1983 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1983 in Australia.

Incumbents

Monarch – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – Sir Ninian Stephen
Prime Minister – Malcolm Fraser, then Bob Hawke
*Prime Minister of Australia|Deputy Prime Minister] – Doug Anthony, then Lionel Bowen
*Opposition Leader – Bill Hayden, then Bob Hawke, then Andrew Peacock
Chief Justice – Sir Harry Gibbs

State and territory leaders

Premier of [New South Wales] – Neville Wran
*Opposition Leader – John Dowd, then Nick Greiner
Premier of Queensland – Joh Bjelke-Petersen
*Opposition Leader – Keith Wright
Premier of South Australia – John Bannon
*Opposition Leader – John Olsen
Premier of Tasmania – Robin Gray
*Opposition Leader – Ken Wriedt
Premier of Victoria – John Cain Jr.
*Opposition Leader – Jeff Kennett
Premier of Western Australia – Ray O'Connor, then Brian Burke
*Opposition Leader – Brian Burke, then Ray O'Connor
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Paul Everingham
*Opposition Leader – Bob Collins
Chief Minister of Norfolk Island – David Buffett

Governors and administrators

Governor of New South Wales – Sir James Rowland
Governor of Queensland – Sir James Ramsay
Governor of South Australia – Sir Donald Dunstan
Governor of Tasmania – Sir James Plimsoll
Governor of Victoria – Sir Brian Murray
Governor of Western Australia – Sir Richard Trowbridge
Administrator of Norfolk Island – Raymond Trebilco
Administrator of the Northern Territory – Eric Johnston

Events

January

4 January - Louise Bell, aged 10-years, disappeared from her bedroom in Hackham West, South Australia. Her body has not been located. On 11 November 2016, 68-year-old Dieter Pfennig was found guilty of murdering her. He was already serving a life sentence for murdering a boy in 1989 and the abduction and rape of another boy.
14 January - Federal Opposition Leader Bill Hayden reshuffles the shadow frontbench, while a conspiracy to depose him still looms large.

February

3 February - Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser is granted a double dissolution of both houses of parliament for a double dissolution election for 5 March. On the same day Bob Hawke replaces Bill Hayden as federal ALP leader.
8 February - A severe dust storm sweeps through Melbourne and deposits an estimated 1,000 tonnes of topsoil on the city.
16 February - The Ash Wednesday bushfires in Victoria and South Australia claim the lives of 72 people and destroys over 2,000 homes in one of Australia's worst ever fires.
21 February - The Australian Council of Trade Unions endorses the Prices and Incomes Accord drawn up jointly with the Australian Labor Party.
23 February - Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser's claim that people's savings would be safer under the bed than in the bank exposes him to ridicule, including Bob Hawke's riposte, "But that's where the Commies are!".

March

5 March - 1983 Australian federal election. The ALP, with Bob Hawke as leader wins with one of the biggest parliamentary majorities in Australian political history.
8 March - The Australian dollar is devalued by 10 per cent.
11 March - The Hawke government's new ministry is sworn in, Andrew Peacock becomes Federal Opposition Leader after he wins the Liberal Party leadership. John Howard retains the Deputy Liberal leader position.

April

11 April
*A National Economic Summit is convened in Canberra to formulate future policy.
*News of "spy flights" by Royal Australian Air Force aircraft over Tasmania under orders from Minister Gareth Evans sparks outrage.
21 April - The National and International Security Committee decides to expel Soviet First Secretary Valery Ivanov and to blacklist David Coombe, a Canberra lobbyist and former Australian Labor Party National Secretary, whom Ivanov was thought to have been cultivating.
22 April - Soviet embassy official Valery Ivanov is expelled from Australia for allegedly trying to recruit spies in the Australian government.

