1979 in Australia explained

The following lists events that happened during 1979 in Australia.

Governor-General:	Sir Zelman Cowen
Pm:	Malcolm Fraser
Population:	14,359,255
Australian:	Neville Bonner and Harry Butler

Incumbents

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Sir Zelman Cowen
• Prime Minister – Malcolm Fraser
  • Deputy Prime Minister – Doug Anthony
  • Opposition Leader – Bill Hayden
• Chief Justice – Sir Garfield Barwick

State and territory leaders

• Premier of New South Wales – Neville Wran
  • Opposition Leader – John Mason
• Premier of Queensland – Joh Bjelke-Petersen
  • Opposition Leader – Ed Casey
• Premier of South Australia – Don Dunstan (until 15 February), then Des Corcoran (until 18 September), then David Tonkin
  • Opposition Leader – David Tonkin (until 18 September), then Des Corcoran (until 2 October), then John Bannon
• Premier of Tasmania – Doug Lowe
  • Opposition Leader – Max Bingham (until 7 August), then Geoff Pearsall
• Premier of Victoria – Rupert Hamer
  • Opposition Leader – Frank Wilkes
• Premier of Western Australia – Sir Charles Court
  • Opposition Leader – Ron Davies
• Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Paul Everingham
  • Opposition Leader – Jon Isaacs
• Chief Minister of Norfolk Island – David Buffett (from 10 August)

Governors and administrators

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir Roden Cutler
• Governor of Queensland – Sir James Ramsay
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Keith Seaman
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir Stanley Burbury
• Governor of Victoria – Sir Henry Winneke
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir Wallace Kyle
• Administrator of Norfolk Island – Desmond O'Leary (until 4 September), then Peter Coleman
• Administrator of the Northern Territory – John England

Events

January

• 4 January — Australia's highest daily rainfall, 11402NaN2, is recorded at Bellenden Ker Top Station, Queensland.
• 9 January — Deputy Prime Minister Doug Anthony signs a pact to allow uranium mining to begin at the Ranger Uranium Mine in the Northern Territory.^[1] The pact gives the authority to develop the 100,000 tonne deposit to the Australian Atomic Energy Commission, Peko-Wallsend and the Electrolytic Zinc Company for a period of 21 years.
• 31 January — Bellenden Ker Top Station in Queensland receives the highest monthly rainfall total on record, with a total of 53872NaN2 of rain recorded.^[2]

February

• 9 February – Associated Securities Limited, Australia's fourth-largest finance company, is placed into receivership. In a statement to the stock exchange, ASL directors state that the results for the six months to 31 December had shown a loss of $2.5 million, plus an extraordinary loss of $1 million from foreign exchange movements.^[3]
• 12 February – Harry M. Miller's Computicket theatre and sporting booking agency collapses.^[4]

March

• 9 March – The Arbitration Commission awards Australian women the right to six weeks' compulsory unpaid maternity leave with the option of extending the leave to one year.^[5] The provisions, which will flow to all awards covering women in the private sector, will take effect on 2 April.^[5]

April

• 4 April – Domico Speranza hijacks a Pan-Am plane at Sydney Airport for 4 1/2 hours until shot dead by police.^[6]
• 11 April – A truck drivers' blockade, which had disrupted the eastern states for 10 days, ends.^[7] The truck drivers had been protesting against state road taxes and low cartage rates.^[7]

May

• 24 May – James William Miller, aged 39, is charged with the Truro murders - the murders of four young women 100 kilometres north-east of Adelaide.^[8] A fifth body is found with police searching for two more bodies, bringing the number of victims to a total of seven.^{[8] [9]} Miller is charged with murdering Veronica Knight, 18, Sylvia Michelle Pittmann, 16, Vicki May Mowell, 26, and Connie Iordanides, 16.^[8]

