angry crowd of 3,000 in Sale on a tour of rural Australia to listen to the pro-gun lobby, stating that "If I am wrong and you are right then the democratic processes of Australia will vindicate you and condemn me". *27 June – Prime Minister

rejects claims by

Noel Pearson Noel or Noël may refer to: Christmas * , French for Christmas * Noel is another name for a Christmas carol Places * Noel, Missouri, United States, a city * Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada, a community * 1563 Noël, an asteroid *Mount Noel, Briti ...

that he does not believe in the spirit of the Mabo decision, saying "I have always regarded the Mabo decision itself as being a justified, correct decision".

July

*1 July – The

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...

legalises voluntary euthanasia. The legislation would be later be repealed by a

conscience vote A conscience vote or free vote is a type of vote in a legislative body where legislators are allowed to vote according to their own personal conscience rather than according to an official line set down by their political party. In a parliamentary ...

in the

federal parliament The Parliament of Australia (officially the Federal Parliament, also called the Commonwealth Parliament) is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch (represented by the governor-gen ...

in 1997. *3 July – Prime Minister

slashes immigration by 10,000 places to 74,000 a year. citing high unemployment. *7 July – The Governor-General, Sir William Deane, warns that unless there are drastic improvements for Aboriginal Australians, reconciliation is doomed until well into the next century. *22 July – Foreign Minister

tells Asian governments that Australia will now fund some development aid projects which were to be axed with the closure of the Development Import Finance Facility (DIFF). *26 July – **Road worker

Ivan Milat Ivan Robert Marko Milat (27 December 1944 – 27 October 2019) was an Australian serial killer who was convicted in the backpacker murders in 1996. Commonly known as the Backpacker Murderer, Milat captured, assaulted, robbed and murdered two me ...

is found guilty of the murder of seven backpackers between December 1989 and April 1992 in the Belango State Forest, south-west of Sydney. Mr. Justice David Hunt (judge) hands down a sentence of seven life terms, meaning that Milat will spend the rest of his life in prison. **Prime Minister

bolsters United States links by upgrading and expanding Pine Gap and increasing joint military exercises. *27 July – HMAS Collins; the first of the Collins Class Submarine, is officially commissioned into service by the RAN. *28 July – Janette Howard, wife of

is admitted to hospital to be operated on for a serious medical condition.

cancels his first overseas trip to Indonesia and Japan as a result.

August

*6 August – The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducts the 1996 National Census. *9 August – Federal Education Minister

Amanda Vanstone Amanda Eloise Vanstone (née O'Brien; born 7 December 1952) is an Australian former politician and a former Ambassador to Italy. She was a Liberal Senator for South Australia from 1984 to 2007, and held several ministerial portfolios in the ...

cuts $1.8 billion from higher education funding, as well as a lowering of the HECS repayment threshold from $28,495 to $20,701 and HECS increases of between 35 and 125%. *13 August – The Federal Government announces a $400 million cut to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). *14 August – Federal Treasurer

releases the Statement on the Conduct of Monetary Policy giving the

Reserve Bank of Australia The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is Australia's central bank and banknote issuing authority. It has had this role since 14 January 1960, when the ''Reserve Bank Act 1959'' removed the central banking functions from the Commonwealth Bank. Th ...

independence, thereby ending the need for it to consult with the Government before making interest rate changes. *15 August – The Tasmanian Budget is handed down with big job losses predicted. *19 August – Thousands of protesters, in a breakaway group from a pre-budget rally against the Federal Government's workplace reforms, broke down the doors of Parliament House and caused an estimated $200,000 worth of damage in one of the most violent demonstrations ever seen in Australia. *20 August – **Federal Treasurer

hands the Government's first budget, which provides relief for families and small business, with cuts to unemployment programmes, the ages, universities, the ABC, the Australia Council, ATSIC and foreign aid. **Senator

Mal Colston Malcolm Arthur Colston (5 April 1938 – 23 August 2003) was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Queensland from 1975 to 1999. He was a member of the Labor Party until 1996, when he resigned to sit as an independent followi ...

defects from the Labor Party to become and Independent.

