2005 in Australia
Encyclopedia
See also:
2004 in Australia
,
other events of 2005,
2006 in Australia
2004 in Australia
2004 in Australia
-Incumbents:*Monarch – Queen Elizabeth II*Governor General – Michael Jeffery*Prime Minister – John Howard*Premier of New South Wales – Bob Carr*Premier of South Australia – Mike Rann*Premier of Queensland – Peter Beattie...
,
other events of 2005,
2006 in Australia
2006 in Australia
-Incumbents:*Monarch – Queen Elizabeth II*Governor-General – Michael Jeffery*Prime Minister – John Howard-Premiers and Chief Ministers:*Premier of New South Wales – Morris Iemma*Premier of South Australia – Mike Rann*Premier of Queensland – Peter Beattie...
Incumbents
- MonarchMonarchy in AustraliaThe Monarchy of Australia is a form of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign of Australia. The monarchy is a constitutional one modelled on the Westminster style of parliamentary government, incorporating features unique to the Constitution of Australia.The present monarch is...
– Queen Elizabeth II - Governor-GeneralGovernor-General of AustraliaThe Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
– Michael JefferyMichael JefferyMajor General Philip Michael Jeffery AC, CVO, MC was the 24th Governor-General of Australia , the first Australian career soldier to be appointed governor-general... - Prime MinisterPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
– John HowardJohn HowardJohn Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
Premiers and Chief Ministers
- Premier of New South Wales – Bob CarrBob CarrRobert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
(until 3 August), then Morris IemmaMorris IemmaMorris Iemma , is a former Australian politician and 40th Premier of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr after he resigned on 3 August 2005. Iemma led the Australian Labor Party to victory in the 2007 election before resigning as Premier on 5 September 2008, and as a Member of Parliament on 19... - Premier of South Australia – Mike RannMike RannMichael David Rann MHA, CNZM , Australian politician, served as the 44th Premier of South Australia. He led the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party to minority government at the 2002 election, before attaining a landslide win at the 2006 election...
- Premier of Queensland – Peter BeattiePeter BeattiePeter Douglas Beattie , Australian politician, was the 36th Premier of the Australian state of Queensland for nine years and leader of the Australian Labor Party in that state for eleven and a half years...
- Premier of Tasmania – Paul LennonPaul LennonPaul Anthony Lennon is an Australian Labor Party politician. He was Premier of Tasmania from 21 March 2004 until his resignation on 26 May 2008. He was member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for the seat of Franklin from 1990 until officially resigning on 27 May 2008...
- Premier of Western AustraliaPremier of Western AustraliaThe Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
– Geoff GallopGeoff GallopGeoffrey Ian Gallop, AC is an Australian academic and former politician. He was the Premier of Western Australia from 2001 to 2006. He currently resides in Sydney.-Early life and education:... - Premier of Victoria – Steve BracksSteve BracksStephen Philip Bracks AC is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria. He first won the electoral district of Williamstown in 1994 for the Australian Labor Party, and was party leader and Premier from 1999 to 2007....
- Chief Minister of the Australian Capital TerritoryChief Minister of the Australian Capital TerritoryThe Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory is the head of government of the Australian Capital Territory. The leader of party with the largest representation of seats in the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly usually takes on the role...
– Jon StanhopeJon StanhopeJonathan Ronald Stanhope is a former Australian politician who was Labor Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 2001 to 2011. Stanhope represented the Ginninderra electorate in the ACT Legislative Assembly from 1998 until 2011. He resigned as Chief Minister on 12 May 2011 and as... - Chief Minister of the Northern TerritoryChief Minister of the Northern TerritoryThe Chief Minister of the Northern Territory is appointed by the Administrator, who in normal circumstances will appoint the head of whatever party holds the majority of seats in the legislature of the territory...
– Clare MartinClare MartinClare Majella Martin is a former Australian politician. She is the current CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service . A former journalist, she was elected to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in a shock by-election win in 1995... - Chief Minister of Norfolk Island – Geoffrey Robert GardnerGeoffrey Robert GardnerGeoffrey Robert Gardner is a political figure from the Australian territory of Norfolk Island.-Chief Minister of Norfolk Island:Gardner was the chief minister of Norfolk Island from 5 December 2001 to 2 June 2006...
Governors and Administrators
- Governor of New South Wales – Marie Bashir, Lady ShehadieMarie BashirMarie Roslyn Bashir AC, CVO is the present Governor of New South Wales since 2001 and also the Chancellor of the University of Sydney since 2007. Born in Narrandera, New South Wales, Bashir graduated from the University of Sydney in 1956 and held various medical positions, with a particular...
- Governor of South Australia – Marjorie Jackson-NelsonMarjorie JacksonMarjorie Jackson-Nelson, AC, CVO, MBE is a former Governor of South Australia and a former Australian athlete...
