The following lists events that happened during 2014 in Australia.
Incumbents
*
Monarch
A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...
–
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...
*
Governor-General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
–
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 ...
**
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, ...
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 ...
Robert French
Robert Shenton French (born 19 March 1947) is an Australian lawyer and judge who served as the twelfth Chief Justice of Australia, in office from 2008 to 2017. He has been the chancellor of the University of Western Australia since 2017.
Fren ...
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 legislatur ...
–
Barry O'Farrell
Barry Robert O'Farrell (born 24 May 1959) is a former Australian politician who has been Australia's High Commissioner to India and non-resident Ambassador to Bhutan since May 2020. O'Farrell was the 43rd Premier of New South Wales and Mini ...
(until 17 April), then
Mike Baird
Michael Bruce Baird (born 1 April 1968) is an Australian investment banker and former politician who was the 44th Premier of New South Wales, the Minister for Infrastructure, the Minister for Western Sydney, and the Leader of the New South ...
**
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 ...
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 ...
–
Campbell Newman
Campbell Kevin Thomas Newman (born 12 August 1963) is a former Australian politician who served as the 38th Premier of Queensland from 26 March 2012 to 14 February 2015. He served as the member for Ashgrove in the Legislative Assembly of Quee ...
**
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
–
Steven Marshall
Steven Spence Marshall (born 21 January 1968) is an Australian politician who served as the 46th premier of South Australia between 2018 and 2022. He has been a member of the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia in the ...
*
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 ...
Will Hodgman
William Edward Felix Hodgman (born 20 April 1969) is an Australian diplomat and former politician who has been the High Commissioner of Australia to Singapore since February 2021. He was the 45th Premier of Tasmania and a member for the Divisi ...
**
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 ...
–
Will Hodgman
William Edward Felix Hodgman (born 20 April 1969) is an Australian diplomat and former politician who has been the High Commissioner of Australia to Singapore since February 2021. He was the 45th Premier of Tasmania and a member for the Divisi ...
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 ...
Daniel Andrews
Daniel Michael Andrews (born 6 July 1972) is an Australian politician serving as the 48th and current premier of Victoria since December 2014. He has been the leader of the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since December ...
**
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 ...
–
Daniel Andrews
Daniel Michael Andrews (born 6 July 1972) is an Australian politician serving as the 48th and current premier of Victoria since December 2014. He has been the leader of the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since December ...
(until 4 December), then
Matthew Guy
Matthew Jason Guy (born 6 March 1974) is an Australian politician. He has been a Liberal Party of Australia Member of the Parliament of Victoria since 2006, representing Northern Metropolitan Region in the Legislative Council (2006–2014) ...
*
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 ...
–
Colin Barnett
Colin James Barnett (born 15 July 1950) is a former Australian politician who was the 29th Premier of Western Australia. He concurrently served as the state's Treasurer at several points during his tenure and had previously held various other po ...
**
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 ...
–
Mark McGowan
Mark McGowan (born 13 July 1967) is an Australian politician, the 30th premier of Western Australia, and the leader of the Western Australian branch of the Labor Party.
McGowan was born and raised in Newcastle, New South Wales. He attended t ...
*
Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
The chief minister of the Australian Capital Territory is the head of government of the Australian Capital Territory. The leader of the party with the largest number of seats in the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly usu ...
–
Katy Gallagher
Katherine Ruth Gallagher (born 18 March 1970) is an Australian politician who has been serving as the Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Minister for the Public Service and Vice-President of the Executive Council in the Albanese Gover ...
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 ...
–
Jeremy Hanson
Jeremy David Hanson, CSC, MLA (born 18 February 1967) is a former Australian Army officer and is an Australian politician with the Liberal Party, elected to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly as one of seven MLAs for the M ...
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 ...
–
Delia Lawrie
Delia Phoebe Lawrie (born 30 July 1966) is an Australian politician. She was a member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2016, representing the electorate of Karama. She was a Labor member from 2001 to 2015, and served ...
Governor of New South Wales
The governor of New South Wales is the viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governors of the A ...
David Hurley
General David John Hurley, (born 26 August 1953) is an Australian former senior officer in the Australian Army who has served as the 27th governor-general of Australia since 1 July 2019. He was previously the 38th governor of New South Wales, ...
*
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 ...
–
Penelope Wensley
Penelope Anne Wensley, (born 18 October 1946) is a former Australian public servant and diplomat who served as the 25th Governor of Queensland from 2008 to 2014. She was previously High Commissioner to India from 2001 to 2004 and Ambassador to ...
(until 29 July), then
Paul de Jersey
Paul de Jersey, (born 21 September 1948) is an Australian jurist who served as the 26th governor of Queensland, in office from 29 July 2014 to 1 November 2021. He was Chief Justice of Queensland from 1998 to 2014.
Education
De Jersey was ed ...
*
Governor of South Australia
The governor of South Australia is the representative in South Australia of the Monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III. The governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the governor-gen ...
–
Kevin Scarce
Rear Admiral Kevin John Scarce, (born 4 May 1952) is a retired Royal Australian Navy officer who was the 34th Governor of South Australia, serving from August 2007 to August 2014. He was succeeded by Hieu Van Le, who had previously been his lie ...
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 t ...
–
Alex Chernov
Alex Chernov, (born 12 May 1938) is an Australian lawyer, judge and barrister who served as the 28th Governor of Victoria, from 2011 to 2015. Chernov also served as Vice-President of the Australian Bar Association, from 1986 to 1987, President ...
Malcolm McCusker
Malcolm James McCusker (born 6 August 1938) is an Australian barrister and philanthropist who was the 31st Governor of Western Australia, serving from July 2011 to June 2014.
Born in Perth, McCusker was educated at Hobart High School (in Hob ...
(until 30 June), then
Kerry Sanderson
Kerry Gaye Sanderson, (née Smith; born 21 December 1950) is a retired Australian public servant and business director, who served as the 32nd Governor of Western Australia, in office from 20 October 2014 to 1 May 2018. She is the first woman t ...
Jon Stanhope
Jonathan Donald Stanhope (born 29 April 1951) is a former Australian politician who was Labor Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 2001 to 2011. Stanhope represented the Ginninderra electorate in the ACT Legislative Assemb ...
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''.Neil Pope
Neil Albert Pope (born 3 March 1949) is a former Australian politician. He was the Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch), Labor member for Electoral district of Monbulk, Monbulk in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1982 to 1992. and s ...
Monash University
Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has ...
bushfires
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identif ...
which burn out over 8,500 hectares (21,004 acres) of bushland.
* 12–15 January – Perth Hills Fire; A total of 55 homes were razed, 1 fatality, and a damage bill in excess of $13 million.
* 15–20 January – Grampians Fire – A fire starts as a result of lightning strikes in the northern
Grampians National Park
The Grampians National Park commonly referred to as The Grampians, is a national park located in the Grampians region of Victoria, Australia. The Jardwadjali name for the mountain range itself is Gariwerd.
The national park is situated be ...
on 15 January. Extreme fire conditions on 17 January saw the fire grow in size to over 50,000 hectares (123,553 acres). The fire was brought under control on 18 January. By the time the fire is contained on 20 January, it had burnt out 55,000 hectares (135,908 acres) hectares. The estimated losses included 90 structures, 32 homes and 3000 sheep.
* 20 January – New South Wales Premier
Barry O'Farrell
Barry Robert O'Farrell (born 24 May 1959) is a former Australian politician who has been Australia's High Commissioner to India and non-resident Ambassador to Bhutan since May 2020. O'Farrell was the 43rd Premier of New South Wales and Mini ...
uses special legislation to cancel three coal licences worth hundreds of millions of dollars issued by corrupt former Labor minister
Ian Macdonald
Ian MacCormick (known by the pseudonym Ian MacDonald; 3 October 1948 – 20 August 2003) was a British music critic and author, best known for both '' Revolution in the Head'', his critical history of the Beatles which borrowed techniques from ...
and deny the companies that own them any compensation.
*21 January – New South Wales Premier
Barry O'Farrell
Barry Robert O'Farrell (born 24 May 1959) is a former Australian politician who has been Australia's High Commissioner to India and non-resident Ambassador to Bhutan since May 2020. O'Farrell was the 43rd Premier of New South Wales and Mini ...
announces the introduction of laws to prevent "one-hit punches", including mandatory eight-year jail sentences for fatal one-punch attacks fuelled by alcohol, in an effort to curb alcohol-related violence in Sydney. The laws also include expanded Sydney CBD CBD lockouts, a freeze on new liquor licences, and the statewide closure of bottle shops at 10:00pm.
