1992 in Australia

Incumbents

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Bill Hayden
• Prime Minister – Paul Keating
• *Opposition Leader – John Hewson
• Chief Justice – Sir Anthony Mason

  State and Territory Leaders

• Premier of New South Wales – Nick Greiner, then John Fahey
• *Opposition Leader – Bob Carr
• Premier of Queensland – Wayne Goss
• *Opposition Leader – Rob Borbidge
• Premier of South Australia – John Bannon, then Lynn Arnold
• *Opposition Leader – Dale Baker, then Dean Brown
• Premier of Tasmania – Michael Field, then Ray Groom
• *Opposition Leader – Ray Groom, then Michael Field
• Premier of Victoria – Joan Kirner, then Jeff Kennett
• *Opposition Leader – Jeff Kennett, then Joan Kirner
• Premier of Western Australia – Carmen Lawrence
• *Opposition Leader – Barry MacKinnon, then Richard Court
• Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory – Rosemary Follett
• *Opposition Leader – Trevor Kaine
• Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Marshall Perron
• *Opposition Leader – Brian Ede
• President of the Legislative Assembly/Head of Government of Norfolk Island – David Buffett, then John Brown

  Governors and Administrators

• Governor of New South Wales – Peter Sinclair
• Governor of Queensland – Sir Walter Campbell, then Leneen Forde
• Governor of South Australia – Dame Roma Mitchell
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir Phillip Bennett
• Governor of Victoria – Davis McCaughey, then Richard McGarvie
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir Francis Burt
• Administrator of Norfolk Island – Herbert MacDonald, then Alan Kerr
• Administrator of the Northern Territory – James Muirhead

  Events

January

• 2 January – George H. W. Bush becomes the first President of the United States to address the Australian Parliament.
• 18 January – The Labor Party wins a by-election in the central coast seat of The Entrance.
• 22 January – The Queensland Criminal Justice Commission announces that it won't release names of MPs who rort travel expenses.
• 26 January – Prime Minister Paul Keating gives his Australia Day address in Canberra, saying that Australia must adapt to a changing world and look to Asia if it was to survive economically.
• 28 January – Colin White and David Trimmer are charged over their alleged involvement in a multimillion-dollar tobacco scam in Brisbane.
• 29 January – New South Wales Premier Nick Greiner calls for a controversial sex education book, funded by the Federal Government, to be destroyed.

  February

• 1 February –
• *A general election is held in Tasmania.
• *One and two-cent coins begin to be withdrawn from circulation.
• 9 February – Flooding occurs in Sydney and other areas of New South Wales. Torrential rain also floods the Sydney Harbour Tunnel with 500,000 litres of water.
• 15 February – The second ACT Legislative Assembly election is held, re-electing the Labor minority government of Rosemary Follett.
• 20 February – Scores of people flee their homes as several coastal towns north of Brisbane are hit by flash floods.
• 21 February – A State of Emergency is declared in Maryborough and Gympie due to major flooding.
• 22 February –
• *After trialling Daylight Saving in Queensland for a total of three years, a referendum is held, with 54.5% of Queenslanders voting against daylight saving. Regional and rural areas strongly oppose daylight saving, while those in the metropolitan south-east vote in favour of it.
• *A state of emergency is declared in the whole of Noosa Shire, Queensland due to major flooding – the worst since 1968.
• 24 February – Queen Elizabeth II visits Australia. Prime Minister Paul Keating breaks royal protocol by placing his hand on the Queen's back, causing an outraged British tabloid newspaper to dub him the "Lizard of Oz". In his speech welcoming the Queen, Paul Keating contrasts the current state of Australia with that of her first visit in 1954.
• 26 February – Prime Minister Paul Keating's long-awaited economic statement One Nation is delivered. Federal Opposition Leader John Hewson describes it as porkbarrelling.