- Governor of Queensland – Quentin BryceQuentin BryceQuentin Bryce, AC, CVO is the 25th and current Governor-General of Australia and former Governor of Queensland....
- Governor of Tasmania – William CoxWilliam Cox (governor)William John Ellis Cox, AC, RFD, ED, QC was Governor of Tasmania from 15 December 2004 to 2 April 2008, prior to which he was the state's Chief Justice and Lieutenant Governor....
- Governor of Western AustraliaGovernor of Western AustraliaThe Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
– Ken MichaelKen MichaelKenneth Comninos Michael, AC was the 32nd Governor of Western Australia, succeeding Lieutenant-General John Sanderson.His vice-regal appointment was announced on 6 June 2005 by the then Premier Geoff Gallop and he was sworn in at Government House, Perth on 18 January 2006 by the Chief Justice of... - Governor of Victoria – John LandyJohn LandyJohn Michael Landy, AC, CVO, MBE is an Australian former Olympic track athlete. He was the second man to break the four-minute mile barrier in the mile run, and he held the world records for the 1500 metre run and the mile race...
- Administrator of the Northern TerritoryAdministrator of the Northern TerritoryThe Administrator of the Northern Territory is an official appointed by the Governor-General of Australia to exercise powers analogous to that of a state governor...
– Ted EganTed EganEdward Joseph Egan AO is an Australian folk musician, and was a public servant who served as Administrator of the Northern Territory from 2003 to 2007.-Early life:... - Administrator of Norfolk Island – Grant TamblingGrant TamblingGrant Ernest John Tambling, AM is an Australian politician and former Administrator of Norfolk Island.Tambling was born and raised in Darwin in the Northern Territory, and studied both there and in Adelaide...
Events
- 11 January – Nine people are killed in bushfires in South AustraliaSouth AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, making them the worst fires seen in Australia since Ash WednesdayAsh WednesdayAsh Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...
, and until the Black Saturday bushfires in February 2009. - 25 February – Parts of the Sydney suburb of Macquarie FieldsMacquarie Fields, New South WalesMacquarie Fields is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Macquarie Fields is located 42 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Campbelltown and is part of the Macarthur region.Macquarie Fields has a mix...
erupt into rioting2005 Macquarie Fields riotsThe Macquarie Fields riots were a series of disturbances across southwest Sydney in February 2005 which were referred to as a riot by both the Parliament of New South Wales and the media....
following the death of a 19-year-old in a police pursuit. - 26 February – The ALPAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government of Geoff Gallop is re-elected in Western Australia for a second term. - 2 April – The Shark 02 Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
Westland Sea KingWestland Sea KingThe Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...
helicopterHelicopterA helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
crashes off the coast of NiasNiasNīas is an island off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Nias is also the name of the archipelago, containing the Hinako archipelago....
, killing nine people. - 17 April – The Bali NineBali NineThe Bali Nine is the name given to a group of nine Australians arrested on 17 April 2005, in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, in a plan to smuggle of heroin valued at approximately A$4 million from Indonesia to Australia...
are arrested for drug smuggling in IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an... - 2 May – Douglas Wood is taken hostage in IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. He is later rescued on 15 June. - 6 May – The scandal concerning the 2001 deportation the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
of Australian resident Vivian SolonVivian SolonVivian Alvarez Solon is an Australian who was unlawfully removed to the Philippines by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs in July 2001. In May 2005, it became public knowledge that she had been deported, although DIMIA knew of its mistake in 2003...
first came to light. - 26 May – National Sorry DayNational Sorry DayThe National Sorry Day is an Australian event, held each year on 26 May since 1998, to express regret over the historical mistreatment of Aboriginal peoples. The day was chosen in commemoration of the Bringing Them Home report being handed to the federal government on 26 May 1997. It is not an...
is renamed National Day of Healing. - 27 May – Schapelle CorbySchapelle CorbySchapelle Leigh Corby is an Australian woman convicted of drug smuggling who is imprisoned in Indonesia.Corby is serving a 20-year sentence for the importation of of cannabis into Bali, Indonesia...
convicted of drug smuggling by an IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n court, and sentenced to 20 years in prison (later reduced to 15 and then reverted to 20 years). - 1 June – The Indonesian embassy is subjected to a bioterrorism hoax2005 Indonesian embassy bioterrorism hoaxThe 2005 Indonesian embassy bioterrorism hoax occurred when Indonesian ambassador to Australia Imron Cotan received a suspect letter addressed to him at the Indonesian Embassy in Australia on June 1, 2005. The suspect letter later turned out to be harmless....