September

*1 September – Senator Richard Alston calls for the full sale of

, drawing a rebuke from Prime Minister

the following day. *6 September –

' ''Wiggly Wiggly Christmas'' album is released. *10 September – Independent Federal MP Pauline Hanson makes her maiden speech to Parliament, reigniting the race debate, attacking Asian immigration, calling for a tougher line on Aboriginal welfare, as well as the reintroduction of compulsory national service. *16 September – Prime Minister

meets President Suharto in Jakarta and tells him Australia does not need to choose between "our history and our geography". "Neither do I see Australia as a bridge between Asia and the West, as is sometimes suggested," he says. "Rather I believe that our geography and our history are elements in an integrated relationship with our region and the wider world". *22 September – **Australia's first legal euthanasia takes place in

Darwin, Australia Darwin ( ; Larrakia: ) is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. With an estimated population of 147,255 as of 2019, the city contains the majority of the residents of the sparsely populated Northern Territory. It is the smalle ...

when 66-year-old Bob Dent elects to submit to the lethal injection. **Prime Minister

states that he welcomes "the fact that people can now talk about certain things without living in fear of being branded a bigot or as a racist" which some felt indicated a veiled acceptance of Pauline Hanson's maiden speech. Ms. Hanson declares him "the leader she is prepared to have" the following day. *24 September – British

Holocaust denier Holocaust denial is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that falsely asserts that the Nazi genocide of Jews, known as the Holocaust, is a myth, fabrication, or exaggeration. Holocaust deniers make one or more of the following false statements: * ...

David Irving David John Cawdell Irving (born 24 March 1938) is an English author and Holocaust denier who has written on the military and political history of World War II, with a focus on Nazi Germany. His works include '' The Destruction of Dresden'' (1 ...

says he will lodge a new visa application "because these remarks made by the Australian Prime Minister show a new climate of freedom of speech now applying in Australia". *25 September –

rejects Pauline Hanson's views on Asian immigration and multi-culturalism but defends her right to express them. He supports reductions in the immigration programme, saying: "there is a link between the high level of unemployment among certain groups in Australia and some past immigration levels in the composition of our programme in the past". *26 September – The

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current D ...

meets Prime Minister

in Canberra, Australia during his week-long visit to Australia.

October

*1 October – Prime Minister

abandons his election promises for a full public inquiry into cross-media ownership in favour of a low-key, internal review. *7 October – **Australian Professor

Peter C. Doherty Peter Charles Doherty (born 15 October 1940) is an Australian immunologist and Nobel laureate. He received the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research in 1995, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Rolf M. Zinkerna ...

wins the

Nobel Prize for Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, according ...

jointly with Professor Rolf M. Zinkernagel of Switzerland for showing an important way in which the body targets germs. The research revolutionised the study of immunology and laid the groundwork for designing improved vaccines and researching new therapies against cancer, multiple sclerosis and diabetes. **Angry at the direction taken by the Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) investigations, the Queensland Government launches its own inquiry into the CJC, headed by retired judges, Kevin Ryan and Peter Connolly. *8 October – Prime Minister

vows always to denounce intolerance and defend the non-discriminatory nature of Australia's immigration policy but questions the value of an inquiry into the stolen generation, saying additional funds would be better spent on improving Aboriginal health, education, housing and employment opportunities. *10 October – Paul Streeton douses school boy Tjandamurra O'Shane in petrol and sets him alight, causing burns to 70% of Tjandamurra's body. The case attracts national attention. *14 October – Assistant Federal Treasurer, Jim Short, resigns after controversy about his ANZ shareholding. *15 October – Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, Brian Gibson, resigns over a share-trading technicality. *19 October – Liberal

Jackie Kelly Jacqueline Marie Kelly (born 18 February 1964) is a former Australian politician who served as a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until November 2007, representing the Division of Lindsay, New South Wale ...