*23 January – Prime Minister
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 ...
addresses the
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
in Davos, Switzerland.
*26 January – West Australian Premier
Colin Barnett
Colin James Barnett (born 15 July 1950) is a former Australian politician who was the 29th Premier of Western Australia. He concurrently served as the state's Treasurer at several points during his tenure and had previously held various other po ...
defends the government's catch-and-kill policy, which had been announced the previous month, after the first shark under the policy was caught on bailed drum lines off the state's south-west coast the previous day.
*28 January – General
Peter Cosgrove
General (Australia), General Sir Peter John Cosgrove, (born 28 July 1947) is a retired senior Australian Army officer who served as the 26th governor-general of Australia, in office from 2014 to 2019.
A graduate of the Royal Military College, ...
is announced as the next Governor-General of Australia.
*30 January –
** Tropical Cyclone Dylan dumps heavy rain on north and central Queensland.
**The Federal Government rejects a $25 million assistance request from SPC Ardmona, a fruit processing company which sought help from the Victorian and Federal governments to restructure its operations, arguing the high Australian dollar and cheap imports had made it hard to compete. Prime Minister
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 ...
says SPC Ardmona's parent company, Coca-Cola Amatil, has the resources to carry out that restructure without the need for government funding.
February
* 4 February – Ken Smith resigns as Speaker of the Victorian Parliament after launching an attack on independent MP Geoff Shaw during the first question time of the year, being replaced by deputy speaker Christine Fyffe. Smith told Parliament that Shaw had been "colluding" with Labor to destabilise the state government.
* 8 February –
Terri Butler
Terri Megan Butler (born 28 November 1977) is a former Australian politician and a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). Butler formerly represented the Division of Griffith in the House of Representatives from the 2014 by-election to th ...
retains the seat of Griffith (formerly held by Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and again from June 2013 to September 2013, holding office as the leader of the ...
Bushfires
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identif ...
north of Melbourne and in
Gippsland
Gippsland is a rural region that makes up the southeastern part of Victoria, Australia, mostly comprising the coastal plains to the rainward (southern) side of the Victorian Alps (the southernmost section of the Great Dividing Range). It cove ...
destroy over 30 houses.
* 10 February – Toyota Australia announces it will cease manufacturing vehicles and engines in Australia by the end of 2017.
**Convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby is released on parole from Bali's Kerobokan jail.
* 13 February – Cameron Baird is posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia for his actions in the War in Afghanistan.
**Victorian Premier Denis Napthine announces a $22 million assistance package for SPC Ardmona, Australia's largest food processor and packaging company to transform and modernize its operations at the company's Shepparton plant.
*18 February – The
Australian Federal Police
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is the national and principal federal law enforcement agency of the Australian Government with the unique role of investigating crime and protecting the national security of the Commonwealth of Australia. ...
carries out raids on the offices of Channel Seven in Sydney in relation to the network's bid for an interview with convicted drug smuggler, Schapelle Corby.
*22 February – Labor candidate Yvette D'Ath wins the 2014 Redcliffe state by-election in Queensland.
**Media personality
Charlotte Dawson
Charlotte Dawson (8 April 1966 – 22 February 2014) was a New Zealand–Australian television personality. She was known in New Zealand for her roles as host of '' Getaway'', and in Australia as a host on '' The Contender Australia'' and as a j ...
is found dead in her Woolloomooloo apartment after committing suicide.
March
* 10 March – West Australian Premier
Colin Barnett
Colin James Barnett (born 15 July 1950) is a former Australian politician who was the 29th Premier of Western Australia. He concurrently served as the state's Treasurer at several points during his tenure and had previously held various other po ...
announces the resignation of the State's Treasurer,
Troy Buswell
Troy Raymond Buswell (born 19 March 1966) is a former Australian politician who was a Liberal member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 2005 to 2014, representing the seat of Vasse. He was Treasurer of Western Australia in th ...
due to an accident involving his ministerial car. Mr. Barnett said that Mr. Buswell has had a breakdown and has been hospitalised over recent weeks.
* 13 March –
**A
Royal Commission into trade union governance and corruption
The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption was a Royal Commission established by the Government of Australia to inquire into alleged financial irregularities associated with the affairs of trade unions. The Australian Worke ...
begins its inquiry.
** Brett Peter Cowan is found guilty of murdering teenager Daniel Morcombe in December 2003. Mr Cowan is sentenced to life in jail with a minimum non-parole period of 20 years on 14 March.
* 15 March – State elections are held in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest o ...
and
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
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 in Tasmania, after 16 years in opposition. In South Australia, the result is a hung parliament, with Jay Weatherill's Labor government remaining in power after the support of one of the crossbench independents.
* 25 March – Prime Minister Tony Abbott announces that the titles of knights and dames will be reintroduced into the
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...
honours list after being abolished in 1986. The first to receive the award will be the outgoing Governor-General, the Queen's representative in Australia, who will be known as Dame Quentin Bryce. Incoming Governor-General Peter Cosgrove and all future holders of the post will also receive the honour.
* 27 March – Labor MP Tony Burke attempts, but fails, to pass a motion of no confidence in the Speaker of the
House of Representatives of Australia
The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the upper house being the Senate. Its composition and powers are established in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia.
The term of members of the ...
,
Bronwyn Bishop
Bronwyn Kathleen Bishop (née Setright; born 19 October 1942) is an Australian former politician. She was a member of federal parliament for almost 30 years, the longest period of service by a woman. A member of the Liberal Party, she was a ...
, accusing her of bias, incompetence and inconsistency during Question time.
* 30 March – It is announced that former Defence Force Chief
Angus Houston
Air Chief Marshal Sir Allan Grant "Angus" Houston, (born 9 June 1947) is a retired senior officer of the Royal Australian Air Force. He served as Chief of Air Force from 20 June 2001 and then as the Chief of the Defence Force from 4 July 20 ...
will lead the search for missing
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370) was an international passenger flight operated by Malaysia Airlines that disappeared on 8 March 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia to its planned destination ...
by heading a new Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre to be established in
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
.
April
* 5 April – A
special election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
is held for six Senate seats from Western Australia, following the voiding of results due to the loss of 1,375 ballot papers in the 2013 federal election.
* 11 April –
Cyclone Ita
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ita was the strongest tropical cyclone in the Australian region by central pressure, since George in 2007, and since Monica in 2006 by wind speed. The system was first identified over the Solomon Islands as a tropical l ...
Cooktown, Queensland
Cooktown is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. Cooktown is at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repair ...
.
* 15 April – The
Federal Government
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-gover ...
Western Sydney Airport
Western Sydney International Nancy-Bird Walton Airport, also known as Western Sydney Airport or Badgerys Creek Airport, is a new international airport currently under construction within the suburb of Badgerys Creek, New South Wales, Australia. ...
.
* 16 April –
**
Barry O'Farrell
Barry Robert O'Farrell (born 24 May 1959) is a former Australian politician who has been Australia's High Commissioner to India and non-resident Ambassador to Bhutan since May 2020. O'Farrell was the 43rd Premier of New South Wales and Mini ...
states his intention to resign as
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 legislatur ...
William, Prince of Wales
William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales.
Born in London, William was edu ...
and
Catherine, Princess of Wales
Catherine, Princess of Wales, (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne, making Catherine the likely nex ...
Mike Baird
Michael Bruce Baird (born 1 April 1968) is an Australian investment banker and former politician who was the 44th Premier of New South Wales, the Minister for Infrastructure, the Minister for Western Sydney, and the Leader of the New South ...
becomes Premier of New South Wales following the resignation of
Barry O'Farrell
Barry Robert O'Farrell (born 24 May 1959) is a former Australian politician who has been Australia's High Commissioner to India and non-resident Ambassador to Bhutan since May 2020. O'Farrell was the 43rd Premier of New South Wales and Mini ...
.
May
* 13 May – Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey delivers the
2014 Australian federal budget
The 2014 Australian federal budget was the federal budget to fund government services and operations for the 2014/15 financial year. The 2014 budget was the first delivered by the Abbott Government, since the Coalition's victory in the 2013 Au ...