. - 27 July – After ten years in power, Bob CarrBob CarrRobert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
resigns as Premier of New South Wales. He is replaced by Morris IemmaMorris IemmaMorris Iemma , is a former Australian politician and 40th Premier of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr after he resigned on 3 August 2005. Iemma led the Australian Labor Party to victory in the 2007 election before resigning as Premier on 5 September 2008, and as a Member of Parliament on 19...
on 3 August. - 21 August – Michelle LeslieMichelle LeslieMichelle Leslie , who also works under the name Michelle Lee, is an Australian model. Leslie is best known for her 2005 arrest, conviction and three-month imprisonment for possessing two ecstasy tablets in Bali, Indonesia...
is arrested in BaliBaliBali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
after being found with two ecstasyMethylenedioxymethamphetamineMDMA is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" , usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants...
pills in her handbag at an open-air dance party just outside of KutaKutaKuta is administratively a district and subdistrict/village in southern Bali, Indonesia. A former fishing village, it was one of the first towns on Bali to see substantial tourist development, and as a beach resort remains one of Indonesia's major tourist destinations...
. She is found guilty, and sentenced to three months in prison on 18 November, but is released on 20 November as she had already served her sentence. - 29 August – After describing Bob Carr's wife HelenaHelena CarrHelena Carr is an Australian businesswoman and the wife of former Premier of New South Wales, Bob Carr. As of 2004, she had extensive holdings in Australian printing corporations, making her a millionaire.-Early life:...
as a "mail-order brideMail-order brideMail-order bride is a label applied to a woman who publishes her intent to marry someone from another country. This term is considered offensive by some people. The mail-order bride industry is the economic trade of contracted domestic partnerships, often between citizens of different countries or...
", NSW Opposition Leader John Brogden resigns. He attempts suicide on 30 August. - 12 October – The Bali Memorial, MelbourneBali Memorial, MelbourneThe Bali Memorial in Melbourne is situated in Lincoln Square, Carlton, Victoria, facing Swanston Street. It commemorates the innocent victims of the 2002 Bali bombings. 202 people perished in the bombings, including 88 Australians of whom 22 were Victorians....
commemorating the victims of the 2002 Bali bombings is officially opened. - 2 December – Van Tuong NguyenVan Tuong NguyenVan Tuong Nguyen baptised Caleb, was an Australian from Melbourne, Victoria convicted of drug trafficking in Singapore...
is hangedHangingHanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
in SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
for drug offences. He is the first Australian to be executed since 1993. - 11–12 December – The 2005 Cronulla riots2005 Cronulla riotsThe 2005 Cronulla riots were a series of sectarian clashes and mob violence originating in Cronulla, New South Wales and spreading, over the next few nights, to additional Sydney suburbs....
take place, with the rioting centred around CronullaCronulla, New South WalesCronulla is a beachside suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cronulla is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Sutherland Shire....
and other beachside suburbs. There is also rioting in the Greater Western SuburbsGreater Western SydneyGreater Western Sydney is a term used to describe the western region of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. The University of Western Sydney defines Greater Western Sydney as comprising 14 local government areas...
area of Sydney. Attacks on people of Middle Eastern appearance are also reported in PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and AdelaideAdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. - 31 December – Sections of the Trans-Australian RailwayTrans-Australian RailwayThe Trans-Australian Railway crosses the Nullarbor Plain of Australia from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia...
near Nurina on the Nullarbor PlainNullarbor PlainThe Nullarbor Plain is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its north. It is the world's largest single piece of limestone, and occupies an area of about...
were washed away by flooding, halting passenger and freight services for up to five days.
Arts and literature
- Andrew McGahanAndrew McGahanAndrew McGahan is a bestselling Australian novelist, best known for his cult first novel Praise, and for his Miles Franklin Award-winning novel The White Earth.-Early life and education:...
's novel The White EarthThe White EarthThe White Earth is a Miles Franklin Award winning novel by Australian author Andrew McGahan.The stage version, adapted by McGahan and Shaun Charles, premiered at Brisbane's La Boite Theatre in February–March 2009.-Notes:...
wins the Miles Franklin AwardMiles Franklin AwardThe Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize for the best Australian ‘published novel or play portraying Australian life in any of its phases’. The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin , who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career ...
. - Gail JonesGail JonesGail Jones is an Australian novelist and academic.-Early life and career:Gail Jones was born in Harvey, Western Australia and educated at the University of Western Australia...
is awarded the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal for Sixty LightsSixty Lights-Awards:*Man Booker Prize, 2004: longlisted*Western Australian Premier's Book Awards, Fiction, 2004: winner*Western Australian Premier's Book Awards, Premier's Prize, 2004: winner...
. - Tim WintonTim WintonTimothy John "Tim" Winton , is an Australian novelist and short story writer.-Life:Winton was born in Perth, Western Australia, but moved at a young age to the regional city of Albany....
