The following lists events that happened during 1986 in Australia.

Incumbents

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

—

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

* Governor-General — Sir Ninian Stephen *

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

— Bob Hawke **

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 ...

—

Lionel Bowen Lionel Frost Bowen, AC (28 December 1922 – 1 April 2012) was an Australian politician and senior Labor Party figure, serving in the ministries of Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Australia from 1983 to 199 ...

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

—

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

* Chief Justice — Sir Harry Gibbs

State and Territory Leaders

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

—

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

(until 4 July), then

Barrie Unsworth Barrie John Unsworth (born 16 April 1934) is a former Australian politician, representing the Labor Party in the Parliament of New South Wales from 1978 to 1991. He served as the 36th Premier from July 1986 to March 1988. Early years Unswort ...

— Nick Greiner *

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 ...

—

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

—

Nev Warburton Neville George Warburton (23 February 1932 – 5 August 2018) was an Australian politician from Queensland, who served as leader of the opposition from 1984 to 1988, and as a minister in the Goss Ministry from 1989 to 1992. Career Early career ...

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 ...

—

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

—

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

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 ...

— Robin Gray **

—

Ken Wriedt Kenneth Shaw Wriedt (11 July 192718 October 2010) was an Australian politician and leader of the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Labor Party. Wriedt was born in Melbourne, of Danish ancestry. His early life included time spent as a seaman. ...

(until 19 February), then

Neil Batt Neil Leonard Charles Batt (born 14 June 1937), Australian politician, is a former Tasmanian government minister, Deputy Premier and Member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. A member of the Labor Party, he was leader of the party in Tasmania, ...

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 ...

— John Cain Jr. **

— Jeff Kennett *

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 ...

— Brian Burke **

—

Bill Hassell William Ralph Boucher Hassell, best known as Bill Hassell, (born 6 June 1943) is an Australian former Liberal Party politician who was Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia during the mid-1980s. He was a member of the Western Australian ...

(until 25 November), then Barry MacKinnon *

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

—

Ian Tuxworth Ian Lindsay Tuxworth (18 June 1942 – 21 January 2020) was an Australian politician, who was Chief Minister of the Northern Territory of Australia from 17 October 1984 until his resignation on 10 May 1986. Early life Tuxworth was born on 18 J ...

(until 10 May), then

Stephen Hatton Stephen Paul Hatton (born 28 January 1948) is an Australian politician, who was Chief Minister of the Northern Territory of Australia from 1986 to 1988. From 1983 until his retirement in 2001, he was MLA for the seat of Nightcliff. He first bec ...

— Bob Collins (until 19 August), then Terry Smith * Chief Minister/President of the Legislative Assembly of Norfolk Island —

David Buffett David Ernest Buffett Order of Australia, AM (born 17 October 1942) is a political figure from the Australian territory of Norfolk Island. He served as List of heads of government of Norfolk Island, Chief Minister of Norfolk Island from March 201 ...

(until 21 May), then John Brown

Governors and Administrators

* Governor of New South Wales — Sir James Rowland *

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 ...

— Sir Walter Campbell * Governor of South Australia — Sir Donald Dunstan *

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

— Sir James Plimsoll *

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

—

Davis McCaughey John Davis McCaughey (12 July 1914 – 25 March 2005) was an Irish-born Australian academic theologian, Christian minister, university administrator and the 23rd Governor of Victoria from 1986 to 1992. Early life and academic career McCaughey ...

(from 18 February) *

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

— Gordon Reid *

Administrator of Norfolk Island The administrator of Norfolk Island acts as a representative both of The Crown and of the Government of Australia, as well as carrying out other duties according to the ''Norfolk Island Amendment Act 2015''.Administrator of the Northern Territory The Administrator of the Northern Territory is an official appointed by the Governor-General of Australia to represent the government of the Commonwealth in the Northern Territory, Australia. They perform functions similar to those of a state gov ...

— Eric Johnston

Events

January

*2 January — A state funeral is held for former

Sir Henry Winneke at

St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Melbourne, Australia. It is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Melbourne and the seat of the Archbishop of Melbourne, who is also the metropolitan archbishop of the Province of Victoria. ...

. *3 January — Federal Opposition Leader

introduces a four-point plan to reduce interest rates. *4 January — A tanker driver is killed instantly when his truck overturns in Aspen, New South Wales, releasing clouds of nitrogen gas. *5 January — Actress Lauren Bacall arrives in Sydney to star in the play ''

Sweet Bird of Youth ''Sweet Bird of Youth'' is a 1959 play by Tennessee Williams which tells the story of a gigolo and drifter, Chance Wayne, who returns to his home town as the companion of a faded movie star, Alexandra del Lago (travelling incognito as Princess ...

''.

February

*2 February — Nurse

Anita Cobby Anita or ANITA may refer to: Arts * ''Anita'' (1967 film), an Indian film * ''Anita'' (2009 film), an Argentine film * ''Anita'' (2021 film), a Hong Kong film *'' Anita: Swedish Nymphet'', a 1973 erotic film People *Anita (given name), people w ...

is abducted, robbed, raped and murdered by John Travers, Michael Murdoch, and Leslie, Gary and Michael Murphy at Prospect in Sydney (all five men are sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, June 1987). *7 February — Following

Lindy Chamberlain Alice Lynne "Lindy" Chamberlain-Creighton (née Murchison; born 4 March 1948) is a New Zealand–born Australian woman who was wrongfully convicted in one of Australia's most publicised murder trials. Accused of killing her nine-week-old daught ...