, the first budget of the Abbott Government. The budget features significant structural reform to redress a growing deficit. This includes a dramatic downsizing of government bureaucracy. It also contained significant changes to welfare, new initiatives for a medical research fund and spending on roads. A budget surplus is not expected until 2023. A controversial measure is the implementation of a $7 co-payment for patients' visits to general practitioners, to take effect from 1 July 2015.
* 23 May – Queensland MP Dr Chris Davis quits as Member for Stafford after he could not support the
Newman government
Campbell Newman led the Liberal National Party of Queensland to its first victory at the 2012 state election. His interim Ministry of three members was sworn in on 26 March 2012, pending his determination of the make-up of his full Ministry. His ...
's move that only political donations of more than $12,400 would have to be declared to the Electoral Commission. Dr Davis was sacked Assistant Health Minister a week earlier after he spoke out against doctor contracts and changes to the Crime and Misconduct Commission.
* 27 May – Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Bronwyn Bishop
Bronwyn Kathleen Bishop (née Setright; born 19 October 1942) is an Australian former politician. She was a member of federal parliament for almost 30 years, the longest period of service by a woman. A member of the Liberal Party, she was a ...
, rejects allegations she breached protocol as Speaker by hosting a Liberal Party fundraiser in the Speaker's suite and says she will not be bound by stricter party political requirements agreed between Labor and the Greens which require the Speaker not to attend Party caucus meetings.
June
* 3 June – Queensland Treasurer
Tim Nicholls
Timothy James Nicholls (born 6 April 1965) is an Australian politician and a former leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland. He served as the Treasurer of Queensland and the Minister for Trade of that state between March/April 2012 ...
hands down the
State budget
A government budget is a document prepared by the government and/or other political entity presenting its anticipated tax revenues (Inheritance tax, income tax, corporation tax, import taxes) and proposed spending/expenditure (Healthcare, Educa ...
, revealing the Government's plans to privatise $33.6 billion worth of assets to bring the budget back into surplus. The Government blames a crash in coal royalties and a deferral of federal disaster relief payments for the blowout. Resources for sale include long-term leases on the Townsville and Gladstone Ports, and selling power companies Stanwell and CS energy, despite public fervour against privatising assets in the state.
*12 June – Queensland Premier Campbell Newman announces that
Tim Carmody
Timothy Francis Carmody (born 18 May 1956) is an Australian judge who was the Chief Justice of Queensland between 8 July 2014 and 1 July 2015. His previous roles include work as a police officer, barrister, Queensland Crime Commissioner, Fam ...
will be the next
Chief Justice of Queensland
The chief justice of Queensland is the senior judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland and the highest ranking judicial officer in the Australian state of Queensland. The chief justice is both the judicial head of the Supreme Court, as well as t ...
, sparking controversy among the legal profession over Mr. Carmody's elevation to the role from the position of Chief Magistrate. Mr. Carmody's strong public support for the
Newman government
Campbell Newman led the Liberal National Party of Queensland to its first victory at the 2012 state election. His interim Ministry of three members was sworn in on 26 March 2012, pending his determination of the make-up of his full Ministry. His ...
's anti-bikie (VLAD) laws was also critically viewed as a factor in his appointment.
*19 June – West Australian Premier
Colin Barnett
Colin James Barnett (born 15 July 1950) is a former Australian politician who was the 29th Premier of Western Australia. He concurrently served as the state's Treasurer at several points during his tenure and had previously held various other po ...
suggests that there will be further spending cuts to deliver a promised budget surplus if the iron ore price does not recover. The price of iron ore had slid below the benchmark level of $US90 a tonne for the first time since September 2012 after a drop in demand from China, being down 34 per cent for the year.
*27 June - The inaugural Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival gets underway in the town of Winton in Central West Queensland.
*29 June – NRL player Todd Carney is sacked from the Cronulla Sharks due to a photograph leaked on social media in which he appears to urinate into his mouth, a practice colloquially known as "bubbling".
*30 June – A London jury finds Australian entertainer, Rolf Harris, guilty of indecently assaulting four girls in Britain between 1968 and 1986. Calls are made by locals from Mr Harris' home town of
Bassendean, Western Australia
__NOTOC__
Bassendean (once referred to as West Guildford) is a north-eastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its local government area is the Town of Bassendean.
It is also the name of the sand dune system on the Swan Coastal Plain known as ...
for the removal of memorial plaques placed in Harris' honour.
July
*8 July – New Queensland Chief Justice
Tim Carmody
Timothy Francis Carmody (born 18 May 1956) is an Australian judge who was the Chief Justice of Queensland between 8 July 2014 and 1 July 2015. His previous roles include work as a police officer, barrister, Queensland Crime Commissioner, Fam ...
is sworn in at a private ceremony in Brisbane's court district, the first time in almost a century that the state's new Chief Justice is sworn in behind closed doors – a move which prompts further criticism from the legal profession.
*15 July – A Queensland Supreme Court jury finds Gerard Baden-Clay guilty of murdering his wife Allison in April 2012 and he is given a sentence of life imprisonment. In December 2015 the charge was downgraded to
manslaughter
Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...
.
*18 July – 38
Australians
Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. For most Australians, several (or all) ...
are confirmed as among the 300 people on board killed in
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB; ms, Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad), formerly known as Malaysian Airline System (MAS; ), and branded as Malaysia Airlines, is the flag carrier airline of Malaysia and a member of the Oneworld airline alliance. (The ...
Flight
MH17
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17/MAS17) was a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down by Russian forces on 17 July 2014, while flying over eastern Ukraine. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed. Con ...
Eastern Ukraine
Eastern Ukraine or east Ukraine ( uk, Східна Україна, Skhidna Ukrayina; russian: Восточная Украина, Vostochnaya Ukraina) is primarily the territory of Ukraine east of the Dnipro (or Dnieper) river, particularly Khar ...
near the Russian border, including the Australian novelist and reviewer Liam Davison.
*19 July – Queensland Labor MP,
Anthony Lynham
Anthony Joseph Lynham (born 12 April 1960) is an Australian politician who was a Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland representing the electoral district of Stafford from 2014 to 2020. He was the Queensland Minister for ...
wins the
2014 Stafford state by-election
A by-election was conducted for the Queensland Legislative Assembly seat of Stafford on 19 July 2014 following 23 May resignation of LNP MP Chris Davis. The LNP won Stafford from Labor at the 2012 election with 57.1 percent of the two-party vote ...
in Brisbane with a 17.2 per cent swing against the LNP candidate Bob Anderson.
Surfers Paradise
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable ...
apartment owned by Gable Tostee, a 28-year-old man whom she met on dating app
Tinder
Tinder is easily combustible material used to start a fire. Tinder is a finely divided, open material which will begin to glow under a shower of sparks. Air is gently wafted over the glowing tinder until it bursts into flame. The flaming tinder i ...
. The incident subsequently receives international coverage.
*14 August – New South Wales Premier
Mike Baird
Michael Bruce Baird (born 1 April 1968) is an Australian investment banker and former politician who was the 44th Premier of New South Wales, the Minister for Infrastructure, the Minister for Western Sydney, and the Leader of the New South ...
is forced to declare that he has never accepted an illegal donation after repeatedly failing to give the guarantee in Parliament, after Government Swansea MP Garry Edwards is moved to the crossbench over allegations of receiving tainted funds.
*18 August – Former treasurer Wayne Swan addresses the
National Press Club of Australia
The National Press Club is an association of primarily news journalists, but also includes academics, business people and members of the public service, and is based in Canberra, Australia.
History
The National Press Club was founded in 1963 a ...
, defending his economic legacy and attacks the budget measures of the Abbott Government. He said it would not be long before "necessity" forced a future government to return to
carbon pricing
Carbon pricing (or pricing), also known as cap and trade (CAT) or emissions trading scheme (ETS), is a method for nations to reduce global warming. The cost is applied to greenhouse gas emissions in order to encourage polluters to reduce the co ...
and a tax on natural resources.
September
* 2 September – Former Kenyan presidential candidate Quincy Timberlake is charged with murder 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 ...
.
* 3 September – Two species of dendrogramma, found off the coast of Australia in 1986, are discovered to be unclassifiable in any existing
phylum
In biology, a phylum (; plural: phyla) is a level of classification or taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class. Traditionally, in botany the term division has been used instead of phylum, although the International Code of Nomenclature ...
.
* 9 September – New South Wales farmer Geoff Hunt kills his wife and three children before turning the gun on himself.
* 12 September –
**Australia raises its terror threat level to high following concerns about militants returning from conflicts in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
.
**Australian actress
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...
's father, Antony Kidman, dies after a fall in Singapore.
* 14 September – Australia sends combat aircraft and special forces to the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
to help in the fight against
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic ter ...
.
* 17 September – Queensland Treasurer
Tim Nicholls
Timothy James Nicholls (born 6 April 1965) is an Australian politician and a former leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland. He served as the Treasurer of Queensland and the Minister for Trade of that state between March/April 2012 ...
announces that the Queensland Government is looking at potentially leasing ports, power stations and distribution assets, for periods of 50 to 99 years as an alternative to selling those assets.
* 18 September – Australian police mount raids in the cities of
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
and
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 ...
on alleged Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant sympathisers based on intelligence claims that they were planning a public execution in Australia with fifteen people arrested.
* 19 September – Australia raises security for its Parliament after conducting raids that arrest dozens of suspected terrorists.
October
*5 October – Mayang Prasetyo, an Indonesian transgender woman is murdered and cooked by her husband, chef Marcus Peter Volke, at their Teneriffe apartment in Brisbane. Mr Volke slit his own throat after fleeing from police.
*8 October – A rare total lunar eclipse occurred in
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
which the moon is blood red. Keen astronomers gathered at Mount Stromlo Observatory on this night.
*9 October – A Cairns nurse is admitted to hospital after fears she may have been the first case of the Ebola virus. She is later tested negative.
*14 October – The storm that hit
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
was described as a once in a century event.
Marrickville
Marrickville is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Marrickville is located south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the largest suburb in the Inner West Council local gov ...
,
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of t ...
and
Sydney Airport
Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (colloquially Mascot Airport, Kingsford Smith Airport, or Sydney Airport; ; ) is an international airport in Sydney, Australia, located 8 km (5 mi) south of the Sydney central business district, in the ...
had a torrent of rainfall in as many as three hours and what you'd expect to see in one location about once every 20 years.
*21 October –
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam (11 July 191621 October 2014) was the 21st prime minister of Australia, serving from 1972 to 1975. The longest-serving federal leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1967 to 1977, he was notable for being the h ...
, Australia's 21st Prime Minister, dies at the age of 98. He was well known for the
1975 Australian constitutional crisis
The 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, also known simply as the Dismissal, culminated on 11 November 1975 with the dismissal from office of the prime minister, Gough Whitlam of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), by Governor-General Sir ...
, which saw him dismissed as Prime Minister. Also, for bringing about the Anti-Discrimination Act, making university free and eradicating the last remnants of the Immigration Restriction Act (1901).
*23 October – 3 people are shot dead in North Western Victoria over a neighbourly dispute by Ian Jamieson.
*31 October – Former Prime Minister, Julia Gillard has managed to clear her name after the Royal Commission into trade unions has found her not guilty of corruption or criminal conduct
November
*5 November – A public memorial service is held at Sydney Town Hall to honour former Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam. Former Prime Ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd are temporarily embarrassed when it appears that they have been seated next to each other during the service.
*7 November – Palmer United Senator Jacqui Lambie declares she'll vote against every piece of Government legislation until the Federal Government improves its proposed below inflation 1.5 per cent pay rise for defence force personnel.
*8 November – Prime Minister
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 ...
and Victorian Premier Denis Napthine announce a $250 million Commonwealth-State partnership to complete the upgrade of the Tullamarine Freeway to Melbourne Airport, creating 200 jobs.
*10 November – Prime Minister
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 ...
arrives in Beijing for the APEC Summit.
*13 November – Divisions within the Palmer United Party become more public with Clive Palmer labelling his Senator, Jacqui Lambie a "drama queen".
*15–16 November – The 2014 G-20 summit is held 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 ...
.
*18 November – India's Prime minister
Narendra Modi
Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from ...
makes a speech to Federal Parliament in which he expresses his desire for Australian resources to fuel development in India.
*19 November – Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull announces in Adelaide that the nation's two public broadcasters, the ABC and SBS, will lose more than $300 million in funding over the next five years, prompting subsequent public criticism that the Federal Government had broken an election promise not to cut funding to these two public broadcasting channels.
*22 November – Foreign Minister
Julie Bishop
Julie Isabel Bishop (born 17 July 1956) is an Australian former politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2018 and deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 2007 to 2018. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Curti ...
Daniel Andrews
Daniel Michael Andrews (born 6 July 1972) is an Australian politician serving as the 48th and current premier of Victoria since December 2014. He has been the leader of the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since December ...
defeats the incumbent
Coalition
A coalition is a group formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political or economical spaces.
Formation
According to ''A Gui ...
government of Denis Napthine—the first defeat of a one-term government in Victoria since 1955.
December
*3 December – The funeral of cricketer Phillip Hughes is held in his home town of Macksville.
*7 December –
**Prime Minister
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 ...
announces changes to the government's paid parental leave scheme such as the introduction of means testing and the cutting off of eligibility for women earning $150,000 a year or more, but left the elaboration of the finer details of the changes for a later date.
** Queensland Liberal-National Party MP
Bruce Flegg
Bruce Stephen Flegg (born 10 March 1954, Sydney) is a former Australian politician. He was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 2004 to 2015, representing the electorate of Moggill in south-western Brisbane for the Liberal Part ...
is dumped from his seat of Moggill.
*9 December –
**A court in Lismore convicts former National Rugby League player Craig Field of the manslaughter of Kelvin Kane outside the Kingscliff Hotel in 2012.
**Prime Minister
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 ...
announces that the Federal Government will abandon plans to introduce the controversial $7 Medicare co-payment.
*11 December – Prime Minister
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 ...
publicly defends his chief of staff,
Peta Credlin
Peta-Louise Mary Credlin (born 23 March 1971) is an Australian former political advisor who served as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Tony Abbott for his term from September 2013 to September 2015. Tony Abbott was Prime Minister for exactly 1 ...
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
.
**Federal Treasurer
Joe Hockey
Joseph Benedict Hockey (born 2 August 1965) is a former Australian politician and diplomat.
He was the Member of Parliament for North Sydney from 1996 until 2015. He was the Treasurer of Australia in the Abbott Government from 18 September ...
is criticised for delivering his Mid Year Fiscal Outlook when the nation's attention is diverted by the Martin Place siege. Mr Hockey announces that foreign aid will be slashed by $3.7 billion in order to boost national security spending.
*16 December – The hostage situation in Martin Place ends with gunman Man Haron Monis and two hostages dead and four others injured.
*19 December – Queensland Police announce the finding that eight children were stabbed to death in a home in
Cairns
Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
.
*20 December – Queensland police arrest an Australian mother for murder in the stabbing deaths of eight children.
*22 December –
**Prime Minister
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 ...
causes controversy and is accused of sexism when he states that women are particularly "focused on the household budget" – a budget which he claimed was about $550 a year better off with the carbon tax gone.
** Amirah Droudis, former partner of Man Monis, the Martin Place gunman, is refused bail.
*23 December –
**The new Federal Cabinet is sworn in.
**Separate funerals take place in Sydney for Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, the victims of the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis.
**The
Victorian Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Victoria is the highest court in the Australian state of Victoria. Founded in 1852, it is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited and inherent jurisdiction within the state.
The Supreme Court com ...
approves a $494.7 million payout to be awarded to the victims of the
Black Saturday bushfires
The Black Saturday bushfires were a series of bushfires that either ignited or were already burning across the Australian state of Victoria on and around Saturday, 7 February 2009, and were among Australia's all-time worst bushfire disasters. T ...
in what is the nation's largest class-action settlement.
*28 December –
**Intense rain in Queensland and New South Wales causes flooding in some areas. 300 mm is recorded in Tweed Heads and flooding cuts access to some roads.
** John Bjelke-Petersen, son of former Queensland Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, is declared the Queensland leader of the Palmer United Party.
*30 December – Foreign Minister
Julie Bishop
Julie Isabel Bishop (born 17 July 1956) is an Australian former politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2018 and deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 2007 to 2018. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Curti ...
confirms that Australia has sent AP-3C Orions to help with the search for missing Air Asia flight QZ8501.
*31 December – Australia concludes its two-year term on the
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, ...
