2003 in Australia

See also:

2003 Australian incumbents

Incumbents

Events

January 18 - Four people die in the Canberra bushfires of 2003.
January 31 - Seven people die in the Waterfall train disaster, which happened due to the driver having a heart attack at the controls of the train & losing control of the train.
February 17 - Hundreds of thousands of Australian protestors join millions more in other cities around the world in protesting the Iraq War. These are the biggest street protests seen since the Vietnam War.
March 20 - The Iraq war begins. Australia sends 2000 military personnel to the conflict.
March 22 - Bob Carr's ALP government is re-elected for a third term in New South Wales
April - The North Korean freighter Pong Su is stormed by Special Operations Command troops carrying almost 125kg (300 lb) of heroin.
April 28 - All Pan Pharmaceuticals products are recalled by the Therapeutic Goods Administration after a number of safety problems were found at its manufacturing plant, in what was one of Australia's biggest ever recalls.
May 29 - An attempted hijacking of Qantas Flight 1737 between Melbourne and Launceston is thwarted when a flight attendant and passengers subdue and disarm the culprit.
June - Major-General Michael Jeffrey becomes Australia's Governor-General after the resignation of Dr Peter Hollingworth due to his handling of a child sex case while he was Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane.
October 22 - US President George W. Bush & President of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao visit Australia simultaneously. President Bush gives his address to Parliament on October 22, while the PRC leader gives his address on October 23.
November 28 - Simon Crean resigns as Opposition Leader. Mark Latham defeats Kim Beazley by two votes in a party room ballot on December 2.

Arts and literature

ARIA Music Awards of 2003

Film

June 30 - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith begins principal photography at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney.

Television

October - After protests from the Vietnamese community, SBS decides to cancel its broadcasts of the state-run news service from Vietnam.
December 31 - Southern Cross Ten goes on air as a supplementary broadcaster to existing solus broadcaster Central GTS/BKN in the Spencer Gulf region of South Australia and the Broken Hill area of New South Wales.

Sport

September 12 - The Melbourne Phoenix defeat the Sydney Swifts 47-44 in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy netball grand final.
September 27 - The Brisbane Lions (20.14.134) defeat the Collingwood Magpies (12.12.84) to win the 107th VFL/AFL premiership. It is the third consecutive grand final win for Brisbane and the second consecutive year that they and Collingwood have met in the grand final.
October 5 - The Penrith Panthers defeat the Sydney Roosters 18-6 to win the 96th NSWRL/ARL/NRL premiership. It is the second premiership for Penrith.
October 10-November 22 - Australia hosts the 2003 Rugby World Cup. In the final held at Telstra Stadium in Sydney, England defeats Australia 20-17 after a last-minute field goal from Jonny Wilkinson in extra time.
November 4 - Makybe Diva wins the Melbourne Cup horse racing event. It is the first of three Melbourne Cup wins for the mare.

Births

Deaths

January 11 - Maurice Gibb, 53, Bee Gee
January 17 - Ed Devereaux, 78, actor
January 20 - John Halfpenny, 68, trade union leader
March 2 - Malcolm Williamson, 71, composer, Master of the Queen's Music
August 23 - Jack Dyer, 89, Australian rules football legend
August 24 - Mal Colston, 65, politician
September 29 - Slim Dusty, 76, country music singer
October 12 - Jim Cairns, 89, politician