's identification of a baby's jacket found near

Uluru Uluru (; pjt, Uluṟu ), also known as Ayers Rock ( ) and officially gazetted as UluruAyers Rock, is a large sandstone formation in the centre of Australia. It is in the southern part of the Northern Territory, southwest of Alice Spring ...

as being similar to the one worn by her baby

Azaria Azaria ( he, עֲזַרְיָה), or Azarya is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Shephelah around five kilometres south-east of Ramle, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gezer Regional Council. In it had a population of . Etymology ...

, her case takes a new turn. *8 February — **Elections in

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

and

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

see the re-election of the ALP in WA, and the

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

in Tasmania. **Post-mortem results support the claim of the sister of Sally Anne Huckstep that she was murdered. ** Dire Straits makes history in Tasmania by drawing the state's biggest audience ever for an open-air concert. *9 February —

is released from prison in Darwin on licence after serving 39 months of a life sentence. *11 February — ** Joan Child becomes the first female

Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament of Australia. The counterpart in the upper house is the President of the Senate. The office of Speaker was ...

. **More than 100 bushfires burn across the state of Victoria. *12 February — Ernie Bridge is elected to the West Australian Cabinet, thereby becoming the first Aborigine to become a Cabinet minister.

March

*3 March — The

Australia Act 1986 The Australia Act 1986 is the short title of each of a pair of separate but related pieces of legislation: one an Act of the Commonwealth (i.e. federal) Parliament of Australia, the other an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In ...

comes into effect at 1600 AEST, granting Australia legal independence from the

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 European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

by removing the power of the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...

to legislate with effect in Australia and its states and territories. *18 March — Prime Minister Bob Hawke commits the Federal Government not to raise home interest lending rates above 13.5%, despite continued pressure from the banks. *27 March — The Russell Street bombing takes place at the headquarters of

Victoria Police Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the Australian state of Victoria. It was formed in 1853 and currently operates under the ''Victoria Police Act 2013''. , Victoria Police had over 22,300 staff, comprising over 16,700 ...

in Melbourne. A police constable, Angela Taylor, is killed.

April

*2 April — Prime Minister Bob Hawke breaks an election promise by lifting the ceiling on home interest rates, following the banks' promise of an extra $6 million for home loans. *11 April — The Arbitration Commission finds that the Builders' Labourers Federation was guilty of serious industrial misconduct and the union is deregistered. *14 April — A second trial of Mr. Justice

Lionel Murphy Lionel Keith Murphy QC (30 August 1922 – 21 October 1986) was an Australian politician, barrister, and judge. He was a Senator for New South Wales from 1962 to 1975, serving as Attorney-General in the Whitlam Government, and then sat on the ...

begins in Sydney, and lasts for two weeks, with the jury eventually acquitting him.

May

*14 May — Responding to the release of dismal current account deficit figures, Federal Treasurer

Paul Keating Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He previously serv ...

makes his infamous off-the-cuff warning about Australia becoming a "banana republic".

July

*4 July — After ten years in power,

resigns as

, and is replaced by

. *7 July — Barlow & Chambers are executed at

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

's Pudu Prison for drug trafficking.

Hawke condemns the move as "barbaric". *16 July — An explosion at Moura No. 4 mine in

Moura, Queensland Moura is a small town and locality in the Shire of Banana in Central Queensland, Australia. It services the surrounding coal mining and rural activities. It is situated approximately west of Biloela on the Dawson Highway, west of the port c ...

kills 12 people. *25 July — An unusual cold dry change sweeps through south-eastern Australia, causing temperatures to plummet and bringing of

snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

to Hobart, isolating the city until midday. Canberra also receives snow during the early afternoon with reports of snow and sleet also occurring in the suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney.

August

*2 August — The painting ''

The Weeping Woman ''The Weeping Woman'' (French: ''La Femme qui pleure'') is a series of oil on canvas paintings by Pablo Picasso, the last of which was created in late 1937. The paintings depict Dora Maar, Picasso's mistress and muse. ''The Weeping Woman'' paint ...

'' by

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

is stolen from the

National Gallery of Victoria The National Gallery of Victoria, popularly known as the NGV, is an art museum in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is Australia's oldest and most visited art museum. The NGV houses an encyclopedic art collection across two ...

. The painting is found undamaged in a locker at Spencer Street station on 19 August. *6 August — A low pressure system moving from

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a 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 of Australia's states and territories ...

and redeveloping off the New South Wales coast dumps a record of

rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water ...

in a day on Sydney. Resulting floods kill six people. *9 August — Sydney schoolgirl Samantha Knight disappears in Bondi, Sydney. *19 August — The Federal Budget is handed down and outlines the Federal Government's aims to slash the deficit by increasing charges and making cuts to the Public Service. New Right thinking prompts the Opposition to foreshadow even more drastic changes. *21 August — Labor Caucus votes 74:42 to resume sales of uranium to France.

September

*23 September — Federal Opposition Leader

is suspended from the

Australian House of Representatives 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 o ...

for 24 hours after attacking Federal Treasurer

for huge travel expenses incurred by claiming Sydney as his principal place of residence.

October

*8 October — Following three years of wage indexation, the

Australian Council of Trade Unions The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), originally the Australasian Council of Trade Unions, is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions and eight trades and l ...