. Australia decides to vote against a Palestinian-proposed United Nations resolution that demanded the end of Israeli occupation within three years. Australia is one of only two nations, along with the United States, Israel's closest ally, to vote against the resolution.
*Throughout the year – 2014 Australian human powered vehicle season
Arts and literature
*26 June –
Evie Wyld
Evelyn Rose Strange "Evie" Wyld (born 16 June 1980) is an Anglo-Australian author. Her first novel, ''After the Fire, A Still Small Voice'', won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 2009, and her second novel, '' All the Birds, Singing'', won the ...
wins the 2014
Miles Franklin Award
The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases". The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin (1879–1 ...
Fiona Lowry
Fiona Lowry (born 1974, Sydney) is an Australian painter who airbrushes pale colours to portray landscapes with people in them. The landscapes are beautiful and ambiguous, provoking the dangerous side of wilderness. Lowry also paints portraits a ...
wins the 2014
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 ...
for her portrait of architect Penelope Seidler.
*14 October – Australian author
Richard Flanagan
Richard Miller Flanagan (born 1961) is an Australian writer, who has also worked as a film director and screenwriter. He won the 2014 Man Booker Prize for his novel ''The Narrow Road to the Deep North''.
Flanagan was described by the ''Washingt ...
wins the
2014 Man Booker Prize The 2014 Man Booker Prize for fiction was awarded at a ceremony on 14 October 2014. Until 2014, only novels written in English and from authors in the Commonwealth, including the UK, the Republic of Ireland and Zimbabwe were eligible for considerati ...
for his novel ''
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
''Oku no Hosomichi'' (, originally ), translated as ''The Narrow Road to the Deep North'' and ''The Narrow Road to the Interior'', is a major work of ''haibun'' by the Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō, considered one of the major texts of Japanese li ...
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
defeating
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
5–0 in a five-Test series.
*26 January – Cycling: The
2014 Tour Down Under
The 2014 Santos Tour Down Under was the 16th edition of the Tour Down Under stage race. It took place from 21 to 26 January in and around Adelaide, South Australia, and was the first race of the 2014 UCI World Tour.
The race was won for a record ...
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal Parera (, ; born 3 June 1986) is a Spanish professional tennis player. He is currently ranked world No. 2 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He has been ranked world No. 1 for 209 weeks, and has finish ...
Sochi
Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents i ...
Hobart Hurricanes
The Hobart Hurricanes are an Australian professional men's T20 franchise cricket team based in Tasmania, Australia. They compete in Australia's domestic T20 cricket competition known as the Big Bash League, which is a league where many int ...
in the final.
*8 February – Baseball: The
2013–14 Australian Baseball League season
The 2013–14 Australian Baseball League season was the fourth Australian Baseball League (ABL) season, and was held from 31 October 2013 to 8 February 2014. The season started with a game between the Melbourne Aces and the Canberra Cavalry at Na ...
concludes, with the Perth Heat defeating the Canberra Cavalry in the finals series.
*22 February – Rugby League: 2013
NRL
The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
premiers the
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won fifteen Ne ...
Wigan Warriors
The Wigan Warriors are a professional rugby league club in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the Super League.
Formed in 1872 as Wigan Football Club, Wigan was a founding member of the Rugby Football League, Northern Rugby ...
2013–14 W-League
The 2013–14 W-League season was the sixth season of the W-League, the Australian national women's association football competition. The season consisted of twelve matchdays followed by a finals series. The regular season started on 9 Novem ...
season concludes, with
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Competing in the country's premier men's competition, the A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL), Victory ...
defeating Brisbane Roar in the grand final.
*16 March – Motorsport: The
2014 Australian Grand Prix
The 2014 Australian Grand Prix (formally known as the 2014 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race that was held on 16 March 2014 in Melbourne. The race was contested over 58 laps of the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit a ...
Mercedes AMG Petronas
Mercedes-Benz, a brand of the Mercedes-Benz Group, has been involved in Formula One as both team owner and engine manufacturer for various periods since 1954. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, which is based in Brackley, England, and possesses ...
.
*25 March – Cricket: The
2013–14 Sheffield Shield season
The 2013–14 Sheffield Shield season was the 112th season of the Sheffield Shield, the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. It was held after the conclusion of the Ryobi One-Day Cup and included a break halfway through for ...
concludes, with
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 ...
drawing with
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 t ...
in the final to claim the title.
*13 April – Basketball: The 2013–14 NBL season concludes, with the Perth Wildcats defeating the
Adelaide 36ers
The Adelaide 36ers, also known as the Sixers, are an Australian professional men's basketball team in the National Basketball League (NBL). The 36ers are the only team in the league representing the state of South Australia and are based in th ...
in the finals series.
*4 May – Soccer: The
2013–14 A-League
The 2013–14 A-League was the 37th season of top-flight soccer in Australia, and the ninth of the A-League since its establishment in 2004. The season began on 11 October 2013, with Western Sydney Wanderers as the defending A-League Premiers a ...
season concludes, with
Brisbane Roar FC
Brisbane Roar Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Brisbane, Queensland and has won the domestic title on three occasions, as well as holding the longest unbeaten record of 36 league matches without defeat.
Brisba ...
defeating
Western Sydney Wanderers FC
Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club (colloquially known as Western Sydney, or simply as Wanderers) is an Australian professional soccer club based in the Western Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's prem ...
2–1 after extra time in the final.
*28 May – Rugby league:
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 ...
defeat
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
12–8 at
Suncorp Stadium
Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...
Jarryd Hayne
Jarryd Lee Hayne (born 15 February 1988) is a former professional rugby league footballer who also briefly played American football and rugby union sevens.
Hayne began his career in 2006 as a er for the Parramatta Eels, winning the NRL's Dal ...
is awarded Man of the Match.
*18 June – Rugby league:
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 ...
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
6–4 at ANZ Stadium in the second match. It is their first series victory since 2005. NSW prop and captain
Paul Gallen
Paul Gallen (born 14 August 1981) is an Australian professional boxer and former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and forward and captained the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL to their maiden NRL Premiership in 2016 ...
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
defeating
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 ...
32–8 at
Suncorp Stadium
Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...
in the third match, though New South Wales had already won the series. Queensland lock Corey Parker is awarded Man of the Match, while NSW prop and captain
Paul Gallen
Paul Gallen (born 14 August 1981) is an Australian professional boxer and former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and forward and captained the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL to their maiden NRL Premiership in 2016 ...
is awarded the
Wally Lewis Medal
The State of Origin series is an annual best-of-three rugby league series between two Australian state representative sides, the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons.
Referred to as “Australian sport's greatest rivalry”, the ...
for player of the series.
*22 July – Australian rules football: The
2014 Foxtel Cup
The 2014 Foxtel Cup was the fourth and final season of the Australian rules football knock-out competition involving clubs from the various state league competitions from around Australia.
The Cup's purpose is to support and promote the second ...
2014 Commonwealth Games
The 2014 Commonwealth Games ( gd, Geamannan a' Cho-fhlaitheis 2014), officially known as the XX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Glasgow 2014, ( sco, Glesca 2014 or Glesga 2014; gd, Glaschu 2014), was an international multi-sport ev ...
in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
, winning 137 medals.
*2 August – Rugby union: The
2014 Super Rugby season
The 2014 Super Rugby season is the fourth season of the 15-team format for the Super Rugby competition involving teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. For sponsorship reasons, this competition is known as Asteron Life Super Rugby ...
concludes, with the
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs ( or ;), referred to as the Waratahs, are an Australian professional rugby union team representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super Rugby competition. The Riverina and other southern parts of the stat ...
defeating the
Crusaders
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
in the final.
*7 September – Rugby league: The
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won fifteen Ne ...
win their second straight minor premiership following the final main round of the
2014 NRL season
The 2014 NRL season was the 107th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 17th season of the National Rugby League in Australia and New Zealand. The season started in New Zealand, for the Auckland Nines, replacing the Rugby Lea ...
. The
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby leag ...
finish in last position, claiming their first wooden spoon since 1969.
*27 September – Australian rules football:
Hawthorn
Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to:
Plants
* '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae
* ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
defeats the
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans are a professional Australian rules football club based in Sydney, New South Wales. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Swans also field a rese ...
21.11 (137) to 11.8 (74) in the
2014 AFL Grand Final
The 2014 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Sydney Swans and the Hawthorn Football Club at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 27 September 2014. It was the 119th annual Grand Final of the Australian Football ...
