2013 In Australia
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The following lists events that happened during 2013 in Australia.


Incumbents

*
Monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
*
Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...
Quentin Bryce Dame Quentin Alice Louise Bryce, (née Strachan; born 23 December 1942) is an Australian academic who served as the 25th Governor-General of Australia from 2008 to 2014. She is the List of elected and appointed female heads of state, first wom ...
*
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Julia Gillard Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is an Australian former politician who served as the 27th prime minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013. She held office as the leader of the Labor Party (ALP), having previously served as the ...
(until 27 June), then
Kevin Rudd Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian diplomat and former politician who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and June to September 2013. He held office as the Leaders of the Australian Labo ...
(until 18 September), then
Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is an Australian former politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and was the member of parli ...
**
Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
Wayne Swan Wayne Maxwell Swan (born 30 June 1954) is an Australian politician serving as the 25th and current Australian Labor Party National Executive#National Presidents, National President of the Labor Party since 2018, previously serving as the 14th de ...
(until 27 June), then
Anthony Albanese Anthony Norman Albanese ( or ; born 2 March 1963) is an Australian politician serving as the 31st and current prime minister of Australia since 2022. He has been the Leaders of the Australian Labor Party#Leader, leader of the Labor Party si ...
(until 18 September), then
Warren Truss In structural engineering, a Warren truss or equilateral truss is a type of truss employing a weight-saving design based upon Triangle, equilateral triangles. It is named after the British engineer James Warren (engineer), James Warren, who pat ...
**
Opposition Leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is an Australian former politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and was the member of parli ...
(until 18 September), then
Chris Bowen Christopher Eyles Guy Bowen (born 17 January 1973) is an Australian politician who has been Minister for Climate Change and Energy in the Albanese government since June 2022. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was first elect ...
(until 13 October), then
Bill Shorten William Richard Shorten (born 12 May 1967) is an Australian former politician and trade unionist. He was the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and Leader of the Opposition (Australia), Leader of the Opposition from 2013 to 2019. He also ...
* Chief Justice
Robert French Robert Shenton French (born 1947) is a former judge of the Federal Court of Australia and was Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia from 2008 to 2017. From 2017 to 2024, he was chancellor of the University of Western Australia, of whi ...


State and territory leaders

*
Premier of New South Wales The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster system, Westminster Parliamentary System, with a Parliament of New South Wales actin ...
Barry O'Farrell Barry Robert O'Farrell (born 24 May 1959) is an Australian former politician who was Australia's List of Australian High Commissioners to India, High Commissioner to India and non-resident Ambassador to Bhutan from February 2020 to 30 June 202 ...
**
Opposition Leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
John Robertson *
Premier of Queensland The premier of Queensland is the head of government in the Australian state of Queensland. By convention the premier is the leader of the party with a parliamentary majority in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The premier is appointed ...
Campbell Newman Campbell Kevin Thomas Newman (born 12 August 1963) is an Australian former politician who served as the 38th Premier of Queensland from 26 March 2012 to 14 February 2015. He served as the member for Ashgrove in the Legislative Assembly of Que ...
**
Opposition Leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
Annastacia Palaszczuk Annastacia Palaszczuk ( , born 25 July 1969) is an Australian politician who served as the 39th premier of Queensland from 2015 to 2023. She held office as the leader of the Queensland branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 2012 unt ...
*
Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier i ...
Jay Weatherill Jay Wilson Weatherill (born 3 April 1964) is an Australian former politician who was the 45th premier of South Australia, serving from 21 October 2011 until 19 March 2018. Weatherill represented the South Australian House of Assembly, House of ...
**
Opposition Leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
Isobel Redmond Isobel Mary Redmond (born 8 April 1953) is a former Australian politician who was the member for the electoral district of Heysen in the House of Assembly from 2002 to 2018. She was the parliamentary leader of the South Australian Division of ...
(until 31 January), then
Steven Marshall Steven Spence Marshall (born 21 January 1968) is a former Australian politician who served as the 46th premier of South Australia between 2018 and 2022. He was a member of the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia in the ...
*
Premier of Tasmania The premier of Tasmania is the head of the Government of Tasmania, executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the leader of the party or political grouping which has majority support in the Tasmanian House of Assem ...
Lara Giddings Larissa Tahireh "Lara" Giddings (born 14 November 1972) is an Australian former politician who was the 44th Premier of Tasmania from 24 January 2011 until 31 March 2014, the first woman to hold the position. Born in Goroka, Papua New Guinea, sh ...
**
Opposition Leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
Will Hodgman William Edward Felix Hodgman (born 20 April 1969) is a former Australian politician and diplomat. He was the premier of Tasmania from 2014 to 2020 and state leader of the Liberal Party from 2006 to 2020. He later served as High Commissioner of ...
*
Premier of Victoria The premier of Victoria is the head of government of the state of Victoria in Australia. The premier leads the Cabinet of Victoria and selects its ministers. The premier is appointed by the governor of Victoria, must be a member of the Vic ...
Ted Baillieu Edward Norman Baillieu (born 31 July 1953) is a former Australian politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2010 to 2013. He was a Victorian Liberal Party, Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1999 to 2014, represe ...
(until 6 March), then Denis Napthine **
Opposition Leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
Daniel Andrews Daniel Michael Andrews (born 6 July 1972) is an Australian former politician who served as the 48th premier of Victoria from 2014 to 2023. He held office as the leader of the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 2010 and ...
*
Premier of Western Australia The premier of Western Australia is the head of government of the state of Western Australia. The role of premier at a state level is similar to the role of the prime minister of Australia at a federal level. The premier leads the executive br ...
Colin Barnett Colin James Barnett (born 15 July 1950) is an Australian former politician who was the 29th Premier of Western Australia. He concurrently served as the state's Treasurer at several points during his tenure and had previously held various other ...
**
Opposition Leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
Mark McGowan Mark McGowan (born 13 July 1967) is an Australian former politician and naval officer who served as the 30th premier of Western Australia from 2017 until his retirement in 2023. He was the leader of the Western Australian branch of the Austr ...
*
Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory The chief minister of the Australian Capital Territory is the head of government of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The leader of the party with the largest number of seats in the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assemb ...
Katy Gallagher Katherine Ruth Gallagher ( /'gæləhər/ GAL-ə-her; born 18 March 1970) is an Australian politician who has been serving as the Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Minister for the Public Service and Vice-President of the Executive ...
**
Opposition Leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
Zed Seselja Zdenko Matthew "Zed" Seselja (; born 27 March 1977) is an Australian politician who was a Senator for the Australian Capital Territory from 2013 to 2022, representing the Liberal Party. He was the Minister for International Development and the ...
(until 11 February), then
Jeremy Hanson Jeremy David Hanson, Conspicuous Service Cross (Australia), CSC, Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, MLA (born 18 February 1967) is a former Australian Army officer and is an Australian politician with the Liberal Party of Austra ...
*
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory The chief minister of the Northern Territory is the head of government of the Northern Territory. The office is the equivalent of a state premier. When the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly was created in 1974, the head of government w ...
Terry Mills (until 13 March), then
Adam Giles Adam Graham Giles (né Romer; born 10 April 1973) is an Australian former politician and former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory (2013–2016) as well as the former leader of the Country Liberal Party (CLP) in the unicameral Northern T ...
**
Opposition Leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
Delia Lawrie Delia Phoebe Lawrie (born 30 July 1966) is an Australian politician. She was a member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2016, representing the electorate of Karama. She was a Labor member from 2001 to 2015, and served ...
* Chief Minister of Norfolk Island
David Buffett David Ernest Buffett AM (born 17 October 1942) is a political figure from the Australian territory of Norfolk Island. He served as Chief Minister of Norfolk Island from March 2010 to March 2013; he has also held the position three previous occ ...
(until 20 March), then Lisle Snell