(ACTU) approves a two-tier wage-fixing system. *17 October —

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 ...

loses bid to host 1992 Olympic Games to the Spanish city of

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

. *21 October — The Mr. Justice

saga comes to a close when he dies of cancer. *24 October — The last link of the national microwave telephone system is completed at Kununurra in

November

*1 November — The 1986 Queensland state election is held.

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

wins his final election as Premier of

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 ...

with his party, the National Party gaining 38.6% of the vote and an absolute majority of seats in the

Queensland Parliament The Parliament of Queensland is the legislature of Queensland, Australia. As provided under the Constitution of Queensland, the Parliament consists of the Monarch of Australia and the Legislative Assembly. It has been the only unicameral st ...

*27 November — Federal Treasurer

is found liable to a fine of $4,000 for not lodging his tax return for 1985 and his 1986 return being overdue.

December

*10 December — Senator George Georges resigns from the

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

over uranium mining and the proposed ID card (

Australia Card The Australia Card was a proposal for a national identification card for Australian citizens and resident foreigners. The proposal was made in 1985, and abandoned in 1987. History The idea for the card was raised at the national Tax Summit in 1 ...

). *26 December — Tuning into rural disenchantment, Queensland Premier Sir

contemplates the notion of entering the federal political scene.

Arts and literature

Elizabeth Jolley Monica Elizabeth Jolley AO (4 June 1923 – 13 February 2007) was an English-born Australian writer who settled in Western Australia in the late 1950s and forged an illustrious literary career there. She was 53 when her first book was publishe ...

's novel ''

The Well The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, normally shortened to The WELL, was launched in 1985. It is one of the oldest continuously operating virtual communities. By 1993 it had 7,000 members, a staff of 12, and gross annual income of $2 million. ...

'' wins the Miles Franklin Award

Film

* 30 April — ''

Crocodile Dundee ''Crocodile Dundee'' (stylized as ''"Crocodile" Dundee'' in the U.S.) is a 1986 action comedy film set in the Australian Outback and in New York City. It stars Paul Hogan as the weathered Mick Dundee, and American actress Linda Kozlowski as ...

'' is released in Australia. The film will go on to become a worldwide smash hit, becoming the highest grossing Australian until 2015 *

Malcolm Malcolm, Malcom, Máel Coluim, or Maol Choluim may refer to: People * Malcolm (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters * Clan Malcolm * Maol Choluim de Innerpeffray, 14th-century bishop-elect of Dunkeld Nobility * Máe ...

The Fringe Dwellers ''The Fringe Dwellers'' is a 1986 film directed by Bruce Beresford, based on the 1961 novel '' The Fringe Dwellers'' by Western Australian author Nene Gare.Nene Gare, The Fringe Dwellers, Sun Books, Melbourne, 1966 (first published by Heinemann ...

Law

Re Loubie Re Loubie,''Re Loubie'' 9861 Qd R 272, Supreme Court (Qld). was a 1986 case involving a breach of section 117 of the Australian constitution by legislation of the state of Queensland. S. 117 provides protection from discrimination on the bas ...

a case involving the Queensland Bail Act and s.117 of the constitution.

Music

Before Too Long "Before Too Long" is a song by Australian rock group Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls, released as the first single from their debut double album, ''Gossip''. It was released in June 1986 on the original White Label Records, a subsidiary of Mushr ...

* Devils in Heaven rock band formed (as Dinner Time). *

Don't Dream It's Over "Don't Dream It's Over" is a song by rock band Crowded House, recorded for their 1986 self-titled debut studio album. The song was composed and written by New Zealand frontman Neil Finn, and released in October 1986 as the fourth single from ...

* Stimulation *

You're the Voice "You're the Voice" is a song written by Andy Qunta, Keith Reid, Maggie Ryder and Chris Thompson, and recorded by the Australian singer John Farnham and released as a single in September 1986 ahead of his album '' Whispering Jack''. "You're t ...

Television

*5 January — SBS ceases VHF transmissions on Channel 0 in Sydney &

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

. *20 January — '' Neighbours'' makes its debut on Network Ten & comes to dominate the 7 pm weeknight timeslot. *February — Red Symons signs to '' Hey Hey It's Saturday'' as the show launches

Red Faces ''Hey Hey It's Saturday'' was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 28 years on the Nine Network from 9 October 1971 to 20 November 1999, with a recess in 1978. Its host throughout its entire ...

. *30 October — ''

The Movie Show ''The Movie Show'' is an Australian film review program which was broadcast on SBS TV. Its history is divided into three parts, until it finally wound up in 2008. History The original format, which ran from 30 October 1986 to 12 May 2004, had ...

'' begins on SBS. *December —

The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd The Herald and Weekly Times Pty Ltd (HWT) is a newspaper publishing company based in Melbourne, Australia. It is owned and operated by News Pty Ltd, which as News Ltd, purchased the HWT in 1987. Newspapers The HWT's newspaper interests date ...

, owners of

HSV-7 HSV is a television station in Melbourne, Australia. It is part of the Seven Network, one of the three main commercial television networks in Australia, its first and oldest station. It launched in time for the 1956 Summer Olympic Games in Melb ...

ADS-7 ADS is an Australian television station based in Adelaide, South Australia. It is owned and operated by Paramount Networks UK & Australia through their Australian holdings Network 10. History ADS-10 began as ''ADS-7'' on 24 October 1959. In ...

are sold to

Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...

