1988 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1988 in Australia.

1988 in Australia
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor-General	Sir Ninian Stephen
Prime minister	Bob Hawke
Population	16,532,164
Elections	NSW, Referendum, VIC

← 1987 1986 1985 1988 in Australia → 1989 1990 1991
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
See also:	Other events of 1988 Timeline of Australian history

Incumbents

Sir Ninian Stephen

Bob Hawke

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Sir Ninian Stephen
• Prime Minister – Bob Hawke
  • Opposition Leader – John Howard
• Chief Justice – Sir Anthony Mason

State and Territory Leaders

• Premier of New South Wales – Barrie Unsworth (until 25 March), then Nick Greiner
  • Opposition Leader – Nick Greiner (until 25 March), then Bob Carr
• Premier of Queensland – Mike Ahern
  • Opposition Leader – Nev Warburton (until 2 March), then Wayne Goss
• Premier of South Australia – John Bannon
  • Opposition Leader – John Olsen
• Premier of Tasmania – Robin Gray
  • Opposition Leader – Neil Batt (until 14 December), then Michael Field
• Premier of Victoria – John Cain Jr.
  • Opposition Leader – Jeff Kennett
• Premier of Western Australia – Brian Burke (until 25 February), then Peter Dowding
  • Opposition Leader – Barry MacKinnon
• Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Stephen Hatton (until 13 July), then Marshall Perron
  • Opposition Leader – Terry Smith
• President of the Legislative Assembly of Norfolk Island – John Brown

Governors and Administrators

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir James Rowland
• Governor of Queensland – Sir Walter Campbell
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Donald Dunstan
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir Phillip Bennett
• Governor of Victoria – Davis McCaughey
• Governor of Western Australia – Gordon Reid
• Administrator of Norfolk Island – John Matthew (until 31 December), then William Campbell
• Administrator of the Northern Territory – Eric Johnston

Events

• Australia's Bicentenary year, celebrations lasting throughout year.

January

• 17 January - The TV soap Home and Away is launched by Seven Network.
• 19 January - Federal Sport and Tourism Minister John Brown steps down for apparently misleading Parliament over his role in the tendering process for Brisbane's Expo contracts on December 10, 1987.
• 26 January – Australia Day, Australia celebrates its bicentennial day with the arrival of the First Fleet Re-enactment Voyage and a tall ships parade in Sydney Harbour.

February

• 5 February - New Liberal Party President, entrepreneur John Elliott, states publicly that the Liberals lack strong leadership and had not deserved to win at the previous election.
• 6 February - The 1988 Adelaide by-election is held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Adelaide following Chris Hurford's retirement. Liberal candidate Michael Pratt wins the seat with a 9% swing, largely because Labor refused to rule out a proposal for timed local telephone calls.
• 9 February - Australian Labor Party President Mick Young is forced to resign from Parliament over allegations (later disproved) of concealing a large donation from Harris-Daishowa. In the ensuing reshuffle, Graham Richardson and Michael Duffy enter Cabinet.

March

• 19 March – Nick Greiner and the Liberal Party win the 1988 New South Wales state election in a landside, removing the ALP government of Barrie Unsworth. Greiner's Coalition of 39 Liberals and 20 Nationals wins 49.5% of the vote in the enlarged 109-seat House, leading comfortably over Labor with 43 seats and 7 others. Labor suffers a further fall of 10% in its vote. National Party leader Wal Murray becomes Deputy Premier of New South Wales.
• 26 March - The 1988 Port Adelaide by-election is held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Port Adelaide following Mick Young's resignation. The election is won by Labor candidate Rod Sawford, despite an 11.1% swing to the Liberal Party.

April

• 9 April - At the Liberals' Federal Council meeting in Melbourne, Liberal leaders Jeff Kennett, John Olsen and Barry MacKinnon are reserved about a consumption tax. John Elliott's motion to broaden the tax is passed.
• 30 April – World Expo 88 opens in Brisbane, Queensland. The exhibition runs for 6 months hosting pavilions from over 70 countries and thrusts Brisbane into the international spotlight.