  April

• 11 April – Labor candidate Phil Cleary wins the 1992 Wills by-election which was brought about by the resignation of Bob Hawke. Former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser attributes the result in part to revulsion against the "alien creed" of economic rationalism.
• 25 April – Prime Minister Paul Keating kisses the ground at Kokoda, Papua New Guinea, declaring that it, not Gallipoli, is the birthplace of Australian nationalism.
• 28 April – National Party frontbencher Ray Braithwaite resigns over Fightback!'s zero tariff policy on sugar.

  May

• 2 May – New South Wales Liberal MP Andrew Humpherson wins the 1992 Davidson state by-election.
• 18 May – Social Security Minister Graham Richardson resigns after a month of disclosures on his interventions on a friend's behalf in the "Marshall Islands affair".
• 25 May – Lindy Chamberlain receives compensation for wrongful conviction on murder charges.

  June

• 3 June – The High Court of Australia decides the case of Mabo v Queensland , a landmark decision recognising native title in Australia. The decision overturns the concept of Australia as an unoccupied land at the time of British settlement.
• 24 June – Nick Greiner resigns as Premier of New South Wales in the wake of a corruption scandal, and is replaced by John Fahey.

  July

• 31 July – Janet Powell resigns from the Australian Democrats, sitting henceforth as an Independent Senator. The Victorian branch of the Democrats fractures acrimoniously, damaging the party nationally.

  August

• 11 August – A meeting with Prime Minister Paul Keating fails to secure for the Greens commitments on global warming, endangered species protection and biodiversity.
• 18 August – Budget expenditure promises on labour market and training programmes and reducing the sizeable deficit fail to halt the Keating Government's sliding popularity.
• 30 August – Representatives from the Tasmanian, Queensland and New South Wales Greens, with observers from other states, form the Australian Greens Party at a Sydney meeting.

  September

• 4 September – Lynn Arnold becomes Premier of South Australia after the resignation of John Bannon after the near-collapse of the State Bank.
• 7 September – The National Party of Queensland launches its state election campaign in Brisbane with strong support for law and order issues.
• 8 September–
• *Prime Minister Paul Keating warns President George Bush that wheat subsidies are corroding public support in Australia for the United States.
• *The Afghan Foreign Minister arrives in Sydney to appeal for urgent assistance.
• 19 September – A state election is held in Queensland. The Labor government of Wayne Goss is returned to power.
• 30 September – The High Court of Australia invalidates legislation passed in December 1991 banning political advertising on the electronic media in the run-up to state and federal elections.

  October

• 3 October – A state election is held in Victoria. Joan Kirner's Labor government is defeated by Jeff Kennett's Liberal party.
• 6 October – Rose Hancock – Porteous is fined $1,000 in Perth for forging prescriptions for drugs.
• 19 October – One of the two men charged with the murder of Dr. Victor Chang pleads guilty.
• 20 October –
• *The trial of the second man accused of murdering Dr. Victor Chang begins.
• *The Federal Opposition unveils Jobsback, its industrial relations policy designed to move from centralised wage-fixing to individual employment contracts negotiated at the enterprise level.
• 27 October – Senator Bronwyn Bishop attacks the Tax Commissioner over alleged special treatment to the Labor Party.
• 30 October – The second man charged with the murder of Dr. Victor Chang, Phillip Lim, is found guilty.

  November

• 5 November – Prime Minister Paul Keating announces that the coming election would be a poll on the Goods and Services Tax and pledged that if the Coalition won, Labor would allow the GST through the Senate.
• 19 November – With the implications of Fightback! increasingly scrutinised and condemned, and elements in the Coalition "panicking", Federal Opposition Leader John Hewson declares that he would resign rather than abandon the GST.
• 23 November – Prime Minister Paul Keating announces the end of the ban preventing homosexual men and women from serving in the Australian Defence Force
• 25 November – The High Court of Australia rules that Independent Phil Cleary had been ineligible to stand for Wills as he was an Education Department employee on unpaid leave. His Labor and Liberal opponents were also declared ineligible, as they both held dual citizenship.

