2017 in Australia
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The following lists events that happened during 2017 in Australia.


Incumbents

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Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
*
Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
Sir 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, ...
*
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Turnbull grad ...
**
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, ...
Barnaby Joyce Barnaby Thomas Gerard Joyce (born 17 April 1967) is an Australian politician who served as the 17th deputy prime minister of Australia under Malcolm Turnbull from 2016 to 2018 and under Scott Morrison from 2021 to 2022. He was the leader of the ...
(until 27 October; from 6 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 ...
Bill Shorten William Richard Shorten (born 12 May 1967) is an Australian politician currently serving as Minister for Government Services and Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme since 2022. He previously served as leader of the opposition a ...
* Chief Justice
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 ...
(until 29 January), then
Susan Kiefel Susan Mary Kiefel (; born 17 January 1954) is the chief justice of Australia, in office since 30 January 2017. She has served on the High Court since 2007, having previously been a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland and the Federal Cou ...


State and territory leaders

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Premier of New South Wales The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster Parliamentary System, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislature. ...
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 W ...
(until 23 January), then
Gladys Berejiklian Gladys Berejiklian (born 22 September 1970) is an Australian former politician who served as the 45th premier of New South Wales and the leader of the New South Wales division of the Liberal Party from 2017 to 2021. Berejiklian became a member ...
**
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 ...
Luke Foley Luke Aquinas Foley (born 27 July 1970) is a former Australian Labor Party politician who served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of New South Wales from 2015 to 2018. Foley was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Counci ...
*
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 ...
Annastacia Palaszczuk Annastacia Palaszczuk ( , Polish: Annastacia Pałaszczuk, ; born 25 July 1969) is an Australian politician who has been the 39th premier of Queensland since 2015 and the leader of the Queensland branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since ...
**
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 ...
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 ...
(until 12 December), then
Deb Frecklington Deborah Kay Frecklington (born 3 September 1971) is an Australian politician who is the member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for Nanango, having won the seat at the 2012 state election. She was the Leader of the Queensland Opposit ...
*
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 ...
Jay Weatherill Jay Wilson Weatherill (born 3 April 1964) is an Australian politician who was the 45th Premier of South Australia, serving from 21 October 2011 until 19 March 2018. Weatherill represented the House of Assembly seat of Cheltenham as a member of ...
**
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 Ta ...
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 Division ...
** Opposition LeaderBryan Green (until 17 March), then Rebecca White * Premier of Victoria
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 LeaderMatthew Guy * Premier of Western AustraliaColin Barnett (until 17 March), then Mark McGowan ** Opposition LeaderMark McGowan (until 17 March), then
Mike Nahan Michael Dennis Nahan (born 2 July 1950) is a former Australian politician who was Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia's Western Australian branch and Leader of the Opposition from the 2017 state election until his resignation in June 201 ...
*
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 ...
Andrew Barr ** Opposition LeaderAlistair Coe * Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
Michael Gunner Michael Patrick Francis Gunner (born 6 January 1976) is an Australian politician and was the 11th Chief Minister of the Northern Territory from 2016 to 2022. He is a Labor member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, having held his se ...
** Opposition LeaderGary Higgins


Governors and administrators

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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 ...
David Hurley * Governor of Queensland
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 edu ...
*
Governor of South Australia The governor of South Australia is the representative in South Australia of the Monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III. The governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the governor-gene ...
Hieu Van Le * Governor of TasmaniaKate Warner * Governor of VictoriaLinda Dessau * Governor of Western Australia
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 ...
* Administrator of the Australian Indian Ocean TerritoriesBarry Haase (until 4 October), then Natasha Griggs * Administrator of Norfolk IslandGary Hardgrave (until 31 March), then
Eric Hutchinson Eric Hutchinson (born September 8, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his songs " Rock & Roll", "OK, It's Alright with Me", "Not There Yet", "Watching You Watch Him", and "Tell the World". Hutchinson was named an AOL "About t ...
* Administrator of the Northern TerritoryJohn Hardy (until 30 October), then Vicki O'Halloran


Events


January

*1 January – **The 15% backpacker tax takes effect, as well as changes to the pension assets test. **The National Archives releases the 1992–93 Federal Cabinet papers. The Queensland State Archives releases the 1986 State Cabinet documents under the 30-year embargo rule. *2 January– **Federal government backbencher Tony Abbott calls for Australia to relocate its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. *3 January– **Social Services Minister Christian Porter defends the Centrelink debt recovery system and said of 169,000 review letters sent since July, only 0.16 per cent had resulted in complaints. **The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission's website is hacked, purportedly by an international hacking group, sending it offline for several hours. **West Australian Labor Leader Mark McGowan outlines a scheme called Target 120, which he promises to implement if Labor wins the March election, to focus on the state's worst young offenders with $22 million to provide comprehensive support to dysfunctional families. *4 January – **Defence Minister
Marise Payne Marise Ann Payne (born 29 July 1964) is an Australian politician who served in the Morrison Government as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2022 and as Minister for Women from 2019 to 2022. She has been a Senator for New South Wales sin ...
announces that Indonesia has formally suspended all military co-operation with Australia, allegedly over some offensive training material which was on display at an Australian Special Forces base in Perth. **West Australian Local government Minister Paul Miles announces that the Shire of Exmouth Council has been suspended for six months following and investigation by the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) into alleged corruption and financial mismanagement, with the Local government Minister. ** The West Australian Opposition promises to axe the $450 million extension of Roe Highway across the Beeliar Wetlands and the entire Perth Freight Link if it wins the state election in March. **Tasmanian Premier
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 Division ...
admits he had a mobile phone in his hands when he was behind the wheel of a car and says he will voluntarily speak to police about it. **Port Augusta residents confront the South Australian Environment Minister Ian Hunter over ash dust which is blanketing the town. Heavy rain in the previous week had caused the ash from the former Port Augusta power station to blow across the area. *5 January – The Victorian government announces that it will launch a High Court appeal over an Ombudsman investigation into allegations that Labor MPs rorted their parliamentary entitlements. The Supreme Court of Victoria had earlier ruled that the Ombudsman could investigate allegations MPs misused their taxpayer-funded entitlements by letting paid staffers work in campaign roles in the lead up to the 2014 state election. *6 January – **The Federal government stops the import of green prawns due to white spot disease. **Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley says that her purchase of a $795,000 apartment while on the Gold Coast was "neither planned nor anticipated". *7 January – **A funeral is held for Josiah Sisson, a 9-year-old boy who was killed by a drunk driver in Springwood on Christmas Day 2016. *9 January – **Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley stands aside while travel claims are being investigated after further allegations were revealed that she made at least 18 taxpayer funded trips to the Golds Coast during her time as Health Minister. ** One Nation Leader
Pauline Hanson Pauline Lee Hanson (''née'' Seccombe, formerly Zagorski; born 27 May 1954) is an Australian politician who is the founder and leader of One Nation, a right-wing populist political party. Hanson has represented Queensland in the Australian ...
is adamant that she alone made the decision to disendorse the Bundamba candidate Shan Ju Lin after her anti-gay social media post. **The Commonwealth Ombudsman agrees to Independent MP Andrew Wilkie's request for an investigation into Centrelink's debt recovery system after widespread criticism of its new automated data matching system which uses information from the Australian Taxation Office and has been producing incorrect debt notices. *10 January – **The Federal government announces a long-awaited overhaul of MP's travel entitlements. **The South Australian government opens a special health clinic at the Port Augusta hospital in response to community health concerns after ash clouds flared up from the old power station. Premier
Jay Weatherill Jay Wilson Weatherill (born 3 April 1964) is an Australian politician who was the 45th Premier of South Australia, serving from 21 October 2011 until 19 March 2018. Weatherill represented the House of Assembly seat of Cheltenham as a member of ...
concedes that embattled Sustainability, Environment and Conservation Minister Ian Hunter could have shown more empathy to Port Augusta residents instead of politicising the issue. *11 January – **Claims emerge that 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 Curtin ...
claimed her attendance at a polo match as an expense. **Former One Nation Senator
Rod Culleton Rodney Norman Culleton (born 5 June 1964) is an Australian politician who was sworn in and sat as a Senator for Western Australia following the 2016 federal election. At that time he was a member of the Pauline Hanson's One Nation party, but o ...
loses his Senate seat weeks after the
Federal Court of Australia The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law (with the exception of family law matters), along with some summary (less serious) and indic ...
declares him bankrupt. *12 January – After three years of court hearings and four separate trials, a jury finds Robert Xie guilty of the Lin family murders in July 2009. *15 January – **Severe storms lash south-east Queensland leaving 1,500 homes without power. The suburb of Chandler in Brisbane records 102 mm. of rain in the space of half an hour. Some suburbs of Brisbane and Ipswich are flooded. **Claims emerge that Finance Minister Mathias Cormann made a $23,000 taxpayer funded trip to Broome. *16 January – **Steven Young defects to One Nation. **A car is firebombed over Sydney fish market development plans. *17 January – **The search for missing flight MH 370 is suspended after searching 170,000 square kilometres of the ocean. **The Supreme Court of ACT rejects Julian Knight's bid for an extension of time to bring a case of damages against the Commonwealth. Julian Knight was responsible for the Hoddle Street massacre in 1987. *18 January – **Greg Hunt is named as new Federal Health Minister as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull reshuffles his Cabinet for the fourth time since taking office. **Multiple blazes burn out of control across parts of New South Wales, particularly in the Hunter Valley. **West Australian Premier Colin Barnett rules out any attempt to ban Muslims from wearing burkas, but says he would prefer "that type of clothing" was not worn in Australia. *19 January – 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 W ...
announces his resignation, after nearly three years in office. *20 January – Five people are killed and over 30 injured when a man drives a car into pedestrians on Bourke Street in the Melbourne City Centre. *22 January – **Victorian Premier
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 ...
considers changes to the state's bail laws in the wake of the Bourke Street incident. A new 'night court' will be set up for magistrates to hear bail requests from violent suspects after hours **Opponents of forced council mergers protest in Sydney. *23 January – **
Gladys Berejiklian Gladys Berejiklian (born 22 September 1970) is an Australian former politician who served as the 45th premier of New South Wales and the leader of the New South Wales division of the Liberal Party from 2017 to 2021. Berejiklian became a member ...
is sworn in as the 45th
Premier of New South Wales The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster Parliamentary System, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislature. ...
. **A 28-year-old actor is shot and killed in Brisbane, during the filming of a music video for the band
Bliss n Eso Bliss n Eso (formerly known as Bliss n' Esoterikizm) are an Australian hip hop trio based in Sydney. They are currently signed to Melbourne record label Illusive Sounds, and are managed and booked by label co-founders Adam Jankie and Matt Gudin ...
. **The Queensland government winds back its lockout laws. The 1 am lockout will remain but identification scanners will be introduced. **Dimitrious Gargasoulas is charged with 5 counts of murder over the Bourke Street attack. *25 January – **Fifteen detainees escape from the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre in Victoria. Police eventually re-capture all the escapees. ** South Australia Opposition Leader Steven Marshall promotes two younger MPs to the frontbench at the expense of long-serving shadow ministers Duncan McFetridge and Steven Griffiths. David Speirs will take on the shadow environment portfolio and Stephan Knoll has been given the police, corrections and emergency services portfolios. *26 January – **A police officer is injured and one person is arrested after protesters clash with police in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, during demonstrations denouncing Australia Day. **Two people are killed (mining engineer Peter Lynch and his girlfriend), and festivities are cancelled, when a light plane crashes into the Swan River, during Australia Day celebrations in Perth. *27 January – **The District Court of Queensland sentences former Billabong CEO Matthew Perin to 8 years imprisonment for fraud. **New South Wales Health Minister Jillian Skinner resigns. **The New South government announces the construction of the WestConnex tunnel. **The
Supreme Court of Queensland The Supreme Court of Queensland is the highest court in the Australian State of Queensland. It was formerly the Brisbane Supreme Court, in the colony of Queensland. The original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court allows its trial division to he ...
sentences a father to 9 years' imprisonment for severe injuries inflicted on a one-month-old girl. **The Dow Jones breaks through 20,000 for the first time. *28 January – **One Nation disendorses candidate Peter Rogers, who had previously expressed his view that the Port Arthur massacre was a conspiracy. *29 January – **Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Turnbull grad ...
announces that US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will honour the refugee swap deal with Australia as agreed by the Obama administration. **The New South Wales Cabinet is reshuffled. **The Queensland government announces financial support for a boxing match to be held at Suncorp Stadium on 23 April between boxers Jeff Horn and Manny Pacquiao. **Year One students will undergo compulsory testing under a Federal government plan. *30 January –
Susan Kiefel Susan Mary Kiefel (; born 17 January 1954) is the chief justice of Australia, in office since 30 January 2017. She has served on the High Court since 2007, having previously been a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland and the Federal Cou ...
is sworn in as the 13th
Chief Justice of Australia The Chief Justice of Australia is the presiding Justice of the High Court of Australia and the highest-ranking judicial officer in the Commonwealth of Australia. The incumbent is Susan Kiefel, who is the first woman to hold the position. Co ...
. *31 January – **The Federal government announces plans to review child care and to cut family tax benefits. **Federal Opposition Leader
Bill Shorten William Richard Shorten (born 12 May 1967) is an Australian politician currently serving as Minister for Government Services and Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme since 2022. He previously served as leader of the opposition a ...
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 ...
outlining the Labor Party's policy of investing in apprenticeships.