May

1 May - The Sydney Entertainment Centre is opened.
3 May - All of Queensland is declared a disaster area after a fortnight of almost continuous rain breaks a drought and floods nine river systems.
10 May - Canberra lobbyist and former Federal Secretary of the Australian Labor Party David Combe is declared persona non-grata by the Federal Government because of his association with Valery Ivanov.
11 May - Sir Laurence Street is called on to head a Royal Commission after New South Wales Premier Neville Wran is alleged by the ABC program Four Corners to have attempted to influence the NSW magistracy. Wran temporarily hands over power to his deputy.
16 May - NSW Premier Neville Wran steps aside in response to allegations raised by ABC program Four Corners that he attempted to influence the NSW Magistry
19 May - The Federal Government's announcement of sweeping changes to the superannuation structure evoke widespread opposition.

June

14 June - The Royal Australian Navy patrol boat rescues British solo navigator, Peter Bird, as his boat was wrecked just 33 kilometres from Wreck Bay at the northern extremity of Queensland. Bird had crossed 9,000 kilometres of the Pacific Ocean in 294 days in a 10.6-metre rowing boat.

July

1 July - High Court blocks construction of the Franklin Dam in Tasmania in the Tasmanian Dams Case.
14 July - Mick Young resigns as Special Minister of State after admitting being indiscrete in remarks he made about the expulsion of Soviet First Secretary Valery Ivanov to lobbyist Eric Walsh and Australian National Opinion Polls' Rod Cameron, both of whom were friends of Mick Young.
18 July - The first death in Australia attributable to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome occurs.
22 July - Dick Smith completes the world's first solo helicopter flight around the globe.
28 July - New South Wales premier Neville Wran exonerated by Street Royal Commission over claims raised by ABC program Four Corners which claimed that he attempted to influence the NSW magistry.

August

2 August - Paul Sharp becomes the first European to cross the Simpson Desert alone and on foot.
4 August - Queensland Welfare Minister Terry White is dismissed from his portfolio for voting with the opposition during a debate on the establishment of a public accounts committee, despite this being a part of both Liberal and Labor policies.
18 August - A road train is deliberately driven into a motel at Ayers Rock, killing five people and injuring a further 20. The driver, Douglas Edwin Crabbe, is subsequently convicted of murder.

September

4 September - Six men walk underwater in Sydney Harbour as part of an attempt to break a world record. They achieved in 48 hours.
23 September - The Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission sets down guidelines for the establishment of a centralised system of wage-fixing utilising full indexation.
26 September - Australia II wins the America's Cup ending the New York Yacht Club's 132-year domination of the race.

November

30 November - ASIS officer bungle a training exercise in the Melbourne Sheraton hotel.

December

9 December - Federal Treasurer Paul Keating announces that the Australian dollar would be allowed to float on the international money market. Under the old flexible peg system, the Reserve Bank bought and sold all Australian dollars and cleared the market at the end of the day.
15 December - Legendary Australian band Cold Chisel plays its farewell show at the Sydney Entertainment Centre after more than a decade together.

Arts and literature

"No award" is made for the Miles Franklin Award

Film

Television

30 April - Four Corners program aired exposing allegations that NSW Premier Neville Wran had tried to influence the magistry over the dropping of fraud charges against Kevin Humphreys, charged with misappropriation of funds from the Balmain Leagues Club. Humphreys is forced to resign his position as President of the NSWRL, while Wran has to face the Street Royal Commission over the allegations & was later exonerated.
26 September - After Australia's America's Cup win, Prime Minister Bob Hawke goes on the Today show and declared a public holiday for that day, stating that "any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum."
27 November - The last episode of The Don Lane Show goes to air on GTV-9.

