1982 in Australia

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Incumbents

• Queen of Australia – Elizabeth II
• Governor General – Sir Zelman Cowen, then Sir Ninian Stephen.
• Prime Minister – Malcolm Fraser
• Premier of New South Wales – Neville Wran
• Premier of South Australia – David Tonkin, then John Bannon
• Premier of Queensland – Joh Bjelke-Petersen
• Premier of Tasmania – Harry Holgate, then Robin Gray
• Premier of Western Australia – Sir Charles Court, then Ray O'Connor
• Premier of Victoria – Lindsay Thompson, then John Cain II
• Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory – Post did not exist in 1982.
• Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Paul Everingham

Events

• 3 April – After almost 27 years in power, the Liberal/National coalition government is voted out in Victoria & is replaced by the ALP
• 11 May – High Court upholds the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 in Koowarta v Bjelke-Petersen, effectively extending Commonwealth power.
• 15 May – In the middle of the Franklin Dam dispute, the Labor government of Harry Holgate is voted out in Tasmania & replaced by the Liberal Party, led by Robin Gray.
• 12 October – Elizabeth II opens the new building of the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.
• 6 November – Elections in South Australia see the voting out of the Liberal/National coalition, led by David Tonkin & the election of the ALP, led by John Bannon
• 14 December – The Tasmanian Wilderness Society, led by Bob Brown, stages a blockade of the Franklin Dam site in Tasmania which continues into 1983. On the same day, UNESCO agrees to list the Tasmanian Wild Rivers as a World Heritage Site.
• 17 December - Random Breath Testing is introduced in NSW

• One of Australia's worst ever droughts strikes the country.

Arts & Literature

• Rodney Hall's novel Just Relations wins the Miles Franklin Award

Film

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Television

• 18 January – Sons and Daughters premieres on the Seven Network.
• 28 June – The Nine Network premieres its new breakfast TV show, National News Today, which is later shortened to Today
• Nine, Seven & the ABC conduct stereo test transmissions

Sport

• The South Melbourne Swans move to Sydney & become the Sydney Swans.
• 21 March – Robert de Castella represents Australia at the tenth IAAF World Cross Country Championships, staged in Rome, Italy. He finished in tenth place (34:20.5) in the race over 11,978 metres.
• 28 March – The Newtown Jets & Canterbury Bulldogs fight out the only (to date) scoreless draw in NSWRL first grade history.
• 24 July – The Sydney Swans (13.12.90) defeat the North Melbourne Kangaroos (8.10.58) to win the VFL night premiership. It is the first major trophy for the Swans since they moved to Sydney.
• 25 July – Robert Wallace wins the his second men's national marathon title, clocking 2:16:02 in Brisbane, while Barbara McKerrow claims the women's title in 2:50:28.
• 25 September – Carlton Blues (14.19.103) defeat the Richmond Tigers (12.13.83) to win the 86th VFL premiership. It is the second consecutive premiership for Carlton & the last grand final appearance to date for Richmond.
• 26 September – Parramatta Eels defeat the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 21-8^ to win the 75th NSWRL premiership. It is their second consecutive premiership.
• 30 September – 9 October – The 1982 Commonwealth Games are held in Brisbane, Queensland
• 18 December – The Kangaroos complete a tour of Great Britain & France undefeated for the first time.

^-Scored under outdated scoring system.

Births

• 25 April – Victoria Mitchell, long-distance runner
• 25 August – Nick Gill, Australian rules footballer
• 13 October – Ian Thorpe, swimmer
• 9 November – Eloise Wellings, long-distance runner
• 13 December – Anthony Callea, singer

Deaths

• 14 June – Arthur Coles, businessman and philanthropist