News Limited News Corp Australia is an Australian media conglomerate and wholly owned subsidiary of the American News Corp. One of Australia's largest media conglomerates, News Corp Australia employs more than 8,000 staff nationwide and approximately 3,0 ...

for $1.8 billion. As News Limited owned

ATV-10 ATV is a television station in Melbourne, Australia, part of Network 10 – one of the three major Australian free-to-air commercial television networks. The station is owned by Paramount Networks UK & Australia. History In April 1963, the ...

at this time, HSV-7 is sold to Fairfax (already owners of

ATN-7 ATN is the Sydney flagship television station of the Seven Network in Australia. The licence, issued to a company named Amalgamated Television Services, a subsidiary of John Fairfax & Sons, was one of the first four licences (two in Sydney, ...

& BTQ-7) in February 1987 for $320 million. * Christopher Skase's

Qintex Qintex Limited was an Australian financial services company founded in 1975 as Takeovers, Equities & Management Securities (TEAM). It was renamed Qintex Limited and came to prominence in 1986, collapsing five years later in 1991. Its main share ...

company sells TVQ-0 to Darling Downs Television, owners of DDQ-10 in

Toowoomba Toowoomba ( , nicknamed 'The Garden City' and 'T-Bar') is a city in the Toowoomba Region of the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. It is west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The urban population of Toowoomba as of the 2021 ...

. * AUSSAT satellites are launched, bringing

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

to remote areas for the first time.

Sport

*16 March — Parramatta Stadium is opened. The

Parramatta Eels The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and their ...

defeat the

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

36–6. *23 March —

Robert de Castella Francois Robert "Rob" de Castella (born 27 February 1957) is an Australian former world champion marathon runner. De Castella is widely known as "Deek" or "Deeks" to the Australian public, and "Tree" to his competitors due to his thick legs an ...

is once again Australia's best finisher at the

IAAF World Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the Int ...

, this time staged in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. He finishes in 14th place (36:10.9) in the long-distance race over 12,000 metres. *8 June — Stephen Austin wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:15:59 in Sydney, while

Margaret Reddan Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian. Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular through ...

claims the women's title in 2:48:28. *29 June — Last game of

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...

is played at the Sydney Sports Ground.

Eastern Suburbs 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 ...

defeat the

North Sydney Bears The North Sydney Bears is an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. The club competes in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 90 years in t ...

21–14. *27 September —

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 ...

(16.14.110) defeats Carlton (9.14.68) in the 1986 VFL Grand Final to win the 90th VFL premiership. *28 September — ** Minor premiers

defeat the Canterbury Bulldogs 4–2 in the lowest scoring grand final in history to win the 79th

NSWRL The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was ...

premiership. It is the Eels' most recent premiership win. The

Illawarra Steelers The Illawarra Steelers are an Australian rugby league football club based in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales. The club competed in Australia's top-level rugby league competition from 1982 until 1998. On the 13th of December 1980, they ...

finish in last position, claiming their second straight wooden spoon. ** The

Clive Churchill Medal The Clive Churchill Medal is the award given to the player judged to be man-of-the-match in the National Rugby League's annual Grand Final. The award was created to honour Clive Churchill, one of the greatest rugby league players in Australian ...

, made to honour the late

Clive Churchill Clive Bernard Churchill AM (21 January 1927 – 9 August 1985) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach in the mid-20th century. An Australian international and New South Wales and Queensland interstate representative ...

(who died the previous year), is awarded to its inaugural recipient,

halfback Peter Sterling. *4 November — At Talaq wins

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

ridden by Michael Clarke. *

Brownlow Medal The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal (and informally as "Charlie"), is awarded to the "best and fairest" player in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the home-and-away season, as determined by votes cast by t ...

awarded to

Robert DiPierdomenico Berto "Robert" DiPierdomenico (born 5 May 1958) is a retired Australian rules footballer who represented in the Australian Football League (AFL) from the 1970s to the 1990s. Popularly known by his nickname "Dipper", DiPierdomenico is one of th ...

(

) and Greg Williams ( Sydney)
Farrier Command 10
"Aussie" was constructed and launched.

Births

January

* 7 January – Shane Alexander, volleyball player * 8 January – Scott Anderson, rugby player * 9 January –

Paul Benz Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

, Paralympic athlete * 10 January –

Des Abbott Desmond Abbott (born 10 January 1986 in Darwin) is an Australian field hockey midfield/striker from the Northern Territory. He is a member of the Australia men's national field hockey team, having made his debut on 28 January 2007. He won go ...

, field hockey player * 14 January –

Sam Butler Samuel Butler (born 14 January 1986) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL). A talented underage soccer player from Gawler, South Australia, who only ...

, footballer * 20 January – Kevin Parker, singer/songwriter and guitarist * 21 January – Kirin J. Callinan, singer/songwriter and guitarist * 23 January –

Joseph Brennan Joseph Brennan may refer to: Politicians * Joseph Brennan (senator) (died 1950), Irish senator *Joseph Brennan (Clann na Poblachta politician) (1889–1968), Irish TD 1948–1951 *Joseph Brennan (Fianna Fáil politician) (1912–1980), Irish gove ...

, author * 28 January –

Nathan Outteridge Nathan James Outteridge (born 28 January 1986) is an Australian sailor, a resident of Lake Macquarie. Career highlights Olympics :2008 – Beijing Olympics 5th, 49er (with Ben Austin) :2012 – London Olympics 1st, 49er (with Iain Jen ...

, sailor

February

* 3 February – Selasi Berdie, rugby player * 4 February –

Jackie Barnes Jackie James Barnes (born 4 February 1986) is an Australian drummer and singer. He has been performing since the age of four and has appeared on over 60 releases since 1990. He is the third child and only son of Jimmy Barnes and his wife Jane ...

