Expo '88 Closing Day On 30 October 1988, Expo '88 drew to a close after running for six months. Australia was approaching its bicentennial celebrations, and after Brisbane’s success hosting the 1982 Commonwealth Games, Brisbane City Council and the Queensland State Government were confident they could win the bid to hold the next World Exhibition. Brisbane … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1988, Expo ’88 drew to a close after running for six months
On this day (Australia): In 1914, the War Precautions Act, which gave the government special powers for the duration of World War I, was passed by the parliament
War Precautions Act 1914 On 29 October 1914, the War Precautions Act, which gave the Government of Australia special powers for the duration of World War I and for six months afterwards, was passed by the Parliament of Australia. It was held by the High Court of Australia in Farey v Burvett that during wartime, the scope of the … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1914, the War Precautions Act, which gave the government special powers for the duration of World War I, was passed by the parliament
On this day (Australia): In 1834, up to 40 Aborigines were killed by British colonists at the Battle of Pinjarra in the Swan River Colony
Pinjarra Massacre Site On 28 October 1834, the Battle of Pinjarra took place in the Swan River Colony in present-day Pinjarra, Western Australia. Between 14–40 Aborigines were killed by British colonists. The Pinjarra massacre, also known as the Battle of Pinjarra, occurred on 28 October 1834 at Pinjarra, Western Australia when a group of Binjareb Noongar people were attacked by a … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1834, up to 40 Aborigines were killed by British colonists at the Battle of Pinjarra in the Swan River Colony
On this day (Australia): In 1980, the Great Barrier Reef was listed as a World Heritage Site
The Great Barrier Reef On 27 October 1980 – The Great Barrier Reef was listed as a World Heritage Site. The Great Barrier Reef is a site of remarkable variety and beauty on the north-east coast of Australia. It contains the world’s largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1980, the Great Barrier Reef was listed as a World Heritage Site
On this day (Australia): In 1985, the Mutitjulu people of central Australia were given freehold title to Uluru and the surrounding National Park
Uluru On 26 October 1985, the Mutitjulu people of central Australia were given freehold title to Uluru and the surrounding National Park. Mutitjulu is an Aboriginal Australian community in the Northern Territory of Australia located at the eastern end of Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock). It is named after a knee-shaped water-filled rock hole at the base of Uluru, and is … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1985, the Mutitjulu people of central Australia were given freehold title to Uluru and the surrounding National Park
On this day (Australia): In 1938, the Kyeema air disaster killed 18 in Mount Dandenong, Victoria
VH-UYC, the aircraft involved in the accident On 25 October 1938, the Kyeema air disaster killed 18 people in Mount Dandenong, Victoria. The Kyeema airline crash occurred when the Australian National Airways Douglas DC-2 Kyeema, tail number VH-UYC, flying from Adelaide to Melbourne, commenced final approach to Essendon Airport through heavy fog and crashed into the western slopes of Mount Dandenong, also known as Mount Corhanwarrabul, killing … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1938, the Kyeema air disaster killed 18 in Mount Dandenong, Victoria
On this day (Australia): In 1889, the Tenterfield Oration was delivered by Henry Parkes, calling for the Federation of the states
Henry Parkes delivers the Tenterfield Oration On 24 October 1889, the Tenterfield Oration was delivered by Henry Parkes, calling for the Federation of the states. The Tenterfield Oration was a speech given by Sir Henry Parkes, Premier of the Colony of New South Wales at the Tenterfield School of Arts in Tenterfield, in rural New South Wales, Australia. In the Oration, Parkes called for the Federation of … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1889, the Tenterfield Oration was delivered by Henry Parkes, calling for the Federation of the states
On this day (Australia): In 1937, the ACTU called on the government to boycott trade with Japan, following the Japanese invasion of China
Japanese Troops in China On 23 October 1937, the ACTU called on the Australian government to boycott trade with Japan, following the Japanese invasion of China. From The Advertiser (Adelaide), October 1937: The full executive of the All Australian Council of Trade Unions, the central body of the trade unions of Australia, decided to appeal … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1937, the ACTU called on the government to boycott trade with Japan, following the Japanese invasion of China
On this day (Australia): In 1894, serial killer Martha Needle was hanged in Melbourne Gaol