  December

• 18 December – Federal Opposition Leader John Hewson unveils Fightback Mark II which includes abandoning the GST on basic food items and childcare and the threat to cut off the dole after 9 months.
• 22 December – The men who murdered heart surgeon Dr. Victor Chang are each sentenced to 20 years jail.
• Adelaide receives it highest annual rainfall on record, totalling.

  Arts and literature

• 26 January – The first Big Day Out music festival is held at the Sydney Showground, headlined by Violent Femmes and Nirvana.
• Tim Winton's novel Cloudstreet wins the Miles Franklin Award
• The first WOMADelaide is held at Botanic Park as part of the Adelaide Festival of Arts. It featured Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Youssou N'Dour, Trio Bulgarka and Martenitsa, Archie Roach, Crowded House & Penguin Café Orchestra

  Film

• 23 January – Spotswood
• 20 August – Strictly Ballroom
• 12 November – Romper Stomper

  Television

• 1 January – The Victorian television market is aggregated, with VIC TV becoming the Nine Network affiliate, Prime Television taking a Seven Network affiliation & Southern Cross Network taking the Network Ten affiliation.
• 4 September – Kerry Packer pulls the plug on Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos mid-air.
• Ending this year were:
• *November – Fast Forward
• *November – Acropolis Now
• *The Big Gig on ABC

  Sport

• 22 February – 25 March – The 1992 Cricket World Cup is held in Australia and New Zealand. Pakistan defeats England in the final at the MCG by 22 runs.
• 5 March – First day of the Australian Track & Field Championships for the 1991–1992 season, which are held at the Olympic Sports Field in Adelaide, South Australia.
• 25 March – Great Southern Stand opened at the MCG by Donald Cordner, then-President of the Melbourne Cricket Club.
• 6 April – Peter Sterling announces his retirement from rugby league due to injury
• 3 May
• *Adelaide City win the NSL Grand Final on Penalties after a scoreless draw with Melbourne Croatia at Olympic Park
• *Geelong kick the highest VFL/AFL score against the Brisbane Bears of 37.17.239
• 7 May – Exactly 100 years to the day of their first senior-level match, Collingwood meets Carlton in a rematch of that game at the MCG. Carlton wins by 33 points.
• 18 May – Auckland Warriors admitted to 1995 ARL premiership. North Queensland, South Queensland & Perth all admitted later, forming 20-team comp.
• 12 July – Gerard Barrett wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:16:46 in Brisbane, while Jennifer Dowie claims the women's title in 2:40:40.
• 26 September – West Coast Eagles defeat Geelong in the first non-Melbourne –only Grand Final, to win the 96th AFL premiership. It is the first time that the VFL/AFL premiership has left Victoria.
• 27 September – Brisbane Broncos defeat St. George Dragons to win the 84th NSWRL premiership. It is the first time that the NSWRL premiership has gone to Queensland.
• Brownlow Medal awarded to Scott Wynd