Governors and administrators

*
Governor of New South Wales The governor of New South Wales is the representative of the monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia, Governor-General of Australia at the national level, the governor ...
Marie Bashir Dame Marie Roslyn Bashir (born 1 December 1930) is the former and second longest-serving Governor of New South Wales. Born in Narrandera, New South Wales, Bashir graduated from the University of Sydney in 1956 and held various medical positions ...
*
Governor of Queensland The governor of Queensland is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in the state of Queensland. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia, governor-general at the national level, the governor Governors of ...
Penelope Wensley *
Governor of South Australia The governor of South Australia is the representative in South Australia of the monarch, currently King Charles III. The governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the governor-general of Aust ...
Kevin Scarce *
Governor of Tasmania The governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of the monarch, currently King Charles III. The incumbent governor is Barbara Baker, who was appointed in June 2021. The official residence of the governor is Gov ...
Peter Underwood Peter George Underwood, (10 October 1937 – 7 July 2014) was an Australian jurist and the Governor of Tasmania from 2008 until his death in 2014. He was the Chief Justice of Tasmania from 2004 to 2008, having been a judge of the Supreme Cour ...
*
Governor of Victoria The governor of Victoria is the representative of Monarchy of Australia, the monarch, currently King Charles III, in the Australian state of Victoria (state), Victoria. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the premier of V ...
Alex Chernov Alex Chernov (born 12 May 1938) is an Australian lawyer, judge and barrister who served as the 28th Governor of Victoria, from 2011 to 2015. Chernov also served as Vice-President of the Australian Bar Association, from 1986 to 1987, President ...
*
Governor of Western Australia The governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of the monarch, King Charles III. As with the other governors of the Australian states, the governor of Western Australia performs constitutional, ceremonial and commun ...
Malcolm McCusker Malcolm James McCusker (born 6 August 1938) is an Australian barrister and philanthropist who was the 31st Governor of Western Australia, serving from July 2011 to June 2014. Born in Perth, McCusker was educated at Hobart High School (in Hob ...
* Administrator of the Australian Indian Ocean Territories
Jon Stanhope Jonathan Donald Stanhope (born 29 April 1951) is a former Australian politician who was Labor Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 2001 to 2011. Stanhope represented the Ginninderra electorate in the ACT Legislative Assem ...
*
Administrator of Norfolk Island The administrator of Norfolk Island acts as a representative both of the Crown and the Government of Australia The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national Exe ...
Neil Pope *
Administrator of the Northern Territory The administrator of the Northern Territory is an official appointed by the governor-general of Australia to represent the Crown in right of the Northern Territory. They perform functions similar to those of a state governor. Strictly speaking ...
Sally Thomas


Events


January

*4–20 January – A
heat wave A heat wave or heatwave, sometimes described as extreme heat, is a period of abnormally hot weather generally considered to be at least ''five consecutive days''. A heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the area and ...
in south-eastern Australia results in several bushfires in Tasmania. *23 January – A
monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and northern hemispheres. It is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. and is dep ...
passes over parts of Queensland and New South Wales, causing severe storms, flooding, and tornadoes. *27–28 January – Cyclone Oswald causes heavy rainfall and flooding in Queensland. *30 January – Prime Minister
Julia Gillard Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is an Australian former politician who served as the 27th prime minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013. She held office as the leader of the Labor Party (ALP), having previously served as the ...
announces the date of the 2013 federal election as 14 September.