Martha Needle On 22 October 1894, Martha Needle was hanged in Melbourne Gaol for the poisoning of her husband, and three children, in an attempt to obtain money from insurance policies. Martha Needle was an Australian serial killer known for poisoning her husband, three children, and prospective brother-in-law. She was hanged on 22 October 1894, at the age … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1894, serial killer Martha Needle was hanged in Melbourne Gaol
On this day (Australia): In 1978, pilot Frederick Valentich vanished over the Bass Strait after reporting contact with an unidentified aircraft
Frederick Valentich On 21 October 1978, civilian pilot Frederick Valentich vanished in a Cessna 182 over the Bass Strait south of Melbourne, after reporting contact with an unidentified aircraft. Frederick Valentich was an Australian pilot who disappeared while on a 125-nautical-mile (232 km) training flight in a Cessna 182L light aircraft, registered VH-DSJ, over Bass Strait on the evening of Saturday 21 October … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1978, pilot Frederick Valentich vanished over the Bass Strait after reporting contact with an unidentified aircraft
On this day (Australia): In 1989, the Grafton bus crash killed 21 people and injured 22
Grafton bus crash On 20 October 1989, the Grafton bus crash killed 21 people and injured 22 when a tourist bus collided with a semi-trailer on the Pacific Highway near Grafton. This crash was one of several on the Pacific Highway involving buses during a relatively brief period. At the time, this crash was the … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1989, the Grafton bus crash killed 21 people and injured 22
On this day (Australia): In 1991, the perjury trial of former Queensland Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen ended in a hung jury
Joh Bjelke-Petersen On 19 October 1991 , the perjury trial of former Queensland Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen ended in a hung jury. Prosecutors decided against a retrial on the basis of Joh's advancing age & divided public opinion. Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen KCMG was born on 13 January 1911. He was an Australian conservative politician. He was the … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1991, the perjury trial of former Queensland Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen ended in a hung jury
On this day (Australia): In 1869, the Lithgow Zig Zag Railway was opened
Lithgow Zig Zag Railway On 18 October 1869, the Lithgow Zig Zag Railway was opened. Zig Zag Railway is an Australian heritage railway, situated near the town of Lithgow in the state of New South Wales. It was opened by the not-for-profit Zig Zag Railway Co-op. Ltd. as an unpaid volunteer-staffed heritage railway in October 1975, using the alignment of the Lithgow … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1869, the Lithgow Zig Zag Railway was opened
On this day (Australia): In 1854, the Melbourne daily newspaper The Age was first published
The Age First Edition On 17 October 1854, the Melbourne daily newspaper The Age was first published. The Age is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and southern New South Wales. It is delivered … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1854, the Melbourne daily newspaper The Age was first published
On this day (Australia): In 1975, the Balibo Five, a group of Australian television journalists based in Portuguese Timor, were killed by Indonesian troops
The Balibo Five On 16 Ocober 1975, the Balibo Five, a group of Australian television journalists based in the town of Balibo in the then Portuguese Timor (now East Timor), were killed by Indonesian troops. The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian commercial television networks who were killed in the period leading up to … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1975, the Balibo Five, a group of Australian television journalists based in Portuguese Timor, were killed by Indonesian troops
On this day (Australia): In 1970, a portion of the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne collapsed, killing 35 people
West Gate Bridge Collapse On 15 October 1970, a portion of the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne collapsed, killing 35 people. The West Gate Bridge is a steel box girder cable-stayed bridge in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, spanning the Yarra River just north of its mouth into Port Phillip. It is a vital link between the inner city (CBD) and Melbourne's western suburbs, with … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1970, a portion of the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne collapsed, killing 35 people
On this day (Australia): In 1824, W. C. Wentworth and Robert Wardell began publication of The Australian, the first independent newspaper in Australia
Front page of the first edition of The Australian in 1824 On 14 October 1824, W. C. Wentworth and Robert Wardell began publication of The Australian, the first independent newspaper in Australia. Not to be confused with the modern day publication of the same name, it was published in Sydney from1824-1848. It first appeared in … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1824, W. C. Wentworth and Robert Wardell began publication of The Australian, the first independent newspaper in Australia