June

• 8 June – Philip Silleny attempts to hijack a TAA aircraft near Brisbane but is disarmed by hostess Esme Qazim and other crew.^[10]
• 9 June –
  • A fire at Luna Park Sydney kills seven.^[11] Four young boys, a father and his two young sons die when the fire, believed to be caused by an electrical fault, engulf the ride.^[12] The park is forced to close.
  • Australia's first modern uranium mine opens at Nabarlek in Arnhem Land.^[13] A $25,000 party is held to celebrate the launch of the mine, which is also the first to open on Aboriginal tribal land.^[13]
• 21 June – Up to a million workers stop work across the country to protest the arrest of unionists in Western Australia for addressing a public meeting without police permission, causing public transport, industry and commercial services to be thrown into disarray.^{[14] [15]}
• 23 June – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran opens the Eastern Suburbs six-station railway line which runs from Sydney city to Bondi Junction.^[16] The railway line has been a source of continuing controversy since work on it began. In 1976, Neville Wran referred to the project as probably "the most monumental financial scandal" in the state's history.^[17]

July

• 1 July –
  • Commonwealth death duties are abolished.
  • Responsibility for education in the Northern Territory is transferred from the Federal to the Northern Territory Government.
• 11 July – The American space station Skylab crashes in Esperance, Western Australia.^{[18] [19]}
• 19 July – The Miss Universe final is celebrated in Perth.^{[20] [21]}
• 20 July – Inaugural meeting of the National Farmers' Federation.^[22]
• 24 July – 14 coal miners die in a lethal gas explosion at Appin Colliery in New South Wales.^[23]

August

• 29 August – Sydney's new heliport at Darling Harbour is officially opened by Neville Wran.^[24]
• 30 August – Six die when a Cessna 206 plane crashes near Shepparton, Victoria.^[25]

September

• 22 September – The standing conference of Canonical Orthodox churches in Australia is established.
• 26 September – New South Wales Attorney-General Frank Walker tables the 960-page Finnane Report in state parliament.^[26] The New South Wales Government gags Opposition calls for a debate report only 30 minutes after it is tabled.^[26]
• 27 September –
  • Australia announces the abolition of traditional trade preferences with Britain.
  • Ian Sinclair resigns as Federal Primary Industry Minister following allegations that he forged his father's signature on his family's annual returns.^[26] According to the Finnane Report tabled in State Parliament, Ian Sinclair was dishonest in arranging loans from a group of companies of which he was "de facto managing director" to the family pastoral company.^[26] Sinclair had denied the allegations the day before.^[26]

October

• 7 October – The Australia Refugee Advisory Council is established.^[27]
• 14 October – Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) President Bob Hawke wins preselection for the safe ALP federal seat of Wills, making way for him to enter federal politics.^[28] Hawke defeated the Socialist Left candidate Gerry Hand winning 38 votes from the 70-member selection panel.^[28]
• 19 October – The Australian Federal Police is established under the command of Colin Woods.^[29]
• 20 October – Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser proclaims the first section of the Great Barrier Reef (the Capricornia section) a national park, making it the third Australian national park to be declared this year.^[30] Malcolm Fraser also announces the allocation of $300,000 to research projects to be set up in the region to increase the Federal Government's knowledge of this area.^[30]

November

• 5 November – The first New South Wales Lotto draw takes place. No-one chose the six winning numbers in the draw, so only half of the first prize – $193,576 – will be divided among the five members of the in the Money syndicate.
• 6 November – The Royal Commission into Drug Trafficking (Woodward Royal Commission) reports to the New South Wales Parliament, recommending increased penalties and no concessions for soft drugs.
• 30 November – The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), at a meeting of 24 major unions, rejects proposals to block the mining export of uranium.

December

• 16 December – Sunday trading in Sydney public bars begins.

Arts and literature

See main article: 1979 in Australian literature.