February

*5 February – **Federal Environment Minister
Tony Burke Anthony Stephen Burke (born 4 November 1969) is an Australian politician serving as Leader of the House, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for the Arts. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), and has served as member of ...
and Communications Minister
Stephen Conroy Stephen or Steven is an English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is widely regarded as the firs ...
admit that they received free holiday accommodation from allegedly corrupt former state MP
Eddie Obeid Edward Moses Obeid (born 25 October 1943) is a retired Australian politician and convicted criminal, who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council between 1991 and 2011, representing the Labor Party. He was the Minister for ...
. **Gold Coast mother, Novy Chardon, aged 34, goes missing from her Upper Coomera home, sparking a police search. *14 February – The
Supreme Court of Queensland The Supreme Court of Queensland is the highest court in the Australian State of Queensland. It was formerly the Brisbane Supreme Court, in the colony of Queensland. The original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court allows its trial division to ...
orders that
serial rapist A serial rapist is someone who commits multiple rapes, whether with multiple victims or a single victim repeatedly over a period of time. Some serial rapists target children. The terms ''sexual predator'', ''repeat rape'' and ''multiple offending' ...
Robert John Fardon should be released because any risks which he posed to the community could be managed. *15 February – **Queensland Premier
Campbell Newman Campbell Kevin Thomas Newman (born 12 August 1963) is an Australian former politician who served as the 38th Premier of Queensland from 26 March 2012 to 14 February 2015. He served as the member for Ashgrove in the Legislative Assembly of Que ...
announces that the Department of Transport and Main Roads Director-General Michael Caltabiano has been dismissed. In October 2012, Mr Caltabiano was referred to State Parliament's ethics committee for comments he made in an estimates committee hearing about Ben Gommers, son of former arts minister
Ros Bates Rosslyn Mary Bates (born 25 May 1962) is an Australian politician. Bates has been a Liberal National Party member of the Parliament of Queensland since March 2009, representing the electorate of Mudgeeraba. Early career Prior to entering pol ...
. **Queensland Arts Minister,
Ros Bates Rosslyn Mary Bates (born 25 May 1962) is an Australian politician. Bates has been a Liberal National Party member of the Parliament of Queensland since March 2009, representing the electorate of Mudgeeraba. Early career Prior to entering pol ...
, resigns amid controversy, with scandals having recently emerged over alleged irregularities with her lobbyist contact register, the Crime and Misconduct investigation into the appointment of her son Ben Gommers to a departmental role, and links to Michael Caltabiano. *21 February – Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor urges the Coalition to rethink its opposition to the Malaysian solution, after the reported deaths of 98 asylum seekers who were trying to make their way to Indonesia or Australia. *24 February – Severe flooding occurs in Northern New South Wales, as well as a severe damage in Sydney's south-west, leaving many homes without power.


March

*1 March – Myer's annual Autumn/Winter Collection show is held in Melbourne. *2 March – **A severe weather system dumps widespread heavy rain on Queensland. 71 mm of rain falls in Bundaberg before 9am. Wivenhoe Dam reaches 101% capacity. **Veteran TV journalist Peter Harvey dies in Sydney hospital after a battle with pancreatic cancer. *3 March – Prime Minister Julia Gillard starts a campaign in Western Sydney and announces a new federal taskforce to crack down on criminal gangs. *6 March –
Ted Baillieu Edward Norman Baillieu (born 31 July 1953) is a former Australian politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2010 to 2013. He was a Victorian Liberal Party, Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1999 to 2014, represe ...
stands down as
Premier of Victoria The premier of Victoria is the head of government of the state of Victoria in Australia. The premier leads the Cabinet of Victoria and selects its ministers. The premier is appointed by the governor of Victoria, must be a member of the Vic ...
and is replaced by Denis Napthine. *8 March – The
Queen Street Mall The Queen Street Mall is a pedestrian mall located on Queen Street in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The mall extends approximately from George Street to Edward Street, and has more than 700 retailers over of retail space, which incl ...
in Brisbane goes into lockdown after Lee Matthew Hillier threatens plain clothes police officers with what they believed was a handgun while they were doing random street checks. *9 March – The
2013 Western Australian state election The 2013 Western Australian state election was held on Saturday 9 March 2013 to elect 59 members to the Legislative Assembly and 36 members to the Legislative Council. The incumbent Liberal–National Coalition A coalition is formed when t ...
is held. The
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
led by
Colin Barnett Colin James Barnett (born 15 July 1950) is an Australian former politician who was the 29th Premier of Western Australia. He concurrently served as the state's Treasurer at several points during his tenure and had previously held various other ...
retains government, winning a majority in its own right. *13 March – The
Country Liberal Party The Country Liberal Party of the Northern Territory (CLP), commonly known as the Country Liberals, is a centre-right and conservative political party in Australia's Northern Territory. In territory politics, it operates in a two-party system wi ...
in the Northern Territory elects
Adam Giles Adam Graham Giles (né Romer; born 10 April 1973) is an Australian former politician and former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory (2013–2016) as well as the former leader of the Country Liberal Party (CLP) in the unicameral Northern T ...
as party leader while Terry Mills is overseas on a trade visit to Japan. Giles is sworn in as
Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...
—Australia's first indigenous head of government—the next day on 14 March. *21 March – **Prime Minister Julia Gillard makes a speech apologising on behalf of the Federal Government to families affected by
forced adoption in Australia Forced adoption in Australia was the practice of taking babies from unmarried mothers, against their will, and placing them for adoption. In 2012 the Australian Senate Inquiry Report into Forced Adoption Practices found that babies were taken ille ...
. **
Simon Crean Simon Findlay Crean (26 February 1949 – 25 June 2023) was an Australian politician and trade unionist. He was the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and leader of the opposition from 2001 to 2003. He represented the seat of Hotham i ...
calls on the Prime Minister to bring on a
leadership spill In Australian politics, a leadership spill (or simply a spill) is a declaration that the leadership of a parliamentary party is vacant and open for contest. A spill may involve all or some of the leadership positions (leader and deputy leader in ...
to resolve tensions in the Labor Party, which she does. Expected challenger
Kevin Rudd Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian diplomat and former politician who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and June to September 2013. He held office as the Leaders of the Australian Labo ...
announces he will not contest the ballot, and Gillard is re-elected leader unopposed. *26 March – The
Parliament of South Australia The Parliament of South Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of South Australia. It consists of the 47-seat South Australian House of Assembly, House of Assembly (lower house) and the 22-seat South Australian Legislati ...
pass a bill that recognises Aboriginal people in the state Constitution. *28 March – A freak accident kills three pedestrians when a wall collapses in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton. *30 March – The Murrawarri Republic declares its independence from the
Commonwealth of Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a total area of , making it the sixth-largest country in ...
.