's short-story collection The TurningThe Turning (stories)The Turning is a collection of short stories by acclaimed Australian author Tim Winton. It was published in April 2005 by Picador. Many of the 17 short stories included interweave in their respective narratives, creating an intriguing and twisting central plot-line that generally centers around...
wins the Christina Stead Prize for fictionNew South Wales Premier's Literary AwardsThe New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards were established in 1979 by the New South Wales Premier Neville Wran. Commenting on its purpose, Wran said: "We want the arts to take, and be seen to take, their proper place in our social priorities...
. - Sonya HartnettSonya HartnettSonya Hartnett is an Australian author.Hartnett writes fiction variously for children, young adults and adults and has won numerous prizes and awards, having been described as "the finest Australian writer of her generation". She wrote her first novel, Trouble All the Way, at the age of thirteen...
's novel SurrenderSurrender (novel)Surrender is a novel written by the award-winning Australian novelist, Sonya Hartnett. It was first published in 2005 in Australia by Walker Books...
wins the Vance Palmer Prize for FictionVance Palmer Prize for FictionThe Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction is a component of the annual Victorian Premier's Literary Award and is valued at A$30,000. Most Australian state premiers present annual Australian literary awards to promote Australian writing in all its forms. The award is named after Vance Palmer...
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Film
- 13 October – The Australian government passes a bill granting film directors a share of the copyright in their films.
- 26 November – Look Both WaysLook Both WaysLook Both Ways is a 2005 Australian independent film, written and directed by Sarah Watt, starring an ensemble cast, which was released on 18 August 2005. The film was supported by the Adelaide Film Festival fund and opened the 2005 festival. It won four AFI Awards, including Best Film and Best...
wins best film at the Australian Film Institute Awards 2005Australian Film Institute Awards 2005-Winners:*Best Film: The Proposition*Best Actor: Hugo Weaving - Little Fish*Best Actress: Cate Blanchett - Little Fish*Best Cinematography: The Proposition - Benoît Delhomme*Best Costume Design: The Proposition - Margot Wilson...
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Television
- 8 January – Australia Unites: Reach Out To AsiaAustralia Unites: Reach Out To AsiaAustralia Unites: Reach Out To Asia was a telethon held in Australia on January 8, 2005. The telethon raised money for World Vision, as a part of the humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. It was telecast on the three commercial television networks...
raises $Australian dollarThe Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
20 million for the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami relief effortHumanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquakeThe humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the worst natural disasters of modern times. On 26 December 2004, the earthquake, which struck off the northwest coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, generated a tsunami that wreaked havoc along much of the...
. It is also the first time that Australia's three major commercialCommercial TelevisionCommercial Television was the third free-to-air broadcast television station in Hong Kong. It first went on air in 1975, and ceased transmissions in 1978.-History:...
television stations have co-operated to broadcast such an event. - 25 May – Graham Kennedy dies at age 71. The network on which most of his shows aired, the Nine NetworkNine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, passes up the offer to broadcast his funeral & the Seven NetworkHSV-7HSV is a television station in Melbourne. It is part of the Seven Network, one of the three main commercial television networks in Australia, and its first and oldest station, having been launched in time for the 1956 Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne....
arrives, axes Nine's coverage and Seven picks it up and wins it. Nine does eventually show parts of the funeral live. - 26 June – Douglas Wood is interviewed by Sandra SullySandra Sully (journalist)Sandra Sully is an Australian journalist and news presenter.Sully is currently a presenter of Network Ten's Ten News at Five in Sydney, alongside Bill Woods-Career:...
about his time as a captive after Network TenNetwork TenNetwork Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
pays a reported $400,000 for an exclusive interview. - 15 August: Big Brother: Greg Mathew, along with twin brother David Mathew, also known as "The Logan Twins" is announced the winner of the fifth series.
- 20 November – MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
single "Hung UpHung Up"Hung Up" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was written and produced in collaboration with Stuart Price, and released as the first single from her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Initially used in a number of television advertisements and serials, the song was...
" defeats Gold DiggerGold Digger"Gold Digger" is a song recorded by American rapper Kanye West featuring guest vocals by Jamie Foxx. Released as the second single from West's second album, Late Registration, "Gold Digger" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 2005, becoming West's and Foxx's second...
by Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
and Jamie FoxxJamie FoxxEric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
to be crowned the title of the ARIA single debuting at #1. This was the last Top 50 ARIA charts on ABC TV's RageRage (TV program)Rage is a popular all-night Australian music video program broadcast on ABC1 on Friday nights, Saturday mornings and Saturday nights. It was first screened on the weekend of Friday, 17 April 1987. With Soul Train no longer being produced, it is the oldest music television program currently still...
to be shown on the Seven NetworkSeven NetworkThe Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
. Only Seven Local TV and ABC TV will continue the Rages Top 50 Charts until the end of July 2006, when it launches jtvJtvtriple j tv is the name given to a series of Australian television programmes which started broadcast in July 2006 as a television spin-off of national radio broadcaster Triple J. They are broadcast on ABC1 and ABC2 as well as available online...