May

• 9 May – Elizabeth II opens the New Parliament House in Canberra

June

• 1 June - the British Government fail to stop the publication of Spycatcher by the ex-MI5 agent Peter Wright.
• 6 June - 10 June - The Australian Labor Party's biennial conference in Hobart sees the left faction defeated on the divisive issues of uranium mining, privatisation and tertiary education fees.

August

• 3 August - Federal Opposition Leader John Howard's draft One Australia policy taps latent concerns over Asian immigration and sparks damaging debate on this issue within the Coalition.
• 17 August - Foreign Minister Bill Hayden is announced as the next Governor-General. In the subsequent ministerial reshuffle, Gareth Evans receives the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio, Ralph Willis receives Industrial Relations, and Robert Ray receives Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs.
• 22 August - Federal Parliament reassembles for the Budget session in the new Parliament House, Canberra.
• 24 August - In the vote on a Labor motion repudiating race as a criterion for immigration, Liberals Ian McPhee, Philip Ruddock and Peter Baume cross the floor, while Wilson and Michael MacKellar abstain.

September

• 1 September – Acacia pycnantha proclaimed Australia's national floral emblem.
• 3 September – The 1988 Australian referendum is held and propositions on 4-year parliamentary terms, recognition of local government, religious liberty and other issues are defeated with 60% of the electorate voting against them.
• 26 September - Federal Opposition Leader John Howard sacks the National Party of Australia's John Stone from the Shadow Cabinet over a series of remarks about immigration and for not being a "team player".

October

• 1 October – The 1988 Victorian state election is held and the ALP government of John Cain is narrowly re-elected for a third term in Victoria.
• 8 October - The 1988 Oxley by-election is held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Oxley vacated by Bill Hayden. Labor candidate Les Scott only narrowly wins the seat, suffering a 12% swing. Bill Hayden's world trip before taking up his appointment as the new Governor-General is criticised by the Federal Opposition and others.
• 12 October – Two officers of the Victoria Police are gunned down execution-style in the Walsh Street police shootings.
• 15 October – Aus Steam '88 commences in Melbourne, Victoria
• 30 October – World Expo 88 draws to a close after a 6-month spectacular.

November

• 29 November – The four acts granting the ACT self-government are given Royal Assent.
• Olympic Dam, the world's largest uranium deposit and the largest underground mine in Australian opens

December

• 4 December - In Sydney, Federal Opposition Leader John Howard launches a statement of principle and general policy entitled Future Directions which reveals that a Liberal government would encourage the introduction of external school examinations, establish a National Standards Monitoring Programme for schools and did not rule out the introduction of a consumption tax after the first term of a Coalition government. Based on intensive research in 20 marginal seats, the statement also speaks nostalgically of traditional values.
• 24 December - Arbitration Commission President Barry Maddern finds that the Remuneration Tribunal's November recommendations for a 29% increase in MP's salaries and allowances are justified.

Arts and literature

• No Miles Franklin Award winner is announced as date changed from year of publication to year of announcement
• The Aboriginal Memorial was created to honour all Aboriginals that had died defending their land since 1788

Film

• Celia
• Crocodile Dundee II
• Evil Angels
• The Man from Snowy River II
• Young Einstein

Television

• 1 January – Australia Live, a four-hour celebration for Australia's bicentennial of European settlement airs on the ABC, SBS, the Nine Network and regional solus stations.
• 2 January – Imparja starts broadcasting to remote Central Australia via satellite It will have its official launch on 15 January.
• 17 January – The first episode of Home and Away goes to air.
• 17 January – A Current Affair debuts on Channel Nine, hosted by Jana Wendt.
• 24 January – Network Ten unveils its new logo, the "X" logo.
• 16 February – The Comedy Company debuts on Network 10 (1988–1990)
• 29 April – QSTV (now Seven Central) starts broadcasting to remote Eastern Australia via satellite.
• 20 May – Perth's third commercial television station NEW-10 opens, giving Perth the same number of stations as the eastern states.
• 10 September – Brisbane's TVQ-0 becomes TVQ-10. On the same day, Toowoomba's DDQ-10 becomes DDQ-0.
• Christopher Skase buys Perth's TVW-7 and SAS-7 from Alan Bond's Bell Group for $130 million, meaning that all stations in the Seven Network are owned by the one company for the first time.