retains the seat of Lindsay in the

1996 Lindsay by-election The 1996 Lindsay by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Lindsay in New South Wales on 19 October 1996. The by-election was triggered by a ruling of the Court of Disputed Returns that the election of the Liberal Party candidate Jacki ...

with a primary swing of more than 6 per cent after Labor forces an election re-run on a technicality. *25 October – Queensland Premier

attacks National Party branches which supported Federal MP Pauline Hanson in her anti-immigration policies, warning of the threat to Chinese investment in Queensland projects. *27 October – Democrats Leader

Cheryl Kernot Cheryl Zena Kernot (née Paton, formerly Young; born 5 December 1948) is an Australian politician, academic, and political activist. She was a member of the Australian Senate representing Queensland for the Australian Democrats from 1990 to 199 ...

agrees to support the passage of industrial relations legislation after 171 changes. *29 October – Kenneth Carruthers resigns from the Carruthers inquiry on the grounds that its independence was compromised by the Queensland Government. Replacement lawyers then complete the inquiry. *30 October – A joint motion opposing racism and re-affirming a non-discriminatory immigration policy attempts to dispel fears voiced in Asia. Prime Minister

describes the motion as "an embodiment of certain attitudes and values that both sides of the House in the national Parliament have in common".

November

*4 November – Retired Supreme Court judge David Yeldham commits suicide after being named in the New South Wales Parliament on 31 October by Franca Arena as having received preferential treatment in connection with

paedophilia Pedophilia ( alternatively spelt paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty ...

investigations by the New South Wales Police Royal Commission. *6 November – Martin Bryant pleads guilty to the massacre of 35 people in a shooting rampage at the Port Arthur historic site in Tasmania in April. *11 November – Victorian Cabinet decided to cede its industrial relations power to the Commonwealth following a Democrat move to amend federal law to override Victoria's unfair dismissal laws. Some 400,000 Victorian workers had left the state system for the protection of the federal awards since Jeff Kennett came to power. *14 November – Rock star

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

, aged 38, marries Debbie Rowe, aged 37, at Sydney's Sheraton on the Park Hotel. *18 November – Perth teenager

David Dicks David Griffiths Dicks, OAM, CitWA, (born 6 October 1978) is an Australian sailor. He became the youngest person to sail non-stop and solo around the world. In February 1996, at the age of 17, he set out from Fremantle, Western Australia in his ...

becomes the youngest person to sail non-stop solo around the world as he arrives back in Fremantle Harbour, having left in February. *19 November – **

is sentenced to 35 consecutive sentences of life imprisonment plus 1,035 years without

parole Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...

for the Port Arthur massacre **

U.S President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

makes a five-day visit to Australia in which he addresses both Houses of Parliament, only the third head of state to do so.

says Australia could be a "shining example" of how people could come together as one nation and a "beacon of hope". *21 November – Parliament passes the Federal Government's first major economic reform: the Workplace Relations Bill. Industrial Relations Minister

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 ...

agrees to amendments from the Australian Democrats, including a non-disadvantage test ensuring that employees could not be worse off if they signed a non-union individual contract. Peter Reith says the next step is "better practices in key industries like the waterfront, construction and meat processing". *28 November –

is ousted in a party-room ballot as

December

*4 December – ** Alan Bond pleads guilty to dishonesty offences during the $1 billion takeover of Bell Resources. It is said to be Australia's biggest corporate fraud. **Independents

Brian Harradine Richard William Brian Harradine (9 January 1935 – 14 April 2014) was an Australian politician who served as an independent member of the Australian Senate, from 1975 to 2005, representing the state of Tasmania. He was the longest-serving indep ...

and

vote to push the Telstra Bill through to the second reading in the Senate, allowing for the part-privatisation of

by the Federal Government, in exchange for an additional $250 million from the sale being spent to ensure regional and rural areas have greater access to telecommunications services. The legislation is expected to pass the Senate the next year and be proclaimed on 1 May. *6 December – Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Senator John Herron appoints entrepreneurial Aboriginal businessman Gatjil Djerrkura as the head of the

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) (1990–2005) was the Australian Government body through which Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were formally involved in the processes of government affecting ...