.
*5 October – Rugby league: The
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league club based in Redfern, a suburb of inner-southern Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and are one of nine existing tea ...
defeat the
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilit ...
Slash
Slash may refer to:
* Slash (punctuation), the "/" character
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Slash (Marvel Comics)
* Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'')
Music
* Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band
* Nash ...
featuring
Myles Kennedy
Myles Richard Bass (born November 27, 1969), known professionally as Myles Kennedy, is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge and the lead vocalist in guitarist S ...
and the Conspirators, along with
Train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...
.
*25 October and 1 November – Soccer: The
Western Sydney Wanderers FC
Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club (colloquially known as Western Sydney, or simply as Wanderers) is an Australian professional soccer club based in the Western Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's prem ...
defeat
Al-Hilal FC
Al Hilal Saudi Football Club ( ar, نادي الهلال السعودي), simply known as Al Hilal, is a professional multi-sports club based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Their football team competes in the Saudi Professional League. They are the m ...
1–0 on aggregate to become the first Australian club to win the 2014 AFC Champions League.
*4 November – Horse racing:
Protectionist
Protectionism, sometimes referred to as trade protectionism, is the economic policy of restricting imports from other countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, import quotas, and a variety of other government regulations. ...
Caulfield Cup
The Caulfield Cup is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under handicap conditions, although the Melbourne Racing Club is in the process of turning the race into weight for age (WFA) conditions. This is for all horses ...
winner Admire Rakti collapses and dies of a cardiac arrest after finishing last in the race. Another horse, Araldo, is euthanised after sustaining a leg injury when spooked by a spectator.
*25 November – Cricket: Phillip Hughes was knocked unconscious by a bouncer during a
Sheffield Shield
The Sheffield Shield (currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Marsh Sheffield Shield) is the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Sheffield Sh ...
match at the
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and association f ...
. He never regained consciousness and died two days later.
*28 December – Yacht racing: ''
Wild Oats XI
''Wild Oats XI'' is a maxi yacht, most famous for being the former race record holder and a nine-times line honours winner of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Launched in 2005, she was owned by Bob Oatley (Oatley's estate since his death in 2 ...
'' takes line honours in the 2014
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is an annual event hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, New South Wales, on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart, Tasmania. The race distance is approximately . The race is run i ...
, the yacht's eighth win.
Deaths
January
*1 January – Michael Glennon, 69, Roman Catholic priest and convicted child molester
*4 January –
Shirley Jeffrey
Shirley Winifred Jeffrey (4 April 1930 – 4 January 2014) was an Australian marine biologist and naturalist, who researched biochemical separation techniques, specialising in micro-algal research; her discovery, isolation and purification of ...
, 74, marine biologist
*5 January – Arthur Gietzelt, 93, Senator for New South Wales, Minister for Veterans' Affairs (1983–1987)
*9 January –
** Bryan Fairfax, 83, conductor
** Charlie Bazzano, 90, Olympic cyclist
*7 January – Phil Ryan, 98, football player and administrator (
Hawthorn
Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to:
Plants
* '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae
* ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
).
*21 January – Rhonda Small, 88, filmmaker (died in
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
)
*24 January – Boyd Oxlade, 70, author and screenwriter (''
Death in Brunswick
''Death in Brunswick'' is a 1990 Australian black comedy/romance starring Sam Neill, Zoe Carides and John Clarke. It is based on the 1987 comic novel of the same name by Boyd Oxlade.
At the APRA Music Awards of 1991, "Death in Brunswick" won ...
'')
*26 January –
Paula Gruden
Paula Gruden or Pavla Gruden (14 February 1921 – 26 January 2014)Suša, Barbara. 2002. "Pavla Gruden." ''Enciklopedija Slovenije'', vol. 16. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, p. 73. was an Australian poet, translator, and editor of Slovene descent. ...
, 92, poet
*28 January – Bill Pritchett, 92, public servant and Secretary of
Department of Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philippin ...
February
*1 February – Dave Power, 85, track and field athlete
*2 February –
Craig Lahiff
Craig Lahiff (23 April 1947 – 2 February 2014) was an Australian film director. He grew up in the Adelaide suburb of Somerton Park and studied science at Adelaide University, then trained as a systems consultant before studying arts in film ...
, 66, film director
*3 February –
Max Howell
Max Howell (26 December 1921 – 3 October 2012) was a former Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton in the Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia se ...
, 86, rugby union player and educator
*6 February –
John Vockler
John Charles Vockler FODC (22 July 19246 February 2014) was an Australian bishop and Franciscan friar. He was originally a bishop in the Anglican Church of Australia but later become the primate of the Anglican Catholic Church, a Continuing Anglic ...
, 89, Anglican prelate,
Bishop of Polynesia
The Diocese of Polynesia, or the Tikanga Pasefika serves Anglicans in Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands, within the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The diocese's first bishop was consecrated in 1908. The diocese's ...
James Condon
James Thomas Condon (27 September 1923 – 14 February 2014) was an Australian actor of radio and stage, a scriptwriter and voice over, however best known for his numerous television roles in serials and television movies in Australia, particu ...
, 90, actor
*15 February –
George Coates
George Coates (born March 19, 1952) is an American theater director most notable for his work with George Coates Performance Works (GCPW), which he founded in 1977 in San Francisco, CA. The company produced over 20 multi-media live performances ...
, 90, football player ( Fitzroy)
*21 February – Matthew Robinson, 28, Paralympic snowboarder.
*22 February –
Charlotte Dawson
Charlotte Dawson (8 April 1966 – 22 February 2014) was a New Zealand–Australian television personality. She was known in New Zealand for her roles as host of '' Getaway'', and in Australia as a host on '' The Contender Australia'' and as a j ...
, 47, television personality
March
*8 March –
**
Wendy Hughes
Wendy Hughes (29 July 19528 March 2014) was an Australian actress known for her work in theatre, film and television. Her career spanned more than forty years and established her reputation as one of Australia's finest and most prolific actors. ...
, 61, actress
** Roy Higgins, 75, jockey
*11 March –
**
Dean Bailey
Dean Bailey (18 January 1967 – 11 March 2014) was an Australian rules football player and coach. He played for the Essendon Football Club and was the senior coach of the Melbourne Football Club, as well as an assistant coach at Essendon and P ...
, 47,
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
player (
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 King ...
) and coach (
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 metro ...
)
** Len Buckeridge, 77, billionaire construction executive, founder of
Buckeridge Group of Companies
Buckeridge Group of Companies, commonly known as BGC, is a private corporate group of construction and building-related companies operating primarily in Western Australia.
BGC is one of the largest privately owned companies in Australia. I ...
Commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
of
New South Wales Police
The New South Wales Police Force (NSW Police Force; previously the New South Wales Police Service and New South Wales Police) is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Divided into Police Area Commands (P ...
(1981–1984).
*14 March –
Warwick Parer
Warwick Raymond Parer, AM (6 April 193614 March 2014) was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Queensland from 1984 to 2000. He was a member of the Liberal Party and served as Minister for Resources and Energy in the Howard G ...
, 77, Senator for Queensland, Minister for Resources and Energy (1996–1998)
*23 March –
Jack Clancy
Jack David Clancy (born June 18, 1944) is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Miami Dolphins in 1967 and 1969 and for the Green Bay Packers in 1970. He also played in college for the University of Michigan Wolverines ...
, 79, football player
*26 March –
** John Disney, 94, ornithologist
**
Tom Jones
Tom Jones may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer
*Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist
*''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...
, 90, politician, Member for
Collie
Collies form a distinctive type of herding dogs, including many related landraces and standardized breeds. The type originated in Scotland and Northern England. Collies are medium-sized, fairly lightly-built dogs, with pointed snouts. Man ...
(1968–1989)
*28 March –
** Billy Longley, 88, criminal
**
Michael Putney
Michael Putney (born December 16, 1940, in New York City) is a senior political television reporter and columnist, based in Miami, Florida, United States. Putney is the winner of two Emmy Awards.
Early life and education
Putney was born in New Yor ...
, 67, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of
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 ...
*1 April – Harry Rowe, 89, football and cricket player
*2 April –
Everett De Roche
Everett De Roche (July 12, 1946 - April 2, 2014) was an American-Australian screenwriter who worked extensively in the Australian film and TV industry. He was best known for his work in the thriller and horror genre, with such credits as ''Long ...