April

*6 April –
Brisbane City Hall Brisbane City Hall, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is the seat of the Brisbane City Council. It is located adjacent to King George Square, where the rectangular City Hall has its main entrance. The City Hall also has frontages and entran ...
is officially re-opened to the public following a three-year restoration *10 April **Prime Minister Julia Gillard ends her trip to China with an agreement for annual leadership talks with the new Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. They also signed agreements to set up an expert group to drive co-operation on carbon trading, engaged in a new round of defence talks and agreed to work together on aid and development in the Asia Pacific region. **Child killer Allyson McConnell is deported to Australia from
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
after serving just 15 months for killing her two young sons by drowning them. The leniency in sentencing provokes outrage, with Alberta Justice Minister Jonathan Denis appealing against the sentence and promising to seek her extradition. *13 April – The Federal Government announces $2 billion worth of cuts to the university sector. *14 April – Prime Minister Julia Gillard announces $14.5 billion worth of funding for schools over the next six years to mark one year since the release of the Gonski review. *17 April – Australia's greatest racing horse since Phar Lap and one of the greatest mares in world history, Black Caviar is retired on an unbeaten record of 25 wins. *27 April – On the final day of the Sydney Racing Carnival, John Singleton sacks Gai Waterhouse as his trainer following mare More Joyous' loss in the race, claiming that Waterhouse's bookmaker son, Tom Waterhouse, had the night before expressed his suspicions to friends of Singleton's over More Joyous' physical condition and believed that it had no chance of winning the race. The incident prompts an inquiry, as well as debates over whether live betting odds should be permitted during televised sporting matches. *April – Allen Consulting Group and ACIL Tasman merge to form ACIL Allen Consulting.


May

*3 May – The Federal Government unveils a white paper on defence, setting an aspirational goal of increasing defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP, as well as the purchase of a dozen new FA18 fighter jets. Prime Minister Julia Gillard also says that her government wants to see more transparency from China on their military developments. *9 May – Federal Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, unveils the Coalition's industrial relations policy, saying workers have nothing to fear, promising sensible, careful and incremental changes. He foreshadows a review of the system in the first term of an Abbott Government. *10 May – Michael Boggan, aged 15, of Ipswich, Queensland, suffers severe injuries after a home-made bomb in the form of a golf ball detonates in his hands.


June

*3 June – Fair Work Australia announces a 2.6 per cent increase in the minimum wage, prompting criticism from the Australian Council of Trade Unions. *5 June – Prime Minister Julia Gillard orders an inquiry into the intelligence agencies' handling of a case involving a convicted Egyptian terrorist, Sayad Latif, who arrived in Australia last year as an asylum seeker. *6 June – New South Wales Police announce a $100,000 reward for information on the 23 Dec 1982 bombings of the Israeli Consulate in Sydney and the Hakoah Club at Bondi. *7 June – The Reserve Bank of Australia decides to lower the official cash rate to 2.75 per cent – its lowest level in more than 50 years. *8 June – The Queensland Government signs up to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. *12 June – Prime Minister Julia Gillard during Question Time calls on the Opposition to disendorse Liberal candidate
Mal Brough Malcolm Thomas Brough ( ; born 29 December 1961) is an Australian former politician. He represented the Liberal Party in the House of Representatives (1996–2007, 2013–2016) and held ministerial office in the Howard and Turnbull governments. ...
after a menu that made lewd and offensive jokes about her anatomy was used at his party fund-raiser. The menu, used at an event in March, lists ''Julia Gillard Kentucky Fried Quail'' before going on to describe it as ''Small breasts, huge thighs & a big red box''. *26 June –
Kevin Rudd Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian diplomat and former politician who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and June to September 2013. He held office as the Leaders of the Australian Labo ...
defeats
Julia Gillard Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is an Australian former politician who served as the 27th prime minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013. She held office as the leader of the Labor Party (ALP), having previously served as the ...
57 to 45 in an Australian Labor Party leadership spill. *30 June – The
Sydney Monorail The Sydney Monorail (originally TNT Harbourlink and later Metro Monorail) was a single-loop monorail in Sydney, that connected Darling Harbour, Chinatown, Sydney, Chinatown and the Sydney central business district, Sydney central business and s ...
is closed.