. - 16 December: Good Morning AustraliaGood Morning AustraliaGood Morning Australia from Network Ten was the name of two different programs. This article is for Bert Newton's morning program, not to be confused with the breakfast news program of the same name....
finishes its 12 year run on Network TenTEN-10TEN is the callsign of Network Ten's flagship Sydney television station. It was originally owned and operated by United Telecasters Sydney Limited , and began transmission on 5 April 1965 with the highlight of the opening night being the variety special TV Spells Magic.-History:TEN often lagged in...
from the studios of ATV-10ATV-10ATV is a television station in Melbourne, Australia, part of Network Ten - one of the three major Australian commercial television networks.-History:...
. Host Bert NewtonBert NewtonAlbert Watson "Bert" Newton, AM, MBE is an Australian television personality, known for hosting television series such as In Melbourne Tonight, Good Morning Australia and 20 to 1. Newton has also hosted the Logie Awards on numerous occasions through his career.-Early life:Newton was born in...
leaves Ten and signs with the Nine NetworkGTV-9GTV is a commercial television station in Melbourne, Australia owned by the Nine Network. The station is currently based at a new high-tech, purpose-built studios at 717 Bourke Street, Docklands.-History:...
to host the game show Bert's Family FeudBert's Family FeudBert's Family Feud was the third Australian version of the game show Family Feud. The series was produced by Grundy Television in conjunction with FremantleMedia. It was broadcast on the Nine Network and hosted by Bert Newton...
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Sport
- 4 March – First day of the Australian Track & Field Championships for the 2004–2005 season, which are held at the Sydney Olympic ParkSydney Olympic ParkSydney Olympic Park is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydney Olympic Park is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn Council....
in Homebush. The 10,000 metres (men and women) were conducted at the Zatopek Meet in Melbourne, Victoria on Saturday 4 December 2004. The relays were conducted at CanberraCanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
on Sunday 6 February 2005. - 6 March – Giancarlo FisichellaGiancarlo FisichellaGiancarlo Fisichella , also known as Fisico, Giano or Fisi, is an Italian racing driver. He has driven in Formula One for Minardi, Jordan, Benetton, Sauber, Renault, Force India and Ferrari. Nowadays, he drives for AF Corse's GT2 Ferrari in various sportscar events...
wins the Australian Grand Prix2005 Australian Grand PrixThe 2005 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on 6 March 2005.-Practice:The first practice session of the 2005 Australian Grand Prix was dominated by Vitantonio Liuzzi who was appearing at his first grand prix for Red Bull at their first race...
in his first race for Renault F1Renault F1Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
at Albert ParkMelbourne Grand Prix CircuitThe Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit is a street circuit around Albert Park Lake, only a few kilometres south of central Melbourne. It is used annually as a racetrack for the Australian Grand Prix and associated support races.-Design:...
. - 19 March – Sydney KingsSydney KingsThe Sydney Kings are a professional basketball team competing in the Australasian National Basketball League. They are the only team to date to win three consecutive championships in the NBL and currently sit third behind the Adelaide 36ers and Melbourne Tigers two away from the record five wins...
defeat Wollongong HawksWollongong HawksThe Wollongong Hawks are a team competing in Australia's National Basketball League , based in the New South Wales city of Wollongong. They won the NBL championship in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 2005 and 2010...
112-85 in Game 3 of a series sweep in the NBLNational Basketball League (Australia)The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
Grand Final series. The win completed the only three-peat in league history. - 3 April – SuzukiSuzukiis a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
rider Troy CorserTroy CorserTroy Gordon Corser is a professional motorcycle road racer, the and Superbike World champion....
takes both race victories in front of his home crowd, Phillip IslandPhillip Island Grand Prix CircuitThe Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a motor racing racing circuit on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. The circuit was opened in 1956.-Road circuit:...
at the Superbike World Championship round. - 3 July – Brett Cartwright wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:18:16 in BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, while Jackie Fairweather claims the women's title in 2:34:34. - 26 August – The inaugural A-LeagueA-LeagueThe A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
national football (soccer)Football (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
season begins. In the first game, Adelaide United FCAdelaide United FCAdelaide United Football Club is a professional football club based in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. It currently participates in the A-League as the sole team from the state of South Australia. Adelaide is one of the most successful clubs in the A-League. The club's home ground is...
defeat the Newcastle United Jets 1-0 at EnergyAustralia StadiumEnergyAustralia StadiumNewcastle International Sports Centre is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home ground of the Newcastle Knights and the Newcastle United Jets teams. It is owned by the New South Wales government and administered by the Hunter Region...
in front of 13,000 people. - 3 September – The Melbourne PhoenixMelbourne PhoenixThe Melbourne Phoenix were an Australian netball team. They were one of two teams representing the city of Melbourne, Victoria in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They have been replaced by the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championship...
defeat the Sydney SwiftsSydney SwiftsThe Sydney Swifts were an Australian netball team, playing in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They were based out of Acer Arena and Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in the suburb of Homebush. Following the 2003 demise of the Sydney Sandpipers, the Swifts were the only team representing the...
