1979 in Australia

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Incumbents

• Queen of Australia – Elizabeth II
• Prime Minister – Malcolm Fraser
• Governor General – Zelman Cowen
• Premier of New South Wales – Neville Wran
• Premier of South Australia – Don Dunstan, Des Cocoran
• Premier of Queensland – Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen
• Premier of Tasmania – Harry Holgate
• Premier of Western Australia – Charles Court
• Premier of Victoria – Rupert Hamer
• Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Paul Everingham

Events

• Neville Bonner is announced as Australian of the Year
• 9 June – A fire at Luna Park Sydney kills 7. The park is forced to close.
• 1 July - Commonwealth Death Duties abolished
• 11 July – The American space station Skylab crashes in Western Australia
• 19 July – The Miss Universe final is celebrated in Perth.
• 20 July – inaugural meeting of the National Farmers' Federation
• 24 July - Fourteen Coalminers die in a lethal gas explosion at Appin NSW.
• 19 October – The Australian Federal Police is established

Arts and 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

Television

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

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 St. George's victory over Canterbury-Bankstown
• 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

• 2 January – Robert Newbery, diver
• 3 January – Brooke Morrison, field hockey striker
• 4 March – Geoff Huegill, swimmer
• 12 March – Jamie Dwyer, field hockey forward
• 16 March — Suzie Faulkner, field hockey striker
• 4 April – Heath Ledger, actor (d. 2008)
• 9 April – Graeme Brown, cyclist
• 18 April – Zain Wright, field hockey midfielder
• 7 July – Loudy Tourky, diver
• 14 August – Paul Burgess, pole vaulter
• 23 August – Lance Whitnall, Australian Rules footballer
• 12 September – Aaron Hopkins, field hockey defender
• 29 September - Nathan Foley, Australian singer (Hi 5)
• 20 October – Tim Neesham, water polo player
• 21 December – Stephen Lambert, field hockey goalkeeper

Deaths

• 7 January – Ivan Stedman (83), swimmer (b. 1895)
• 15 April – David Brand, Premier of Western Australia (b. 1912)
• 6 June – Ion Idriess, author (b. 1889)