February

*1 February – **Teresa Bradford is found dead at her Pimpama home, having been killed by her husband who had been let out on bail. The case prompts widespread calls for an overhaul of bail laws in Queensland. **Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Turnbull grad ...
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 ...
and says the government will focus this year on keeping a lid on household electricity prices. Mr Turnbull also later admits that he donated $1.75 million to the Liberal Party. **West Australian Premier Colin Barnett announces a 11 March election date. **Police move on a group of homeless people camped outside Flinders Street Station, Melbourne, prompting minor protests. * 2 February – **A report by The Washington Post reported that US President Donald Trump berated Malcolm Turnbull during a phone call which Trump dubbed his "worst call by far". The pair discussed the "dumb" refugee deal between Australia and the
Obama administration Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. A Democrat from Illinois, Obama took office following a decisive victory over Republican ...
, before he abruptly ended the call. **Clothing retailers Marcs and David Lawrence are placed into voluntary administration. **In a landmark decision, the Federal Court finds that a $1.3b Western Australian land use agreement with the Noongar people cannot be registered. *6 February – **
Sapphire Jubilee of Elizabeth II The Sapphire Jubilee of Elizabeth II on 6 February 2017, marked 65 years of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. The longest-reigning monarch in British history, Elizabeth II was the first British monarch to have a sapphire jubilee. Unlike her Silver, ...
's accession as Queen of Australia **Queensland Transport Minister
Stirling Hinchliffe Stirling James Hinchliffe (born 23 November 1970), is an Australian politician. Born in Dalby, Queensland, he was educated at state schools and received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland. He was a property industry analyst, ...
resigns. A report by commissioner Phillip Strachan is released and finds that Queensland Rail drivers took an average of 18 months to complete their training – seven months longer than their counterparts in Sydney. *7 February – **Senator Corey Bernardi quits the Liberal Party of Australia to form a new political party, the Australian Conservatives. **The Federal government retreats from a plan to compulsorily acquire land to expand military training in Queensland. *8 February – **Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Turnbull grad ...
calls Bill Shorten a "simpering sycophant" due to his past association with the late packaging billionaire Dick Pratt suggesting he drank French champagne while selling out workers. * 10–12 February – **A heat wave in south-eastern Australia results in record breaking temperatures and extensive power loss. High winds on 12 February, spark up to 26 blazes across New South Wales, especially in the Central West and Mid North Coast regions. **Heavy rain throughout the
South West The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
regions of Western Australia causes widespread flooding. The entire towns of Wagin and Gnowangerup become cut off, and Perth experiences its second wettest day in history, 6mm short of the record set in 1992. * 16 February – Police find Olympic gold medalist Grant Hackett in a "disturbed" state of mind, less than twelve hours after he was reported missing on the Gold Coast. *17 February – Renegade Federal Nationals MP George Chistensen confirms that he drafted a so-called 'letter of demand' to the Prime Minister, but says he never sent it. *18 February – Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Turnbull grad ...
visits Queenstown, New Zealand and rejects calls to exclude the big four banks from the company tax cuts. * 21 February – **Five people are killed when a light plane crashes into the DFO Essendon shopping centre near Essendon Airport. **Human remains found at Mount Macedon are identified as those of Karen Ristevski, missing since 29 June 2016. On 13 December 2017 her husband Borce was charged with her murder. **Victorian Premier
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 ...
rejects the State Coroner's push for a safe injecting room. *28 February – **A 42-year-old man is arrested in Young, after allegedly trying to help the Islamic State develop laser missile detection equipment, as well as their own missile arsenal. **Two members of the Brothers for Life street gang, Farhad and Mumtaz Qaumi, are convicted for the murder of "standover man" Joe Antuon, in his Strathfield home on 16 December 2013.


March

* 2 March – A man is arrested over a suspicious fire in a Footscray factory, which killed three people the previous night. * 8 March – Shyam Acharya is charged for using another person's name and medical qualifications to become registered as a doctor in New South Wales for over 11 years. His whereabouts are unknown, but police say he has fled the country. * 11 March – The Western Australian state election is held. The Labor Party led by Mark McGowan defeats the Liberal government of Colin Barnett. * 14 March – The South Australian government announces a $550 million plan which will see the construction of Australia's largest grid-connected battery, and a 250MW gas-fired power plant to provide emergency back-up power and system stability services for South Australia. This comes after the controversial statewide blackout in September 2016. * 28 March – Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie makes landfall between Airlie Beach and
Bowen Bowen may refer to: Places Australia * Bowen, Queensland, a town * Bowen Hills, Queensland, a suburb ** Bowen Hills railway station, a railway station in Bowen Hills ** Bowen Park, Brisbane, a park in Bowen Hills * Bowen Bridge, crossing the Derw ...
in north Queensland. Power outages affect over 140,000 properties across Queensland. * 29 March – The
Hazelwood Power Station The Hazelwood Power Station is a decommissioned brown coal-fuelled thermal power station located in the Latrobe Valley of Victoria, Australia. Built between 1964 and 1971, the 1,600-megawatt-capacity power station was made up of eight 200MW unit ...
in Victoria's Latrobe Valley was taken off-line, after first coming into operation in 1964. * 30 March – ** Flash flooding as a result of Cyclone Debbie, occurs in much of Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales. Some 23,000 people are ordered to evacuate near the
Logan Logan may refer to: Places * Mount Logan (disambiguation) Australia * Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly * Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud * Logan City, local gover ...
, Albert, Tweed and Wilson Rivers, the city of Lismore is completely submerged in three-metre high floodwaters, and the Tweed, Byron, Richmond Valley,
Kyogle Kyogle () is a town in the Northern Rivers region of northern New South Wales, Australia. It falls within the local government area of Kyogle Council. At the 2016 census, Kyogle had a population of 2,751 people. Kyogle is known as a "gateway" ...
, Ballina, and
Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of the ...
local government areas are severely affected. ** The
Australian Bureau of Statistics The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is the independent statutory agency of the Australian Government responsible for statistical collection and analysis and for giving evidence-based advice to federal, state and territory governments ...
population figures are released, confirming that the population of Greater Sydney has reached 5 million mark. ** The
Australian Senate The Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives (Australia), House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Chapter ...
votes down changes to Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 with 31 voting against ( Labor,
Greens Greens may refer to: *Leaf vegetables such as collard greens, mustard greens, spring greens, winter greens, spinach, etc. Politics Supranational * Green politics * Green party, political parties adhering to Green politics * Global Greens * Europ ...
, Lambie, Nick Xenophon Team) and 28 voting for (
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 ...
, Derryn Hinch, One Nation, and Liberal Democrat).


April

* 1–3 April – Ongoing floods in the Northern New South Wales towns of Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah, Gungal and
Tumbulgum Tumbulgum ( ) is a village in northern New South Wales, Australia. It is in the Tweed Shire local government area, at the confluence of the Rous and Tweed Rivers, north east of the state capital, Sydney and south east of Brisbane. At the , ...
claim the lives of 9 people, including 3 children. * 5 April – ** Australia's largest ever seizure of ice occurs in Melbourne, a record 903 kg of the drug discovered beneath floorboards in a Nunawading property. ** Former Family First Senator
Bob Day Robert John Day (born 5 July 1952) is an Australian former politician and businessman who was a Senator for South Australia from 1 July 2014 to 1 November 2016. He is a former federal chairman of the Family First Party. Before entering po ...
who resigned following his re-election in the previous year, was ruled ineligible to run last year following an 'indirect pecuniary interest' with the
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
. The ruling by the High Court meant that a recount of last election's votes would be necessary. * 7 April – Two teenagers, inspired by terrorists, aged 15 and 16, are arrested after they fatally stabbed one man and injured another, inside a
Queanbeyan Queanbeyan ( ) is a city in the south-eastern region of New South Wales, Australia, located adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory in the Southern Tablelands region. Located on the Queanbeyan River, the city is the council seat of the ...
service station. * 14 April – After a confrontation earlier in the day, a group of locals and personnel from a nearby military base, storm Australia's
Manus Island detention centre The Manus Regional Processing Centre, or Manus Island Regional Processing Centre (MIRCP), was one of a number of offshore Australian immigration detention facilities. The centre was located on the PNG Navy Base Lombrum (previously a Royal Aus ...
in Papua New Guinea. * 17 April – A 17-year-old girl is killed by a shark while surfing off the coast of Esperance, Western Australia. * 18 April – Malcolm Turnbull makes a controversial decision to scrap the
457 visa In Australia, the 457 visa was the most common visa for Australian or overseas employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers to work temporarily in Australia. It was abolished on 18 March 2018 by the Turnbull government and replaced by another vis ...
program, citing that Australians should come before overseas workers. * 26 April – The Family First Party merges with the Australian Conservatives party founded by Senator Cory Bernardi.


