1985 in Australia

Incumbents

• Queen of Australia – Elizabeth II
• Governor General – Sir Ninian Stephen
• Prime Minister – Bob Hawke
• Premier of New South Wales – Neville Wran
• Premier of South Australia – John Bannon
• Premier of Queensland – Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen
• Premier of Tasmania – Robin Gray
• Premier of Western Australia – Brian Burke
• Premier of Victoria – John Cain
• Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory – Post did not exist in 1985
• Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Ian Tuxworth

Events

• 1 February – AM stereo broadcasting starts in Australia.
• 5 February – Australia cancels its involvement in U.S.-led MX missile tests.
• 2 March – The ALP government of John Cain reelected in Victoria for a second consecutive term.
• 18 March – The TV soap Neighbours is launched by Network Seven.
• 28 April – The Nuclear Disarmament Party (NDP) splits.
• 4 June – Melbourne celebrates its 150th anniversary
• 5 September – John Howard replaces Andrew Peacock as federal Liberal leader & thus federal Leader of the Opposition.
• October – Network Seven drops Neighbours after seven months on air, only for it to be continued by Network Ten.
• 25 November – A man wearing a chicken suit walks into the House of Representatives and sits on the government front bench. He is later removed.
• 7 December – The Labor government of John Bannon is re-elected for a second term in South Australia.

Unknown dates

• Capital gains tax is introduced.
• New South Wales abolishes capital punishment for treason and piracy with violence, thereby abolishing capital punishment from Australia.
• The McClelland Royal Commission into the nuclear tests at Maralinga in the 1950s reports its findings.

Arts and literature

• 18 February – Australia wins the 26th Viña del Mar International Song Festival with the song I can no longer (sung in Spanish as Ya no puedo más), created by K. C. Porter, Turner y Toppano, and sung by Lorenzo Toppano.
• 9 March – The National Gallery of Australia purchases the painting L'Après-midi à Naples (An Afternoon in Naples) by Paul Cézanne for A$1 million.

• Christopher Koch's novel The Doubleman wins the Miles Franklin Award

Film

• Bliss
• Burke & Wills
• The Coca-Cola Kid
• Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

Television

• 11 February – Ray Martin takes over Mike Walsh's old daytime slot, replacing The Mike Walsh Show with Midday with Ray Martin.
• 18 February – Network 0/28 becomes known as SBS.
• 18 March – Neighbours premieres on the Seven Network. Six months later Neighbours is axed by HSV-7, but Network Ten bought the rights and picks up the soap and it becomes a massive hit for them.
• 8 June – Hey Hey It's Saturday moves to 6:30 pm Saturdays.

Sport

• 18 January – First day of the 1985 World Indoor Games in Paris, France, where six Australian athletes are competing: Michael Hillardt (1500 metres), Clayton Kearney (60 and 200 metres), Dave Smith (5000m Walk), Nicole Boegman (Long Jump), Gael Martin (Shot Put), and Deann Mayfield (High Jump). Hillardt wins the gold in the 1500 metres, while Smith claims bronze.
• 24 March – Robert de Castella is once again Australia's best finisher at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, this time staged in Lisbon, Portugal. He finishes in 20th place (34:17.0) in the race over 12,190 metres.
• 9 June – Grenville Wood wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:13:37 in Sydney, while Elizabeth Patmore claims the women's title in 2:45:47.
• 11 June – New South Wales win their first Rugby League State of Origin series.
• 17 August – North Melbourne play their last game at the Arden Street Oval. North Melbourne defeat Richmond, 16.20.116 to 9.12.66.
• 28 September – Glenelg defeat North Adelaide for the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) flag.
• 28 September – The Essendon (26.14.170) defeat the Hawthorn (14.8.92) to win the 89th VFL premiership. It is the second consecutive premiership for Essendon.
• 29 September – The Canterbury Bulldogs defeat the St. George Dragons 7-6 to win the 78th NSWRL premiership. It is also the second consecutive premiership for Canterbury.
• 3 November – The first Formula One Australian Grand Prix takes place on the streets of Adelaide.
• 5 November – What A Nuisance wins the Melbourne Cup.
• 4 December – Australia are unable to undo a 2–0 deficit from the first leg and draw 0–0 with Scotland in the World Cup qualifying playoff at Olympic Park, failing to qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
• 10 December – 120 members are inducted into the new Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Births

• 2 January – Damien Bodie, actor
• 7 January – Jessica Michalik, teenage girl (died 2001)
• 28 January – Libby Lenton, swimmer
• 29 January – Isabel Lucas, actress
• 11 February - Dane Faurschou, artist
• 13 February – Bridget Neval, actress
• 17 February – Anne Curtis, actress
• 13 March – Sean Carlow, figure skater
• 19 March – Sean Wroe, track and field sprinter
• 13 April – Anna Jennings-Edquist, actress
• 16 April – Rhiana Griffith, model and actress
• 17 April – Luke Mitchell, actor
• 11 May – Jaime Robbie Reyne, actor
• 22 May – Stephanie Zhang, figure skater
• 5 July – Stephanie McIntosh, actress
• 29 August – Joshua Jefferis, gymnast
• 30 August – Leisel Jones, swimmer
• 10 October – Ricki-Lee Coulter, singer
• 14 October – Nicholas Colla, actor
• 16 October – Casey Stoner, motorcycle racer
• 5 November – Kate DeAraugo, singer

Deaths

• 11 January – William McKell, 93, 12th Governor General of Australia and Premier of New South Wales
• 2 April – Doris Fitton, 87, actress and theatrical director
• 3 May – Percy Spender, 87, diplomat and politician
• 9 August – Clive Churchill, 58, rugby league player
• 20 August – Ken Kennedy, 71, ice speed skater
• 28 December – Sir Henry Winneke, 77, Governor of Victoria (1974–1982)