July

*1 July – Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's new ministry is sworn in at a ceremony at Government House, Canberra. **Labor MP, Simon Crean, announces that he'll retire from politics at the next election. *4 July – An inquest into the deaths of three men working under the Rudd Government's pink batts home insulation scheme finds that inadequate training, safety and supervision were all to blame for their deaths. The coroner's report also states that industry groups warned the Federal Government about the risks of the scheme, but were ignored. **Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announces a major crackdown on corruption in the New South Wales branch of Labor Party. *5 July – Prime Minister Kevin Rudd meets with Indonesian President,
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), commonly referred to as SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired Indonesian Army, army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014 and the second president of Ind ...
, and announces the establishment of the Indonesia-Australia Red Meat and Beef Forum to improve and grow Indonesia's cattle industry, in an effort to defuse diplomatic tensions over cancelled beef exports. *9 July – Giant telescope Murchison Widefield Array telescope in Western Australia, goes online. *11 July – Prime Minister Kevin Rudd uses an address at the National Press Club in Canberra to lobby for a new "productivity pact" between businesses, unions and the Federal Government in an effort to lift the rate of annual productivity growth, as well as smoothing the transition from mining to non-mining led growth. The Prime Minister also accuses the Opposition of planning to "implement a slash and burn austerity drive across the nation". *14 July – Federal Treasurer Chris Bowen announces that the Federal Government has agreed to scrap the fixed
carbon price Carbon pricing (or pricing) is a method for governments to mitigate climate change, in which a monetary cost is applied to greenhouse gas emissions. This is done to encourage polluters to reduce fossil fuel combustion, the main driver of climat ...
and move to a floating price on carbon on 1 July next year – one year earlier than scheduled. *23 July – The
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO ) is the Intelligence agency, domestic intelligence and national security agency of the Australian Government, responsible for protection from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign inte ...
's AUD $630 million New Central Office is opened in Canberra.


August

*3 August – Simon Kruger, a seven-year-old boy, goes missing in the bush after wandering away from a family picnic. He is found by searchers the next day, and claimed that a kangaroo had kept him warm as he slept under a tree. *12 August – The Euahlayi Nation declares its independence from the
Commonwealth of Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a total area of , making it the sixth-largest country in ...
.


September

*7 September – The
Liberal–National coalition The Liberal–National Coalition, commonly known simply as the Coalition or the LNP, is an alliance of centre-right to right-wing political parties that forms one of the two major groupings in Australian federal politics. Its two members ar ...
led by
Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is an Australian former politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and was the member of parli ...
wins the 2013 federal election. *14 September – Two prisoners force the Brisbane Correctional Centre into lockdown in a rooftop protest. *27 September – Two large brawls involving members of the Bandidos bikie gang and another
outlaw motorcycle club An outlaw motorcycle club, known colloquially as a biker club or club (in Australia), is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of Cruiser (motorcycle), cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and chopper (motorcycle ...
erupted outside a restaurant on Broadbeach on Queensland's Gold Coast, prompting the arrest of eighteen people and setting in motion a chain of events that would lead to the enactment of the Newman government's Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Act 2013 (VLAD) laws.


October

* 3–11 October – The International Fleet Review is held on
Sydney Harbour Port Jackson, commonly known as Sydney Harbour, is a ria, natural harbour on the east coast of Australia, around which Sydney was built. It consists of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove River, Lane ...
to celebrate the centenary of the first entry of the
Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...
fleet in to the harbour. * 7 October – Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, attends the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in Bali. After meeting with China's president, Xi Jinping, he says he is confident he could get a free trade deal with China within 12 months. He also addresses the lingering concern in Indonesia about his asylum seeker policies. * 9 October – John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart's civil trial against their mother, Gina Rinehart, begins in the NSW Supreme Court. They're suing their mother for alleged misconduct as trustee. The family are also fighting over control of a family trust worth billions. * 13 October –
Bill Shorten William Richard Shorten (born 12 May 1967) is an Australian former politician and trade unionist. He was the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and Leader of the Opposition (Australia), Leader of the Opposition from 2013 to 2019. He also ...
is elected leader of the federal Labor Party, beating Anthony Albanese and receiving 52 per cent of the caucus, prompting his mother-in-law, Governor-General Quentin Bryce, to offer her resignation "to avoid any perception of bias". * 17 October – **The
2013 New South Wales bushfires The 2013 New South Wales bushfires were a series of bushfires in Australia across the state of New South Wales primarily starting, or becoming notable, on 13 October 2013; followed by the worst of the fires beginning in the Greater Blue Mount ...
begin. **The Queensland Parliament passes with bipartisan support its Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment (VLAD)laws targeting outlaw bikie gangs after a marathon debate. The legislation names 26 "criminal organisations", including the Bandidos, Finks and Mongols. It restricts their members' and associates' movements and meetings, and increases minimum sentences for their crimes. * 22 October – The Marriage Equality Act 2013 is passed in the
Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory until 1938, is an internal States and territories of Australia, territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory, an ...
, making the ACT the first state or territory to legalise same-sex marriage in Australia.


November

* 18 November – Material leaked by NSA contractor
Edward Snowden Edward Joseph Snowden (born June 21, 1983) is a former National Security Agency (NSA) intelligence contractor and whistleblower who leaked classified documents revealing the existence of global surveillance programs. Born in 1983 in Elizabeth ...
reveals that Australian intelligence agencies had attempted to tap the phones of the
President of Indonesia The president of the Republic of Indonesia () is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Indonesia. The president is the leader of the executive branch of the Indonesian government and the commander-in-chief of the ...
, his wife, and other officials. In response, Indonesia recalls its ambassador, and threatens other consequences. *23 November – 35-year-old man, Chris Boyd, is killed by a Great White Shark at Gracetown, off the south-west coast of Western Australia. A "catch and kill" order was issued to permit the destruction of the shark. *29 November – A young surfer, 18-year-old Zac Young, died after shark attack Riecks Point beach near Coffs Harbour.


December

*1 December – Thousands of motorbike riders protest new anti-bikie laws outside Brisbane's Parliament House. *6 December – The Queensland Court of Appeal decides to release serial rapist Robert John Fardon from prison after the Queensland Attorney-General withdrew a last-minute application to prevent his release. *10 December – **The
analog television Analog television is the original television technology that uses analog signals to transmit video and audio. In an analog television broadcast, the brightness, colors and sound are represented by amplitude, instantaneous phase and frequency, ...
signal is switched off in Victoria, completing Australia's
digital television transition The digital television transition, also called the digital switchover (DSO), the analogue switch/sign-off (ASO), the digital migration, or the analogue shutdown, is the process in which older analogue television broadcasting technology is con ...
. **Federal Environment Minister
Greg Hunt Gregory Andrew Hunt (born 18 November 1965) is an Australian former politician who was the Minister for Health between January 2017 and May 2022. He was a Liberal Party member of the House of Representatives between November 2001 and 2022, repr ...
approves the expansion of the controversial Abbot Point coal terminal in north Queensland. *11 December – Car manufacturer
Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. Founded in Adelaide, it was an automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter that sold cars under its own marque in Australia. It was ...
announces it will cease production of vehicles in Australia by 2017. *13 December – Prime Minister,
Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is an Australian former politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and was the member of parli ...
, holds his first
Council of Australian Governments The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) was the primary intergovernmental forum in Australia from 1992 to 2020. Comprising the federal government, the governments of the six states and two mainland territories and the Australian Local G ...
(COAG) meeting. The states and territories agree to have sole responsibility for the environmental assessment of major developments and to focus on boosting the school attendance rates of Indigenous children. It is confirmed that the national paid parental leave scheme will include state public servants. *18 December – The Federal Government unveils its $100 million assistance package to help Holden and the manufacturing industry. *20 December – A two-hour siege took place outside Sydney's Parliament House when a man in his car threatened to set himself alight. *23 December – A Royal Commission into the Rudd Government's home insulation scheme begins in Brisbane. *26 December – **Acting Prime Minister,
Warren Truss In structural engineering, a Warren truss or equilateral truss is a type of truss employing a weight-saving design based upon Triangle, equilateral triangles. It is named after the British engineer James Warren (engineer), James Warren, who pat ...
, announces that Australia will provide two military aircraft to South Sudan to aid in the current military crisis. **A mother and her teenage daughter are held hostage during a siege at a house in the suburb of Banyo in Brisbane. *30 December – Cyclone Christine intensifies into a category 3 cyclone causing heavy rainfall across a large section of the West Australian Pilbara coast. The towns of Roebourne and Wickham receive significant damage.


Arts and literature

*22 March –
Del Kathryn Barton Del Kathryn Barton (born 11 December 1972) is an Australian artist who began drawing at a young age, and studied at UNSW Art & Design (formerly the College of Fine Arts) at the University of New South Wales. She soon became known for her psych ...
wins the
Archibald Prize The Archibald Prize is an Australian portraiture art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after the receipt of a bequest from J. F. Archibald, J. F. Archib ...
for the second time, for her portrait of actor
Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is a British actor. He is the recipient of six Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTA) and has been recognised as an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia. Born in Colonia ...
. *19 June –
Michelle de Kretser Michelle de Kretser (born 1957) is an Australian novelist who was born in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), and moved to Australia in 1972 when she was 14. Her father was Oswald Leslie De Kretser III, a judge of the Supreme Court of Ceylon. Education an ...
wins the
Miles Franklin Award The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases". The award was set up according to the Will (law), will of Miles Franklin ...
for her novel '' Questions of Travel''.


