Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

1982 in Australia

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Monarchy
  
Elizabeth II

Population
  
15,184,247

Prime minister
  
Malcolm Fraser

Elections
  
SA, TAS, VIC

Governor-General
  
Zelman Cowen, then Ninian Stephen

Incumbents

  • Queen of Australia – Elizabeth II
  • Governor General – Sir Zelman Cowen, then Sir Ninian Stephen.
  • Prime Minister – Malcolm Fraser
  • Premier of New South Wales – Neville Wran
  • Premier of South Australia – David Tonkin, then John Bannon
  • Premier of Queensland – Joh Bjelke-Petersen
  • Premier of Tasmania – Harry Holgate, then Robin Gray
  • Premier of Western Australia – Sir Charles Court, then Ray O'Connor
  • Premier of Victoria – Lindsay Thompson, then John Cain II
  • Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory – Post did not exist in 1982.
  • Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Paul Everingham

    • January

  • 5 January - Sir William McMahon announces his retirement from politics after 32 years. His resignation comes at an awkward time for the Federal Government, not keen to test its mid-term popularity in so vulnerable a seat as Lowe.

    • February

  • 2 February - Lindy Chamberlain is committed for trial for the murder of her daughter Azaria.
  • 5 February - A Cessna 411A aircraft crashes into a building at Archerfield Airport. The pilot and four people within the building are killed.

    • March

  • 20 March - Thousands walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark its 50th. anniversary.

    • April

  • 3 April – After almost 27 years in power, the Liberal/National coalition government is voted out in Victoria & is replaced by the ALP
  • 6 April - Sir Phillip Lynch steps down as Liberal Party Deputy Leader after 10 years in the position, leaving the way clear for " a younger man".
  • 8 April -
  • Federal Treasurer John Howard beats Michael MacKellar 45:27 for the position of Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party.
  • The XPT (Express Passenger Train) commences operation in New South Wales.
  • 11 April - Business entrepreneur and adventurer Dick Smith makes a record solo helicopter flight from Sydney to Bundaberg.
  • 16 April - Archbishop John Grindrod is appointed as Anglican Primate of Australia, succeeding Sir Marcus Loane.
  • 19 April - Federal Health Minister Michael MacKellar and Customs and Excise Minister John Moore resign over Michael MacKellar's failure to declare and pay duty on a colour television set in October 1981.

    • May

  • 11 May – High Court upholds the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 in Koowarta v Bjelke-Petersen, effectively extending Commonwealth power.
  • 15 May – In the middle of the Franklin Dam dispute, the Labor government of Harry Holgate is voted out in Tasmania & replaced by the Liberal Party, led by Robin Gray.

    • June

  • 5 June - The Premiers and the Commonwealth agree to abolish appeals from the State Supreme Courts to the Privy Council, thus making the High Court of Australia the final court of appeal. Several of the few remaining constitutional links with Britain are also to be severed.
  • 18 June - The South Australian Government passes legislation authorising the development of the Roxby Downs copper-uranium deposit, despite controversy over the issue.
  • 21 June - The Queensland Art Gallery within the Queensland Cultural Centre is opened. The cost had blown out from the original estimate of $10 million to $28 million.

    • July

  • 7 July - The Australian Labor Party reverses its policy on uranium mining to allow for the continuation of existing projects.
  • 16 July - In response to a leadership challenge by Bob Hawke (which came to a head during the Australian Labor Party National Conference), Bill Hayden resigns, and in a secret vote, retains the leadership by a close 42:37.
  • 29 July - Sir Ninian Stephen succeeds Sir Zelman Cowen as Governor-General of Australia.
  • 31 July - The Lyric Opera of Queensland is established.

    • August

  • 2 August - The Daily Sun newspaper begins publication in Brisbane.
  • 8 August - The Dalai Lama visits Australia to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Buddhism in the country.
  • 15 August - Queensland Government workers, including railway employees, walk out for two days in support of shorter working hours and a general strike results.
  • 24 August -
  • The fourth interim report of the Costigan Royal Commission into the Ships Painters and Dockers' Union begins a series of revelations about tax fraud which implicates senior public servants and members of the Liberal Party. The report highlights tax-avoidance schemes, including "bottom of the harbour" plans. The resulting furore ends speculation about an early election.
  • The strike in Queensland ends when unions capitulate before the government's adamant attitude on the issue.