61-44 in the Commonwealth Bank TrophyCommonwealth Bank TrophyThe Commonwealth Bank Trophy was the pre-eminent national netball competition in Australia from 1997 to 2007.It was established in 1997 as a true national league to replace the ailing, state club-based Mobil League. Designed from the beginning to be more marketable to the general public, it saw...
netball grand final. - 12 September – CricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
: England wins The AshesThe AshesThe Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
back from Australia for the first time since 1987 in The 2005 Ashes series - 24 September – The Sydney SwansSydney SwansThe Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
(8.10.58) defeat the West Coast EaglesWest Coast EaglesThe West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
(7.12.54) to win the 109th VFL/AFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
premiership. It is the first flag for the Swans in 72 years. - 2 October – The Wests TigersWests TigersThe Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
defeat the North Queensland CowboysNorth Queensland CowboysThe North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
30-16 to win the 2005 NRL grand final2005 NRL Grand FinalThe 2005 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2005 National Rugby League season. It was played on the night of Sunday, 2 October at Sydney's Telstra Stadium between 4th-placed Wests Tigers and 5th-placed North Queensland Cowboys, the only two clubs in the...
. It was the first finals series for the Wests Tigers. - 2 October – With heavy rain cancelling the second race at ImolaAutodromo Enzo e Dino FerrariThe Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello....
, Troy CorserTroy CorserTroy Gordon Corser is a professional motorcycle road racer, the and Superbike World champion....
secures his second Superbike World ChampionshipSuperbike World ChampionshipSuperbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
. - 9 October – Mark SkaifeMark SkaifeMark Stephen Skaife OAM is an Australian motor racing driver. Skaife is a five time winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series, including its predecessor the Australian Touring Car Championship. He is also a six-time winner of Australia's most prestigious domestic motor race, the Bathurst 1000...
and Todd KellyTodd KellyTodd Kelly is a V8 Supercar racing driver, currently living in Melbourne, Victoria. He is the older brother of former V8 Supercar and Bathurst 1000 champion, Rick Kelly. He drove for the Holden Racing Team from 2003 until 2007, and Jack Daniel's Racing in 2008...
win the Super Cheap Auto Bathurst 1000Bathurst 1000The Bathurst 1000 is a touring car race held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...
for the Holden Racing TeamHolden Racing TeamThe Holden Racing Team is a Melbourne based motor racing team. HRT is the most successful V8 Supercar racing team in the history of the category, having won the drivers championship six times, and the series signature race the Bathurst 1000 seven times...
. It was Skaife's fifth win, and Kelly's first. It was also a seventh consecutive win for HoldenHoldenGM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
, extending the longest winning streak in the races history. - 16 October – Valentino RossiValentino RossiValentino Rossi, , is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.Following his father, Graziano Rossi,...
wins his fifth consecutive Australian motorcycle Grand PrixAustralian motorcycle Grand PrixThe Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It is held each year at the scenic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.-Winners of the Australian motorcycle Grand Prix:...
on his YamahaYamahaYamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
at Phillip IslandPhillip Island Grand Prix CircuitThe Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a motor racing racing circuit on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. The circuit was opened in 1956.-Road circuit:...
. - 1 November – Makybe DivaMakybe DivaMakybe Diva is a British-bred, Australian-trained Thoroughbred who became the first racehorse to win the famed Melbourne Cup on three occasions: 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 2005, she also won the Cox Plate. Makybe Diva is the highest stakes-earner in Australasian horse racing history, with winnings...
wins the Melbourne CupMelbourne CupThe Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
horse racing event for a historic 3rd time in a row and is immediately retired. - 13 November – French rallyist François DuvalFrançois DuvalFrançois Duval is a Belgian rally driver.-1999–2004:With victories in four events Duval won the Belgian Citroën Saxo Challenge title in 1999...
and co-driver Stéphane Prévot take victory for in their Citroën XsaraCitroën XsaraThe Citroën Xsara is a small family car produced by French automaker Citroën from 1997 to 2006.Like its predecessor, the Citroën ZX, the Xsara shares running gear with the Peugeot 306....
at the season ending Rally AustraliaRally AustraliaRally Australia is an automobile rally event which was held in and around Perth, Western Australia from 1988 until 2006, when that state's tourism commission severed its collaboration with the event. The rally was part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1988 and the World Rally Championship...
. - 16 November – The Socceroos qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup2006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
for the first time since 1974, by defeating Uruguay in a penalty shootoutPenalty shootout (football)A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
at Telstra StadiumTelstra StadiumStadium Australia, currently also known as ANZ Stadium due to naming rights, formerly known as Telstra Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Sydney Olympic Park precinct of Homebush Bay...
.
Births
- 15 October – Prince Christian of DenmarkPrince Christian of DenmarkPrince Christian Valdemar Henri John of Denmark, Count of Monpezat , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the elder son of Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, the Australian born Crown Princess Mary. He is a grandson of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and her husband Prince Henrik...
, the first child of Frederik, Crown Prince of DenmarkFrederik, Crown Prince of DenmarkFrederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, is the heir apparent to the throne of Denmark. Frederik is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, the Prince Consort.-Name and christening:...
& Mary, Crown Princess of DenmarkMary, Crown Princess of DenmarkMary, Crown Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, is the wife of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark...
, who was born in HobartHobartHobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
.
Deaths
- 8 January – Campbell McComasCampbell McComasGeoffrey Campbell McComas AM was an Australian comedian, writer and actor.McComas attended Caulfield Grammar School and Scotch College in Hawthorn, Melbourne, and studied law and arts at Monash University...
, 52, impersonator, broadcaster, comedian - 11 January – Miriam HydeMiriam HydeMiriam Beatrice Hyde AO, OBE was an Australian composer, pianist, poet and music educator.She composed over 150 works for piano, songs and other instrumental and orchestral works and performed as a concert pianist with eminent conductors including Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Bernard Heinze and...
, composer and pianist - 24 January – June BronhillJune BronhillJune Bronhill OBE was an internationally acclaimed Australian soprano opera singer.-Biography:She was born June Mary Gough in the inland Australian city of Broken Hill, New South Wales...
, soprano opera singer - 16 March – Bob BellearBob BellearBob Bellear was the first Indigenous Australian judge.Bob was born in the far north-east of New South Wales, and grew up near the town of Mullumbimby...
, first indigenous judge - 25 March – Davis McCaugheyDavis McCaugheyJohn Davis McCaughey, AC was a bible scholar, church and university administrator, and was Governor of Victoria from 1986–1992.-Working life:...
, Governor of Victoria - 26 March – Paul HesterPaul HesterPaul Newell Hester was an Australian musician and television personality; he was the drummer for the related bands Split Enz and Crowded House.-The early years:...
, drummer for Split EnzSplit EnzSplit Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
and Crowded HouseCrowded HouseCrowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
(suicide) - 23 April – Joh Bjelke-PetersenJoh Bjelke-PetersenSir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG , was an Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, a period that saw considerable economic development in the state...
, 94, PremierPremiers of the Australian statesThe Premiers of the Australian states are the de facto heads of the executive governments in the six states of the Commonwealth of Australia. They perform the same function at the state level as the Prime Minister of Australia performs at the national level. The territory equivalents to the...
of Queensland from 1968–1987. - 23 April – Al GrassbyAl GrassbyAlbert Jaime Grassby, AM , Australian politician, was Minister for Immigration in the Whitlam Labor government. He initiated sweeping reforms in immigration, human rights, and is often known as the father of Australian "multiculturalism".-Early life and state politics:Born Albert Grassby in...
, politician and minister in the WhitlamGough WhitlamEdward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
government - 29 April – Sara HendersonSara HendersonSara Jane Henderson was an Australian pastoralist and author.She was named Businesswoman of the Year in 1991 for managing the Bullo River cattle station, 360 kilometres south-west of Darwin in the Northern Territory...
, 69, author - 1 May – René RivkinRene RivkinRene Rivkin was an Australian entrepreneur, investor, investment adviser, and stockbroker. He was a well-known stockbroker in Australia for many years until his death in 2005.-Early life:...
, 60, Australian stockbroker - 25 May – Graham KennedyGraham KennedyGraham Cyril Kennedy, AO was an Australian radio, television and film performer, often called Gra Gra and The King of Australian television.-Childhood:...
, 71, radio and television, performer - 9 June – Gloria Ida Logan, 78, artist and lecturer
- 16 June – Ross StrettonRoss StrettonRoss Stretton was an Australian ballet dancer and artistic director. As a dancer, he performed with the Australian Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre...
, ballet dancer and director - 25 June – Harry GibbsHarry GibbsSir Harry Talbot Gibbs, GCMG, AC, KBE, QC was Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1981 to 1987 after serving as a member of the High Court between 1970 and 1981...
, Chief Justice of the High Court - 3 July – W. Rubuntja, Aboriginal artist and activist
- 15 July – Ronald WilsonRonald WilsonSir Ronald Darling Wilson, AC, KBE, CMG, QC was a distinguished Australian lawyer, judge and social activist serving on the High Court of Australia between 1979 and 1989 and as the President of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission between 1990 and 1997.Wilson is probably best known as...