. *14 December – A state election is held in

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

. The Liberal/National coalition government of

is re-elected. *18 December – The Carruthers Inquiry recommends that disciplinary action be taken against 8 police officers, including the union president and executive officer. *23 December – In a 4–3 majority verdict, the High Court of Australia holds that the native title of the Wik and Thayorre peoples of Cape York has survived the granting of pastoral leases by the Queensland Government and did not necessarily extinguish native title. However, although pastoral leaseholders do not have exclusive possession of grazing land, if the two uses were in conflict, pastoral uses would prevail. *27 December – Lone French yachtsman Raphael Dinelli is rescued in treacherous conditions 2,200 kilometres south of the Western Australian coast after his sloop ''Algimouss'' was dismasted and its rigging swept overboard on Christmas night.

Arts and literature

Wendy Sharpe Wendy Sharpe (born 1960 in Sydney) is an Australian artist who lives and works in Sydney and Paris. She is the only child of British parents and has a Russian Jewish heritage. Her father is the writer and historian Alan Sharpe. She counts ...

wins the

Archibald Prize The Archibald Prize is an Australian portraiture art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after the receipt of a bequest from J. F. Archibald, the editor ...

with ''Self Portrait – as Diana of Erskineville'' * William Robinson wins the

Wynne Prize The Wynne Prize is an Australian landscape painting or figure sculpture art prize. As one of Australia's longest-running art prizes, it was established in 1897 from the bequest of Richard Wynne. Now held concurrently with the Sir John Sulman Prize ...

with ''Creation Landscape Earth and Sea'' *

National Biography Award The National Biography Award, established in Australia in 1996, is awarded for the best published work of biographical or autobiographical writing by an Australian. It aims "to encourage the highest standards of writing biography and autobiography ...

established, first winner, Abraham Biderman for ''The world of my past'' * '' Highways to a War'' by

Christopher Koch Christopher John Koch AO (16 July 1932 – 23 September 2013) was an Australian novelist, known for his 1978 novel '' The Year of Living Dangerously'', which was adapted into an award-winning film. He twice won the Miles Franklin Award (for ' ...

wins the Miles Franklin Award

Film

* Shine

Television

Jessica Rowe Jessica June Rowe (born 22 June 1970) is an Australian journalist, author and television presenter. She was the co-host of ''Studio 10'' on Network Ten until March 2018, and is Member of the Order of Australia for her mental health advocacy. Ea ...

joins Ten News Sydney in January to co-anchor with Ron Wilson for the next nine years. *

Australian television Television in Australia began experimentally as early as 1929 in Melbourne with radio stations 3DB and 3UZ, and 2UE in Sydney, using the ''Radiovision'' system by Gilbert Miles and Donald McDonald, and later from other locations, such as Bris ...

celebrates its 40th birthday with celebrations lasting throughout the year. The actual birthday was on 16 September. *April – John Burgess is shelved from the Seven Network after being long-time host of ''

Wheel of Fortune The Wheel of Fortune or ''Rota Fortunae'' has been a concept and metaphor since ancient times referring to the capricious nature of Fate. Wheel of Fortune may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Art * ''The Wheel of Fortune'' (Burne-Jo ...

''. The show begins to repeat the 1988 episodes. *July – ''

'' returns and starts in mid-1996 with the relocation from

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

to Sydney. *August – After a court battle, the first series of '' Friends'' screens on the

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by Seven West Media Limited, and is one of five main free-to-air television networks in Australia ...

, almost two years after it premiered in the United States. Subsequent series is picked up by the Nine Network.

Sport

AFL

*18 May – The

Fitzroy Lions The Fitzroy Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA). Formed in 1883 to represent the inner-Melbourne municipality of Fitzroy, the club was a member of the V ...