Sport

*14–27 January – Tennis: The
2013 Australian Open The 2013 Australian Open was a tennis tournament that took place in Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, from 14 to 27 January 2013. It was the 101st edition of the Australian Open, and the first Grand Slam event of the year. The tournament c ...
is held.
Victoria Azarenka Victoria Fiodaraŭna Azarenka (born 31 July 1989) is a Belarusian professional tennis player. She has been ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), having held the position for a total of 51 weeks ...
wins the Women's Singles and
Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Новак Ђоковић, Novak Đoković, separator=" / ", ; born 22 May 1987) is a Serbian professional tennis player. He has been ranked as the List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players#Weeks at N ...
wins the Men's Singles. *9 February – Rugby league: The 2013 All Stars match is won by the Indigenous All Stars, who defeat the NRL All Stars 32–6.
Ben Barba Benjamin Barba (born 13 June 1989) is an Australian former professional dual code rugby league & rugby union footballer who last played for St Helens in the Super League. He primarily played as a or . Barba won the Dally M Medal award for ...
is awarded the Preston Campbell award for Man of the Match. The Women's All Stars match is held at the same event. *17 February – Cricket:
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
wins the
2013 Women's Cricket World Cup The 2013 Women's Cricket World Cup was the tenth Women's Cricket World Cup, hosted by India for the third time, and held from 31 January to 17 February 2013. India previously hosted the World Cup in 1978 and 1997. Australia won the tournament fo ...
in India. *22 February – Rugby league: 2012
NRL The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
premiers the
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm is a rugby league football club based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club plays its home games at AAMI Park, and wears a purple and navy blu ...
defeat
Super League XVII The Stobart Super League XVII was the official name of the 2012 Super League season. Fourteen teams competed over 27 rounds, after which the 8 highest finishing teams entered the play-offs to compete for a place in the Grand Final and a chance to ...
champions the
Leeds Rhinos The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club play their home games at Headingley Rugby Stadium, AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium and compete in the Super League, the top tier of British rugby lea ...
18–14 in the
2013 World Club Challenge The 2013 World Club Challenge (PROBIZ World Club Challenge for sponsorship purposes) was the fourteenth consecutive annual World Club Challenge and was contested by Super League XVII champions, Leeds Rhinos and 2012 NRL Premiers, the Melbourne St ...
, held in
Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
. *17 March – Motor racing:
Kimi Räikkönen Kimi-Matias Räikkönen (; born 17 October 1979), nicknamed "the Iceman", is a Finnish racing driver who competed in Formula One between 2001 and 2021 for Sauber, McLaren, Ferrari, Lotus, and Alfa Romeo. Räikkönen won the 2007 Formula One ...
wins the
2013 Australian Grand Prix The 2013 Australian Grand Prix (formally known as the 2013 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race that was held on 17 March 2013 as the opening round of the 2013 World Championship. The race was held at the Melbourn ...
. *21 April – Soccer:
Central Coast Mariners FC Central Coast Mariners Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Gosford, on the Central Coast (New South Wales), Central Coast of New South Wales. It competes in the A-League, A-League Men, under Professional sports lea ...
defeat
Western Sydney Wanderers FC Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club (colloquially known as Western Sydney, Wanderers, or simply as WSW) is an Australian professional association football, association football club based in the Western Sydney region of Sydney, New South W ...
2–0 in the 2013 A-League Grand Final. *19 April – In the 2013 ANZAC test Australia defeated New Zealand 32–12 at
Canberra Stadium Canberra Stadium, commercially known as GIO Stadium Canberra, is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It is the largest sp ...
before a crowd of 25,628. *5 June – Rugby league: NSW Blues defeat
Queensland Maroons The Queensland rugby league team represents the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football. Nicknamed the "Maroons" after the colour of their jersey, they play three times a year against arch-rivals New South Wales rugby league tea ...
14–6 at
ANZ Stadium Stadium Australia, currently known as Accor Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the suburb of Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium, which is sometimes referred to as Sydney Ol ...
in the first match of the
2013 State of Origin series The 2013 State of Origin series was the 32nd time the annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams was played entirely under 'state of origin' rules. It was the first series to be administered by the ...
. Blues second-rower Luke Lewis is awarded Man of the Match. *26 June – Rugby league:
Queensland Maroons The Queensland rugby league team represents the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football. Nicknamed the "Maroons" after the colour of their jersey, they play three times a year against arch-rivals New South Wales rugby league tea ...
defeat NSW Blues 26–6 at
Suncorp Stadium Brisbane Stadium (Lang Park), currently known as Suncorp Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Milton, Queensland, Milton, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Nicknamed The Cauldron, it is a three-tiered rect ...
in the second match of the
2013 State of Origin series The 2013 State of Origin series was the 32nd time the annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams was played entirely under 'state of origin' rules. It was the first series to be administered by the ...
. Maroons hooker and captain Cameron Smith is awarded Man of the Match. *17 July – Rugby league: The
Queensland Maroons The Queensland rugby league team represents the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football. Nicknamed the "Maroons" after the colour of their jersey, they play three times a year against arch-rivals New South Wales rugby league tea ...
win the
2013 State of Origin series The 2013 State of Origin series was the 32nd time the annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams was played entirely under 'state of origin' rules. It was the first series to be administered by the ...
, the team's eighth consecutive win, defeating the NSW Blues 12–10 at
ANZ Stadium Stadium Australia, currently known as Accor Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the suburb of Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium, which is sometimes referred to as Sydney Ol ...
in the third match. Maroons winger Brent Tate is awarded Man of the Match, while hooker and captain Cameron Smith is awarded the Wally Lewis Medal for player of the series. *27 August – Australian rules football: The
Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition ...
announces sanctions against the
Essendon Football Club The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed the Bombers or colloquially the Dons, is a professional Australian rules football club that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the game's premier competition. The club was formed by the McCrac ...
for the club's supplements controversy including being barred from the
finals series Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
, stripped of first and second round draft picks for the next two seasons, a $2 million fine and a one-year suspension of coach
James Hird James Albert Hird (born 4 February 1973) is a former professional Australian rules football player and past senior coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Hird played as a midfielder and half-forward, but he ...
. *8 September – Rugby league: The
Sydney Roosters Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club, known as the Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs. The club competes in the National Rugby Lea ...
win the
minor premiership A minor premiership is the title given to the team which finishes a sporting competition first in the league standings after the regular season but prior to commencement of the finals in several Australian sports leagues. Origins The etymolo ...
following the final main round of the
2013 NRL season The 2013 NRL season was the 106th season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia. The National Rugby League's main competition, named the 2013 Telstra Premiership after major sponsors Telstra Corporation, was contested by sixt ...
. The
Parramatta Eels The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL). The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and ...
finish in last position, claiming their second straight
wooden spoon A wooden spoon is a Kitchen utensil, utensil commonly used in food preparation. In addition to its culinary uses, wooden spoons also feature in folk art and culture. History The word ''spoon'' derives from an ancient word meaning a chip of woo ...
. *23 September – Australian rules football: Gary Ablett, Jr. ( Gold Coast) wins his second
Brownlow Medal The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal (and informally as Charlie), is awarded to the best and fairest player in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the home-and-away season, as determined by votes cast by the f ...
. *28 September – Australian rules football: Hawthorn wins the
2013 AFL Grand Final The 2013 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between Hawthorn Football Club and Fremantle Football Club at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 28 September 2013. It concluded the 118th season of the Australian Football Le ...
, defeating
Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...
11.11 (77) to 8.14 (62) at the
MCG The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as the 'G, is a sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, the el ...
. * October – The 12
World Solar Challenge The World Solar Challenge (WSC), named the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge since 2013, is an international event for solar powered cars. The course is over 3,022 Kilometers (1,878 miles) through the Australian outback, from Darwin in ...
is held. *6 October – Rugby league: The
Sydney Roosters Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club, known as the Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs. The club competes in the National Rugby Lea ...
defeat the
Manly Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL). The Manly club debuted in the 1947 New South Wales Rugby Football League seaso ...
26–18 in the 2013 NRL Grand Final. Sea Eagles halfback Daly Cherry-Evans is awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for man-of-the-match.
Ricky Martin Enrique Martin Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography incorporati ...
and
Jessica Mauboy Jessica Hilda Mauboy (; born 4 August 1989) is an Australian singer. Born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, she rose to fame in 2006 on the Australian Idol (season 4), fourth season of ''Australian Idol'', where she was runner-up and s ...
headline the pre-game entertainment. *5 November – Horse racing:
Fiorente Fiorente (26 February 2008 – 30 May 2023) was a Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Ireland and trained in Australia. When racing in Europe, he showed high-class form, winning the Princess of Wales's Stakes in 2012. He had greater success when cam ...
, ridden by jockey
Damien Oliver Damien Oliver (born 22 June 1972) is an Australian Retirement, retired thoroughbred racing jockey. Oliver comes from a racing family; his father Ray Oliver had a successful career until his death in a race fall during the 1975 Kalgoorlie Cup in ...
, wins the 2013 Melbourne Cup. *17 December – Cricket:
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
regains
The Ashes The Ashes is a Test cricket series played biennially between England and Australia. The term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, '' The Sporting Times'', immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, ...
for the first time in seven years, after winning the first three tests of the
2013–14 Ashes series The 2013–14 Ashes (named Commonwealth Bank Ashes Series for sponsorship reasons) was a Test cricket series between England and Australia. The five venues for the series were the Brisbane Cricket Ground, the Adelaide Oval, the WACA Ground, th ...
. *28 December – Yacht racing: ''
Wild Oats XI ''Wild Oats XI'' is a maxi yacht, most famous for being the former race record holder and a nine-times line honours winner of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Launched in 2005, she was owned by Bob Oatley (Oatley's estate since his death i ...
'' takes line honours in the 2013 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, the yacht's seventh win.


