1994 in Australia

← 1993 1992 1991 1994 in Australia → 1995 1996 1997
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
See also:	Other events of 1994 Timeline of Australian history

Incumbents

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Bill Hayden
• Prime Minister – Paul Keating

Premiers and Chief Ministers

• Premier of New South Wales – John Fahey
• Premier of Queensland – Wayne Goss
• Premier of South Australia – Dean Brown
• Premier of Tasmania – Ray Groom
• Premier of Victoria – Jeff Kennett
• Premier of Western Australia – Richard Court
• Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory – Rosemary Follett
• Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Marshall Perron

Governors and Administrators

• Governor of New South Wales – Peter Sinclair
• Governor of Queensland – Leneen Forde
• Governor of South Australia – Dame Roma Mitchell
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir Phillip Bennett
• Governor of Victoria – Richard McGarvie
• Governor of Western Australia – Michael Jeffery
• Administrator of the Northern Territory – Austin Asche
• Administrator of Norfolk Island – Alan Gardner Kerr

Events

• 1 January – The Duchess of York's sister, Jane Makim, marries for a second time in a cliff-top ceremony in Sydney. The ceremony, conducted by a female celebrant, took place at the exclusive Jonah's Restaurant.^[1]
  • The Queensland Minerals and Energy Minister, Mr Tom McGrady, announces that an inquiry will be held into an accident at a central Queensland open cut coal mine in which two men were killed and another two seriously injured.^[2]
• 2 to 15 January – Major bushfires devastate coastal New South Wales—four people are killed and over 300 homes are lost.
• 26 January – Student David Kang fires two blank shots from a starting pistol at Prince Charles in Sydney, Australia.^[3]
• 1 February – Australian businessman Christopher Skase is arrested in Spain.
• 16 February – It is announced that former Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Former Treasurer John Kerin are to be summonsed before a Senate Inquiry into foreign media ownership of Fairfax Group.
• 27 February – Ros Kelly resigns as Minister for Sports and the Environment over the "sports rorts affair".^[4]
• 4 March – Australian authorities request the extradition from Spain of Christopher Skase, who has been held in a hospital on the Spanish island of Majorca since January.^[5]
• 13 March – Carmen Lawrence wins the Fremantle by-election by a strong margin.
• 15 March – Sallyanne Atkinson, former Brisbane Lord Mayor, is appointed Federal Trade Commissioner in Paris.
• 18 March – It is announced that David Barbagallo and Dennis Atkins, advisors to Queensland Premier Wayne Goss, will face a Criminal Justice Commission Inquiry into their alleged misconduct.
• 26 March – Jim Soorley wins a second term as Lord Mayor in the Brisbane City Council elections.
• 23 May – John Hewson is replaced as Leader of the Opposition by Alexander Downer.^[6]
• 4 June – The Country Liberal Party led by Marshall Peron holds government when it wins the Northern Territory election.
• 15 July – Former Western Australian Premier Brian Burke is sentenced to eight months jail.^[7]
• 19 July – In Spain, Christopher Skase begins his fight against extradition in a Majorca court.
• 25 July – Telephone numbers in Australia begin transitioning to eight digits. Mona Vale in Sydney is the first suburb to change to the new numbers.
• August – Wollemia nobilis, a "fossil tree", is discovered by bushwalker David Noble only 150 km from Sydney.^[8]
• 7 August – Victoria Police officers raid Tasty, a predominantly gay nightclub in Melbourne. Club patrons are detained and strip-searched for several hours, resulting in a landmark class action legal case.^[9]
• 28 August – Australia finishes Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada with a record 87 gold medals.
• 5 September – New South Wales state MP John Newman is shot outside his home, in Australia's first political assassination since 1977.^[10]
• 4 November – Sydney Airport's third runway opens, resulting in protests about noise levels.
• 2 December – The Australian government agrees to pay reparations to aborigines who were displaced during the nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s.
• 17 December – A Spanish court overturns Christopher Skase's extradition from Spain.^[11]

Arts and literature

• Rodney Hall's novel The Grisly Wife wins the Miles Franklin Award

Film

• Muriel's Wedding
• The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
• Sirens
• The Sum of Us

Television

• 18 January – Blue Heelers premieres on Channel 7.
• 28 April – The Tasmanian television market is aggregated, with TasTV (now WIN Television) taking a Nine Network affiliation and Southern Cross taking a dual Seven and Ten affiliation.
• 21 July – Mother and Son finale airs. (1984–1994)
• Hey Dad...! hosts its final original episode (1984–1994)
• A Country Practice (1981–1993 on Channel 7) revival attempt on Channel 10 backfires.

Sport

• 9 February – Twenty minute quarters and the "final 8" are introduced in the AFL.
• February – Australia takes its first Winter Olympic medal when the Australian short track speed skating team wins bronze in the 5000m relay at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.
• 2 March – Rumours of a breakway competition reported after relations deteriorate between the Brisbane Broncos & the NSWRL
• 10 March – First day of the Australian Track & Field Championships for the 1993–1994 season, which are held at the Sydney Athletic Field in Sydney. The combined events championships were conducted in Canberra on 17 and 18 March 1994.
• 1 May – Adelaide City become NSL Champions for the third time, defeating a Mark Viduka inspired Melbourne Knights at Olympic Park.
• 23 May – Queensland stage heart-stopping fightback in the last five minutes of the 1994 State of Origin series' 1st game. After coming from 12–4 down, winger Mark Coyne scores match-winner in final minute.
• 8 June – 87,161 people-an Australian rugby league record-turn out at the MCG for State of Origin II. NSW win 14–0.
• 17 July – Michael Dalton wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:16:17 in Brisbane, while Joanne Cowan claims the women's title in 2:45:35.
• 26 July – NSWRL general manager John Ribot concedes a privately run competition is feasible as news of a "Super League" competition surfaces.
• 24 September – West Coast Eagles (20.20.143) defeated Geelong (8.15.63) to win the 98th AFL premiership.
• 25 September – Canberra captain & rugby league legend Mal Meninga ends club career on winning note when he leads Canberra to a comprehensive 36–12 defeat of Canterbury Bulldogs in the NSWRL Grand Final. His playing career would finish two months later when he led the Kanagroos on a successful tour of Great Britain & France.
• 20 October – ARL chairman Ken Arthurson warns the Broncos that they face expulsion over their involvement with Super League

Births

• 14 January – Brad Crouch, footballer
• 21 January – Laura Robson, tennis player
• 7 April – Viktorija Rajicic, tennis player
• 17 June – Jiordan Anna Tolli, actor
• 24 June – Tory Green, actor
• 6 July – Scott James, Olympic snowboarder
• 16 September – Maddison Gabriel, model
• 18 October – Morgan Featherstone, fashion model

Deaths

• 16 January – Jack Metcalfe, 81, track and field athlete
• 14 May – Leonard Teale, 71, actor
• 28 May – Sir Charles Spry, 83, Director-General of ASIO (1950–1970)

References