, 67, screenwriter
*4 April –
Len Ardill
Leonard Arthur Ardill (15 March 1931 – 4 April 2014) was an Australian state politician, representing the Labor.
Following time as an Alderman in the Brisbane City Council, including serving as the Vice Mayor, Ardill was elected in 1986 ...
, 83, politician, member of the
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembly h ...
for
Salisbury
Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath.
Salisbury is in the southeast of ...
Gil Askey
Gilbert Askey (March 9, 1925 – April 9, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, producer and musical director who was born in Austin, Texas, and emigrated to Australia in 1988.
Personal life
Askey was born in Austin, Texas, on March ...
George Bornemissza
George Francis Bornemissza (born György Ferenc Bornemissza; 11 February 1924 – 10 April 2014) was a Hungarian-born entomologist and ecologist. He studied science at the University of Budapest before obtaining his Ph.D. in zoology at the Un ...
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 Hong ...
, 20, soccer player (died in England)
*20 April – Neville Wran, 87, Premier of New South Wales (1976–1986)
*26 April – Joan Bruce, 86, actress.
*27 April – Harry Firth, 96, racing driver and team manager
*28 April –
**
Derek King
Derek King (born February 11, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. King played 14 seasons in the National Hockey Leag ...
Ryan Tandy
Ryan Tandy (20 September 1981 – 28 April 2014) was international rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He played as a in the National Rugby League for the St. George Illawarra Dragons, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Wests Tiger ...
, 32, rugby league player
*29 April – Gailene Stock, 68, ballet dancer and executive, Director of the Royal Ballet School (since 1999)
*30 April – Ian Ross, 73, television newsreader
Geelong
Geelong ( ) ( Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the south eastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon ...
LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, ...
activist and political scientist
*7 May – Sir Neville McNamara, 91, Chief of the Defence Force Staff (1982–84)
*8 May –
**
Harry Potter
''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at ...
, 72, journalist.
** Alan Woodman, 58, VFL football player (
Geelong
Geelong ( ) ( Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the south eastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon ...
)
*9 May –
Bob Hoysted
Robert Edward Hoysted (8 June 1925 – 9 May 2014) was an Australian racehorse trainer, best known for training the renowned sprinter Manikato.
Hoysted was a member of an Australian racing dynasty, with his father Fred "Father" Hoysted and br ...
, 88, racehorse trainer.
*11 May –
**
Reg Gasnier
Reginald William "Reg" Gasnier (12 May 1939 – 11 May 2014) was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He played for the St. George Dragons from 1959 to 1967 and represented Australia in a then record 36 Tests and three World Cup g ...
, 74, rugby league footballer and coach
** Ivan Wingreen, 52, South African cricketer
*12 May –
** Tom Hafey, 82, Australian rules football player and coach
** Leroy Serisier, 86, politician, member of the
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in t ...
(1970–1978).
*13 May –
David Malet Armstrong
David Malet Armstrong (8 July 1926 – 13 May 2014), often D. M. Armstrong, was an Australian philosopher. He is well known for his work on metaphysics and the philosophy of mind, and for his defence of a factualist ontology, a functio ...
, 87, philosopher
*16 May – Ruth Tarvydas, 66, fashion designer
*19 May –
** Sir Jack Brabham, 88, racing car driver
**
Peter Curtin
Peter Julian Curtin (31 January 1944 – 18 May 2014) was an Australian television and stage actor, whose career began when he joined the Melbourne Theatre Company, appearing in '' The Plough and the Stars'' with Wendy Hughes.
Personal life ...
Wes Lofts
Wesley Victor Lofts (15 November 1942 – 22 May 2014) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1960s.
A key defender, Lofts represented the Victorian interstate team in both ...
, 71, VFL football player and administrator ( Carlton)
*29 May – Ian Norman, 75, Australian business executive, co-founder of
Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman is a large Australian-based, multi-national retailer of furniture, bedding, computers, communications and consumer electrical products. It mainly operates as a franchise, with the main brand and all company-operated stores owned ...
Don Banfield
Donald Hubert Louis Banfield (16 September 1916 – 4 June 2014) was a trade unionist and politician in the State of South Australia.
He was born in Plympton, South Australia and served with the RAAF during World War II.
In 1951 he was secr ...
, 97, politician and trade unionist.
** Brian Miller, 93, politician, member of the
Tasmanian Legislative Council
The Tasmanian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. It is one of the two chambers of the Parliament, the other being the House of Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in the state capital, ...
(1957–1986).
*7 June –
** Jane Gray, 112, supercentenarian, oldest living Scottish-born person and Australian resident
**
Merv Thackeray
Mervyn Herbert (Merv) Thackeray (20 October 1925 – 7 June 2014) was an Australian politician. He was a Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 1957 until 1972, representing Keppel (1957–1960) and Rockhampton ...
, 88, politician, member of the
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembly h ...
1952
Events January–February
* January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
* February 6
** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...
,
1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, are kille ...
Gary Gilmour
Gary John Gilmour (26 June 1951 – 10 June 2014) was an Australian cricketer who played in 15 Tests and 5 One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 1973 and 1977.
At the peak of his career, Gilmour combined "talented hitting" with "penetrative ...
, 62, cricketer
*13 June –
Jim Keays
James Keays (9 September 194613 June 2014) was a Scottish-born Australian musician who fronted the rock band The Masters Apprentices as singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonica-player from 1965 to 1972 and subsequently had a solo career. He ...
Ray Evans
Raymond Bernard Evans (February 4, 1915 – February 15, 2007) was an American songwriter. He was a partner in a composing and song-writing duo with Jay Livingston, known for the songs they composed for films. Evans wrote the lyrics and Living ...
, 79, business executive and political activist, co-founder of the
Lavoisier Group
The Lavoisier Group is an Australian organisation formed by politicians and dominated by retired industrial businesspeople and engineers.Jacqueline Jarrett Goodnow, 89, cognitive psychologist.
*25 June –
Derek Fielding
Fred Derek Osmond Fielding AM (14 August 1929 – 25 June 2014) was an Australian librarian and author. In 1951 Derek graduated from the Trinity College, Dublin. He was University Librarian at the University of Queensland from 1965 to 1994. In ...
, 84, librarian and author.
*26 June – Ron Hall, 68, Australian NTFA football player ( Scottsdale)
*27 June – Rex Whitehead, 65, cricket umpire
Essendon Football Club
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 ...
(1996–2003)
*2 July –
**
Lorraine Elliott
Lorraine Clare Elliott (née Golder; 9 July 1943 – 2 July 2014) was an Australian politician. She was the Liberal member for Mooroolbark in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1992 to 2002.
Elliott was born to Harry James Golder and Ail ...
Mooroolbark
Mooroolbark is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 31 km north-east of Melbourne's central business district, located within the Shire of Yarra Ranges local government area. Mooroolbark recorded a population of 23,059 at the .
Mo ...
1952
Events January–February
* January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
* February 6
** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...
), member of the
Supreme Court of New South Wales
The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters. Whilst the Supreme Court ...
(1984–2004)
*3 July – Peter Dawkins, 68, record producer (
Dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted a ...
,
Australian Crawl
Australian Crawl (often called Aussie Crawl or The Crawl by fans) were an Australian rock band founded by James Reyne (lead vocals/piano/harmonica), Brad Robinson (rhythm guitar), Paul Williams (bass), Simon Binks (lead guitar) and David Re ...
Archibald Wilson
Air Marshal Archibald Oliver Garfield Wilson (28 May 19214 July 2014) was a Rhodesian fighter pilot who served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He went on to become a senior commander and then Air Marshal in the Rhodesian Air Forc ...
, 93, fighter pilot, flew for the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
during World War II
*5 July –
John Jobst
John Jobst, S.A.C. (German: Johannes Jobst; 4 February 1920 – 5 July 2014), was a German Pallottine and prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the last German bishop to have attended the Second Vatican Council.
Jobst was born in Fran ...
, 94, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Broome (1959–1995)
*7 July – Peter Underwood, 76, Governor of Tasmania and Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court of Tasmania
The Supreme Court of Tasmania is the highest State court in the Australian State of Tasmania. In the Australian court hierarchy, the Supreme Court of Tasmania is in the middle level, with both an appellate jurisdiction over lower courts, and de ...
