2004 in Australia
See also:
2003 in Australia,
other events of 2004,
2005 in Australia
Incumbents
Events
- January 13 - The Spirit of Tasmania III makes its inaugural trip from Sydney to Devonport
- February 1 - The first Ghan passenger train across Australia from Adelaide to Darwin sets off on its three-day journey.
- February 6 - The Music Industry Piracy Investigations organization uses an Anton Piller order to raid offices of P2P companies Sharman Networks and Brilliant Digital Entertainment , the homes of their key executives, as well as several ISPs and universities.
- February 8 - Peter Beattie's Australian Labor Party Queensland state government is re-elected in a landslide.
- February 11 - A Black Hawk helicopter reportedly crashed near Amberley air force base, Mount Walker with at least five seriously injured.
- February 14 - Riots break out between police and Aboriginal residents of Sydney suburb Redfern
- February 15 - Violent riots ensue in the Sydney suburb of Redfern after an Aboriginal boy dies while allegedly fleeing police.
- February 23 - Tasmanian Premier Jim Bacon resigns after being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, handing power to his deputy, Paul Lennon.
- February 25 - Qantas launches its discount domestic airline, Jetstar.
- February 29 - Malcolm Turnbull controversially wins Liberal pre-selection for the federal seat of Wentworth, displacing sitting member Peter King.
- March 11 - A Senate report on poverty is immediately dismissed by Prime Minister John Howard. The report shows between 2 and 3.5 million Australians, or up to 19 per cent of the population, are living in poverty.
- April 5 - Australia's biggest supplier of the potential explosive ammonium nitrate decides to pull the product from its stores in response to concerns it could be used by terrorists.
- April 14 - The Family Court allows a thirteen year old child, born female, to start preliminary hormone treatment: the child identifies as being male and has been suffering from gender identity disorder.
- April 24 - John Howard joins Australian troops in Baghdad for ceremonies honouring the country's war dead.
- May 14 - Hobart woman Mary Donaldson marries Frederick, Crown Prince of Denmark in Copenhagen to become Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
- June 1 - Australian Jennifer Hawkins wins the Miss Universe contest, held in Quito, Ecuador.
- June 3 - United States President George W. Bush publicly supports Prime Minister John Howard and criticises Opposition Leader Mark Latham, sparking criticism from the Opposition for intervening in Australian domestic politics.
- July 5 - Australia and Thailand sign a free trade agreement.
- August 9 - Richard Butler, the controversial governor of Tasmania, resigns.
- August - Australia brings home 49 medals, including a record 17 gold medals, from the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens
- August 29 - John Howard announces that the 2004 federal election will take place on October 9
- September 9 - A bomb blast outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, kills eleven people and injures up to 100 people.
- October 9 - The Liberal Party of Australia government of John Howard is returned for a fourth term at the 2004 federal election.
- October 12 - Simon Crean resigns from the position of Shadow Treasurer, requesting a lesser portfolio, and John Faulkner resigns as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate in the aftermath of the Australian Labor Party's election loss.
- October 12 - Numerous Australians visit Kuta , Bali, to commemorate the second anniversary of the Bali bombing, with services being held across the nation.
- October 14 - Annette Ellis stands down as Shadow Minister for Ageing, Seniors and Disabilities.
- October 14 - The successful tenderer for Melbourne's Mitcham-Frankston Freeway is announced, with tolls due to be set at $4.43 for a one way trip.
Arts and literature
Film
Television
Sports
Births
Deaths
- January 19 - David Hookes, 48, cricketer
- February 16 - Shirley Strickland, 78, athlete, three-time Olympic champion
- March 24 - Rupert Hamer, 87, Premier of Victoria
- April 19 - Tim Burstall, 76, film director and producer
- May 26 - Gatjil Djerrkura, 54, indigenous leader, Chairman of ATSIC
- June 20 - Jim Bacon, 54, Premier of Tasmania
- July 7 - Yang Xiaokai , 55, economist
- July 12 - George Mallaby , 64, actor
- August 17 - Thea Astley, 78, novelist
- August 22 - Marcel Caux, 105, First World War veteran, last known survivor of the Battle of Pozières
- October 11 - Keith Miller, 84, cricketer, Australian rules footballer, fighter pilot and journalist
- November 1 - Marie Tehan , 64, Victorian health minister
- November 6 - Johnny Warren, 61, soccer player, coach and ethnic community advocate
- November 8 - Eddie Charlton, 78, snooker player
- November 20 - Janine Haines, 59, Australian Democrats senator
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