On this day (Australia): In 1982, Ian Thorpe was born
Ian Thorpe On 13 October 1982, Ian Thorpe was borne in Milperra, Sydney. He is one of Australia's most successful Olympians. He started swimming at age five and was fourteen when he made the Australian squad for the 1997 Pan Pacific Games. At the World Championships six months later, Thorpe was victorious in the final … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1982, Ian Thorpe was born
On this day (Australia): In 2002, eighty-eight Australians were killed in Bali in bombings committed by Jemaah Islamiyah
The Sari Club On 12 October 2002, eighty-eight Australians were killed in Bali in bombings committed by Jemaah Islamiyah. At about 11pm on 12 October 2002 three bombs were detonated in Bali, two in busy nightspots – the Sari Club and Paddy’s Bar – and one in front of the American consulate. The explosions killed … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 2002, eighty-eight Australians were killed in Bali in bombings committed by Jemaah Islamiyah
On this day (Australia): In 1852, the University of Sydney was inaugurated, Australia’s first university
University of Sydney On 11 October 1852, the University of Sydney was inaugurated, Australia's first university. The University of Sydney (USYD, or informally Sydney Uni) is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is Australia's first university and is regarded as one of the world's leading universities. The university is one of Australia's six sandstone universities. Its campus, … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1852, the University of Sydney was inaugurated, Australia’s first university
On this day (Australia): In 1996, schoolboy Tjandamurra O’Shane was set alight in his school playground in a racial attack
Tjandamurra O'Shane On 10 October 1996, schoolboy Tjandamurra O'Shane was set alight in his school playground in a racial attack. Tjandamurra (Jandamarra) "Janda" O'Shane, born 15 August 1990, is a Murri Aboriginal Australian who at age six was the victim of a fire attack whilst playing at a schoolyard in Cairns, Queensland on 10 October 1996. He is the nephew of New South Wales magistrate Pat … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1996, schoolboy Tjandamurra O’Shane was set alight in his school playground in a racial attack
On this day (Australia): In 1942, The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act, which symbolically represents Australia’s independence from the United Kingdom, became law
Assent of Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 On 9 October 1942, The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942, which symbolically represents Australia's independence from the United Kingdom, became law. The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 is an Act of the Australian Parliament that formally adopted sections 2–6 of the Statute of Westminster 1931, an Act of the Parliament of the United … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1942, The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act, which symbolically represents Australia’s independence from the United Kingdom, became law
On this day (Australia): In 1908, the capital of Australia was chosen, settling a feud between rivals Melbourne and Sydney
Federal Parliament 1927 On 8 October 1908, the capital of Australia was chosen, settling a feud between rivals Melbourne and Sydney. Before European settlement, the area in which Canberra would eventually be constructed was seasonally inhabited by Indigenous Australians. Anthropologist Norman Tindale suggested the principal group occupying the region were the Ngunnawal people, while the Ngarigo lived immediately to the south of … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1908, the capital of Australia was chosen, settling a feud between rivals Melbourne and Sydney
On this day (Australia): In 1830, the “Black Line” campaign of the Black War began in an attempt to capture all Tasmanian Aborigines
Residence of the Aborigines, Flinders Island by John Skinner Prout On 7 October 1830, the "Black Line" campaign of the Black War began in an attempt to capture all Tasmanian Aborigines. The campaign lasted seven weeks and only succeeded in bringing two Aborigines to the authorities. From the first recorded contact between Europeans and Tasmania’s Aboriginal … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1830, the “Black Line” campaign of the Black War began in an attempt to capture all Tasmanian Aborigines
On this day (Australia): In 1911, compulsory enrolment for compulsory voting was introduced
Voting in Australia On 6 October 1911, compulsory enrolment for compulsory voting was introduced in Australia. Compulsory voting was first advocated by Alfred Deakin at the turn of the 20th century. Voting was voluntary at the first 9 federal elections. Compulsory enrolment for federal elections was introduced in 1911. In 1915, consideration was given to … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1911, compulsory enrolment for compulsory voting was introduced
Craig Hill 