, drummer for

Rose Tattoo Rose Tattoo are an Australian rock and roll band, now led by Angry Anderson, which formed in Sydney in 1976. Their sound is hard rock mixed with blues rock influences, with songs including "Bad Boy for Love", "Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw", "Nice Bo ...

* 8 February – Scott Arnold, squash player * 9 February – Marieke D'Cruz, swimmer * 12 February – Johanna Allston, orienteer * 14 February ** Daniel Conn, model and rugby player ** Cameron Crombie, Paralympic shot putter and javelin thrower * 20 February –

Shannon Ashlyn Shannon Ashlyn (born 20 February 1986) is a film and television actress, writer and director, known for her roles in the Australian horror film '' Wolf Creek 2'', the Australian television series '' Love Child'' and the film ''Zelos''. In 2018, ...

, actress * 22 February ** David Barnes, Olympic archer **

Josh Helman Joshua Helman (born 22 February 1986) is an Australian television and film actor. Helman played William Stryker in '' X-Men: Days of Future Past'', and its sequel, '' X-Men: Apocalypse''. He has also appeared in the 2015 installment of the ''Ma ...

, actor ** Joel Brunker, boxer * 23 February ** Troy Chaplin, footballer **

Kate Keltie Kate Keltie (born 23 February 1986) is an Australian former actress, best known for her role as Michelle Scully in the Australian television soap opera drama '' Neighbours''. Biography Keltie was born in Melbourne. She appeared in a number of ...

, actress * 26 February ** Lichelle Clarke, Paralympic swimmer **

Teresa Palmer Teresa Mary Palmer (born 26 February 1986) is an Australian actress. She began her career with roles in '' Bedtime Stories'' (2008), ''The Sorcerer's Apprentice'' (2010), '' Take Me Home Tonight'' (2011), and '' I Am Number Four'' (2011). She r ...

, actress, writer, model and film producer * 27 February – Jayden Attard, footballer * 28 February – Tendai Mzungu, footballer

March

* 1 March –

Kathryn Beck Kathryn Beck (born 1 March 1986) is an Australian television and theatre actress. In 2007, she played Lily Nelson in the soap opera '' Home and Away'' and the following year, she appeared in ''East of Everything''. In 2013, Beck began appearing ...

, actress * 3 March – Catherine Cannuli, soccer player and coach * 7 March – Shannon Cox, footballer * 8 March – Michelle Steele, athlete * 13 March – Gillian Alexy, actress * 14 March –

Trent Copeland Trent Aaron Copeland (born 14 March 1986) is an Australian cricket player and commentator. He is a right-arm fast bowler who currently plays first-class cricket for New South Wales. He made his Test debut for Australia against Sri Lanka in A ...

, cricketer * 15 March –

Jai Courtney Jai Courtney (; born 15 March 1986) is an Australian actor. He started his career with small roles in films and television series before being cast as Charlie in the action film '' Jack Reacher'' (2012). He has gone on to star in '' A Good Day t ...

, actor * 17 March –

Chelsea Baker Chelsea Baker (born 17 March 1986) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played for the Central Queensland Capras in the QRL Women's Premiership. Primarily a , she played for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL Women's Premiership, w ...

, rugby player * 18 March –

Arlo Bugeja Arlo (Budgie) Bugeja (born 18 March 1986 in Humbug Scrub, Adelaide, South Australia) is an Australian speedway rider. Starting with Gillman Speedway he moved to the UK to mechanic for Glasgow Tigers' Lee Smethills, before getting his Premier ...

, speedway rider * 19 March – Daniel Dillon, basketball player * 20 March **

Ruby Rose Ruby Rose Langenheim (born 20 March 1986) is an Australian model, actress, disc jockey and television presenter. Rose was a presenter on MTV Australia (2007–2011), followed by several high-profile modelling gigs, including Maybelline New Yor ...

, actress, model, and television presenter **

Dean Geyer Dean Stanley Geyer (born 20 March 1986) is a South African Australian singer-songwriter, actor and martial artist who finished third in the 2006 season of the talent show television series ''Australian Idol'', and has had a notable role in the ...

, actor, singer and Australian Idol contestant * 22 March – Andrew Barisic, footballer * 26 March – Jessica Hart, model * 27 March – Joshua Allison, wheelchair basketball player * 28 March –

Richard Cardozo Richard "Richie" Cardozo (born 28 March 1986 in Australia) is an Australian football (soccer) player who plays in the position of attacking midfielder or striker. He currently plays for Mt Druitt Town Rangers. Early life Cardozo was born in ...

, footballer

April

* 1 April – James Albury, baseball player * 3 April – Burt Cockley, cricketer * 4 April ** Steven Brown, judoka personnel ** Bevan Calvert, handball player ** Erin Carroll, badminton player * 11 April –

Hayley Aitken Hayley Michelle Aitken (born 11 April 1986) is an Australian pop singer-songwriter and record producer who also performs mononymously as Hayley. She had a top 40 hit on the ARIA Singles Chart with her second single, "Kiss Me Quick" (July ...

, pop singer/songwriter * 16 April **

Miles Armstrong Miles Armstrong (born 16 April 1986) is a retired Australian tennis player. He now teaches at a regional school in Western Australia. Armstrong has a career high Association of Tennis Professionals, ATP singles ranking of 268 achieved on 8 Sept ...