Sport

26 February - Value of a rugby league try is increased to four points for the start of the 1983 season. A number of other rule changes are also made, including a "hand over" after six tackles instead of a scrum.
20 March - Robert de Castella is Australia's best finisher at the eleventh IAAF World Cross Country Championships, staged in Gateshead, England. He finishes in sixth place in the race over 11,994 metres.
11 May - VFL Board accepts the findings of the McKinsey Report in principle, suggesting major changes to league administration including the establishment of an independent commission.
12 June - John Stanley wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:17:04 in Sydney, while Megan Sloane claims the women's title in 2:37:50.
18 June - Fitzroy produce an amazing performance against North Melbourne in a top-of-the-table clash at the Junction Oval, winning by 150 points and kicking the third-highest VFL score to that point. The previous biggest loss by a minor premier was 69 points. Matt Rendell, effectively playing as a seventh forward, kicked eight goals after having not kicked one for seventeen games.
9 July - Australia national [rugby league team|Australia]'s run of 16 consecutive Rugby League test victories is ended when New Zealand upset Australia 19–12 at Lang Park, Brisbane.
22 July - Fitzroy with 12.6 and St Kilda with 7.1 set a record aggregate score for a quarter in VFL football, beating the previous record of 18.2 in 1975 by Essendon and Carlton.
5 August - First game played under lights since 1952. Geelong defeat Sydney at the SCG
24 September - Hawthorn defeat Essendon to win the 87th VFL premiership
25 September - Parramatta Eels defeat minor premiers Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 18–6 to win the 76th NSWRL premiership.
26 September - Newtown Jets & Western Suburbs Magpies axed from the 1984 NSWRL premiership. It is announced that Newtown will return as Newtown-Campbelltown in 1985. The move never eventuates.
1 November - Kiwi wins the Melbourne Cup.
5 December - NSWRL reinstate Western Suburbs after Equity Court ruling. Wests end up moving to Campbelltown around the same time.
28 December - Pat Cash clinches a Davis Cup tennis win for Australia over Sweden.
Ross Glendinning wins the Brownlow Medal

Births

3 January - Kelvin Robertson, basketball player
9 January - Scott Brennan, Olympic rower
14 January - Jason Krejza, cricketer
17 January - Rick Kelly, motor racing driver
19 January - Larry Davidson, basketball player
20 January - Paula Taylor, Thai-born Australian model and actress
21 January - Monique Adamczak, tennis player
23 January - Sarah Tait, rower
24 January - Craig Horner, actor and musician
26 January - Ryan Rowland-Smith, baseball player
27 January - Rebecca Judd, model and television presenter
30 January - Ella Hooper, singer-songwriter
2 February - Lee Holdsworth, motor racing driver
4 February - Jarrad Waite, footballer
6 February - Jamie Whincup, racing driver
15 February - Alan Didak, footballer
22 February - Clint McKay, cricketer
28 February
* Martin Iti, basketball player
* Trent Oeltjen, baseball player
15 March - Ben Hilfenhaus, cricketer
17 March - Penny McNamee, actress
12 April
* Jelena Dokić, tennis player
* Jonti Richter, soccer player
20 April - Miranda Kerr, model
25 April - Johnathan Thurston, rugby league footballer
3 May - Alex Loughton, basketball player
10 May - Fiona Hammond, water polo player
11 May - Holly Valance, actress and singer
16 May - Daniel Kerr, footballer
20 May - Nikki Boyd, politician
25 May - Michael Caruso, motor racing driver
31 May - Dustin Wells, footballer
3 June - Anthony Petrie, basketball player
8 June - Mark Worthington, basketball player
18 June
*Cameron Smith, rugby league footballer
*Billy Slater, rugby league footballer
7 July - Renee Chappell, cricketer
21 July - Amy Mizzi, actress
22 July - Sharni Vinson, model, actress and dancer
23 July - Bec Cartwright, actress
4 August
* Nathaniel Buzolic, actor
* Jai Crawford, cyclist
11 August - Chris Hemsworth, actor
14 August - Jacob Holmes, basketball player
18 August - Russell Ford, field hockey striker
19 August - Tammin Sursok, actress
27 August - Suzie Fraser, water polo player
8 September - Chris Judd, Australian rules footballer
17 October - Jesse Rosenfeld, actor
22 October - David Barlow, basketball player
12 November - Kate Bell, actress
4 December - Jimmy Bartel, Australian rules footballer
5 December - Cooper Cronk, rugby league footballer
9 December - Tommy Greer, basketball player
18 December - Darren Ng, basketball player

Deaths

28 January – Frank Forde, 15th Prime Minister of Australia
16 April – Tim McNamara, country musician
1 May – Eric Porter, animator and film director
5 August – Leo Rush, Australian rules footballer
29 August – Decima Norman, Olympic athlete
11 September – Brian Lawrance, bandleader
27 September – Wilfred Burchett, journalist
2 October – Bettina Gorton, 18th Spouse of the Prime Minister of Australia and academic