    • September

  • 30 September - A Cessna 210-5 vanishes on a flight from Atherton to Mount Isa. The five people aboard are presumed to have perished.

    • October

  • 11 October - Andrew Peacock becomes Industry and Commerce Minister after 18 months on the backbench when ill-health forces Sir Phillip Lynch's resignation from the position.
  • 12 October – Elizabeth II officially opens the new building of the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.

    • November

  • 6 November – Elections in South Australia see the voting out of the Liberal/National coalition, led by David Tonkin & the election of the ALP, led by John Bannon.

    • December

  • 1 December - The Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act becomes operative.
  • 14 December – The Tasmanian Wilderness Society, led by Bob Brown, stages a blockade of the Franklin Dam site in Tasmania which continues into 1983. On the same day, UNESCO agrees to list the Tasmanian Wild Rivers as a World Heritage Site.
  • 17 December - Random Breath Testing is introduced in New South Wales.
  • 31 December - The Australian Women's Weekly is first published as a monthly magazine.
  • One of Australia's worst ever droughts strikes the country.

    • Arts and literature

  • Rodney Hall's novel Just Relations wins the Miles Franklin Award

    • Film

  • The Man from Snowy River
  • Monkey Grip
  • The Year of Living Dangerously

    • Television

  • 18 January – Sons and Daughters premieres on the Seven Network.
  • 28 June – The Nine Network premieres its new breakfast TV show, National News Today, which is later shortened to Today
  • Nine, Seven & the ABC conduct stereo test transmissions

    • Sport

  • The South Melbourne Swans move to Sydney & become the Sydney Swans.
  • 21 March – Robert de Castella represents Australia at the tenth IAAF World Cross Country Championships, staged in Rome, Italy. He finished in tenth place (34:20.5) in the race over 11,978 metres.
  • 28 March – The Newtown Jets & Canterbury Bulldogs fight out the only (to date) scoreless draw in NSWRL first grade history.
  • 29 March - The Sydney Swans, the first VFL club outside Victoria, play their first home game at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
  • 24 July – The Swans (13.12.90) defeat the North Melbourne Kangaroos (8.10.58) to win the Australian Football Championships Night Series. It is the first major trophy for the Swans since they moved to Sydney.
  • 25 July – Robert Wallace wins the his second men's national marathon title, clocking 2:16:02 in Brisbane, while Barbara McKerrow claims the women's title in 2:50:28.
  • 25 September – Carlton Blues (14.19.103) defeat the Richmond Tigers (12.13.83) to win the 86th VFL premiership. It is the second consecutive premiership for Carlton & the last grand final appearance to date for Richmond.
  • 26 September – Parramatta Eels defeat the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 21-8^ to win the 75th NSWRL premiership. It is their second consecutive premiership.
  • 30 September – 9 October – The 1982 Commonwealth Games are held in Brisbane, Queensland
  • 2 November - Gurner's Lane wins the Melbourne Cup.
  • 18 December – The Kangaroos complete a tour of Great Britain & France undefeated for the first time.

    • ^-Scored under outdated scoring system.

    Contents

    Births

  • 18 February – Courtney Act, drag queen and singer
  • 25 April – Victoria Mitchell, long-distance runner
  • 25 May – Justin Hodges, rugby league footballer
  • 17 July – Eve van Grafhorst, one of the first Australian children to be infected with HIV via a blood transfusion (died 1993)
  • 21 July – Jason Cram, Australian swimmer
  • 30 July – Yvonne Strahovski, actress
  • 7 August – Abbie Cornish, actress
  • 24 August – Damian Istria, gymnast
  • 25 August – Nick Gill, Australian rules footballer
  • 7 September – George Bailey, cricketer
  • 13 October – Ian Thorpe, swimmer
  • 9 November – Eloise Wellings, long-distance runner
  • 22 November – Xavier Doherty, cricketer
  • 13 December – Anthony Callea, entertainer

    • Deaths

  • 11 February – Albert Facey, autobiographer (born 1894)
  • 14 June – Arthur Coles, businessman and philanthropist
  • 15 November – Dick Randall, public servant (born 1906)
  • 4 December – Harry Freedman, rabbi

    • References

    1982 in Australia Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA