1991 in Australia
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- 1970s
- 1980s
- 1990s
- 2000s
- 2010s
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Incumbents
Premiers and Chief Ministers
Governors and Administrators
January
- 2 January - Warship HMAS Westralia leaves for the Gulf.
- 3 January - The musical, "The Buddy Holly Story" premieres in Sydney.
- 4 January - In Melbourne, 35,000 march to demand the resignation of the government.
- 7 January - Flooding in Rockhampton is the worst in 36 years.
- The Gulf War In 1991 Australia sent troops to assist the United Nations with the Gulf War.
- 10 January – The State Government of South Australia was forced to bail out the State Bank of South Australia with A$944 million. The bailout is increased to $2.4 billion in August.
- Australia orders its diplomats out of Baghdad, Iraq.[1]
- 12 January - Six people drown in floods in Queensland.
- 13 January - A Victorian factory which supplies United States Armed Forces is destroyed by fire.[2]
- 14 January - Across the nation, thousands attend church services and protest rallies urging peace.
- A flood emergency is declared in Queensland Gulf country.[3]
- 16 January - Widespread flooding isolates Normanton.
- A Sydney mother is charged with the murder of her baby daughter.[4]
- 17 January - The Gulf War begins - Prime Minister Hawke gives battle orders to the Navy stationed in the Gulf after a telephone call from President Bush.[5]
- A siege takes place in Brisbane after an off-duty policeman is taken hostage.
- The unemployment rate falls to 8.1%
- Victorian Premier Joan Kirner axes two government departments.
- 18 January - Prime Minister Bob Hawke calls on Israel not to retaliate against Iraq.
- 19 January - Peace marches across Australia demand the withdrawal of Australian forces from the Gulf.
- A shark attacks a midnight swimmer in a Gold Coast canal.
- 21 January - A mini cyclone leaves a trail of destruction in Sydney.
- Sydney's Australia Square is evacuated after a parcel bomb scare.[6]
- 23 January - Fierce storms lash Adelaide and Melbourne
- Insurance companies react angrily to Federal Treasurer Paul Keating's levy ruling.
- Billy Joel arrives for his Australian Tour.
- 24 January - An Islamic mosque in Sydney's west is fire bombed.
- Ford announces plans to retrench 1,600 works at its Geelong and Broadmeadows factories.
- 25 January - Australia sends Navy divers to join the Gulf task force.
- 26 January - Professor Fred Hollows is named Australian of the Year.
- The most senior Iraqi diplomat in Australia is asked to leave.
- 17 April – The bulk carrier MV Mineral Diamond disappears of the coast of Western Australia. The vessel is believed to have been sunk during adverse conditions caused by Cyclone Fifi.[7]
- 9 May – The report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody is released. No criminal charges were recommended, nor was compensation for victims' families, but changes were recommended to the way that Aboriginal people were dealt with in police custody.
- 25 May – The state election in New South Wales produces a hung parliament. The ruling Liberal/National coalition government of Nick Greiner manages to form a minority government with the support of four Independent MPs.
- 30 May – A television report reveals that Prime Minister Bob Hawke made a secret deal in 1988, known as the "Kirribilli agreement", to hand over the ALP leadership at a suitable time after the 1990 federal election to Paul Keating.
- 3 June – After the secret deal emerged, Paul Keating makes his first challenge against Bob Hawke for the Australian Labor Party leadership. Hawke wins 66–44, and Keating resigns as Treasurer the same day.
The Federal Government's monthly deficit blew out to more than 1.2 billion dollars.
ACTU President Martin Ferguson says Labor Party should get on with the job of governing and stop petty leadership disputes.
- 2 August – The Palm Grove Hostel fire kills 12 people in Dungog, New South Wales.
- 5 August – Former Queensland Police Commissioner Terry Lewis is sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption.
- 17 August – Strathfield massacre: Wade Frankum kills seven people, mostly women, in a killing spree in Strathfield Plaza in Sydney.
- 19 October – The perjury trial of former Premier of Queensland Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen ends in a hung jury. Prosecutors decide against a retrial on the basis of Joh's advancing age and divided public opinion.