(16.11.107) defeat the

Fremantle Dockers The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Dockers, is a professional Australian rules football club competing in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. The team was founded in 1994 to represent the port city of Fr ...

(10.16.76) at the

Whitten Oval Whitten Oval (also known as Victoria University Whitten Oval under a naming rights agreement) is a stadium in the inner-western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in Barkly Street, West Footscray. It is the training and administr ...

in what would be Fitzroy's final ever victory as a stand-alone club. *8 June – About 2/3 of the way into the 3rd quarter of the match between

Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington * Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport * Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United Ki ...

& the St Kilda Saints at

Waverley Park Waverley Park (also and originally called VFL Park) was an Australian rules football stadium in Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia. For most of its history, its purpose was as a neutral venue and used by all Victorian-based Victorian Football ...

, the ground lighting fails. The remainder of the game is played the following Tuesday, Essendon won, 13.11.89 to 9.13.67. *4 July – 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 ...

teams endorse a merger between the

& the

Brisbane Bears The Brisbane Football Club, nicknamed the Bears, was a professional Australian rules football club based in Queensland on the Gold Coast (relocated to Brisbane in 1993). The club participated in the Victorian/Australian Football League (VFL/ ...

. *17 August –

Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to: People As a given name *Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name: **FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) ** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...

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 ...

play each other for the last time before merging. At

Optus Oval Princes Park (or Carlton Recreation Ground, currently known by its sponsored name Ikon Park) is an Australian rules football ground located inside the wider Princes Park in the inner Melbourne suburb of Carlton North. It is a historic venue, ...

, Brisbane win 29.13.187 to 14.16.100. *25 August – Fitzroy play their last game in

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 ...

, against the Richmond Tigers 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 ...

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

win, 28.19.187 to 5.6.36. Despite losing by 151 points, the Fitzroy song is played after the game and their fans flood the field. *1 September – Fitzroy play their last ever game of Australian rules football as a stand-alone entity. Against Fremantle at

Subiaco Oval Subiaco Oval (; nicknamed Subi) was a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia, located in the suburb of Subiaco. It was opened in 1908 and closed in 2017 after the completion of the new Perth Stadium in Burswood. Subiaco Oval was the high ...

, Fremantle win, 24.13.157 to 10.11.71. *21 September –

Tony Lockett Anthony Howard Lockett (born 9 March 1966) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kilda Football Club and Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). Nicknamed "Plugger", he is considered one of the greatest fu ...

kicks a memorable behind to ensure the Swans (10.10.70) defeat the

Essendon Bombers The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed the Bombers, is a professional Australian rules football club. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the game's premier competition. The club was formed by the McCracken family in their A ...

(10.9.69) & thus qualify for Sydney's first grand final appearance since 1945. *28 September – The

North Melbourne Kangaroos The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos, is a professional Australian rules football club. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Kangaroos also ...

(19.17.131) defeat the Sydney Swans (13.10.88) to win the 100th

VFL/AFL The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). I ...

premiership. It is the

Kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern ...

s third premiership and they are presented with the only gold premiership cup to mark the centenary season.

Cricket

*17 March – Sri Lanka win the Cricket World Cup, defeating Australia in the final.

Rugby League

*23 February – Super League's challenge to club loyalty contracts signed with the

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 ...

is ruled out of order & orders banning Super League until 2000 are made. *22 March – Clubs aligned with the Super League forfeit opening round of matches in the ARL competition. *26 May –

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 ...

win the NSL for the second season in a row, defeating minor premiers

Marconi Fairfield Marconi Stallions Football Club is an Australian semi-professional soccer club based in Fairfield, Sydney, New South Wales. The club has been crowned Australian champion four times. The Stallions are the soccer team of Club Marconi, a socia ...

2–1 in the Final 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 ...

. *29 September – Minor premiers the

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...

defeat the

St. George Dragons The St. George Dragons is an Australian rugby league football club from St George District in Sydney, New South Wales that played in the top level New South Wales competition and Australian Rugby League competitions from the 1921 until th ...

20–8 to win the 89th

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 ...

/ARL premiership. The

South Queensland Crushers The South Queensland Crushers were an Australian rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. In 1992 it was decided that the team would be admitted into the New South Wales Rugby League competition, along with three other teams, a ...

finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon. *4 October – The full bench of the Federal Court overturn the earlier decision to ban Super League, meaning the competition can start in 1997.

Motorsport

*10 March – The first Australian Grand Prix to be held at the Albert Park grand prix circuit takes place.

Damon Hill Damon Graham Devereux Hill, (born 17 September 1960) is a British former professional racing driver from England and the 1996 Formula One World Champion. He is the son of Graham Hill, and, along with Nico Rosberg, one of two sons of a Formula ...

, of the Williams team wins.

Track And Field

*7 March – First day of the Australian Track & Field Championships for the 1995–1996 season, which are held at the Sydney Athletic Field in Sydney. The 10,000-metre championship was conducted at the Zatopek Meet in Melbourne, Victoria on 14 December 1995. *21 July – Magnus Michelsson wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:20:20 in

, while Sylvia Rose claims the women's title in 2:40:17.

Racing

*5 November –

Saintly Saintly (21 September 1992 – 16 December 2016) was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was named Australia's champion racehorse in 1997. A giant chestnut gelding by Sky Chase out of All Grace (by Sir Tristram), he was bred by his tr ...

wins the

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melb ...

giving

Bart Cummings James Bartholomew Cummings (14 November 1927 – 30 August 2015), also known by his initials J. B. Cummings, was one of the most successful Australian racehorse trainers. He was known as the Cups King, referring to the Melbourne Cup, as he w ...

his 10th win as a trainer.

Sailing

*29 December – The 80-foot maxi ''Morning Glory'' breaks the race record in winning this year's Sydney to Hobart yacht race in 2 days 14 hours 7 minutes 10 seconds.

Births

* 3 January – Bradley Mousley, tennis player * 4 January –

Jackson Hastings Jackson Hastings (born 4 January 1996) is a Great Britain international rugby league footballer who plays as a and for the Newcastle Knights in the NRL. He previously played for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, Sydney Roosters and the Wests ...

, rugby league player * 6 January –

Courtney Eaton Courtney Eaton (born 6 January 1996) is an Australian actress. She is known for her supporting roles as Ava in the 2019 film ''Line of Duty'', Cheedo the Fragile in the 2015 film '' Mad Max: Fury Road'', and as Zaya in the 2016 film ''Gods of ...

, actress and model * 10 January –

Dylan Edwards Dylan Edwards (born 10 January 1996) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL with whom he won the 2021 and 2022 NRL premierships. Background Edwards was born in Albury, New So ...

, rugby league player * 12 January **

Aaron Calver Aaron Robert Calver (born 12 January 1996) is an Australian professional football (soccer) player who plays as a defender for Gwangju FC. Early life Calver attended Heathcote High School in southern Sydney. Career On 30 December 2012, Calv ...

, footballer ** Katherine Downie, Paralympic swimmer *19 January – James Golding, racing driver * 25 January –

Brandon Walters Brandon Walters (born January 1996) is an Indigenous Australian actor known for his performance as Nullah in the 2008 film ''Australia''. Early life Born in Broome, Western Australia, Walters was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 6, but ...

, actor * 4 February –

Tevita Pangai Junior Tevita Pangai Junior (born 4 February 1996) is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a and for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL. He previously played for the Brisbane Broncos and Penrith Panthers with whom w ...

, rugby league player * 10 February –

Christina Parie Christina Parie (born 10 February 1996), also known by her stage names KYA and Christina Castle, is an Australian singer, best known as a finalist on the third season of ''The X Factor Australia'' in 2011. She subsequently signed with Warner M ...

, singer-songwriter * 29 February – Mitchell Kilduff, Paralympic swimmer * 8 March –

Matthew Hammelmann Matthew Hammelmann (born 8 March 1996) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by the Brisbane Lions with their fourth selection and seventy- ...

, Australian rules footballer * 19 March –

Kaiya Jones Kaiya Jones (born 19 March 1996) is a Scottish-born Australian actress best known for playing the role of Sophie Ramsay in the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours''. She previously played Jess Cooper in the third series of ''The Saddle Club''. ...

, Scottish-born actress * 25 March –

Dougal Howard Dougal Howard (born 25 March 1996) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Formerly playing for Port Adelaide, which recruited him with pick 56 in the 201 ...

, Australian rules footballer * 10 April –

Thanasi Kokkinakis Athanasios "Thanasi" Kokkinakis ( ; born 10 April 1996) is an Australian professional tennis player and a doubles specialist. He has been ranked as high as world No. 69 in singles by the ATP, which he first achieved on 8 June 2015. He has won ...

, tennis player * 17 April –

Caitlin Parker Caitlin Parker (born 17 April 1996) is an Australian amateur boxer who won a silver medal at the Boxing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2018 Commonwealth Games. She also won bronze at the 2014 Youth Olympics and competed at the 2020 Summer Olymp ...

, boxer * 24 April –

Ashleigh Barty Ashleigh is the feminine form of the Old English name Ashley, which means "dweller near the ash tree forest". It is most common in the United States and United Kingdom. Notable people B *Ashleigh Ball (born 1983), Canadian voice actress * Ashle ...

, tennis player * 25 April –

Mack Horton Mackenzie James Horton (born 25 April 1996) is an Australian freestyle swimmer. He is an Olympic gold medallist, World Championships medallist, and Commonwealth Games medallist. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he finished ...

, Olympic swimmer * 29 April –

Katherine Langford Katherine Langford (born 29 April 1996) is an Australian actress. After appearing in several independent films, she had her breakthrough starring as Hannah Baker in the Netflix television series ''13 Reasons Why'' (2017–2018), which earned he ...

, actress * 30 April – Jaidyn Leskie (died 1997), murder victim * 1 May **

Daniel Saifiti Daniel Saifiti (born 1 May 1996) is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Newcastle Knights in the NRL. He has played for New South Wales in the State of Origin series. Background Saifiti was born in Newcastle ...

, Australian-Fijian rugby league player **

Jacob Saifiti Jacob Saifiti (born 1 May 1996) is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who plays as a forward for the Newcastle Knights in the NRL. Background Saifiti was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. He is of Fijian and Samoan ...

, Australian-Fijian rugby league player * 5 May –

Isaac Heeney Isaac Heeney (born 5 May 1996) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing with the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League. Early life Heeney was born in Maitland, New South Wales to mother Rochelle and father Adam. He grew u ...

, footballer * 18 May –

Teeboy Kamara Teeboy Kamara (born 18 May 1996) is a soccer player who plays as a forward for Bayswater City in the NPL WA. Born in Liberia, he has represented Australia at youth level. Early life Kamara was born in 1996 in Liberia. He left with his fami ...

, Liberia-born football soccer player * 27 May – Minjee Lee, golfer * 31 May – Connor Watson, rugby league player * 6 June – Jack Hetherington, rugby league player * 9 June –

Chantelle Kerry Chantelle Kerry (born 9 June 1996) is an Australian figure skater. As an ice dancer with Andrew Dodds, she is a two-time Australian national champion and has competed at two Four Continents Championships. Earlier in her career, she competed i ...

, actress, singer, figure skater and ice dancer * 13 June –

Kodi Smit-McPhee Kodi Smit-McPhee (born 13 June 1996) is an Australian actor. He gained recognition as a child actor for his leading roles in ''The Road'' (2009) and '' Let Me In'' (2010). In 2021, Smit-McPhee garnered critical acclaim for his performance as Pe ...

, actor * 25 June –

Tyrone May Tyrone May (born 21 June 1996) is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who plays for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League. Primarily a or , May has played in a number of other positions during his career, including and . May ...

