1977 in Australia

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1977 in Australia
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor-General	John Kerr, then Zelman Cowen
Prime Minister	Malcolm Fraser
Population	14,033,083
Elections	Federal, WA, NT, SA, QLD

See also: 1976 in Australia, other events of 1977, 1978 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

1 Incumbents
2 Events
3 Science & Technology
4 Arts and literature
5 Film
6 Television
7 Sport
8 Births
9 Deaths
10 See also

[edit] Incumbents

Queen of Australia - HM Queen Elizabeth II
Governor General - Sir John Kerr up to 8 December, Sir Zelman Cowen from 8 December
Prime Minister - Malcolm Fraser
Premier of New South Wales - Neville Wran
Premier of South Australia - Don Dunstan
Premier of Queensland - Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Premier of Tasmania - Bill Neilson to December 1, Doug Lowe from December 1
Premier of Western Australia - Sir Charles Court
Premier of Victoria - Rupert Hamer

[edit] Events

January 10 – The Easey Street murders take place, an unsolved crime in which two women were brutally stabbed to death in their home in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Collingwood.
January 18 – Australia experiences its worst railway disaster at Granville, near Sydney, in which 83 people died.
February 1 – The Federal Court of Australia opens.
May 15 – A new political party, the Australian Democrats is launched by former Liberal MP Don Chipp at Melbourne Town Hall.
May 21 – A referendum is held. Questions on Senate casual vacancies, referendums and retirement of judges are passed. A question on simultaneous elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate fails. A plebiscite to decide Australia's national song is won by "Advance Australia Fair".
July 1 – The Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman is established.
July 15 – Anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay disappears near Griffith, New South Wales. He is presumed to have been murdered.
September 4 – The Queensland government bans street marches and demonstrations.
September 17 – A state election is held in South Australia. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Don Dunstan is returned to power.
November 12 – A state election is held in Queensland, with the Liberal Party of Australia-National coalition led by Joh Bjelke-Petersen gaining their fourth successive victory.
November 30 – The High Court of Australia rules in the case of Cridland v Federal Commissioner of Taxation that a group of university students avoiding tax by claiming to be farmers were acting legally under provisions of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936.
December 1 – Bill Neilson resigns as Premier of Tasmania, and is replaced by Doug Lowe.
December 10 - A federal election is held, with the incumbent Liberal Party led by Malcolm Fraser with coalition partner the National led by Doug Anthony returned for a second term.

[edit] Science & Technology

[edit] Arts and literature

Kevin Conno wins the Archibald Prize with Robert Klippel

[edit] Film

[edit] Television

Popular soap operas Bellbird, Number 96, and The Box, are all cancelled.

[edit] Sport

March 20 – Australia is represented by nine long-distance runners (all men), including Robert de Castella, at the fifth IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Düsseldorf, West Germany. Steve Austin is Australia's best finisher, claiming the 15th spot (38:26.0) in the race over 12,3 kilometres.
April 2 – The National Soccer League kicks off, as the first league of any football code to become national. The opening game sees West Adelaide defeat Canberra City 3-1 at Manuka Oval in Canberra.
August 6 – Robert Wallace wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:20:11.2 in Cressy.
October 2 – In motor racing Ford team-mates Allan Moffat and Colin Bond finish side by side to complete a 1-2 Formation Finish at the Bathurst 1000.
Gold And Black wins the Melbourne Cup
Western Australia wins the Sheffield Shield
Kialoa II wins the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
North Melbourne were premiers of the Victorian Football League
March 12 - The Centenary Test commences between England and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
England 3-0 Australia in The Ashes test series
The St George Dragons were premiers of the New South Wales Rugby League