- 1991 in Australia
Infobox Australian year
monarch =Elizabeth II
governor-general =Bill Hayden
pm =Bob Hawke , thenPaul Keating
population = 17,284,036
australian =
elections =NSW "See also:"1990 in Australia ,
other events of 1991,1992 in Australia ----See also:
*1991 Australian incumbents Incumbents
*
Queen of Australia -HM Queen Elizabeth II
*Governor General -Bill Hayden
*Prime Minister -Bob Hawke , thenPaul Keating
*Premier of New South Wales -Nick Greiner
*Premier of South Australia -John Bannon
*Premier of Queensland -Wayne Goss
*Premier of Tasmania -Michael Field
*Premier of Western Australia -Carmen Lawrence
*Premier of Victoria -Joan Kirner
*Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory -Trevor Kaine , thenRosemary Follett
*Chief Minister of the Northern Territory -Marshall Perron Events
*
January 10 - The State Government ofSouth Australia is forced to bail out theState Bank of South Australia to the tune of $944 million. The bailout is increased to $2.4 billion in August.
*April - 42 people die in a shipwreck whenCyclone Fifi strikes off the coast ofWestern Australia
*May 9 -Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody is released. No criminal charges were recommended, nor was compensation for victims' families, but changes were recommended to the way that Aboriginal people were dealt with inPolice custody.
*May 25 - The state election inNew South Wales produces ahung Parliament . The ruling Liberal/Nationalcoalition government of Nick Greiner manages to form aminority government with the support of four Independent MPs.
*May 30 - Atelevision report reveals that Bob Hawke made a secret deal to hand over the ALP leadership at a suitable time after the1990 federal election to Paul Keating in1988 . This was known as the "Kirribilli agreement." Hawke later went back on the deal.
*June 3 - After the secret deal emerged, Paul Keating made his first leadership challenge for theAustralian Labor Party . Hawke won 66-44 & Keating resigned as Treasurer the same day.
*August 2 - ThePalm Grove Hostel fire kills 12 people inDungog, New South Wales .
*August 5 - Fmr Qld Police CommissionerTerry Lewis is sentenced to 14 years Gaol for corruption.
*August 17 -Strathfield Massacre :Wade Frankum kills 7 people, mostlywomen in a killing spree in Strathfield Plaza inSydney .
*October 19 - Theperjury trial of formerQueensland Premier SirJoh Bjelke-Petersen ends in a hung jury. Prosecutors decide against a retrial on the basis of Joh's advancing age & divided public opinion.
*October 23 - Firstgeneral strike in 65 years takes place in New South Wales.
*December 19 - Keating makes his second Labor leadership challenge. This time, he wins 56-51 & becomesAustralia 's 24thPrime Minister the next day.Arts and literature
* "Cloudstreet" adapted for the stage by Nick Enright and Justin Monjo, the theatrical adaptation opened in Sydney under the direction of Neil Armfield. Seasons followed in Perth, Melbourne, London, Dublin, New York and Washington DC, with the Company B cast touring the production until 2001 with minimal recasting. A lengthy adaptation at 5 and a half hours, the play attracted rave reviews around the world. The adaptation is published by Currency Press. There are plans to produce a TV miniseries version of Cloudstreet.
*David Malouf 's novel "The Great World " wins theMiles Franklin Award Film
Television
*January -
Network Ten relaunches with a new logo, which is still in use to this day.
*December 31 - The Northern New South Wales television market is aggregated, withPrime Television taking aSeven Network affiliation, NBN taking aNine Network affiliation & NRTV (now Southern Cross Ten) taking a Network Ten affiliation.port
*
February 22 – First day of the Australian Track & Field Championships for the 1990-1991 season, which are held at theSydney Athletic Field inSydney, New South Wales . The combined events were conducted in Perth onMarch 22 and 23, while the relays were conducted at Hobart onJanuary 6 ,1991 .
*March 22 – TheAdelaide Crows play their first game in the AFL. In front of a sellout crown at Football Park (nowAAMI Stadium ), they defeat the Hawthorn Hawks 24.11.155 to 9.15.69
*May – South Melbourne, managed by legendary HungarianFerenc Puskas , defeatMelbourne Croatia on penalties after a thoroughly entertaining 1-1 draw in theNational Soccer League Grand Final atOlympic Park .
*July 21 –Sean Quilty wins the his first men's national marathon title, clocking 2:14:59 inBrisbane , whileKaren Gobby claims the women's title in 2:36:42.
*September 22 – ThePenrith Panthers defeat theCanberra Raiders 19-12 to win the 84th NSWRL premiership. It is the first premiership for Penrith, who have been trying since1967 to win one.
*September 28 – TheHawthorn Hawks (20.19.139) defeat theWest Coast Eagles (13.8.86) to win the 95th VFL/AFL premiership. It is the most recent grand final that was not played at theMelbourne Cricket Ground , it was played atWaverley Park instead as the MCG was being renovated.Births
*May 30th -
Lydia Kelso was born.
*October 17th - SingerGabriella Cilmi was born.Deaths
*
March 24 -Sir John Kerr (b.1914 ) formerGovernor-General who sackedGough Whitlam as Prime Minister in1975 .
*April 5 -William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle VC (b. 1909), Governor General of Australia
*May 23 -Manning Clark (b.1915 ), historian
*June 14 -Vladimir Petrov (b.1907 ), defected Soviet spy.
*June 29 -Russ Hinze (b.1919 ), former Sir Joh government minister who was awaitingFitzgerald Inquiry -related corruption charges.
*July 4 -Victor Chang (b.1936 ), heart surgeon, gunned down on his way to work.
*October 7 -Darren Millane (b.1965 ), AFL player, Killed in a car accident.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.