1994 in Australia

Infobox Australian year
monarch = Elizabeth II
governor-general = Bill Hayden
pm =Paul Keating
population =17,854,738
australian =
elections =NT"See also:"
1993 in Australia,
other events of 1994,
1995 in Australia----

See also:
* 1994 Australian incumbents

Incumbents

*Queen of Australia - HM Queen Elizabeth II
*Governor General - Bill Hayden
*Prime Minister - Paul Keating
*Premier of New South Wales - John Fahey
*Premier of South Australia - Dean Brown
*Premier of Queensland - Wayne Goss
*Premier of Tasmania - Ray Groom
*Premier of Western Australia - Richard Court
*Premier of Victoria - Jeff Kennett
*Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory - Rosemary Follett
*Chief Minister of the Northern Territory - Marshall Perron

Events

*January 2-January 15 - Major bushfires devastate coastal New South Wales - 4 people dead, 300+ homes lost.
*January 26 - A man fires two blank shots at Charles, Prince of Wales in Sydney, Australia.
*February 27 - Australian Federal Sports & Environment Minister Ros Kelly resigns over "The Sports Rorts affair", where it was alleged that she alocated money for community sporting projects to marginal Labor electorates in a pork barreling fashion.
*May - John Hewson is replaced as leader of the opposition by Alexander Downer.
*July 25 - Telephone numbers through Australia start changing to eight digits (Mona Vale, Sydney 1st to change)
*August - 'Wollemia nobilis', a "fossil tree" discovered by bushwalker David Noble only 150 km from the largest city in Australia.
*September 5 - New South Wales State MP for Cabramatta John Newman is shot outside his home (Australia's first political assassination since 1977)
*November 4 - Sydney's third runway opens, ensuring protests about noise levels.
*December 2 - Australian government agrees to pay reparations to aborigines that were displaced during the nuclear tests in 1950s and 1960s.

Arts and literature

* Rodney Hall's novel "The Grisly Wife" wins the Miles Franklin Award

Film

* Muriel's Wedding & The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert are major box office hits both here & abroad.

Television

*January 18 - Blue Heelers premieres on Channel 7.
*April 28 - The Tasmanian television market is aggregated, with TasTV (now WIN Television) taking a Nine Network affiliation & Southern Cross taking a dual Seven & Ten affiliation.
*July 21 - Mother and Son finale airs. (1984-1994)
*Hey Dad...! hosts its final original episode (1984-1994)
*A Country Practice (1981-1993 on Channel 7) revival attempt on Channel 10 backfires.

port

*February 9 - 20 minute quarters & final 8 introduced in the AFL.
*February - Australia takes its first Winter Olympic medal when the Australian short track speed skating team wins bronze in the 5000m relay at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.
*March 2 - Rumours of a breakway competition reported after relations deteriorate between the Brisbane Broncos & the NSWRL
*March 10 – First day of the Australian Track & Field Championships for the 1993-1994 season, which are held at the Sydney Athletic Field in Sydney. The combined events championships were conducted in Canberra on March 17 and 18, 1994.
*May 1 – Adelaide City become NSL Champions for the third time, defeating a Mark Viduka inspired Melbourne Knights at Olympic Park.
*May 23 - Queensland stage heart-stopping fightback in the last five minutes of State of Origin I. After coming from 12-4 down, winger Mark Coyne scores match-winner in final minute.
*June 8 - 87,161 people-an Australian rugby league record-turn out at the MCG for State of Origin II. NSW win 14-0.
*July 17 - Michael Dalton wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:16:17 in Brisbane, while Joanne Cowan claims the women's title in 2:45:35.
*July 26 - NSWRL general manager John Ribot concedes a privately run competition is feasible as news of a "Super League" competition surfaces.
*September 24 - West Coast Eagles (20.20.143) defeated Geelong (8.15.63) to win the 98th AFL premiership.
*September 25 - Canberra captain & rugby league legend Mal Meninga ends club career on winning note when he leads Canberra to a comprehensive 36-12 defeat of Canterbury Bulldogs in the NSWRL Grand Final. His playing career would finish two months later when he lead the Kanagroos on a successful tour of Great Britain & France.
*October 20 - ARL chairman Ken Arthurson warns the Broncos that they face expulsion over their involvement with Super League

Deaths

*January 16 - Jack Metcalfe (81), track and field athlete (b. 1912)
* May 14 - Leonard Teale , actor (b.1922)
* April 5 - Kurt Cobain , Lead singer of Nirvana and grunge rock god (b. 20 February 1967)