Sport

• 50m penalty introduced in the VFL.
• 4 March – First game of rugby league played at the newly built Sydney Football Stadium. St. George defeat Eastern Suburbs 24-14.
• 5 March – Newcastle Knights play their first game in the NSWRL. At Newcastle International Sports Centre (later EnergyAustralia Stadium), Parramatta win 28–4. On the same day, the Gold Coast Giants (later Seagulls & finally Chargers) play their first game in the same competition. At Seagulls Stadium, Canterbury win 21–10.
• 6 March – Brisbane Broncos play their first match, defeating defending premiers Manly 44-10 at Lang Park.
• 11 June – In the 100th rugby league test between the two nations, Australia defeat Great Britain 17-6.
• 28 June - Australia retain the Ashes by defeating Great Britain in the 2nd Test of the 1988 Great Britain Lions tour.
• 17 July – Australia thrash reigning World Champions Argentina 4-1 in the Bicentennial Gold Cup, at Sydney Football Stadium.
• 24 July – Patrick Carroll wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:10:44 in Brisbane, while Karen McCann claims the women's title in 2:44:05.
• 11 September – Canterbury defeat Balmain 24-12 to win the 81st NSWRL premiership. It is the first Grand Final played at the S.F.S. & the last game for Steve Mortimer. The Grand Final was played early so that Channel Ten could broadcast the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
• 24 September – Hawthorn Hawks (22.20.152) defeat Melbourne Demons (6.20.56) to win the 92nd VFL premiership.
• 9 October – Australia defeat New Zealand 25-12 in the final of the Rugby League World Cup, played at Eden Park in Auckland.
• Debbie Flintoff-King wins gold in the women's 400m over Tatyana Ledovskaya (Soviet Union) in a photo finish by 0.01s.
• Duncan Armstrong wins gold in the men's 200m freestyle over Anders Holmertz of Sweden & race favourite Matt Biondi of the United States.
• Brownlow Medal awarded to Gerard Healy (Sydney.)

Births

• 20 January – Nathan Jones, Australian footballer
• 22 January – Steve Constanzo, basketball player
• 15 February
  • Jessica De Gouw, actress
  • Jarryd Hayne, rugby league player and football player
  • Tim Mannah, rugby league player
• 22 February – Dane Searls, BMX rider (d. 2011).
• 3 April – Daniel Johnson, basketball player
• 20 April – Michael Jennings, Australian-Tongan rugby league player.
• 26 April – Daniel Jackson, basketball player
• 13 May – Casey Donovan, singer, Indigenous TV host.
• 26 May – Dani Samuels, discus thrower.
• 11 June – Claire Holt, actress.
• 16 June – Nathan Parsons, actor.
• 17 June
  • Stephanie Rice, swimmer.
  • Andrew Ogilvy, basketball player
• 3 July – Tyson Demos, basketball player
• 4 August – Liam Zamel-Paez, high jumper.
• 22 August – Mitchell Langerak, football (soccer) goalkeeper.
• 1 September – Taryn Marler, actress.
• 14 September – Nick Percat, racing driver
• 1 October – Cariba Heine, actress.
• 18 October – Chris Cedar, basketball player
• 24 October – Chris Goulding, basketball player
• 3 November – Angus McLaren, actor.
• 9 November
  • Cadeyrn Neville, rugby player
  • Cheyenne Tozzi, model and singer
• 30 November – Phillip Hughes, cricketer (d. 2014).
• 7 December – Emily Browning, actress.

Deaths

• 31 January – David Ahern, composer.
• 28 February – Kylie Tennant, author.
• 31 March – William McMahon, twentieth Prime Minister of Australia.
• 1 December – Lloyd Rees, artist.
• 18 August - Zara Daniel, Artist (BS)

See also

• 1988 in Australian television
• List of Australian films of 1988