, rugby league player * 5 July –

Ajdin Hrustic Ajdin Hrustic ( bs, Hrustić; born 5 July 1996) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Hellas Verona and the Australia national team. Early life Born in Dandenong, Victoria Hrustic played ...

, footballer * 8 July – Braidon Burns, rugby league player * 20 July – Ben Simmons, basketball player * 25 July – Kristy Pond, sprinter * 4 August – Kaide Ellis, rugby league player * 10 August –

Evan Evagora Evan Evagora is an Australian actor. He is best known for his role as the Romulan Elnor on the television series '' Star Trek: Picard'' (2020present). Biography Early life Evagora was born in Melbourne, the youngest of seven children born to Ma ...

, actor * 17 September – Justin Holborow, actor * 11 October –

Rhea Ripley Demi Bennett (born 11 October 1996) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Rhea Ripley and is a member of The Judgment Day. She was also the inaugural N ...

, pro wrestler * 22 October –

Harley Windsor Harley Windsor (''né'' Dahlstrom-Windsor; born 22 October 1996) is an Australian pair skater. With his former skating partner, Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya, he is the 2017 Junior World Champion, the 2017 CS Tallinn Trophy champion, the 2017 C ...

, pair skater * 12 November –

Amanda Reid Amanda Reid (born 12 November 1996) is an Australian Paralympic swimmer and cyclist. She represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in swimming. At the 2016 Summer Paralympics, she won a silver medal in the Women's 500 m Tim ...

, Paralympic swimmer and cyclist * 27 November – Andy Truong, fashion designer * 12 December – Lachlan Croker, rugby league player

Deaths

*28 January – John Hargreaves, 50, actor *27 February –

Laurie Connell Lawrence Robert "Laurie" Connell (died 27 February 1996) was a Western Australian business entrepreneur. As chairman of the Rothwells merchant bank, he was well known for his dealings with the Government of Western Australia and his close rela ...

, 49, Western Australian businessman *28 March –

Peter Dombrovskis Peter Dombrovskis ( lv, Pēteris Dombrovskis; 2 March 194528 March 1996) was an Australian photographer, known for his Tasmanian scenes. In 2003, he was posthumously inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame, the first Australia ...

, 51, photographer *7 April –

Colleen Clifford Irene Margaret Clifford (née Blackford) (17 November 1898 – 7 April 1996), known professionally as Colleen Clifford, was a British-born performer, who worked in her native England as well as New Zealand and, later in her career, Australia. As ...

, 97, matriarch of Australian theatre *8 April –

Mick Young Michael Jerome Young (9 October 19368 April 1996) was an Australian politician. He rose through the Australian Labor Party (ALP) to become its National Secretary, before serving as a Labor member of the House of Representatives from the 1974 ...

, 59, politician *23 June –

Ray Lindwall Raymond Russell Lindwall (3 October 1921 – 23 June 1996) was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league ...

, 74, cricketer *17 July –

Alan McGilvray Alan David McGilvray (6 December 190917 July 1996) was an Australian cricketer who played several first-class seasons for New South Wales in the mid-1930s before becoming the doyen of Australian cricket commentators. He became identified as the ...

, 85, cricket commentator *28 August – ** Beverley Whitfield, 42, swimmer **

Lennie McPherson Leonard Arthur McPherson (born Balmain, New South Wales 19 May 1921; died Cessnock, New South Wales, 28 August 1996) was one of the most notorious and powerful Australian career criminals of the late 20th century. McPherson is believed to have ...

, 75, Mr "Big" of modern Australian crime *30 August – Edgar

Dunc Gray Edgar Laurence "Dunc" Gray (17 July 190630 August 1996) was an Australian track cyclist and Olympian. Gray was born in Goulburn, New South Wales. He was called 'Dunc', which dates back to school where he was called 'Dunc' and this was later e ...

, 90, cyclist *4 December – Syd Heylen, 74, comedian and actor

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1996 in Australia Australia Years of the 20th century in Australia