, Justice of the High Court - 17 July – Joe ViallsJoe ViallsJoe Vialls was a conspiracy theorist and internet journalist based in Perth, Western Australia. His claims that major incidents such as the Port Arthur massacre, terror attacks in Bali and Jakarta and the 2004 Asian Tsunami were the work of Israeli and American secret agents gained a measure of...
, conspiracy theorist - 18 July – Amy GillettAmy GillettAmy Gillett was an Australian track cyclist and rower who represented Australia in both sports before her death in a training accident when a motorist crashed into the Australian squad of cyclists with whom she was training....
, cyclist - 29 August – Margaret Scott, 70, author and poet
- 8 September – Donald HorneDonald HorneProfessor Donald Horne was an Australian journalist, writer, social critic, and academic who became one of Australia's best known public intellectuals....
, academic and social critic - 9 September – John Wayne GloverJohn Wayne GloverJohn Wayne Glover was a British-born Australian serial killer convicted for the murders of six elderly women on Sydney's North Shore....
, serial killerSerial killerA serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification... - 12 October – Frank GalballyFrank GalballyFrancis Eugene 'Frank' Galbally CBE was an Australian criminal defence lawyer.Galbally initially trained to be a priest after he left school at the age of 16 but after the events of Pearl Harbor joined the Navy....
, 82, lawyer, criminal advocate, defender in celebrated murder trials; described as the "father of Australian multiculturalism". - 18 October – William Evan AllanWilliam Evan AllanWilliam Evan Crawford Allan was, at age 106, one of Australia's last living veterans of World War I. Moreover, he was the last remaining Australian veteran who saw active service in both World War I and World War II...
, World War I veteran - 24 October – Frank WilsonFrank Wilson (Australian actor)Frank Edward Wilson was an Australian film, stage and television actor; musical comedy singer and director; and television game show and variety host.-Early life:...
, actor - 1 November – Michael ThwaitesMichael ThwaitesMichael Rayner Thwaites, AO was an Australian academic, poet, intelligence officer, and activist for Moral Rearmament.-Early life and education:...
, intelligence officer and participant in the Petrov AffairPetrov AffairThe Petrov Affair was a dramatic Cold War spy incident in Australia in April 1954, concerning Vladimir Petrov, Third Secretary of the Soviet embassy in Canberra.- History :... - 5 November – Hugh Alexander DunnHugh Alexander DunnHugh Alexander Dunn was a diplomat who served as Australian ambassador in Taiwan and China.Dunn was a classical Chinese scholar. He was born in Rockhampton, Queensland and died in Brisbane.-External links:*...
, diplomat - 10 November – Kristian FredriksonKristian FredriksonKristian Fredrikson was a New Zealand-born Australian stage and costume designer working in ballet, opera and other performing arts. His work was acclaimed for its sumptuous, jewel-like quality, and a sensuous level of detail....
, stage and costume designer - 2 December – Peter MenegazzoPeter MenegazzoPeter Menegazzo was an Australian grain grower and cattle baron. Born to a modest immigrant family of fruit and vegetable growers, Menegazzo was said to be an intensely private person who rarely gave media interviews....
, cattle baron - 3 December – Peter CookPeter Cook (Australian politician)Peter Francis Salmon Cook was an Australian politician. He served as a Labor member of the Senate from 1983 to 2005, representing the state of Western Australia....
, LaborAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
senator - 3 December – Lance DossorLance DossorLance Dossor was a British-born concert pianist and teacher who emigrated to Australia.He was born Harry Lancelot Dossor in Weston-super-Mare, United Kingdom, the third child of a jeweller who was also a distinguished amateur tenor.He was educated at Seaford College and marticulated at the...
, concert pianist - 5 December – Kevin "Big Kev" McQuayKevin McQuayKevin "Big Kev" McQuay was an Australian cleaning products entrepreneur.- Television career :His career on television took off in the 1990s as a regular guest on the infomercial component of Good Morning Australia...
, entrepreneur - 12 December – Eric D'ArcyEric D'ArcyJoseph Eric D'Arcy was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Hobart from 1988 - 1999.Born in Melbourne, he was ordained as a priest of that city in 1949...
, Roman Catholic archbishop emeritus - 26 December – Kerry PackerKerry PackerKerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later...
, Australia's richest man & the major shareholder in PBLPublishing and Broadcasting LimitedPublishing and Broadcasting Limited was one of Australia's largest companies, with interests primarily in media and gaming. The company demerged in late 2007, spinning out its gaming interests into Crown Limited...
, which owns the Nine NetworkNine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, Crown CasinoCrown CasinoCrown Casino and Entertainment Complex is a large casino and entertainment precinct located on the south bank of the Yarra River, in Melbourne, Australia. Crown Casino is a unit of Crown Limited....
& a large number of magazines.