  Births

• 2 January – Isabella Holland, tennis player
• 18 January – Cheyse Blair, rugby league player
• 20 January
• *Ben Kantarovski, footballer player
• *Alex Keath, cricketer
• 24 January – Luke Russell, footballer
• 25 January – Casey Dumont, footballer player
• 28 January – Jennifer Bisset, footballer player
• 30 January – Matthew Werkmeister, stage and television actor
• 31 January – Tahnee Atkinson, model
• 3 February – Luke Keary, rugby league player
• 8 February – Lee Cormie, actor
• 9 February
• *Valentina Barron, actress
• *Loren Mahoney, footballer player
• 12 February – James Jeggo, footballer player
• 13 February –
• *Chris Bush, footballer
• *Jake Batchelor, footballer
• *Nicholas Fitzgerald, footballer
• 16 February – Danielle Catanzariti, actress
• 21 February – Eli Babalj, footballer
• 23 February
• * Corey Adamson, baseball player
• * Samara Weaving, actress
• 29 February – Sean Abbott, cricketer
• 2 March – Kerem Bulut, footballer
• 3 March – Jordy Lucas, actress
• 13 March – Lucy Fry, actress
• 16 March – Sam Gallaway, footballer player
• 22 March – Mitchell Mallia, footballer player
• 23 March – Kyrie Irving, basketball player
• 24 March – Jenna Kingsley, footballer player
• 2 April – Kurt Aylett, footballer
• 7 April – Petar Franjic, footballer player
• 8 April – Mathew Ryan, footballer
• 10 April – Chaz Mostert, racing driver
• 16 April – Ursula Hughson, footballer player
• 18 April – Alexandra Adornetto, author of three children's books in a trilogy, The Strangest Adventures, and one young adult book, Halo.
• 22 April – Angela Fimmano, footballer
• 27 April – Mitch Creek, basketballer
• 3 May – Melissa Wu, diver
• 4 May – Shannon Lively, actor
• 9 May – Will Hopoate, rugby league player
• 11 May – Lawrence Thomas, footballer
• 14 May – Dyson Heppell, footballer
• 16 May – Tom Liberatore, footballer
• 19 May – Cassi Van Den Dungen, model
• 20 May – Cate Campbell, swimmer
• 27 May – Ruth Blackburn, footballer
• 1 June – Jenna McDougall, singer-songwriter
• 3 June – Matt Acton, footballer
• 4 June – Morgan Griffin, actress
• 5 June
• *Sam Rainbird, cricketer
• *Emily Seebohm, swimmer
• 8 June – Alex Fasolo, footballer
• 9 June – Boyd Cordner, rugby league player
• 13 June
• *Jack Darling, footballer
• *Joey Gibbs, footballer player
• 14 June – Ben Halloran, footballer
• 16 June – Andrew Gaff, footballer
• 29 June – Ryan Battaglia, baseball player
• 7 July – Jack Le Brocq, racing driver
• 12 July – Larrissa Miller, gymnast
• 14 July – Chris Harold, footballer striker
• 16 July – Sam Naismith, Australian rules footballer
• 17 July
• * Joe Costa, footballer player
• * Tom Eisenhuth, rugby league footballer
• 20 July – Jordan Rodrigues, actor
• 21 July – Marcus Harris, cricketer
• 26 July – Kamal Ibrahim, footballer
• 13 August –
• *Jenny-Lyn Anderson, South Africa-born swimmer
• *Katrina Gorry, footballer player
• 19 August – Cameron Guthrie, footballer
• 1 September – Ben Jacobs, footballer
• 2 September – Valentina Barron, actress
• 7 September – Martin Hinteregger, footballer
• 12 September – Bernie Ibini-Isei, Nigeria-born footballer
• 13 September – Shaun Atley, footballer
• 18 September – Brendan Hamill, footballer
• 28 September – Josh Caddy, footballer
• 30 September – Elyse Knowles, model
• 2 October – Harley Bennell, footballer
• 7 October – Grace Bawden, opera singer
• 27 October – Charles Cottier, actor
• 2 November – Katie Daly, footballer player
• 12 November – Giulietta, singer-songwriter and dancer
• 19 November – Cameron Bancroft, cricketer
• 29 November – Sophie Letcher, tennis player
• 12 December – Marco Djuricin, footballer
• 17 December – Jordan Coulter, model
• 22 December
• * George Horlin-Smith, footballer
• * Shiori Kutsuna, Australian-Japanese actress

  Deaths

• 3 January – Judith Anderson, actor
• 27 March – Lang Hancock, mining magnate. His death started a row between his widow Rose Porteous & his daughter Gina Rinehart over the circumstances of his death & his fortune.
• 14 April – Irene Greenwood, radio broadcaster, feminist and peace activist
• 7 June – Georges Mora,, German-born entrepreneur and arts patron
• 15 June – Brett Whiteley, painter
• 18 June – Peter Allen, entertainer
• 21 June – Arthur Gorrie, hobby shop proprietor
• 28 August – Tom Drake-Brockman, Country politician
• 6 October – Bill O'Reilly, cricketer
• 28 November – Sidney Nolan, painter