- 23 October – The first general strike in Australia in 65 years takes place in New South Wales.
- 19 December – Paul Keating makes his second Labor leadership challenge. This time, he wins 56-51 and becomes Australia's 24th Prime Minister the next day.
- 20 December – Barely a year after starting up, Compass Airlines Mk I is shut down. The shutdown is somewhat controversial, coming shortly before the peak Christmas travelling period and partially coming about as a result of debts owed to a government authority.
Arts and literature
- Cloudstreet adapted for the stage by Nick Enright and Justin Monjo, the theatrical adaptation opened in Sydney under the direction of Neil Armfield. Seasons followed in Perth, Melbourne, London, Dublin, New York and Washington, D.C., with the Company B cast touring the production until 2001 with minimal recasting. A lengthy adaptation at 5 and a half hours, the play attracted rave reviews around the world. The adaptation is published by Currency Press. There are plans to produce a TV miniseries version of Cloudstreet.
- David Malouf's novel The Great World wins the Miles Franklin Award
Film
Television
Sport
- 2 January - Australian Nicole Provis loses in the Danone Women's Open Tennis Championship.
- 3 January - Jana Novotina is out of the Danone Women's Open Tennis Championship.
- 4 January - The last remaining player Rachel McQuillan is out of the Danone Women's Open.
- 5 January - The Danone Women's Open is delayed due to rain.
- Greg Matthews puts Australia on top in the Third Ashes Test.
- 6 January - Czech player Helena Sukova wins the Danone Women's Hard Court Championship.
- 7 January - Hayley Lewis makes it into the finals of the World Swimming Championships.
- 26 January - Monica Seles becomes the youngest winner of the Australian Open Tennis Championship.
- 27 January - Boris Becker beats Ivan Lendl in the Australian Open Tennis Championship and takes the world's top ranking.
- 22 February – First day of the Australian Track & Field Championships for the 1990-1991 season, which are held at the Sydney Athletic Field in Sydney, New South Wales. The combined events were conducted in Perth on 22 and 23 March, while the relays were conducted at Hobart on 6 January 1991.
- 22 March – The Adelaide Crows play their first game in the AFL. In front of a sellout crowd at Football Park (now AAMI Stadium), they defeat the Hawthorn Hawks 24.11.155 to 9.15.69
- May – South Melbourne, managed by legendary Hungarian Ferenc Puskás, defeat Melbourne Croatia on penalties after a thoroughly entertaining 1-1 draw in the National Soccer League Grand Final at Olympic Park.
- 2 June – Carlton go within thirty seconds of becoming the first goalless team in the VFL/AFL since 1961 and only the second since 1921. Mark Arceri kicks a goal from a free kick with 33 seconds remaining.
- 3 June England soccer team scored one-nil victory over Australia.
- 21 July – Sean Quilty wins the his first men's national marathon title, clocking 2:14:59 in Brisbane, while Karen Gobby claims the women's title in 2:36:42.
- 22 September – The Penrith Panthers defeat the Canberra Raiders 19-12 to win the 84th NSWRL premiership. It is the first premiership for Penrith, who have been trying since 1967 to win one.
- 28 September – The Hawthorn Hawks (20.19.139) defeat the West Coast Eagles (13.8.86) to win the 95th VFL/AFL premiership. It is the most recent grand final that was not played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, it was played at Waverley Park instead as the MCG was being renovated.
Births
- 7 January – Michael Walters, Australian rules footballer
- 17 April – Tessa James, actress
- 25 May – Joe Robinson, musician
- 1 June – Sally Peers, tennis player
- 7 June – Olivia Rogowska, tennis player
- 23 July – Lauren Mitchell, gymnast
- 17 August – Michael Hepburn, cyclist
- 19 September – Demelza Reveley, model
- 17 October –
- 20 October – Mitchell Marsh, cricketer
- 10 December – Thomas Oar, soccer player
- 27 December – Sam Reid, Australian rules footballer
Deaths
References