May

* 3 May – Staff at '' The Sydney Morning Herald'', '' The Age'' and the ''
Australian Financial Review ''The Australian Financial Review'' (abbreviated to the ''AFR'') is an Australian business-focused, compact daily newspaper covering the current business and economic affairs of Australia and the world. The newspaper is based in Sydney, New Sou ...
'' newspapers begin a seven-day strike, after Fairfax Media announces it will cut 125 editorial jobs. * 4 May – Malcolm Turnbull meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in New York City, 75 years after the
Battle of the Coral Sea The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the batt ...
. This was their first face-to-face meeting after their infamous phone call in February. * 7 May – Celebrity chef
George Calombaris George Dimitrios Calombaris (born 4 October 1978) is an Australian chef and restaurateur. Calombaris was one of the judges of the Network 10 series '' MasterChef Australia'' from 2009 to 2019. Prior to his role on ''MasterChef Australia'', Calo ...
is charged with common assault after attacking a 19-year-old during the
2017 A-League grand final The 2017 A-League Grand Final was the twelfth A-League Grand Final, and was played on 7 May 2017, at Sydney Football Stadium, Allianz Stadium in Sydney. The match was contested between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory FC, Melbourne Victory who f ...
. * 9 May – **Treasurer Scott Morrison announces the
2017 Australian federal budget The 2017 Australian federal budget was the federal budget to fund government services and operations for the 2017–18 financial year. The budget was presented to the House of Representatives by Treasurer Scott Morrison on 9 May 2017. It was th ...
. The most notable developments included an increase to the
Medicare Levy Medicare is the publicly-funded universal health care insurance scheme in Australia, operated by the nation's social security department, Services Australia. Medicare is the principal way Australian citizens and permanent residents access most ...
(which will help fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme), a new levy on the
Big Four banks The Big Four (or Big 4) is the colloquial name given to the four main banks in several countries where the banking industry is dominated by just four institutions and where the phrase has thus gained relevance. Some countries include more or less i ...
, and increased university fees. **The Australian Cornish Mining Sites were inscribed on the Australian National Heritage List. * 19 May – Artefacts inside a Barrow Island cave, provide archaeologists with the earliest known evidence of Aboriginal occupation in Australia, dating back more than 50,000 years ago. * 28 May – More than 12 years after being arrested on drug charges in
Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...
, Schapelle Corby arrives back in Australia amid a media circus. * 29 May – **Gregory Keith Davies, 74, pleads guilty to the rape and murder of Kylie Maybury in 1984. **Senior Constable Brett Forte was shot and killed at Adare, north of Gatton, after attempting to apprehend a suspected offender. The gunman, Rick Maddison, was shot and killed the next day by police while trying to escape after a siege in a farmhouse at Ringwood, north-west of Gatton * 30 May –
Malaysian 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 MH128 is diverted back to Melbourne after a passenger attempted to breach the cockpit on its way to Kuala Lumpur.


June

* 2 June – Former NSW Minister for Mineral and Forest Resources Ian Macdonald is sentenced to 10 years in prison for criminal misconduct, for having corruptly issued mining licences at Doyles Creek in the
Hunter Valley The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to the north and so ...
. * 3 June – Two Australian women—a 21-year-old from Queensland and a 28-year-old from South Australia—are killed in a terrorist attack in London. Four Australians were also among the 48 injured. * 5 June – After killing a man, injuring two Victorian Police officers and taking a woman hostage, Yacqub Khayre is shot dead by Victorian Police in the Melbourne suburb of
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
. ISIS went on to claim responsibility for the siege. Khayre had previously been charged and acquitted for the
Holsworthy Barracks terror plot The Holsworthy Barracks terror plot was an Islamist terrorist plot uncovered in August 2009 targeting Holsworthy Barracks—an Australian Army training area located in the outer south-western Sydney suburb of Holsworthy—with automatic weapons. ...
in 2009. * 6 June – Conservative commentator Andrew Bolt was assaulted in Lygon Street, Melbourne by two masked men, while a third apparently filmed the attack. Bolt was going to the launch of ''The Art of the Impossible'' by Steve Kates,an associate professor at the
RMIT University RMIT University, officially the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology,, section 4(b) is a public research university in Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city ...
. The book is about Donald Trump and the 2016 US presidential election campaign. Melbourne Antifa, appeared to claim a connection in the incident on Facebook, posting that Bolt attacked "some of our family in solidarity.... while they were protesting today". * 12 June – ** The
2017 Queen's Birthday Honours The 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as pa ...
are announced by Sir Peter Cosgrove. ** After a failed bid for the
2022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an international association football, football tournament contested by the men's national teams of FIFA's member associations. The 22nd FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022 ...
, Football Federation Australia announces a bid for the
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is scheduled to be the ninth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup competition, the quadrennial international women's football championship contested by the women's national association football teams organised ...
. * 14 June – ** The Australian government agrees to a compensation package for asylum-seekers held at the
Manus Regional Processing Centre The Manus Regional Processing Centre, or Manus Island Regional Processing Centre (MIRCP), was one of a number of offshore Australian immigration detention facilities. The centre was located on the PNG Navy Base Lombrum (previously a Royal Aus ...
in Papua New Guinea. The terms of the settlement is reported as $70 million plus costs. **
Ten Network Holdings Ten Network Holdings Ltd, commonly referred as Paramount Australia & New Zealand, is a major media company in Australia. Headquartered in Sydney, its major asset is Network 10, a free-to-air television network. Formerly a public company listed ...
goes into voluntary administration, after failing to obtain loan guarantees from its shareholders. *15 June – Australian actress Rebel Wilson wins a high-profile defamation case against Bauer Media, claiming they painted her as a serial liar. The trial gained worldwide media attention. *19 June – The
Australian Defence Force The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...
temporarily suspends air combat missions over
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 ...
, after Russia threatened to treat any plane from the US-led coalition as a potential target. *27 June – The first full results of the infamous
2016 Australian Census The 2016 Australian census was the 17th national population census held in Australia. The census was officially conducted with effect on Tuesday, 9 August 2016. The total population of the Commonwealth of Australia was counted as – an incre ...
arrive. Religious affiliation hits an all-time low with 29.6% responding to the optional question by stating that they have 'no religion'. This is also the first Australian census wherein over a quarter (26%) of Australians are born overseas. *29 June – Victoria Police announces that Cardinal George Pell has been charged with multiple counts of historical sexual assault offences. *30 June – Australia's peacekeeping operation, Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, created in 2003, officially ends.


July

* 4 July – An investigation by the '' Guardian Australia'' reveals the illegal trading of Medicare patient details on the darknet. * 5 July – Following revelations by the ''Guardian Australia'', the
Australian Tax Office The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is an Australian statutory agency and the principal revenue collection body for the Australian Government. The ATO has responsibility for administering the Australian federal taxation system, superannuati ...
temporarily suspends medicare cards as use of proof of identification. * 7 July – Tesla announces a deal with French energy utility company Neoen to build the world's largest lithium ion battery to store renewable energy in South Australia * 14 July – **
Scott Ludlam Scott Ludlam (born 10 January 1970) is a New Zealand-born Australian former politician. A member of the Australian Greens, he was a senator in the Australian Senate from July 2008 to July 2017 and served as deputy leader of the Greens. Ludlam ...
resigns as a
Greens Greens may refer to: *Leaf vegetables such as collard greens, mustard greens, spring greens, winter greens, spinach, etc. Politics Supranational * Green politics * Green party, political parties adhering to Green politics * Global Greens * Europ ...
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
for Western Australia after discovering he holds dual citizenship with New Zealand, making him ineligible for elected office. Ludlam had been a member of Federal Parliament since 2008. ** Australia's two largest supermarket chains,
Woolworths Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to: Businesses * F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores * Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shops ...
and Coles, announce a nationwide phase out of single-use plastic bags by July 2018. * 15 July – ** Two men die in a ' freak parachuting accident' in Wilton, south of Sydney. ** A US police officer murders Australian woman Justine Damond near her home in Minneapolis, Minnesota after she called
9-1-1 , usually written 911, is an emergency telephone number for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Palau, Argentina, Philippines, Jordan, as well as the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), one of eight N11 codes. Like other emergency nu ...
to report a nearby assault. The police officers did not have their
body cameras A body camera, bodycam, body worn video (BWV), body-worn camera, or wearable camera is a wearable audio, video, or photographic recording system. Body cameras have a range of uses and designs, of which the best-known use is as a part of poli ...
turned on and the reason for the shooting is unclear, prompting protests in the city. *18 July – Larissa Waters resigns as a Greens Senator for Queensland after discovering she holds dual citizenship with Canada, and was thus ineligible to be a senator. Waters had been a member of Federal Parliament since 2011, and resigned only four days following the resignation of fellow Greens senator Scott Ludlam – who also resigned for the same reason. *26 July – A man is shot dead at Sydney's Central Station following an armed robbery and a subsequent confrontation with police. *27 July – Adelaide woman Cassandra Sainsbury is sentenced to serve six years in jail, after she was caught smuggling 5.8 kg of cocaine through Bogota's international airport in April. *30 July – Four men in the Sydney suburbs of Surry Hills, Lakemba, Wiley Park and
Punchbowl Punchbowl is an alternative spelling of punch bowl, a large bowl for serving drinks, or may refer to: Topography *Punchbowl, a type of waterfall Places * Punchbowl, Korea, valley and site of 1950s battles *Punchbowl, New South Wales, suburb of Sy ...
are arrested by
Australian police Law enforcement in Australia is one of the three major components of the country's justice system, along with courts and corrections. Law enforcement officers are employed by all three levels of government – federal, state/territory, and loc ...
for planning an 'Islamic-inspired' terrorist attack on a plane. Airport security is controversially heightened as a result, with widespread delays occurring over the following days in
Sydney International 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 ...
among others.


August

*1 August – Universities Australia releases a report which finds 51% of university students were
sexually harassed Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...
on at least one occasion in 2016. *3 August – The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre files civil proceedings in the Federal Court, alleging that the
Commonwealth Bank The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), or CommBank, is an Australian multinational bank with businesses across New Zealand, Asia, the United States and the United Kingdom. It provides a variety of financial services including retail, busines ...
has committed 53,700 breaches of money laundering and terrorism financing laws. *5 August – **The United Nations criticises Australian laws stopping same-sex couples who married overseas from getting divorced. **Three United States Marines go missing after a mishap involving an MV-22 Osprey aircraft off the coast of Queensland. *11 August – Malcolm Turnbull tells
3AW 3AW is a talkback radio station based in Melbourne. It broadcasts on 693  kHz AM. It began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne's fifth commercial radio station. The station is owned and operated by Nine Entertainment Co. Hist ...
radio station that Australia will invoke the ANZUS treaty in the event North Korea attacks the United States, following increased tensions between the two nations. *13 August –
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, ...
and leader of the Nationals
Barnaby Joyce Barnaby Thomas Gerard Joyce (born 17 April 1967) is an Australian politician who served as the 17th deputy prime minister of Australia under Malcolm Turnbull from 2016 to 2018 and under Scott Morrison from 2021 to 2022. He was the leader of the ...
refers himself to the High Court after it is revealed he is a New Zealand citizen. *17 August – ** One Nation leader
Pauline Hanson Pauline Lee Hanson (''née'' Seccombe, formerly Zagorski; born 27 May 1954) is an Australian politician who is the founder and leader of One Nation, a right-wing populist political party. Hanson has represented Queensland in the Australian ...
Hanson wears the full Islamic dress into Senate Question Time, before calling for the burqa to be banned in Australia. Audible gasps of shock were heard in the parliament. Liberal party Senator and
Attorney-General of Australia The Attorney-GeneralThe title is officially "Attorney-General". For the purposes of distinguishing the office from other attorneys-general, and in accordance with usual practice in the United Kingdom and other common law jurisdictions, the Aust ...
, George Brandis condemned Hanson's actions. **Following a vehicle-ramming attack in Barcelona, Spain, which saw seven-year-old Australian boy Julian Cadman killed, Malcolm Turnbull announces a plan to introduce statues, stairs and bollards around major city centres in counter-terrorism efforts. **South Australian senator and leader of the Nick Xenophon Team, Nick Xenophon, refers himself to the High Court after it is revealed he is a
British Overseas citizen A British Overseas citizen (BOC) is a holder of a residual class of British nationality, largely held by people connected with former British colonies who do not have close ties to the United Kingdom or its remaining overseas territories. In ...
. *25 August – A record number of Australians (approx. 95.3%) are enrolled on the Australian Electoral Commission roll, after enrolments close for the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey. It is also revealed 90,000 new voters enrolled for the survey.


September

*1–2 September – St John's Retirement Village in Wangaratta, Victoria announce that seven residents died in an
influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...
outbreak in August. The Strathdevon aged care facility in
Latrobe, Tasmania Latrobe is a town in northern Tasmania, Australia on the Mersey River. It is 8 km south-east of Devonport on the Bass Highway. It is the main centre of the Latrobe Council. At the 2006 census, Latrobe had a population of 2,843. By the ...
announced that six of its residents died from influenza in August. *1 September – Australia and Timor-Leste end their maritime boundary dispute in the Timor Sea after conciliation hearings in Copenhagen, Denmark under the auspices of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. *5 September –
United Patriots Front The United Patriots Front (UPF) was an Australian far-right extremist group that opposed immigration, multiculturalism and the religion of Islam. Formed in 2015, the group has been largely dormant since their Facebook page was deleted follow ...
(UPF)
Blair Cottrell Blair Cottrell (born November 1989) is an Australian far-right extremist, often described as a neo-Nazi. He is the former chairman and founding member of the United Patriots Front (UPF) and the Lads Society. He has been convicted of sever ...
,
Neil Erikson Neil Erikson is an Australian far-right extremist and self-proclaimed neo-Nazi. Erikson gained attention after posting a video of himself verbally abusing Iranian peoples, Iranian-born former Australian Labor Party, Labor senator Sam Dasty ...
, and Chris Shortis were found guilty by a magistrate of inciting contempt against Muslims after they had enacted and made a video of a fake beheading, to protest against the building of a mosque in
Bendigo Bendigo ( ) is a city in Victoria, Australia, located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital. As of 2019, Bendigo had an urban population of 100,991, makin ...
. Each was fined $2,000. *7 September – The
High Court of Australia The High Court of Australia is Australia's apex court. It exercises Original jurisdiction, original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified within Constitution of Australia, Australia's Constitution. The High Court was established fol ...
dismisses two legal challenges to the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey proposed by the Abbott government. *13 September – Unseasonably warm weather and strong winds see bushfires break out across New South Wales. Affected communities include Richmond Vale and Black Hill near Cessnock.


October

* 3 October – Toyota ceases vehicle production in Australia, closing its Altona manufacturing plant in Melbourne. * 6 October – The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), launched in Melbourne in 2007, wins the Nobel Peace Prize. * 27 October – The
High Court of Australia The High Court of Australia is Australia's apex court. It exercises Original jurisdiction, original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified within Constitution of Australia, Australia's Constitution. The High Court was established fol ...
rules on the
2017 Australian parliamentary eligibility crisis Seventeen or 17 may refer to: *17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18 * one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017 Literature Magazines * ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine * ''Seventeen'' (Japanese ...
declaring
Barnaby Joyce Barnaby Thomas Gerard Joyce (born 17 April 1967) is an Australian politician who served as the 17th deputy prime minister of Australia under Malcolm Turnbull from 2016 to 2018 and under Scott Morrison from 2021 to 2022. He was the leader of the ...
,
Fiona Nash Fiona Joy Nash (née Morton; born 6 May 1965) is a former Australian politician. She served as a Senator for New South Wales from 2005 to 2017, representing the National Party. She was the party's deputy leader from 2016 to 2017 and was a ca ...
and Malcolm Roberts were ineligible for election. Former Senators Larissa Waters and
Scott Ludlam Scott Ludlam (born 10 January 1970) is a New Zealand-born Australian former politician. A member of the Australian Greens, he was a senator in the Australian Senate from July 2008 to July 2017 and served as deputy leader of the Greens. Ludlam ...
were also declared ineligible. The High Court declared Matt Canavan and Nick Xenophon eligible for election.


November

* 1 November – **The Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park board votes unanimously to ban climbing of Uluru from October 2019. **President of the Senate Stephen Parry announces that the UK Home Office has confirmed he holds British citizenship, and says he will resign from the Senate on 2 November. *7 November – A flight instructor is killed and a trainee pilot injured when a helicopter crashes at Hobart Airport. *11 November – Liberal MP John Alexander resigns as the member for Bennelong after another dual citizenship revelation, which results in the Turnbull government losing its parliamentary majority. *14 November – Senator Jacqui Lambie resigns from the Senate after it is confirmed she holds British citizenship by descent. * 15 November – The
Australian Bureau of Statistics The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is the independent statutory agency of the Australian Government responsible for statistical collection and analysis and for giving evidence-based advice to federal, state and territory governments ...
releases the result of the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey: 7,817,247 'Yes' responses (61.6%), 4,873,987 'No' responses (38.4%). * 22 November – Senator
Skye Kakoschke-Moore Skye Louise Kakoschke-Moore (born 19 December 1985) is an Australian politician who was a Senator for South Australia in the Parliament of Australia from July 2016 until she resigned in November 2017 during the parliamentary eligibility crisis ...
resigns from the Senate after it is confirmed she holds British citizenship. * 25 November – A state election is held in Queensland. * 30 November – The Turnbull government announces the
Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry, also known as the Banking Royal Commission and the Hayne Royal Commission, was a royal commission established on 14 December 2017 by the Austra ...
and the following day appoints former High Court Judge Kenneth Hayne, as Royal Commissioner.


December

* 2 December –
Barnaby Joyce Barnaby Thomas Gerard Joyce (born 17 April 1967) is an Australian politician who served as the 17th deputy prime minister of Australia under Malcolm Turnbull from 2016 to 2018 and under Scott Morrison from 2021 to 2022. He was the leader of the ...
wins the New England by-election in a landslide. * 7 December – The Parliament of Australia passes the
Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017 The ''Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia, which legalises same-sex marriage in Australia by amending the '' Marriage Act 1961'' to allow marriage between two persons o ...
, legalising
same sex marriage in Australia Same-sex marriage in Australia has been legal since 9 December 2017. Legislation to allow same-sex marriage, the ''Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017'', passed the Australian Parliament on 7 December 2017 and receiv ...
. * 8 December – The Australian Labor Party is declared as the winner of the Queensland state election.
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 ...
resigns as the leader of the Liberal National Party. * 13 December – Borce Ristevski is charged with the murder of his wife. Karen Ristevski disappeared from
Avondale Heights, Victoria Avondale Heights is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Moonee Valley local government area. Avondale Heights recorded a population of 12,388 at the 2021 c ...
after an argument with her husband. Her remains were found on Mount Macedon on 20 February 2017. * 15 December – Chief Royal Commissioner, Justice
Peter McClellan Peter David McClellan is a retired judge of the New South Wales Court of Appeal who served between February 2013 and February 2018. McClellan was the Chief Royal Commissioner of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual ...
presents the final report, including recommendations, of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. * 17 December – Australian Federal Police arrest naturalised North Korean Chan Han Choi for allegedly violating UN and Australian sanctions by acting as an
economic agent In economics, an agent is an actor (more specifically, a decision maker) in a model of some aspect of the economy. Typically, every agent makes decisions by solving a well- or ill-defined optimization or choice problem. For example, ''buyers'' (c ...
for North Korea. *21 December – A driver rams pedestrians at the corner of Elizabeth and Flinders Street in Melbourne, killing 1 man and injuring 17 people in the second such attack in Melbourne, this year. *31 December – All six people on-board died when a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver seaplane crashed into Jerusalem Bay off
Cowan Creek Cowan Creek is located in New South Wales, Australia. It is a tidal subcatchment of the Hawkesbury River. Almost all of the catchment lies within Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Tributaries include Coal and Candle Creek Coal and Candle Creek i ...
in Sydney.