• Wes Walters wins the Archibald Prize for his portrait of Philip Adams
• David Ireland's novel A Woman of the Future wins the Miles Franklin Award

Film

• My Brilliant Career, directed by Gillian Armstrong, is released
• Mad Max

Television

• 11 February – The Australian 60 Minutes begins on the Nine Network.^[31]
• 27 February – Prisoner makes its debut on the 0–10 Network.^[32]

Sport

• 14 January – Tasmania beats Western Australia by 47 runs to win their first Gillette Cup title.
• 25 March – Australia is represented by nine long-distance runners (all men), including Robert de Castella, at the seventh IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Limerick, Ireland. Steve Austin is Australia's best finisher, claiming the 29th spot (38:36.0) in the race over 12 kilometres.
• 28 April – Collingwood beat a sixty-year-old record for the greatest VFL winning margin when they demoralise St Kilda by 178 points, beating South Melbourne's 171-point margin also against St Kilda, from 1919.
• 28 July – Fitzroy set a still-standing record winning margin when they beat Melbourne by 190 points at VFL Park. Their score of 36.22 (238) was a record until 1992.
• 12 August – Robert de Castella wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:13:23 in Perth.
• 22 September: The 1979 NSWRFL season culminates in minor premiers St. George's 17–13 victory over Canterbury-Bankstown in the Grand Final. North Sydney finish in last position, claiming the wooden spoon.
• 29 September Carlton Football Club wins the 1979 VFL Grand Final over Collingwood.
• 6 November – Hyperno wins the Melbourne Cup
• Victoria wins the Sheffield Shield
• Bumblebee IV takes line honours in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Screw Loose is the handicap winner
• England defeats Australia 5–1 in The Ashes
• Australia wins the Admiral's Cup
• Jack Newton wins the Australian Open golf championship
• The National Basketball League is founded

Births

• 1 January – Brody Dalle, singer-songwriter
• 2 January – Robert Newbery, diver
• 3 January – Brooke Morrison, field hockey striker
• 6 January – Adrian Rainey, rugby league player
• February 12 – Jesse Spencer, actor and musician
• 15 February – James Harvey, basketball player
• 4 March – Geoff Huegill, swimmer
• 12 March – Jamie Dwyer, field hockey forward
• 16 March – Suzie Faulkner, field hockey striker
• 3 April – Sasa Ognenovski, Footballer
• 4 April
  • Heath Ledger, actor (died 2008)
  • Rebecca Stoyel, gymnast
• 9 April – Graeme Brown, cyclist
• 11 April – Danielle de Niese, opera singer
• 18 April – Zain Wright, field hockey midfielder
• 22 April – Daniel Johns, musician
• 4 June – Jade MacRae, singer
• 5 June – Matthew Scarlett, footballer and coach
• 7 June – Anna Torv, actress
• 11 June – Amy Duggan, Australian footballer and journalist
• 7 July – Loudy Tourky, diver
• 10 July – Russell Hinder, basketball player
• 15 July – Travis Fimmel, actor and model
• 24 July – Rose Byrne, actress
• 3 August – Nathan Crosswell, basketball player
• 9 August – Michael Kingma, basketball player
• 14 August – Paul Burgess, pole vaulter
• 16 August
  • Ian Moran, cricketer
  • Adam Darragh, basketball player
• 23 August – Lance Whitnall, Australian Rules footballer
• 12 September – Aaron Hopkins, field hockey defender
• 17 September – Chris Minns, politician
• 20 September – Damien Ryan, basketball player
• 29 September – Nathan Foley, singer (Hi 5)
• 11 October – Ryan Harris, cricketer
• 20 October – Tim Neesham, water polo player
• 24 October – Matthew Hadgraft, cabaret artist
• 6 November – Peter Ceawford, basketball player
• 9 November – Oliver Ackland, actor
• 12 November
  • Chad Cornes, footballer
  • Matt Stevic, footballer and umpire
• 16 November – Salli Wills, gymnast
• 6 December – Tim Cahill, soccer player
• 15 December – Sam Cawthorn, motivational speaker, author & entrepreneur
• 21 December – Stephen Lambert, field hockey goalkeeper

Deaths

• 7 January – Ivan Stedman, Olympic swimmer (b. 1895)^[33]
• 15 April – Sir David Brand, 19th Premier of Western Australia (b. 1912)^[34]
• 16 April – Frank Stewart, New South Wales politician and rugby league footballer (b. 1923)^[35]
• 21 May – Walter Skelton, New South Wales politician (b. 1883)^[36]
• 4 June – Elena Domenica Rubeo, Australian community worker and businessperson (b. 1896)^[37]
• 6 June – Ion Idriess, author (b. 1889)^[38]
• 30 June – Jim Southee, New South Wales politician (b. 1902)^[39]
• 1 September – Mick Cronin, Australian rules footballer and television commentator (b. 1911)
• 21 December – Eric Joseph Wright, medical administrator and public servant (b. 1912)

