1991 in Australia

See also:

1991 Australian incumbents

1 Incumbents
2 Events
3 Arts and literature
4 Film
5 Television
6 Sport
7 Births
8 Deaths

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Incumbents

Prime Minister - Bob Hawke, then Paul Keating
Governor General - Bill Hayden

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Events

January 10 - The State Government of South Australia is forced to bail out the State Bank of South Australia to the tune of $944 million. The bailout is increased to $2.4 billion in August.
April - 42 people die in a shipwreck when Cyclone Fifi strikes off the coast of Western Australia.
May 9 - Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody is released. No criminal charges were recommended, nor was compensation for victims' families, but changes were recommended to the way that Aboriginal people were dealt with in Police custody.
May 25 - The state election in New South Wales produces a hung Parliament. The ruling Liberal/National coalition government of Nick Greiner manages to form a minority government with the support of four Independent MPs.
May 30 - A television report reveals that Bob Hawke made a secret deal to hand over the ALP leadership at a suitable time after the 1990 federal election to Paul Keating in 1988. This was known as the "Kirribilli pact." Hawke later went back on the deal.
June 3 - After the secret deal emerged, Paul Keating made his first leadership challenge for the Australian Labor Party. Hawke won 66-44 & Keating resigned as Treasurer the same day.
August 2 - The Palm Grove Hostel fire kills 12 people in Dungog, New South Wales.
August 17 - Strathfield Massacre: Wade Frankum kills 7 people, mostly women in a killing spree in Strathfield Plaza in Sydney.
October 19 - The perjury trial of former Queensland Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen ends with Petersen being acquitted of all charges.
October 23 - First general strike in 65 years takes place in New South Wales.
December 19 - Keating makes his second Labor leadership challenge. This time, he wins 56-51 & becomes Australia's 24th Prime Minister the next day.

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Arts and literature

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Film

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Television

January - Network Ten relaunches with a new logo, which is still in use to this day.
December 31 - The Northern New South Wales television market is aggregated, with Prime Television taking a Seven Network affiliation, NBN taking a Nine Network affiliation & NRTV (now Southern Cross Ten) taking a Network Ten affiliation.

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Sport

March 22 - The Adelaide Crows play their first game in the AFL. In front of a sellout crown at Football Park (now AAMI Stadium), they defeat the Hawthorn Hawks 24.11.155 to 9.15.69
September 22 - The Penrith Panthers defeat the Canberra Raiders 19-12 to win the 84th NSWRL premiership. It is the first premiership for Penrith, who have been trying since 1967 to win one.
September 28 - The Hawthorn Hawks (20.19.139) defeat the West Coast Eagles (13.8.86) to win the 95th VFL/AFL premiership. It is the most recent grand final that was not played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, it was played at Waverley Park instead as the MCG was being renovated.