Music, arts and literature

*26 January – Flume's " Never Be like You" tops the Triple J's 2016 Hottest 100, becoming the first electronic song to do so. Flume's single also marked a record-breaking fourth consecutive annual countdown in which the number-one track was by an Australian artist. *27 January – The
6th AACTA Awards The 6th Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (generally known as AACTA Awards) are a series of awards which includes the 6th AACTA Awards Luncheon, the 6th AACTA Awards ceremony and the 6th AACTA International Awards. The forme ...
are held, honouring the best in Australian film, television and documentaries. Biographical war film '' Hacksaw Ridge'', takes out nine awards. *27 February – Australian biographical war film '' Hacksaw Ridge'' wins the awards for Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing at the 89th Academy Awards. *18 April – Heather Rose wins the 2017
Stella Prize The Stella Prize is an Australian annual literary award established in 2013 for writing by Australian women in all genres, worth $50,000. It was originally proposed by Australian women writers and publishers in 2011, modelled on the UK's Baileys W ...
for her novel ''
The Museum of Modern Love ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''. *23 April –
Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709  – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...
wins the Gold Logie Award for Best Personality on Australian Television at the Logie Awards of 2017, held at the
Crown Palladium Crown Melbourne (also referred to as Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex) is a casino and resort located on the south bank of the Yarra River, in Melbourne, Australia. Crown Casino is a unit of Crown Limited, and the first casino of t ...
in Melbourne. *10–14 May – Isaiah Firebrace and Anja Nissen both qualify for the 2017 Eurovision final. This is the first time two Australians have made it to the final, the latter representing Denmark. *24 July – The
17th Helpmann Awards The 17th Annual Helpmann Awards for live performance in Australia was held on 24 July 2017 at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney. Nominations were announced on 19 June 2017. The ceremony was hosted by Jan van de Stool and Tim Draxl. Winners of major a ...
for live performance in Australia are held on 24 July 2017 at the
Capitol Theatre, Sydney The Capitol Theatre is a heritage-listed theatre located at 3-15 Campbell Street, Haymarket, in the Sydney central business district, Australia. It was designed by Henry Eli White and John Eberson and built from 1893 to 1928. The property was ad ...
. *28 July –
Mitch Cairns Mitch Cairns (born 1984) is an Australian artist and cartoonist. In 2017, he won the Archibald Prize. His work has been collected by many prominent Australian institutions. Life and career Cairns was born in the Sydney suburb of Camden and gr ...
wins the 2017 Archibald Prize for his portrait of his partner, fellow artist
Agatha Gothe-Snape Agatha Gothe-Snape (born 1980) is an Australian artist who lives and works in Sydney, Australia. Her works range from digital slide presentations to performances to works on paper and, more recently, collaborative sound installations. A number of ...
. *26 August – the film ''
3rd Night ''3rd Night'' is an Australian horror film directed and written by Adam Graveley and starring Jesse McGinn, Robert Hartburn, and Bruce Denny. Plot Cast *Jesse McGinn as Meagan Reid *Robert Hartburn as Jonathan Reid *Bruce Denny as Cambo *Conn ...
'' released. *7 September – Josephine Wilson wins the
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 (1879–195 ...
literary prize for her novel ''Extinctions''.


Sport


January

* 7 January – Tennis: The French team consisting of Richard Gasquet and Kristina Mladenovic, defeat the United States 2–1 in the final of the
2017 Hopman Cup The Hopman Cup XXIX (also known as the 2017 Mastercard Hopman Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 29th edition of the Hopman Cup tournament between nations in men's and women's tennis. It took place at the Perth Arena in Perth, Western Australia ...
. * 22 January – Cycling: Richie Porte wins his first Tour Down Under, holding the race lead from the second day onwards. * 28 January – **Cricket: Sydney Sixers defeat Perth Scorchers by seven runs at the WACA Ground in Perth to win Women's Big Bash League 02. **Cricket: Perth Scorchers defeat Sydney Sixers by nine wickets at the WACA Ground in Perth to win Big Bash League 06. **Tennis: Serena Williams defeats Venus Williams 6–4 6–4 at Melbourne Park in the final of the 2017 Australian Open women's singles. **Tennis:
John Peers John William Peers (born 25 July 1988) is an Australian professional tennis player who specialises in doubles. He won his first Grand Slam title at the 2017 Australian Open, where he and Henri Kontinen won the men's doubles event. Peers also ...
and doubles partner Henri Kontinen defeat
Bob and Mike Bryan The Bryan brothers, identical twin brothers Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, are retired American professional doubles tennis players and the most successful duo of all time. They were born on April 29, 1978, with Mike being the elder by two minutes. ...
7–5 7–5 in the final of the 2017 Australian Open men's doubles. * 29 January – Tennis: Roger Federer defeats Rafael Nadal 6–4 3–6 6–1 3–6 6–3 at Melbourne Park in the final of the 2017 Australian Open men's singles.


February

* 3 February – Australian rules football: The first AFL Women's (AFLW) match is held at
Ikon Park Princes Park (or Carlton Recreation Ground, currently known by its sponsored name Ikon Park) is an Australian rules football ground located inside the wider Princes Park in the inner Melbourne suburb of Carlton North. It is a historic venue, ...
in Melbourne, with a capacity crowd of 24,500 attending. * 4 February – ** Rugby Sevens: Canada defeats the United States 21–17 in the final of the
2017 Sydney Women's Sevens The 2017 Sydney Women's Sevens was the second tournament of the 2016–17 World Rugby Women's Sevens Series. It was the inaugural edition of the Australian Women's Sevens and part of the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series. The tournament was playe ...
at Allianz Stadium. ** Rugby Sevens: South Africa defeats England 29–14 in the final of the
2017 Sydney Sevens The 2017 Sydney Sevens was the fourteenth edition of the Australian Sevens tournament, the second of which to be held in Sydney, and the fourth tournament of the 2016–17 World Rugby Sevens Series. The tournament was played on 4–5 February 2017 ...
at Allianz Stadium. ** Athletics: The inaugural Nitro Athletics meeting is held at Lakeside Stadium in Melbourne. Two more meetings are held on the 9th and 11th before the All-Stars led by Usain Bolt emerge victorious. * 10 February – ** Rugby League: The Indigenous All Stars defeat the
World All Stars The NRL All Stars team was a rugby league football team made up of professional players in the National Rugby League. These players were selected by fan vote. However, fans were only allowed to select one player from each NRL team to join the Aus ...
34–8 in the
2017 All Stars match The 2017 All Stars match was the seventh annual representative exhibition All Stars match of Australian rugby. The match was played between the Indigenous All Stars and the World All Stars and for the first time, the match was played outside ...
. Indigenous captain and five-eighth
Jonathan Thurston Johnathan Dean Thurston (born 25 April 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the National Rugby League (NRL). Thurston was an Australian international, Queensland State of Origin and Indigenous All ...
, of the North Queensland Cowboys, wins the Preston Campbell award for Man of the Match. ** Rugby League: The Indigenous Women All Stars defeat the Women All Stars 14–4 in the 2017 Women All Stars match. * 11 February – Baseball: The Brisbane Bandits defeat the Melbourne Aces in the Championship Series of the 2016–17 Australian Baseball League at
Melbourne Ballpark The Melbourne Ballpark is a baseball park in Laverton, Victoria. It was opened in January 1990, at a cost of 3.9m, 2m was contributed by the State Government of Victoria and the remaining 1.8m contributed by the Australian Federal Government an ...
. * 12 February – Association football: Melbourne City FC defeated Perth Glory FC 2–0 at Perth Oval to win the
2016–17 W-League The 2016–17 W-League season was the ninth season of the W-League, the Australian national women's association football competition. Clubs Stadia and locations Personnel and kits Transfers Foreign players The following do not fill ...
grand final. * 18 February – Netball: The inaugural match of the new National Netball League is held at the State Sports Centre in Sydney between Giants Netball and the New South Wales Swifts. * 19 February – Rugby league: The World Club Challenge, part of the
2017 World Club Series The 2017 World Club Series (also known as the 2017 Dacia World Club Series) was the third staging of the World Club Series and featured two Super League teams and two National Rugby League (NRL) teams. The series included the World Club Challen ...
, is won by Super League XXI champions the Wigan Warriors. They defeat the 2016 NRL Premiers Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 22–6.


March

* 5 March – Basketball: The Perth Wildcats win the
2016–17 NBL season The 2016–17 NBL season was the 39th season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of eight teams contested the league. The regular season was played between October 2016 and February 2017, followed by a pos ...
, defeating the Illawarra Hawks in a 3–0 clean sweep of the finals. * 25 March – Australian rules football: The Adelaide Crows win the inaugural
AFL Women's grand final The AFL Women's Grand Final is an annual women's Australian rules football match to determine the AFL Women's (AFLW) premiers for that year. Each year, the winning club receives a premiership trophy and premiership flag; all players in the winn ...
, defeating the Brisbane Lions at Carrara Stadium. * 26 March – Formula One:
Sebastian Vettel Sebastian Vettel (; born 3 July 1987) is a German racing driver who competed in Formula One from 2007 to 2022 for BMW Sauber, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Toro Rosso, Red Bull Racing, Red Bull, Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari, and Aston Martin in Formula One ...
wins the
2017 Australian Grand Prix The 2017 Australian Grand Prix (formally known as the 2017 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race that took place on 26 March 2017 in Melbourne. The race was contested over fifty-seven laps of the Melbourne Grand Prix ...
, beating Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and other Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas. * 30 March – Cricket: Victoria win the 2016–17 Sheffield Shield after a draw with South Australia in the final at Traeger Park in
Alice Springs Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Al ...
, their third successive Sheffield Shield title.


April

* 8 April – Horse racing: Less than an hour after Winx won her 17th straight win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the
Sydney Cup The Sydney Cup is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred handicap horse race, for horses three years old and older, run over 3200 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in the autumn during the ATC Championships series and it is ...
is called off midway into the race, the first time in its 155-year history. After crashing into Melbourne Cup placegetter Who Shot Thebarman, former Geelong Cup winner Almoonqith had to be euthanised. * 12–16 April – Cycling:
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
tops the medal table for the first time in history at the
2017 UCI Track Cycling World Championships The 2017 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championships for track cycling in 2017. They took place in Hong Kong in the Hong Kong Velodrome from 12 to 16 April 2017. The last time the championships took place in Asia was at the ...
held at the
Hong Kong Velodrome Hong Kong Velodrome is a velodrome in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong. It has a 250-metre cycling track and spectator facilities for 3,000 people. It opened on 30 December 2013 next to the Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground. History The Hong Kong governmen ...
. * 15 April – Football:
Sydney FC Sydney Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL). The club was fo ...
win the
2016–17 A-League The 2016–17 A-League was the 40th season of top-flight association football, soccer in Australia, and the 12th since the establishment of the A-League in 2004. The season began on 7 October 2016. Adelaide United FC, Adelaide United were both ...
season, with 66 points.