, tennis player ** Bronwen Knox, water polo player * 24 April –

Tahyna Tozzi Tahyna MacManus (née Tozzi; born 24 April 1986) is an Australian actress, director, writer and producer. Tahyna starred in several television series and film blockbusters including ''X-Men Origins: Wolverine'' before moving to roles behind the ...

, model, singer and actress * 29 April –

Danny Clayton Danny J. Clayton is an Australian Television and radio presenter, host and DJ with four ASTRA Award nominations. Growing up on Sydney's Northern Beaches, Clayton attended St Aloysius' College. Whilst he was still at school Clayton entered C ...

, television and radio presenter

May

* 1 May – Adam Casey footballer * 4 May –

Zoë Badwi Zoë Badwi (born 4 May 1986) is an Australian singer, songwriter, model, and actress.Mark Furze Mark Furze (born 7 May 1986) is an Australian actor and musician. Career Furze starred in several productions by the Orange, New South Wales, Orange Theatre Company, playing the lead role in a version of ''Oliver!'' aged 10. His first TV appea ...

, actor and singer * 9 May – Kirby Bentley, footballer * 16 May – Paul Carroll, volleyball player * 23 May –

Marcus Allan Marcus Allan (born 23 May 1986) is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. He played for WAFL club Claremont in 2008. He is currently playing for the Old Xaverians in the VAFA. He is the sοn of Collingwood and ...

, footballer * 28 May ** Berrick Barnes, rugby union player ** Chris Bond, wheelchair rugby player

June

* 2 June **

Todd Carney Todd Carney (born 2 June 1986), also known by the nickname of "Toddy", is an Australian former professional rugby league player who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He has previously played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Sydney Roosters and ...

, rugby player ** Pekahou Cowan, rugby player * 5 June –

Ahren Stringer The Amity Affliction is an Australian metalcore band from Gympie, Queensland, formed in 2003. The band's current line-up consists of Ahren Stringer (bass, clean vocals), Joel Birch (lead vocals), Dan Brown (guitar) and Joe Longobardi (drums). T ...

, musician, bassist and singer for

The Amity Affliction The Amity Affliction is an Australian metalcore band from Gympie, Queensland, formed in 2003. The band's current line-up consists of Ahren Stringer (bass, clean vocals), Joel Birch (lead vocals), Dan Brown (guitar) and Joe Longobardi (drums). ...

* 6 June –

Nathan van Berlo Nathan van Berlo (born 6 June 1986) is a former Australian rules football player who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by the club with pick 24 in the 2004 National Draft. He was th ...

, footballer * 12 June ** Benjamin Schmideg, actor ** Harry Taylor, footballer * 15 June – Ronnie Buckley, discus thrower * 29 June –

Christopher Egan Christopher Andrew Egan (born 29 June 1984) is an Australian actor. He played Nick Smith (Home and Away), Nick Smith in the Australian soap opera ''Home and Away'' from 2000 to 2003, and David Shepherd on the NBC television drama ''Kings (U.S. ...

, actor

July

Natalie_Tran_at_Australia_Paper_Towns_Premiere

* 4 July – Leah Blayney, footballer and coach * 8 July – Timothy Cox, baseball player * 11 July – Bryn Coudraye, Olympic rower * 12 July ** 360, rapper **

Krystal Forscutt Krystal Forscutt (married name Krystal Hipwell) is an Australian former model and reality television contestant. Since then she has gone into work as a waitress and as a personal trainer.Nic Beveridge Nic Beveridge (born 14 July 1986) is an elite Australian triathlete with a disability. He represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics when Triathlon made its debut at the Games and 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. He represented Australia at the ...

, Paralympic triathlete * 16 July –

Leith Brodie Leith Brodie (born 16 July 1986) is an Australian sprint freestyle and medley swimmer who is an Olympic bronze medalist and was trained by John Robinson at Albany Creek Swim Club. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Brodie won a pair of ...

, swimmer * 18 July ** Simon Clarke, Olympic cyclist **

James Sorensen James Sorensen (born 18 July 1986 in Melbourne, Australia) is a former professional model and actor. He is best known for portraying Declan Napier in the soap opera '' Neighbours''. Sorensen served in the Australian Army in his early 20s. He ...

, actor * 24 July ** Natalie Tran, comedian ** Remy Hii, Malaysian-born actor * 25 July – Travis Baird, footballer * 28 July –

Karyn Bailey Karyn Bailey (born 28 July 1986) is a former Australian netball player who played for the Melbourne Vixens, Adelaide Thunderbirds. and played for the Surrey Storm ( UK) from 2018 - 2021. After Storm's final game on Monday 21st June 2021, she r ...

, netball player

August

* 3 August –

Ryan Brabazon Ryan Brabazon (born 26 December 1986) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League. After winning the Jack Clarke Medal for fairest and best in the WAFL Colts competition he was recr ...

, footballer * 8 August – Alex Cudlin, motorcycle racer * 10 August – Mia-Rae Clifford, footballer * 11 August – Dean Timmins, English-born figure skater * 12 August – Chris Adams, rugby player * 14 August – Nigel Boogaard, footballer * 16 August – Felicity Abram, triathlete * 18 August – Anthony Alozie, Nigerian-born track and field sprinter * 19 August –

Adam Cockshell Adam Cockshell (born 19 August 1986) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited from South Australian National Football League ...

, footballer * 22 August –

Shane Cross Shane Cross (22 August 1986 – 7 March 2007) was an Australian street skateboarder from the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Cross gained global prominence within the skateboarding community during the mid-2000s, before his death in a motor ...

