1997 In Australia

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1997 In

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1997

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1997 In Australia

1996 In Australia ,
Other Events Of 1997 ,
1998 In Australia

See also:

1997 Australian Incumbents

INCUMBENTS

Prime Minister - John Howard

Governor General - Sir William Deane

Premier Of New South Wales - Bob Carr

Premier Of South Australia - John Olsen

Premier Of Queensland - Rob Borbidge

Premier Of Tasmania - Tony Rundle

Premier Of Western Australia - Richard Court

Premier Of Victoria - Jeff Kennett

Chief Minister Of The Australian Capital Territory - Kate Carnell

Chief Minister Of The Northern Territory - Shane Stone

EVENTS

January 9 - Yachtsman Tony Bullimore is found alive five days after his boat capsized in the Southern Ocean .

May 1 - Tasmania becomes the last state in Australia to decriminalise Homosexuality . On the same day, Melbourne 's HM Prison Pentridge is closed.

May 20 - A Human Rights And Equal Opportunity Commission report calls for an apology for an early government policy of removing Aboriginal children from their parents & placing them in institutions.

July 1 - Deregulation of the Telecommunications Market , allowing the entry of competitors other than Telstra and Optus

July 30 - The Thredbo Landslide occurs, killing 17 people.

August 2 - Stuart Diver , a ski instructor, is rescued as the sole survivor of the Thredbo Landslide.

August 30 - Elections in the Northern Territory re-elect the Country Liberal Party government of Shane Stone.

September - The head of Yagan is repatriated to Australia 164 years after being taken to United Kingdom;

October 11 - The Liberal / National Coalition government of John Olsen is re-elected in South Australia for another term, albeit with a substantially reduced minority.

ARTS AND LITERATURE

FILM

TELEVISION

July 1 - Prime Television comes to Mildura , ending a monopoly on commercial television held by STV-8 since 1965 .

November 1 - TCN-9 stages the first trial of Digital Television in the Southern Hemisphere .

SPORT

March 1 - The Super League competition commences with 2 matches, with the Brisbane Broncos defeating the Auckland (now New Zealand ) Warriors 14-2 in Brisbane & the North Queensland Cowboys defeating the Adelaide Rams 24-16 in Townsville .

March 7 - The ARL competition kicks off with the Parramatta Eels defeating the North Sydney Bears 10-8 at Parramatta Stadium.

May 19 - New South Wales defeat Queensland 23-22 in the longest (104 minutes) & one of the most exciting games of representative Rugby League ever played.

August 22 - The Melbourne Phoenix defeat the Adelaide Thunderbirds 58-48 in the inaugural Commonwealth Bank Trophy netball grand final

September 17 - The Melbourne Storm rugby league team is founded.

September 20 - The Brisbane Broncos defeat the Cronulla Sharks 26-8 at ANZ Stadium (now Queen Elizabeth II stadium) to win the Super League premiership. It is the first ever night grand final played in rugby league.

September 27 - The Adelaide Crows (19.11.125) defeat the St Kilda Saints (13.16.94) to win the 101st VFL / AFL premiership. It is the first premiership for Adelaide & the first time the AFL flag has left Victoria since 1994 .

September 28 - In one of, if not the most exciting grand final ever played, the Newcastle Knights defeat the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 22-16 to win the 90th NSWRL /ARL premiership. It is the first premiership for Newcastle & it was the third consecutive grand final appearance for Manly .

December 19 - After a series of meetings at the Sydney Football Stadium (now Aussie Stadium ), the Super League war is declared over. The ARL & Super League agree to form the National Rugby League , and the Perth Reds , Hunter Mariners & South Queensland Crushers are shut down to give a 20-team competition for 1998. The NRL is to be reduced to 14 teams for 2000 after reform.

BIRTHS

DEATHS

July 14 - Garfield Barwick (b. 1903), Chief Justice of the High Court

November 22 - Michael Hutchence (b. 1960), musician, commied Suicide by hanging himself.

Unknown Dates

Laurence Henry Hicks , composer (b. 1912 )