May

* 5 May – Rugby League: Australia defeat New Zealand 30–12 in Canberra, in the annual Anzac Test. * 7 May – Football: After a 1–1 draw,
Sydney FC Sydney Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL). The club was fo ...
defeat Melbourne Victory in a 4–2 penalty shootout, to become 2017 A-League champions at Allianz Stadium. * 31 May – State of Origin: New South Wales defeats Queensland 28–4 at Suncorp Stadium, in the
first match ''First Match'' is a 2018 American drama film written and directed by Olivia Newman, based on her 2010 short film of the same name. The film stars Elvire Emanuelle, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Colman Domingo, Jharrel Jerome, and Jared Kemp. The film pr ...
of the
2017 State of Origin series The 2017 State of Origin series was the 36th annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams. Before this series Queensland had won 20 times, NSW 13 times, with two series drawn. Queensland were the curr ...
. NSW prop Andrew Fifita is awarded man of the match.


June

* 13 June – Association football: The Socceroos are defeated by Brazil 0–4 during a
friendly Friendly may refer to: Places * Friendly, West Yorkshire, a settlement in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England * Friendly, Maryland, an unincorporated community in the United States * Friendly, Eugene, Oregon, a neighborhood in the United States * ...
at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadiu ...
, one week prior to the Socceroos' appearance at the
2017 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup was the 10th and final edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup, a quadrennial international men's football tournament organised by FIFA. It was held in Russia, from 17 June to 2 July 2017, as a prelude to the 20 ...
. * 17 June – Tennis: Seventeen-year-old Australian Alexei Popyrin defeats Nicola Kuhn 77–55 6–3 at the 2017 French Open Boys Singles. ** Netball:
Sunshine Coast Lightning Sunshine Coast Lightning are an netball in Australia, Australian netball team based at the University of the Sunshine Coast. The team was formed in 2016 in Australia, 2016 as a joint venture between the university and Melbourne Storm. Since 201 ...
defeat Giants Netball 65–48 in the inaugural 2017 National Netball League grand final at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. ** Rugby Union: The
Wallabies A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and so ...
are defeated by Scotland 19–24 at Sydney Football Stadium. This marks their second consecutive loss to the Scots on home soil. * 21 June – State of Origin: Queensland defeats New South Wales 18–16 at ANZ Stadium, in the second game of the
2017 State of Origin series The 2017 State of Origin series was the 36th annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams. Before this series Queensland had won 20 times, NSW 13 times, with two series drawn. Queensland were the curr ...
, sending the series to a decisive third round. NSW second-rower Josh Jackson is awarded man of the match. * 25 June – Rugby Union: The Wallabies defeat Italy 40–27 at Suncorp Stadium. Israel Folau becomes the first Australian to score two tries in three consecutive internationals.


July

* 2 July – Boxing: Australian Jeff Horn defeats Filipino Manny Pacquiao in a unanimous decision by judges at Suncorp Stadium, becoming the
WBO Welterweight Champion The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxing ...
. * 12 July – State of Origin: Queensland win the
2017 State of Origin series The 2017 State of Origin series was the 36th annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams. Before this series Queensland had won 20 times, NSW 13 times, with two series drawn. Queensland were the curr ...
, defeating New South Wales 22–6 at ANZ Stadium, in the third game. Queensland hooker and captain Cameron Smith is awarded man of the match, while winger Dane Gagai 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.


August

* 3 August – Cricket: Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketer's Association have agreed on a new Memorandum of Understanding, thus ending the Australian cricket pay dispute which has threatened to tear the Australian cricket history apart. This also means that the 230 Australian male and female cricketers have been re-contracted and available to play * 4 August – Association football: The
Australian women's football team The Australia women's national soccer team is overseen by the governing body for soccer in Australia, Football Australia, which is currently a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the regional ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) s ...
win the
2017 Tournament of Nations The 2017 Tournament of Nations was the inaugural Tournament of Nations, an international women's football tournament, consisting of a series of friendly games. It was held in the United States, from July 27 to August 3, 2017, and featured four t ...
after defeating Brazil 6–1 at the StubHub Center in
Carson, California Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the South Bay region of Los Angeles, located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately away from Los Angeles International Airport. Incorporated on February 20, 1968, ...
.


September

*3 September – Rugby league: Melbourne Storm win the minor premiership following the final main round of the
2017 NRL season The 2017 NRL season was the 110th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 20th season run by the National Rugby League. The season started in New Zealand with the annual Auckland Nines, and was followed by the All Stars Match, w ...
. Newcastle Knights finish in last position, claiming their third consecutive wooden spoon. *25 September – Australian rules football::
Dustin Martin Dustin Martin (born 26 June 1991) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Martin was drafted by Richmond with the third pick in the 2009 national draft, a ...
of
Richmond Football Club The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football team playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). Between its inception in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond in 1885 and 1907, the club competed in the Victo ...
wins the
2017 Brownlow Medal The 2017 Brownlow Medal was the 90th year the award was presented to the player adjudged the fairest and best player during the Australian Football League (AFL) home and away season. Dustin Martin of the Richmond Football Club won the medal wi ...
. *27 September – Rugby league:: Cameron Smith of Melbourne Storm wins the 2017 Dally M Medal. *30 September – Australian rules football::
Richmond Tigers The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football team playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). Between its inception in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond in 1885 and 1907, the club competed in the Victo ...
defeat Adelaide Crows 108–60 to win the
2017 AFL grand final The 2017 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Adelaide Football Club and the Richmond Football Club at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 30 September 2017. It was the 122nd annual AFL Grand Final, grand fina ...
.


October

*1 October – Rugby League: Melbourne Storm defeat North Queensland Cowboys 34–6 to win the
2017 NRL grand final The 2017 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2017 National Rugby League season and was played on Sunday October 1 at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. The match was contested between minor premiers the Melbourne Storm and ...
. Storm fullback Billy Slater is awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for Man of the Match. Pre-match entertainment is headlined by American rapper Macklemore. *8 October – V8 Supercars: David Reynolds and
Luke Youlden Luke Youlden (born 28 January 1978) is an Australian Supercars series racing driver. He is the son of two-time Australian Production Car champion Kent Youlden. Youlden currently drives for Kelly Grove Racing as a co-driver alongside David Rey ...
driving the Erebus Motorsport Holden VF Commodore win the
2017 Bathurst 1000 The 2017 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 was a motor racing event for the Supercars Championship, held from October 5 to 8 2017 at the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, and consisted of a 1000 kilometre race. It was the elevent ...
in a time of 7:11:45.5456. *12 October – Jeff Horn wins the annual Sport Australia Hall of Fame Don Award, the first boxer to do so. *21 October – Cricket: Western Australia defeat South Australia by six wickets at Bellerive Oval in Hobart to win the
2017–18 JLT One-Day Cup The 2017 JLT One-Day Cup was the 48th season of the official List A domestic cricket competition in Australia. It was played over a four-week period at the start of the domestic season to separate its schedule from the Sheffield Shield season. ...
.


November

*7 November – Horse racing:
Rekindling Rekindling (foaled 23 March 2014) is a British-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse, who won the 2017 Melbourne Cup. After winning once from three starts in 2016 he developed into a high-class staying colt in the following year, winning t ...
wins the
2017 Melbourne Cup The 2017 Emirates Melbourne Cup was the 157th running of the Melbourne Cup, a prestigious Australian Thoroughbred horse race. The race, run over , was held on 7 November 2017 at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse. The race was won by Rekindlin ...
.


December

*18 December – Cricket: At the WACA in Perth,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
win the third Test of the five match
2017–18 Ashes series The 2017–18 Ashes series (named Magellan Ashes Series for sponsorship reasons) was a series of Test cricket matches contested between England and Australia for The Ashes. The series was played at five venues across Australia between 23 Novembe ...
, regaining the Ashes from England. *27 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 ...
'' takes line honours at the 2017
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 ...
, however an international jury applies a one-hour penalty after a protest is lodged by the crew of ''
Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in La ...
'' regarding an illegal tacking manoeuvre, resulting in ''Comanche'' winning line honours and the race record.


Deaths


January

*2 January – **
Auriel Andrew Auriel Andrew (1947 – 2 January 2017) was an award-winning Arrernte country musician from the Northern Territory of Australia. Biography Andrew was born in Darwin, and grew up in Mparntwe, Northern Territory. She is Arrernte, the Traditi ...
, 69, musician **
Richard Gee Richard Gee (6 October 1817 – 14 March 1902) was an Anglican priest who was Canon of Windsor from 1894 to 1902.''Fasti Wyndesorienses'', May 1950. S. L. Ollard. Published by the Dean and Canons of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle Career Gee w ...
, 83, Family Court judge *3 January –
Russ Gorman Russell Neville Joseph Gorman (20 July 1926 – 3 January 2017) was an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1983 to 1996, representing the electorate of Chifley. Gorman ...
, 90, politician *5 January –
Greg Jelks Gregory Dion Jelks (16 August 1961 – 6 January 2017) was an American Australian baseball player who played with the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent the majority of his career in the minor leagues, and was most notable playing with the Austr ...
, 55, American-born baseball player *9 January – ** Michael Chamberlain, 72, father of
Azaria Chamberlain 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 ...
**
Russell Trood Russell Brunell Trood (5 December 1948 – 9 January 2017) was a Liberal Party Senator for the state of Queensland, Australia. His surprise election as the third Liberal from Queensland in the 2004 Federal Election, along with 38 other Coalitio ...
, 68, politician *10 January –
Leonard French Leonard William French OBE (8 October 1928 – 10 January 2017) was an Australian artist, known principally for major stained glass works. French was born in Brunswick, Victoria to a family of Cornish origin. His stained glass creation ...
, 88, glass artist *11 January – James Fairfax, 83, company director and philanthropist *12 January –
Jill Roe Jillian Isobel Roe, (10 November 1940 – 12 January 2017) was an Australian historian and academic, who wrote a definitive biography of the Australian writer Miles Franklin. Early life and education Roe was born in 1940, at Tumby Bay, South A ...
, 76, historian *15 January –
Richard Divall Richard Sydney Divall (9 September 1945 – 15 January 2017) was an Australian conductor and musicologist. After nine years as a music producer at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, from 1972 on the invitation of Dame Joan Hammond he bec ...
, 70, conductor and musicologist *16 January – Peter Jones, 83, Western Australian politician *26 January – ** Peter Lynch, 52, mining engineer **
Fred Parslow Frederick Henry Parslow (14 August 1932 – 26 January 2017) was an Australian actor, who appeared in film, television and theatre. Acting career Parslow was notable in several film and TV roles, with parts in internationally successful TV so ...
, 84, actor *28 January – **
Edgar Britt Edgar Clive Britt OAM (30 October 1913 – 28 January 2017) was an Australian jockey, who won every British Classic Race except the Derby. Early life Career One of the first of many Australian jockeys who came to ride in Britain after ...
, 103, jockey **
Darryl Sutton Darryl Lewis Sutton (27 July 1952 – 28 January 2017) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the North Melbourne Football Club, Richmond Football Club and the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League, Victorian Football Le ...
, 64, Australian rules football player *31 January – Paul McBlane, 53, rugby league referee