, skateboarder (d. 2007) * 28 August ** Briggs, rapper, record label owner, comedy writer, actor, and author ** Sarah Christophers, actress * 30 August – Ali Abbas, Iraqi-born footballer * 31 August **

Chloe Boreham Chloé Boreham (born 31 August 1986), is a Franco-Australian actress. She is best known for the leading role as detective Bridget Anderson on the Channel 7 television drama The Killing Field. Biography Early life and education Boreham was ...

, actress ** Melanie Schlanger, freestyle swimmer

September

* 4 September – Liam Adams, Olympic runner * 8 September –

Brett Anderson Brett Lewis Anderson (born 29 September 1967) is an English singer best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the band Suede. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he fronted The Tears with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler in 2004- ...

, rugby player * 10 September ** Laura Attard, footballer ** Cheyenne Campbell, rugby player * 18 September –

Eloise Mignon Eloise Mignon (born 18 September 1986) is an Australian actress. She began her career starring in children's television shows: ''The Legacy of the Silver Shadow'' and ''Silversun'' before appearing in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours''. Mi ...

, actress * 19 September –

Sally Pearson Sally Pearson, OAM (née McLellan; born 19 September 1986) is an Australian former athlete. She is the 2011 and 2017 World champion and 2012 Olympic champion in the 100 metres hurdles. She also won a silver medal in the 100 m hurdles at t ...

, Olympic hurdler * 22 September –

Ebanie Bridges Ebanie Bridges (born 22 September 1986) is an Australian professional boxer. She has held the IBF female bantamweight title since 2022. As an amateur, Bridges competed in the women's bantamweight event at the 2016 and 2017 Australasian Golden ...

, boxer * 29 September –

Greg Broughton Greg Broughton (born 29 September 1986) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club and Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). After playing in Subiaco's 2006, 20 ...

, footballer

October

* 1 October **

Prashanth Sellathurai Prashanth Sellathurai (born 1 October 1986) is an Australian gymnast.Justin Westhoff Justin Westhoff (born 1 October 1986) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the AFL. He also played for the Central District Football Club in the SANFL. He is the older brother of Matthew ...

, footballer * 4 October –

James Brooke Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak (29 April 1803 – 11 June 1868), was a British soldier and adventurer who founded the Raj of Sarawak in Borneo. He ruled as the first White Rajah of Sarawak from 1841 until his death in 1868. Brooke was b ...

, DJ and radio host * 10 October **

Julie Corletto Julie Corletto (née Prendergast; born 10 October 1986) is an Australian international netball player. She played for the Australian Diamonds and NSW Swifts but has now retired. She usually played in the positions of goal defence and wing defen ...

, netball player **

Nathan Jawai Nathan Leon Jawai (born 10 October 1986) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Darwin Salties of the NBL1 North. Standing at 209 cm, he plays at the power forward and centre positions. Early life Born at the Royal Hospi ...

, basketball player * 13 October – Sarah Calati, Paralympic wheelchair tennis player * 14 October – Nicholas Colla, actor, writer, and director * 15 October –

Tony Caine Tony Caine (born 15 October 1986), is an Australian former rugby league football player. He played in just 16 games in the National Rugby League in 2006, 2007 and 2009 for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and St George Illawarra Dragons. He is th ...

, rugby player * 16 October – Peter George, cricketer * 18 October –

Renee Bargh Renee Bargh (born 18 October 1986) is an Australian entertainment reporter, who is best known as a host of '' Channel Australia''. She is currently the weekend co-host and correspondent for ''Extra'' in the U.S. On 23 January 2020, Bargh be ...

, entertainment reporter * 20 October **

Adam D'Apuzzo Adam Leonard D'Apuzzo (born 20 October 1986) is a retired Australian association football player who played as a left-back. He retired from professional football following his release from Western Sydney Wanderers. Biography He has previously pl ...

, footballer ** Elyse Taylor, model * 21 October – Candice Dianna, singer/songwriter, voice actress, and record producer * 23 October – Max Bailey, footballer and coach * 30 October – Adam Gibson, basketball player * 31 October **

Chris Alajajian Chris Alajajian (born 31 October 1986) is an Australian-Armenian race car driver. Early career In 2004 he won the Australian Production Car Championship, becoming the youngest ever driver to win an Australian championship. In the same year he a ...

, Australian-born Armenian race car driver **

Christie Hayes Christie Lynne Hayes is an Australian actress and singer, known for her work on the television series '' Home and Away'' as Kirsty Phillips (née Sutherland) who she played from June 2000 to February 2005, and again from May 2008 to October 2 ...

, actress

November

* 1 November –

Kristina Akheeva Kristina Akheeva is an Australian actress and model. She made her Bollywood debut with 2013 film ''Yamla Pagla Deewana 2'', followed by Telugu film ''Galipatam'' which released in 2014. She debuted in Kannada in an Upendra classic ''Uppi 2''. E ...

, Russian-born actress and model * 2 November –

Lara Sacher Serena Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Lara Sacher. She made her first on-screen appearance on 9 October 2003. Serena's storylines included kissing her cousin's boyfriend, being taken advan ...

, actress * 5 November – Nathan Crawford, baseball player * 9 November –

Luke Blackwell Luke Blackwell (born 9 November 1986 in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian rules footballer. He formerly played for Carlton in the Australian Football League (AFL), and for Claremont in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) where he ...

