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Incumbents
Premiers and Chief Ministers
Governors and administrators
Events
- 1 January – HECS is introduced with the commencement of the Higher Education Funding Act 1988.
- 10 January – Assistant Australian Federal Police commissioner Colin Winchester is shot dead in the driveway of his Canberra home by a sniper, later identified as David Harold Eastman.
- 1 February – Joan Kirner becomes Victoria's first female Deputy Premier after the resignation of Robert Fordham over the VEDC (Victorian Economic Development Corporation) crisis.
- 1 March – The Industrial Relations Commission replaces the Australian Conciliation & Arbitration Commission.
- 4 March – First ACT (Australian Capital Territory) elections held
- 6 March – Former National Safety Council boss John Friedrich is arrested in Western Australia over allegations that he defrauded investors of $237 million.
- 20 March – Prime Minister Bob Hawke weeps on national television, as he admits marital infidelity.
- 9 May – Andrew Peacock deposes John Howard as Federal Opposition Leader and Leader of the Liberal Party.
- 11 May – The ACT Legislative Assembly meets for the first time
- 15 May – Australia's first private tertiary institution, Bond University, opens on the Gold Coast.
- 29 May – The Australian Labor Party in Tasmania signs the Labor–Green Accord with the Tasmanian Greens to form government.
- 30 May – Ananda Marga member Tim Anderson is arrested on charges related to the 1978 Hilton bombing.
- 5 July – Findings from the Fitzgerald Inquiry are released in Queensland.
- July - Interest rates on home mortgages reach 17%.
- 13 August – Thirteen people die in a hot air balloon accident near Alice Springs, Northern Territory.
- 23 August – All of Australia's 1,645 domestic airline pilots resign over an airline's move to sack and sue them over a dispute, following a strike.
- 17 September – Six people die in the Downunder Hostel fire in Sydney's Kings Cross.
- 20 October – Grafton bus crash – 21 people are killed and 22 are injured when a tourist bus collides with a semi-trailer on the Pacific Highway near Grafton.
- 10 November – Gaby Kennard becomes the first Australian woman to fly non-stop around the world.
- 25 November – Elections in South Australia narrowly return the Labor government of John Bannon to power.
- 2 December – After 32 years in power, 19 of those under Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, the National Party government is voted out of office in Queensland amid widespread allegations of corruption & is replaced by the Australian Labor Party. led by Wayne Goss.
- 22 December – Kempsey bus crash – Two tourist coaches collide on the Pacific Highway north of Kempsey, New South Wales, 35 are killed and 39 injured. Both the Grafton and Kempsey bus crashes led to calls to make the Pacific Highway dual carriageway.
- 28 December – A magnitude 5.6 earthquake hits Newcastle, New South Wales, killing 13 people.
Unknown dates
Arts and literature
Film
Television
- January – Young Talent Time is cancelled before the new series goes to air.
- 31 March – Phase 1 of Aggregation of television services occurs in Southern NSW, with WIN Television becoming a regional Nine Network affiliate, Prime Television becoming the Seven Network affiliate & Capital Television (now Southern Cross Ten) becoming the Network Ten affiliate.
- 12 April – Fast Forward premieres in Australia (1989–1992).
- June – Neighbours introduces a new look theme song. The theme is sung by Barry Crocker when it lasted until the end of 1994.
- July – Bob Shanks takes over as managing director of Network Ten due to ailing ratings & totally revamps the network, giving it the name 10 TV Australia as well as introducing a new lineup with increased game show content. Most of the new shows are axed by the end of the year.
- August – Acropolis Now premieres in Australia (1989–1992).
- September – Network Ten is sold to Steve Cosser, head of Broadcom Australia, for $22 million.
- 31 December – Phase 2 of Aggregation of Television services occurs in Orange & Wagga Wagga, with aggregation occurring in Wollongong & Canberra in March
- The Big Gig premieres in Australia (1989–1992).
Sport
Births
- 15 January – Ryan Corr, actor
- 1 February – Steven Browne, Australian rules footballer
- 8 February – Bronte Barratt, swimmer
- 20 February - Daly Cherry-Evans, rugby player
- 25 February – Hayden Doyle, soccer player
- 15 March – Bryce Gibbs, Australian rules footballer
- 24 March – James Sellar, Australian rules footballer
- 24 March – Aziz Shavershian, Australian bodybuilder (d. 2011)
- 4 April – Chris Herd, soccer player
- 20 April – Amy Steel, netballer
- 11 May – Jack Grimes, Australian rules footballer
- 15 May – James Holland, soccer player
- 30 May – Catherine McNeil, fashion model
- 2 June – Steve Smith, cricketer
- 7 June – Mitch Robinson, Australian footballer
- 9 June – Josephine Tomic, racing cyclist
- 12 June – Shane Lowry, soccer player
- 13 June – Ben Barba, rugby league footballer
- 1 July – Daniel Ricciardo, racecar driver
- 13 July – Jack Bobridge, racing cyclist
- 18 July – Sebastian Ryall, soccer player
- 27 July – Talia Zucker, actress
- 10 August – Brenton Thwaites, actor
- 15 August – Ryan McGowan, soccer player
- 19 September – Kimberly Mason, rhythmic gymnast
- 22 September – Renee Rollason, soccer player
- 18 October – Leigh Howard, racing cyclist
- 24 October – Eliza Taylor-Cotter, actress
- 26 October – Daniel Mullen, soccer player
- 10 December – Tom Sexton, Australian-Irish rugby player
- 22 December – Jared Petrenko, Australian rules footballer
- 22 December – Jharal Yow Yeh, rugby league footballer
- 31 December – Brydan Klein, tennis player
Deaths
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1989 in Oceania
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| Sovereign states |
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Associated states
of New Zealand |
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