See also

• 1979 in Australian television
• List of Australian films of 1979

Notes and References

1. News: Thomas. Tony. 10 January 1979. U sales: '$150m by 1980s'. The Age. 1. 1 January 2024.
2. Web site: 2024. Rainfall and temperature records. Bureau of Meteorology. 1 January 2024. 13 March 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140313040735/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/extreme/records.shtml. live.
3. News: Haley. Ken. 10 February 1979. Probe into ASL starts. The Age. 1. 1 January 2024.
4. News: 13 February 1979. Computicket closes its doors. The Age. 3. 1 January 2024. 1 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240101041858/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-computicket-closes-its-doors/137801235/. live.
5. News: Innes. Prue. 10 March 1979. Commission backs maternity leave. The Age. 5. 1 January 2024. 1 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240101042848/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-commission-backs-maternity-leave/137801747/. live.
6. News: Robertson. David. 5 April 1979. Man dies, shot in hijack attempt. The Sydney Morning Herald. 1. 1 January 2024. 1 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240101043509/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-man-dies-shot/137801935/. live.
7. News: Robertson. David. 12 April 1979. Trucks roll, city gets food supplies. The Sydney Morning Herald. 2. 1 January 2024.
8. News: 25 May 1979. Search continues as fifth Truro body found - Man, 39, in Adelaide court. The Sydney Morning Herald. 3. 1 January 2024. 1 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240101050001/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-search-continu/137803079/. live.
9. News: 26 May 1979. Identity of sixth Truro victim known, police say. The Sydney Morning Herald. 3. 1 January 2024.
10. News: 9 June 1979. Pilot held at gunpoint on TAA plane in Brisbane. The Sydney Morning Herald. 1. Australian Associated Press/Associated Press. 1 January 2024. 1 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240101054403/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-pilot-held-at/137803813/. live.
11. News: Molloy. Paul. 11 June 1979. Ghost Train toll rises to 7. The Sydney Morning Herald. 1. 1 January 2024. 1 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240101054409/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-ghost-train-to/137803990/. live.
12. News: 12 June 1979. Ghost Train checked in 1977. The Sydney Morning Herald. 2. 1 January 2024. 1 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240101054401/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-ghost-train-ch/137804044/. live.
13. News: 12 June 1979. Aust uranium mine opens. Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 8. 1 January 2024. 1 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240101054402/https://www.newspapers.com/article/papua-new-guinea-post-courier-aust-urani/137804128/. live.
14. News: Martin. Keith. 21 June 1979. 300,000 to strike in New South Wales. The Sydney Morning Herald. 2. 1 January 2023.
15. News: Gordon. Michael. Doyle. Michael. Mayman. Jan. Elias. David. 22 June 1979. More strikes threatened - Drop charges, change WA law: unions. The Age. 1. 1 January 2024. 1 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240101054420/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-more-strikes-threatened/137804412/. live.
16. News: Stephens. Tony. 24 June 1979. Century late but Premier still says Eastward Ho!. The Sun-Herald. 5. 1 January 2024. 1 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240101054429/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-century-late-b/137804244/. live.
17. News: O'Hara. John. 30 June 1976. Board to consider rail line's future. The Sydney Morning Herald. 1. 1 January 2024. 1 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240101054413/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-board-to-consi/137804318/. live.
18. News: Sandilands. Ben. Macey. Richard. Steketee. Mike. 12 July 1979. Skylab hits West Aust . The Sydney Morning Herald. 1. 1 January 2024.
19. News: Mayman. Jan. Haley. Ken. 13 July 1979. Hundreds hunt Skylab bounty. The Age. 1. 1 January 2024. 1 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240101062001/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-hundreds-hunt-skylab-bounty/137805743/. live.
20. News: Mayman. Jan. 21 July 1979. Upstaged, downtaged. The Age. 3. 13 January 2024. 13 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113005925/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-upstaged-downstaged/138612502/. live.