, footballer * 10 November –

James Aspey James Aspey (born 10 November 1986) is an Australian animal rights activist and lecturer. He is best known for remaining silent for an entire year to raise awareness of animal cruelty. Personal life James Aspey was born in Sydney, Australia. As ...

, animal rights activist and lecturer * 19 November ** Renae Camino, basketball player ** Brad Hill, basketball player ** Jessicah Schipper, swimmer * 26 November **

Eddie Betts Edward Robert Betts III (born 26 November 1986) is a former Australian rules football player who played as a forward for Carlton and Adelaide in the Australian Football League. Betts was originally drafted by Carlton with pick No. 3 in the 2 ...

, footballer ** Tom Cooper, Australian-born Dutch cricketer

December

Torah_Bright_in_Nicole_Miller_at_Heart_Truth_2013_NY

* 8 December – Lara Carroll, English-born Olympic swimmer * 9 December ** Aron Baynes, basketball player **

Johannah Curran Johannah Curran (born 9 December 1986) is an Australian netball player. In 2008, Curran played for the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championship. Curran played for the West Coast Fever in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons. In 2012 she took a year ...

, netball player * 10 December – Joshua Adams, dancesport competitor * 11 December –

Jackson Bird Jackson Munro Bird (born 11 December 1986) is an Australian international cricketer. He has played for Australia in the past and currently plays first-class cricket for Tasmania. Bird is a fast-medium bowler. He is originally from Sydney and wa ...

, cricketer * 14 December –

James Aubusson James Aubusson (born 14 December 1986 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in 2000s and 2010s. He played for the Sydney Roosters and the Melbourne Storm in the Australian National ...

, rugby player * 19 December **

Luke Cook Luke Cook (born 19 December 1986) is an Australian actor, director, writer, and content creator, known for his role as Lucifer in ''Chilling Adventures of Sabrina''. Early life Cook was born in Sydney, Australia, and is the youngest of five ...

, actor, director, writer, and content creator ** Gemma Pranita, actress * 21 December –

Davey Browne Davey Browne, Jr (21 December 1986 – 14 September 2015) was an Australian professional boxer (22–2–1, 8 knockouts). Browne died three days after sustaining brain injuries in a boxing match against Filipino Carlo Magali (19–7–3, 9 KOs) ...

, boxer (d. 2015) * 22 December ** Dennis Armfield, footballer ** Arianne Caoili, Filipino-born chess player (d.

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

) * 23 December –

Beau Champion Beau Champion (born 23 December 1986) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Melbourne Storm, Gold Coast Titans and Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League. He is the second c ...

, rugby player * 27 December –

Torah Bright Torah Jane Bright (born 27 December 1986) is an Australian professional snowboarder. She is Australia's most successful Winter Olympian, former Olympic gold and silver medalist, two time X Games gold medalist, three time US Open winner, two t ...

, snowboarder * 29 December – Chris Cayzer, singer and actor * 30 December –

Tara Cheyne Tara Maree Cheyne (pronounced ''Chain'') (born 30 December 1986) is an elected Member for the Ginninderra electorate in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly as of 26 October 2016. Life, education and career prior to entering p ...

, politician

Full Date Unknown

Abdul Abdullah Abdul Abdullah (born 1986) is a Sydney-based Australian multidisciplinary artist, the younger brother of Abdul-Rahman Abdullah, also an artist. Abdul Abdullah has been a finalist several times in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes. He cre ...

, artist * Zane Banks, guitarist *

Ali Barter Alison Barter (born 1986) is an Australian pop rock singer-songwriter. Trained in classical music, Barter began writing and independently releasing pop rock in her mid-twenties. She released an EP, ''Trip'' in 2012 and was the winner of the 20 ...

, pop rock singer/songwriter *

Graeme Begbie Graeme Begbie (born January 1986 in Perth) is an Australian field hockey player. He plays club hockey for YMCC Coastal City Hockey Club. In state competitions, he plays for the WA Thundersticks in the Australian Hockey League. In 2010 he was p ...

, field hockey player * Alexander Campbell, ballet dancer * Joel Carroll, field hockey player *

Melanie Cheng Melanie Cheng is an Australian doctor and author of two books, ''Australia Day'' (2017) and ''Room for a Stranger'' (2019). Cheng draws upon her biracial, Chinese-Australian heritage as well as her experience as a medical professional to inform her ...

, doctor and author * Nadia Clancy, politician * Jesse Cox, radio producer, broadcaster, and documentary maker (d. 2017) *

Michael Czugaj Michael William Czugaj (born c. 1986) an Australian former glazier from Oxley, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, was convicted in Indonesia for drug trafficking as a member of the Bali Nine. In 2005, Czugaj was arrested at Ngurah Rai Internat ...

, glazier and convicted drug trafficker

Deaths

* 21 October —

(born 1922), former Attorney-General of Australia and High Court judge * 7 November —

Tracy Pew Tracy Franklin Pew (19 December 1957 – 7 November 1986) was an Australian musician, and bassist for The Birthday Party. He was later a member of The Saints, and worked with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. As a member of the Birthday Party, Pe ...

(born 1957), bass guitarist for The Birthday Party * 12 December – Buddy Williams (born 1918), country musician

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1986 in Australia Australia Years of the 20th century in Australia

Incumbents

State and Territory Leaders

Governors and Administrators

Events

January

February

March

April

May

July

August

September

October

November

December

Arts and literature

Film

Law

Music

Television

Sport

Births

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Full Date Unknown

Deaths

See also

References