February

*1 February – Sandy Gandhi, 59, comedian and columnist *2 February – Paul McBlane, 53, rugby league referee *3 February –
Lou Rowan Louis Patrick "Lou" Rowan (2 May 1925 – 3 February 2017) was an Australian Test cricket match umpire who umpired the first One Day International at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 5 January 1971. He umpired 25 Test matches between 1963 and ...
, 91, Test cricket umpire *4 February – **
Neil Betts Terence Neil "Tiny" Betts (13 April 1926 – 4 February 2017) was an Australian rugby union player who played for Queensland and the national team. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour th ...
, 90, rugby union player (Queensland, Wallabies) ** Basil Hetzel, 94, medical researcher *6 February – **
Len Bosman Leonard Lewis "Len" Bosman (5 February 1924 – 6 February 2017) was an Australian politician. Born in Sydney, he was educated at state schools and then at East Sydney Technical College. He owned a catering business before serving in World War ...
, 93, politician **
Ritchie Yorke Ritchie Yorke (12 January 1944 – 6 February 2017) was an Australian-born author, broadcaster, historian and music journalist, whose work was widely published in the U.S., UK, Canada and elsewhere. Biography Australia: 1962–1966 Ritch ...
, 73, music journalist *17 February – Tony Vinson, 81, social scientist *18 February – **
Lyla Elliott Lyla Daphne Elliott (2 July 1934 – 18 February 2017) was an Australian politician who was a Labor member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia between 1971 and 1986, representing North-East Metropolitan Province. Born in Gerald ...
, 82, Western Australian politician **
Dan Vickerman Daniel Joseph Vickerman (4 June 1979 – 18 February 2017) was a professional rugby union player. The 204 cm, 119 kg lock played 63 Tests with the Wallabies, the national team of his adopted country of Australia. After seven seasons wi ...
, 37, rugby union footballer *20 February – Eric Smith, 97, artist *21 February – **
Max Angus Max Rupert Angus , FRSA (30 October 1914 – 21 February 2017) was an Australian painter, best known for his watercolour paintings of Tasmanian landscapes. He was born in Hobart, Tasmania in 1914. In 1931, he studied art at Hobart Technical Co ...
, 102, artist **
Joy Hruby Joy Elaine Hruby (1 July 1927 – 21 February 2017) was an Australian actress and entertainer, comedian, TV presenter and interviewer, producer, film-maker, author and celebrity agent with a career spanning more than 50 years. Hruby appeared ...
, 89, actress and television presenter *23 February –
Kim Chance Kimberley Maurice "Kim" Chance (16 November 1946 – 22 February 2017) was an Australian farmer and politician who served as a Labor Party member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia from 1992 to 2009, representing Agricultural Regi ...
, 70, Western Australian politician *26 February –
Ray Stokes Raymond Gordon "Ray" Stokes (21 May 1924 – 26 February 2017) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was born in Longford. After making his debut for Richmond in the 1946 se ...
, 92, Australian rules footballer (
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
) and cricketer


March

*5 March –
Sydney Ball Sydney Ball (29 October 1933 – 5 March 2017) was an Australian abstract painter. He has been called ‘one of Australia’s leading colour abstract painters. He has also been credited with bringing large scale abstract expressionist painting ...
, 83, artist *8 March –
Jack Purtell John Michael Purtell (1921 – 8 March 2017) was an Australian jockey who rode three Melbourne Cup winners. Career Purtell, also known as 'Gentleman Jack’, rode his first race in 1936 at the age of 15. He was an apprentice jockey to Ted Tem ...
, 95, jockey *10 March – Bill Leak, 61, cartoonist *11 March –
Winifred Piesse Winifred Margaret Piesse, ''née'' Aumann (12 June 1923 – 11 March 2017) was an Australian politician. She was the first woman to represent the Country Party in the Western Australian Legislative Council. Winifred Margaret Aumann was born in ...
, 93, Western Australian politician *23 March – Ian Robinson, 91, politician *31 March – Mike Hall, 35, British cyclist


April

*1 April – Sir Peter Lawler, 96, public servant and diplomat *7 April – Peter Isaacson, 96, newspaper proprietor and publisher *9 April – John Clarke, 68, satirist *10 April –
Jack Ahearn Jack Jerome Ahearn (8 October 1924 – 10 April 2017) was an Australian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. His best season was in 1964 when he won the 500cc Finnish Grand Prix and finished second to Mike Hailwood in the 500cc world championshi ...
, 92, motorcycle road racer *12 April –
Geoff Grover Geoffrey David "Geoff" Grover (19 September 1943 – 12 April 2017), was a former Australian rules footballer who played for two seasons with the Caulfield Grammarians Football Club in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, and was a busi ...
, 73, Australian rules footballer *13 April – Fred Goldsmith, 84, Australian rules footballer *19 April –
Phil Gray Philip Gray (born 2 October 1968) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer. A striker, Gray won 26 caps for his country and played for ten professional clubs, his transfer fees totalling £1,475,000. Northern Ireland won every game Ph ...
, 69, Queensland politician *21 April – Gerry Jones, 84, Queensland Senator and state politician *23 April –
Mickey Dewar Michelle Sue "Mickey" Dewar (1 January 1956 – 23 April 2017) was an Australian historian who specialised in the history of the Northern Territory. Career Dewar was originally from Melbourne where she studied at the University of Melbourne ...
, 61, historian *27 April – Robin Millhouse, 87, South Australian politician and judge


May

*2 May – Michael Gurr, 55, playwright *6 May – Val Jellay, 89, actress, singer and dancer *8 May – Lou Richards, 94, Australian rules footballer ( Collingwood) *11 May –
Mark Colvin Mark Colvin (13 March 1952 – 11 May 2017) was an Australian journalist and radio and television broadcaster for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), and worked on most of the flagship current affairs programs. Notably, based in Sydne ...
, 65, journalist and radio presenter *15 May – ** Graeme Barrow, 80, author. ** Al Lawrence, 86, long-distance runner, Olympic bronze medalist (
1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...
). *31 May – ** Lyn James, 87, television actress ** Margaret Ray, 83, Victorian politician ** Kathy Smith, politician, member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Gosford (2015–2017).


June

*3 June –
John K. Watts John Albert Watts (later known as John K. Watts, 21 January 1937 – 3 June 2017) was an Australian rules football player and radio broadcaster and television personality. Early life John Watts was born on 21 January 1937 in East Perth, Western ...
, 80, Australian rules footballer and broadcaster *6 June –
Bruce McMaster-Smith Bruce McMaster-Smith (19 November 1939 – 6 June 2017) was a former Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy, Carlton and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the early 1960s. Originally from Diamond Valley Footba ...
, 77, Australian rules footballer *8 June –
Jill Singer Jill Leonie Singer (1957 – 8 June 2017) was an Australian journalist, writer and television presenter. Career Singer began her career in journalism as an ABC radio trainee in 1984. She eventually became a senior reporter for '' The 7.30 Rep ...
, 60, journalist and broadcaster *11 June – Elaine Schreiber, 78, Paralympic athlete *21 June – Con Sciacca, 70, politician *24 June – Paul Fitzgerald, 94, portrait painter *25 June - Lorna McDonald, 100, historian and author *26 June – Jimmy Chi, 69, playwright and composer *28 June – Wally O'Connell, 94, rugby league footballer and coach *29 June – John Monckton, 78, Olympic swimmer *30 June – Colin Hughes, 87, political scientist and academic


July

*2 July – Fay Zwicky, 83, poet *18 July – **
Grand Armee Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and commu ...
, 18, racehorse **
Val Jeffery Valentine Max Jeffery (6 December 1934 – 18 July 2017) was an Australian politician. Jeffery was elected to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly as a Liberal member for Brindabella on 28 July 2016, following a countback re ...
, 82, politician *19 July – Graham Wood, 45, jazz pianist *21 July – ** Yami Lester, 75, activist **
Geoff Mack Albert Geoffrey McElhinney OAM (20 December 1922 – 21 July 2017), better known by his stage name Geoff Mack, was an Australian country singer, songwriter and aircraft mechanic. As a songwriter, he wrote the song "I've Been Everywhere" which w ...
, 94, singer-songwriter *22 July –
Peter Doohan Peter Doohan (2 May 1961 – 21 July 2017) was an Australian tennis player who won three consecutive Australian Hard Court Championships singles titles (1984, 1985, 1986), which remains an Open era record for that tournament. He won a further t ...
, 56, tennis player *23 July – ** Reginald Arnold, 92, cyclist ** Mervyn Rose, 87, tennis player *25 July – Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, 46, musician *31 July – ** Max Day, 101, environmental scientist ** Les Murray, 71, broadcaster


