1977 in Australia

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See also: 1976 in Australia, other events of 1977, 1978 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

• Queen of Australia – Elizabeth II
• Governor General – Sir John Kerr up to 8 December, Sir Zelman Cowen from 8 December
• Prime Minister – Malcolm Fraser
• Premier of New South Wales – Neville Wran
• Premier of South Australia – Don Dunstan
• Premier of Queensland – Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen
• Premier of Tasmania – Bill Neilson to 1 December, Doug Lowe from 1 December
• Premier of Western Australia – Sir Charles Court
• Premier of Victoria – Rupert Hamer

Events

• 5 January – Australia's only aircraft suicide attack carried out by a disgruntled former employee of Connellan Airways takes place. The Connellan air disaster claims the life of 6 people including the pilot.
• 10 January – The Easey Street murders take place, an unsolved crime in which two women were brutally stabbed to death in their home in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Collingwood.
• 18 January – Australia experiences its worst railway disaster at Granville, near Sydney, in which 83 people died.
• 1 February – The Federal Court of Australia began to exercise its jurisdiction.
• 15 May – A new political party, the Australian Democrats is launched by former Liberal MP Don Chipp at Melbourne Town Hall.
• 21 May – A referendum is held. Questions on Senate casual vacancies, referendums and retirement of judges are passed. A question on simultaneous elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate fails. A plebiscite to decide Australia's national song is won by "Advance Australia Fair".
• 1 July – The Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman is established.
• 15 July – Anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay disappears near Griffith, New South Wales. He is presumed to have been murdered.
• 4 September – The Queensland government bans street marches and demonstrations.
• 17 September – A state election is held in South Australia. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Don Dunstan is returned to power.
• 8 October – The Tasman Bridge in Hobart re-opens after repair to the damage sustained in the Tasman Bridge disaster when the bridge was struck by the bulk ore carrier MV Lake Illawarra on 5 January 1974.
• 12 November – A state election is held in Queensland, with the Liberal Party of Australia-National coalition led by Joh Bjelke-Petersen gaining their fourth successive victory.
• 30 November – The High Court of Australia rules in the case of Cridland v Federal Commissioner of Taxation that a group of university students avoiding tax by claiming to be farmers were acting legally under provisions of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936.
• 1 December – Bill Neilson resigns as Premier of Tasmania, and is replaced by Doug Lowe.
• 10 December – A federal election is held, with the incumbent Liberal Party led by Malcolm Fraser with coalition partner the National led by Doug Anthony returned for a second term.

Science and technology

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Arts and literature

• Kevin Conno wins the Archibald Prize with Robert Klippel
• Ruth Park's novel Swords and Crowns and Rings wins the Miles Franklin Award

Film

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Television

• Popular soap operas Bellbird, Number 96, and The Box, are all cancelled.
• Television soap operas The Restless Years and Cop Shop begin.

Sport

• 12 March – The Centenary Test commences between England and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
• 20 March – Australia is represented by nine long-distance runners (all men), including Robert de Castella, at the fifth IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Düsseldorf, West Germany. Steve Austin is Australia's best finisher, claiming the 15th spot (38:26.0) in the race over 12,3 kilometres.
• 2 April – The National Soccer League kicks off, as the first league of any football code to become national. The opening game sees West Adelaide defeat Canberra City 3-1 at Manuka Oval in Canberra.
• 7 May - Hawthorn set two VFL records when they kick 41 behinds and have a total of 66 scoring shots against St. Kilda. These totals remain six ahead of the second-most behinds and scoring shots.
• 6 August – Robert Wallace wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:20:11.2 in Cressy, Tasmania.^[1]
• England defeat a weakened Australia team 3-0 in The Ashes test series
• 17 September - St. George and Parramatta play a 9-9 draw after 100 minutes in the NSWRL Grand Final. It is the first Grand Final to be tied after 100 minutes including extra time.
• 24 September
  • St. George thrash Parramatta 22-0 in the Grand Final replay
  • North Melbourne and Collingwood play only the second VFL Grand Final draw in history.
• 1 October - North Melbourne defeat Collingwood in the Grand Final replay
• 2 October – In motor racing Ford team-mates Allan Moffat and Colin Bond finish side by side to complete a 1–2 Formation Finish at the Bathurst 1000.
• Gold and Black wins the Melbourne Cup
• Western Australia wins the Sheffield Shield
• Kialoa II wins the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

Births

• 14 February – Cadel Evans, cyclist
• 24 February – Jason Akermanis, Australian Rules footballer
• 25 February – Joanne Banning, field hockey striker
• 24 March – Darren Lockyer, Rugby league footballer
• 31 March – Garth Tander, racing driver
• 10 May – Chas Licciardello, comedian
• 14 May – Ada Nicodemou, actress
• 11 June – Geoff Ogilvy, golfer
• 10 July – Schapelle Corby, drug trafficker
• 11 August – Byron Pickett, Australian Rules footballer
• 13 August – Michael Klim, swimmer
• 14 August – Justin Anlezark, shot putter
• 15 August – Anthony Rocca, Australian Rules footballer
• 1 September – Henry Collins, boxer
• 6 September – Peter Wakefield, boxer
• 23 October – Brad Haddin, cricketer
• 30 October – Charmian Faulkner, missing toddler
• 16 November – Gigi Edgley, actress
• 6 December – Peta Gallagher, field hockey striker

Deaths

• 14 January – Peter Finch (b. 1916), actor
• 23 April – John McDonald (b. 1898), Premier of Victoria (1950–1952)

See also

• 1977
• 1970s

References