21. News: Campbell. Lance. 21 July 1979. Beauty and the beholders. The Age. 19. 13 January 2024. 13 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113005924/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-beauty-and-the-beholders/138612627/. live.
22. News: Nasht. Simon. 20 July 1979. A power take-off. The Age. 9. 13 January 2024. 13 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113005923/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-a-power-take-off/138613087/. live.
23. News: O'Donnell. Michael. Molloy. Paul. Brooks. Geraldine. 26 July 1979. All 14 bodies out of Appin disaster pit; Appin: a town of tired, haggard faces. The Sydney Morning Herald. 1. 13 January 2024. 13 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113005928/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-all-14-bodies/138613342/. live.
24. News: 30 August 1979. Heliport opened. The Sydney Morning Herald. 8. 13 January 2024. 13 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113012317/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-heliport-opene/138613783/. live.
25. News: Murdoch. Lindsay. Comerford. Damien. 31 August 1979. Plane crash kills six. The Age. 1. 13 January 2024. 13 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113010803/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-plane-crash-kills-six/138613917/. live.
26. News: Kruger. Andrew. Bowers. Peter. Ellercamp. Paul. 27 September 1979. 2am: Sinclair resigns . The Sydney Morning Herald. 1. 13 January 2024.
27. News: 8 October 1979. Govt refugee body set up. The Sydney Morning Herald. 3. 13 January 2024.
28. News: Ballantyne. Tom. 15 October 1979. Hawke wins selection, but MP loses seat. The Sydney Morning Herald. 1. 13 January 2024.
29. News: 19 October 1979. Federal police force 'change for better' for ACT. The Canberra Times. 3. 13 January 2024. 15 July 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240715083914/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110606797. live.
30. News: Kruger. Andrew. 22 October 1979. First stage of Barrier Reef park declared. The Sydney Morning Herald. 3. 13 January 2024. 13 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113022412/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-first-stage-of/138617324/. live.
31. News: 11 February 1979. Advertisement: 60 Minutes premiere. The Sydney Morning Herald. 86. 13 January 2024. The National Nine Network and BHP proudly present 60 Minutes. 13 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113085251/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-premiere-tonig/138632195/. live.
32. News: Courtis. Brian. 27 February 1979. Arresting view of the inside. The Age. 2. 13 January 2024. 13 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113085250/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-arresting-view-of-the-inside/138632255/. live.
33. Book: Stedman, Ivan Cuthbert (1895–1979) . Australian Dictionary of Biography . Harry Gordon . 2002 . John Ritchie . Diane Langmore . 16 . Melbourne University Press . 4 January 2022 . 15 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240715084007/https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stedman-ivan-cuthbert-11754 . live .
34. News: 16 April 1979. Sir David, a man of 'foresight and drive'. The Sydney Morning Herald. 8. 14 January 2024. 15 July 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240715083955/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-sir-david-a-m/138693673/. live.
35. News: 17 April 1979. Frank Stewart, MP, 'dedicated Labor man'. The Sydney Morning Herald. 8. 14 January 2024. 14 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240114034939/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-frank-stewart/138693893/. live.
36. News: 23 May 1979. SKELTON, Walter Peden Joyce MBE. The Sydney Morning Herald. 25. 14 January 2024.
37. Web site: Helping People Has Been My Happiness: The Contribution of Elena Rubeo to the Italian Community in South Australia . Desmond . O'Connor . 29 December 2012 . 15 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240715083928/http://dspace.flinders.edu.au/xmlui/bitstream/2328/1029/1/OconnorRegenSpirit04.pdf . live .
38. News: 7 June 1979. Ion Idriess: he sold 3m books. The Sydney Morning Herald. 4. 14 January 2024. 14 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240114034333/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-ion-idriess-h/138694313/. live.
39. News: 2 July 1979. SOUTHEE, James Bernard. The Sydney Morning Herald. 24. 14 January 2024. 14 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240114034940/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-southee-james/138694487/. live.