August

*5 August – Patricia Bridges, 95, golfer *6 August –
Betty Cuthbert Elizabeth Alyse Cuthbert, (20 April 1938 – 6 August 2017) was an Australian athlete and a four-time Olympic champion. She was nicknamed Australia's "Golden Girl". During her career, she set world records for 60 metres, 100 yards, 200 metres ...
, 79, athlete *8 August – **
Rosemary Balmford Rosemary Anne Balmford (; 15 September 1933 – 8 August 2017) was an Australian judge, barrister, solicitor and legal academic. She was the List of the first women appointed to Australian judicial positions, first female judge of the Supreme Co ...
, 83, judge ** Janet Seidel, 62, jazz vocalist and pianist *9 August – **
Patricia Giles Patricia Jessie Giles (; 16 November 1928 – 9 August 2017) was a women's activist and Australian Senator. She was the President of the International Alliance of Women for three terms, the last ending in 2004. Life A qualified nurse, she fou ...
, 88, politician **
Johno Johnson John Richard "Johno" Johnson GCSG (26 July 1930 – 9 August 2017) was an Australian politician. He served as President of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1978 to 1991. Career Born in Murwillumbah, New South Wales, he was a groc ...
, 87, New South Wales politician *13 August –
Harry Beitzel Henry John "Harry" Beitzel (6 April 1927 – 13 August 2017) was an Australian football umpire, print, radio and television sports broadcaster and media personality best known for his contribution to Australian rules football. Early sporting l ...
, 90, Australian football umpire and broadcaster *15 August – ** Brian Gibson, 80, Tasmanian senator **
Stephen Wooldridge Stephen Brian Wooldridge (17 October 1977 – 14 August 2017) was an Australian racing cyclist, an Olympic and four-time world champion on the track. He was born in Sydney. He was an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder. In 20 ...
, 39, Olympic cycling gold medallist *19 August –
Gary O'Callaghan Gary Bernard O'Callaghan (11 October 1933 − 19 August 2017) was an Australian radio announcer based in Sydney, known for his on-air character, "Sammy Sparrow". He was an Australian Commercial Radio Hall of Fame recipient. He dominated Sydney ra ...
, 83, radio personality *20 August –
Gary West Gary West (born 25 August 1964) is an English former association football, footballer. He made 250 appearances in the English Football League between 1982 and 1993, playing for numerous clubs, most notably Sheffield United F.C., Sheffield Uni ...
, track cyclist *23 August – Fiona Richardson, 50, Victorian politician *24 August – Doug Everingham, 94, politician, Minister in Whitlam government *25 August –
Drew Morphett Andrew Kenneth "Drew" Morphett (22 August 1948 – 25 August 2017) was an Australian sports broadcaster. Life Morphett started his career as a sport specialist trainee in Sydney in 1966 at 18 years of age. Over a long career, he worked on b ...
, 69, sports broadcaster *28 August – Dean Mercer, 47, surf lifesaver *30 August – Alan Cassell, 85, actor *31 August – ** John Bourchier, 87, politician **
Mike Cockerill Michael Cockerill (20 November 1960 – 31 August 2017) was an investigative Australian football (soccer) journalist who wrote for Fairfax newspapers, Fox Sports (Australia), Fox Sports and formerly C7 Sport. He was also a football pundit and m ...
, 56, soccer journalist.


September

*6 September – Peter Luck, 73, journalist and author *8 September – Connie Johnson, 40, charity worker *17 September – **
Bob Holland Robert George Holland (19 October 1946 – 17 September 2017) was a New South Wales and Australian cricketer. He was, because of his surname, nicknamed "Dutchy". Holland, who spent the majority of his cricketing life in Newcastle, was a late ...
, 70, cricketer **
Mary, Lady Fairfax Mary Elizabeth Fairfax, (formerly Symonds, born Marie Wein; 15 August 1922 – 17 September 2017) was a Polish-born Australian businesswoman and philanthropist. As the third wife of wealthy media proprietor Sir Warwick Fairfax, she became kno ...
, 95, philanthropist *21 September – Evelyn Scott, 81, activist and educator *25 September – Peter Lewis, 75, politician, Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly


October

*3 October –
Jack Laver Jack Francis Lee Laver (9 March 1917 – 3 October 2017) was a Tasmanian cricketer who played 13 matches of first class cricket for Tasmania between 1946 and 1952. Laver was an off-spin bowler and lower-order batsman. He made his highest first ...
, 100, cricketer *4 October – Keith Schmidt, 95, cricketer *16 October –
Iain Shedden Iain Shedden (6 January 1957 – 16 October 2017) was a Scottish-born Australian musician and journalist. Shedden was born in Lanark, Scotland. He worked for the local newspaper in his home town of Wishaw in North Lanarkshire while playing with ...
, 60, musician and journalist *20 October – Judith McGrath, 70, actress *22 October –
George Young George Young may refer to: Arts and entertainment * George Young (filmmaker), Australian stage manager and film director in the silent era * George Young (rock musician) (1946–2017), Australian musician, songwriter, and record producer * Geor ...
, 70, musician, songwriter, and record producer *27 October – David Reid, 84, politician *29 October – **
Tony Madigan Antony Morgan "Tony" Madigan (4 February 1930 – 29 October 2017) was an Australian boxer and rugby player. He competed in boxing at the 1952, 1956 and 1960 Olympics and finished in fifth, fifth and third place, respectively. In 1960 Madigan ...
, 87, boxer and rugby union player (died in France) **
Sir Ninian Stephen Sir Ninian Martin Stephen (15 June 1923 – 29 October 2017) was an Australian judge who served as the 20th governor-general of Australia, in office from 1982 to 1989. He was previously a justice of the High Court of Australia from 1972 to 19 ...
, 94, Governor-General of Australia *31 October –
Weston Bate Weston Arthur Bate (24 September 1924 – 31 October 2017) was an Australian historian. Bate served in the Royal Australian Air Force during the Second World War. He studied at the University of Melbourne under Manning Clark, Max Crawford, Ka ...
, 93, historian


November

*4 November – Dudley Simpson, 95, composer (''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'') *9 November – Rob Astbury, 69, sports journalist *16 November –
Wal Fife Wallace Clyde Fife (2 October 1929 – 16 November 2017) was an Australian politician and minister in the New South Wales Government and Federal Government. Early life Fife was born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, and was educated at Wagga Wag ...
, 88, politician *18 November – ** Gillian Rolton, 61, equestrian **
Malcolm Young Malcolm Mitchell Young (6 January 1953 – 18 November 2017) was an Australian musician who was the co-founder, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter of AC/DC. Except for a brief absence in 1988, he was with the band from its beginn ...
, 64, musician and songwriter *20 November – Jean Hearn, 96, Tasmanian Senator *23 November –
Joe Schipp Joseph John Schipp (21 March 1932 – 23 November 2017) was an Australian politician in the New South Wales Government. He was the Liberal member for Wagga Wagga in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1975 to 1999. Personal life Sch ...
, 85, New South Wales state politician *24 November – Steve Hutchins, 61, New South Wales Senator *25 November –
Steve Doszpot Steven John Doszpot (23 September 1948 – 25 November 2017) was an Australian politician and member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly from 2008 to 2017. A member of the Liberal Party, he represented the electorate of ...
, 69, ACT politician *28 November –
Clarrie Millar Percival Clarence Millar (; 15 June 1925 – 28 November 2017) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the National Party and served in the House of Representatives from 1974 to 1990, representing the Queensland seat of Wide Bay. ...
, 92, politician *29 November –
Sol Bellear Solomon David Bellear (1950/1951 – 29 November 2017) was an Aboriginal Australian public figure. Early life Bellear was brought up in the far north of New South Wales and was one of nine children. His brother Bob became a judge. Activism In ...
, 66, Aboriginal rights activist


December

*1 December – Ken Inglis, 88, historian *5 December –
Laurie Rymer Lorance George Rymer (5 July 1934 – 5 December 2017) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League, (VFL). Laurie Rymer was a ruck rover for Collingwood in the losing 1956 ...
, 83, Australian rules football player *8 December –
Alexander Taransky Alexander Taransky (8 January 1941 – 8 December 2017) was an Australian sports shooter. He competed at the 1968, 1972 and the 1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social a ...
, 76, sporting shooter *10 December – Alex Mendelssohn, 82, outback artist and opal miner *13 December – **
John Joseph Gerry John Joseph Gerry (1 June 1927 – 13 December 2017) was a Roman Catholic bishop. Gerry was ordained to the priesthood in 1950. He served as titular bishop of 'Louth' and as auxiliary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane, Australia ...
, 90, Roman Catholic bishop **
Rory O'Donoghue Rory O'Donoghue (13 May 194913 December 2017) was an Australian actor, composer and musician, best known for playing the character "Thin Arthur" in the 1970s ABC Television sketch comedy series ''The Aunty Jack Show'', and for playing the guita ...
, 68, actor and musician **
Charles Zentai Charles Zentai (born Károly Steiner; October 8, 1921 – December 13, 2017) was a Hungarian-born resident of Australia accused of a Holocaust-related war crime. He resided in Perth, Western Australia for many years after living in the America ...
, 96, alleged war criminal *17 December – **
Dave Boyd David Edward 'Davey' Boyd (16 August 1927 – 15 December 2017) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Port Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Port Adelaide Boyd was a key member of the strong ...
, 89, Australian rules football player ** Frank Hodgkin, 76, Australian rules football player ** Bunty Thompson, 92, equestrian rider ** Pat Devery, 95, rugby league footballer, and coach (died in the United States) *18 December – Barry Cohen, 83, politician *20 December – **
Florence Bjelke-Petersen Florence Isabel Bjelke-Petersen (née Gilmour; 11 August 1920 – 20 December 2017) was an Australian politician and writer. She was a member of the Australian Senate from 1981 to 1993, and was the wife of the longest-serving Premier of Queensl ...
, 97, politician **
Stan Pilecki Stanislaw Pilecki (4 February 1947 – 20 December 2017) was an Australian rugby union player with Polish roots. He was born in a refugee camp in Augustdorf, Germany, with his family emigrating to Australia in 1950. He was also an Old Boy of Ma ...
, 70, rugby union player *21 December – **
Ken Catchpole Kenneth William Catchpole (21 June 1939 – 21 December 2017) was an Australian rugby union footballer. A New South Wales Waratahs, state and Australia national rugby union team, national representative half-back, he played twenty-seven matche ...
, 79, rugby union player **
Bob Moses Robert Moses (1888–1981) was an American city planner. Robert Moses may also refer to: * Bob Moses (activist) (1935–2021), American educator and civil rights activist * Bob Moses, American football player in the 1962 Cotton Bowl Classic * Bob M ...
, 77, rugby league player *22 December – **
Ken Hands Ken Hands (26 October 1926 – 22 December 2017) was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tie ...
, 91, Australian rules football player **
Jason Lowndes Jason Lowndes (14 December 1994 – 22 December 2017) was an Australian cyclist, who rode professionally for the , and teams. He died after being hit from behind by a car while cycling near Bendigo, Victoria. Major results ;2015 : 5th Over ...
, 23, cyclist *25 December –
Ken Feltscheer Ken Feltscheer (9 June 1915 – 25 December 2017) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne and Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He turned 100 in June 2015 and died on 25 December 2017 at the age of 102. ...
, 102, Australian rules footballer *31 December – Richard Cousins, 58, British businessman


See also

*
2017 in Australian television This is a list of Australian television-related events, debuts, finales, and cancellations that are scheduled to occur in 2017, the 62nd year of continuous operation of television in Australia. Events January February March April ...
*
List of Australian films of 2017 This is a list of Australian films scheduled for release in 2017. 2017 References * 2017 in Australia * 2017 in Australian television * List of 2017 box office number-one films in Australia {{DEFAULTSORT:Australian Films Of 2017 2 ...


References

{{Year in Oceania, 2017 Years of the 21st century in Australia
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
2010s in Australia
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...