Eilene Hannan
Eilene Hannan Member of the Order of Australia, AM (24 July 194611 July 2014) was an Australian operatic soprano with an international reputation. She was particularly associated with opera sung in English, although she also sang in other languag ...
, 67, opera singer
*12 July – Ken Goodwin, 79, academic and author.
*13 July – Geoffrey Blackburn, 99, Baptist minister
*14 July – Gavin Jones, 47, media executive, founder of the
Deadly Awards
The Deadly Awards, commonly known simply as The Deadlys, was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. The event was held from 1995 to 2013.
Description
T ...
Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs may refer to:
Places
*Eastern Suburbs (Mumbai), India
*Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Australia
**Eastern Suburbs railway line, Sydney, Australia
Sports clubs
;Association football
*Eastern Suburbs AFC, Auckland, New Zealand
* Eastern ...
)
*25 July –
Richard Larter
Richard Larter (19 May 1929 – 25 July 2014) was an Australian painter, often identified as one of Australia's few highly recognisable pop artists. Larter also frequently painted in a Pointillist style. He took advantage of unusual techniques ...
, 85, pop artist
*27 July – Peter Miller, 53, software engineer (Aegis (management software), Aegis)
*28 July – Johnny Rebb, 75, rock and roll singer
*30 July – Martin Copley, 74, conservationist (Australian Wildlife Conservancy)
August
*1 August – Michael Johns (singer), Michael Johns, 35, singer-songwriter (''American Idol (season 7), American Idol'')
*2 August – Brian Buckley (footballer, born 1935), Brian Buckley, 78, VFL football player ( Carlton)
*3 August – Edward Clancy (cardinal), Edward Clancy, 90, Roman Catholic bishop, Archbishop of Sydney (1983–2001)
*6 August – Macarthur Job, 88, aviation writer and air safety consultant
*8 August –
**Edmund John Patrick Collins, 83, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Darwin, Darwin (1986–2007)
**Peter Sculthorpe, 85, composer
*9 August – Jerome Ehlers, 55, actor
*11 August – Pierre Ryckmans (writer), Pierre Ryckmans, 78, diplomat, Australian sinologist and author (''Chinese Shadows (Ombres Chinoises), Chinese Shadows'')
*14 August – Jennifer Margaret Le Cussan, 55, botanist, teacher, conservationist
*17 August – Marie Little, 81, sport administrator
*18 August – Doug Williams (Australian footballer), Doug Williams, 91, VFL football player ( Carlton)
*22 August – Jack Harris (golfer), Jack Harris, 91, golfer
*23 August – Jack Edwards (Australian footballer, born 1931), Jack Edwards, 83, VFL football player (North Melbourne Football Club, North Melbourne).
*25 August – Jason Curley, 42, bassist (Tumbleweed (band), Tumbleweed)
*28 August – Bill Kerr, 92, actor
*30 August – Doone Kennedy, 87, politician, first female Lord Mayor of Hobart (1986–1996)
September
*2 September – Jack Culpin, 86, politician, member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Electoral district of Glenroy, Glenroy (1976–1985) and Electoral district of Broadmeadows, Broadmeadows (1985–1988).
*4 September – Ron Mulock, 84, politician, Deputy Premier of New South Wales (1984–1988)
*5 September – Kerrie Biddell, 67, jazz and session singer
*6 September –
**Peter F. B. Alsop, engineer and historian
**Martin Harrison (poet), Martin Harrison, 65, poet
**A. W. Pryor, 86, physicist
*7 September – Harry Evans (Australian Senate clerk), Harry Evans, 68, public servant, Clerk of the Australian Senate (1988–2009)
*12 September – Antony Kidman, 75, psychologist, biochemist and author (died in Singapore)
*15 September – Jeremy Ball, 45, politician and actor
*17 September –
**Elaine Lee (actress), Elaine Lee, 74, actress (''Number 96 (TV series), Number 96'')
**Charles Read (RAAF officer), Sir Charles Read, 95, air force officer, RAAF Air Marshal during World War II
**Lorna Thomas, 96, Australian cricket player and manager
*23 September – Rodney Milgate, 80, painter, playwright and newsreader
*24 September – Greg Mackey, 52, rugby league player (Warrington Wolves, Warrington)
*25 September – Cedric Wyatt, 74, public servant, political candidate, indigenous advocate
*26 September – Tony McMichael, 71, epidemiologist
October
*2 October – Robert Flower, 59, Australian rules footballer (
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 metro ...
)
*8 October –
**Morris Lurie, 75, writer
*10 October –
**Geoff Miller (public servant), Geoff Miller, 72, public servant.
**Ed Nimmervoll, 67, music journalist and author
*11 October – Bob Such, 70, politician, member of the South Australian House of Assembly for Electoral district of Fisher, Fisher (since 1989).
*12 October – Maurie Keane, 91, politician, member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Electoral district of Woronora, Woronora (1973–1988).
*14 October –
**Mary Downer, 89, arts patron (died in London)
**John F. Stephenson, 77, football player ( Carlton)
*15 October –
** James Balderstone, Sir James Balderstone, 93, businessman and company director
** James Semple Kerr, 82, architectural historian
*18 October –
**Rachel Makinson, 97, research scientist.
**Bruce Phillips (footballer), Bruce Phillips, 85, Australian rules footballer ( St Kilda)
*19 October – Ken Short, 87, Anglican bishop
*20 October – David Malcolm, 76, Chief Justice of Western Australia (1988–2006)
*21 October –
** Peter Trotter, 58, Paralympic wheelchair racer
**
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam (11 July 191621 October 2014) was the 21st prime minister of Australia, serving from 1972 to 1975. The longest-serving federal leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1967 to 1977, he was notable for being the h ...
, 98, Prime Minister (1972–1975)
*24 October – Mike Dorsey, 84, actor (''Number 96 (TV series), Number 96'').
*26 October – Brian Moore (rugby league), Brian Moore, 70, rugby league player and coach
*27 October – William Orchard (water polo), William Orchard, 84, Australian water polo player and psychiatrist.
*30 October –
**Harcourt Dowsley, 95, cricket and football player.
**Ida Elizabeth Osbourne, 98, radio broadcaster, founder of the ABC's Argonauts Club.
*31 October – Henry Harris (scientist), Sir Henry Harris, 89, cell biologist.
November
*2 November – Jackie Fairweather, 46, triathlete and long-distance runner
*4 November –
** Admire Rakti, 6, racehorse
** Araldo, 6, racehorse
*7 November – Alex Way, 89, Australian rules footballer ( Carlton)
*8 November – Michael Leighton (politician), Michael Leighton, 60, Victorian politician
*10 November –
** Steve Dodd, 86, actor
** Wayne Goss, 63, Premier of Queensland (1989–1996)
*15 November – Reg Withers, 90, Senator for Western Australia, Lord Mayor of Perth
*16 November – Ian Craig, 79, Test cricketer
*19 November – Jeremiah Coffey, 81, Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Sale, Sale (1989–2008).
*20 November – John Bartram (athlete), John Bartram, 89, Olympic runner (Australia at the 1948 Summer Olympics, 1948)
*21 November – Heather Southcott, 86, politician.
*27 November –
** Phillip Hughes, 25, Test cricketer
**Meta Truscott, 97, diarist and historian.
*30 November – Phil May (athlete), Phil May, 70, Australian athlete.
December
*1 December – Rocky Wood, 55, writer
*2 December –
**Maurice Saxby, 89, academic and author
**Jeff Truman, 57, screenwriter and actor
*4 December –
**Graeme Goodall, 82, recording engineer and record label owner, co-founder of Island Records
**Lynne Kosky, 56, Victorian politician, MLA for Electoral district of Altona, Altona (1996–2010)
*6 December – Stella Young, 32, comedian and disability advocate
*9 December – Frank Farrington (rugby league), Frank Farrington, 88, rugby league player and administrator (Newtown Jets)
*11 December – Patricia Gallaher, 77, librarian.
*15 December –
**Donald Metcalf, 85, medical researcher
**Arthur Whyte, 93, politician, President of the South Australian Legislative Council (1978–1985).
See also
* 2014 in Australian literature
* 2014 in Australian television
* List of Australian films of 2014
References
{{Year in Oceania, 2014
2014 in Australia,
Years of the 21st century in Australia
2014 in Oceania, Australia
2010s in Australia
2014 by country, Australia