Deaths


January

*2 January – Merv Hunter, 86, politician,
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
MLA for
Lake Macquarie The City of Lake Macquarie is a local government area (LGA) in the Hunter Region in New South Wales, Australia. It was proclaimed a city on 7 September 1984. It is adjacent to the city of Newcastle and is part of the Greater Newcastle area. The ...
(1969–1991) *6 January – Paul Grundy, 77, civil engineer and academic *7 January –
Nancy Burley Nancy Burley (8 March 1930 – 7 January 2013) was an Australian figure skater Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Ga ...
, 82, figure skater *12 January – Norma Redpath, 84, artist *13 January – Bille Brown, 61, actor and playwright *14 January – Fred Flanagan, 88, VFL footballer (
Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River (Victo ...
),
Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
member (1998) *16 January – Sir Barry Holloway, 78, politician, Speaker of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea (1972–1977) *18 January – **
Peter Boyle Peter Lawrence Boyle (October 18, 1935 – December 12, 2006) was an American actor. He is known for his character actor roles in film and television and received several awards including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. ...
, 61, footballer and manager ** Jon Mannah, 23, rugby league player (
Cronulla Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the Sutherland Shire of Southern Sydney, New South Wales. Cronulla compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league compet ...
) **
Lewis Marnell Lewis Kristian Marnell (3 December 1982 – 18 January 2013) was a professional skateboarder from Melbourne, Australia who was Slam Magazine's 2008 "Skater of the Year". Marnell died in January 2013, following complications related to type 1 (j ...
, 30, skateboarder *21 January – David Coe, 58, businessman *23 January – Jan Ormerod, 66, illustrator of children's books *24 January –
Graeme Fellowes Graeme Fellowes (29 January 1934 – 24 January 2013) was a professional Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the late 1950s and early 1960s. After managing just eight games in h ...
, 78, VFL footballer ( Collingwood) *26 January – Patricia Lovell, 83, film producer *28 January – Brian Brown, 79, jazz musician *29 January –
Ferris Ashton Ferris Arthur Ashton (21 August 1926 – 29 January 2013) was an Australian rugby league footballer who represented his country in 8 test matches. Ferris was also a member of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) during the Second World War. Club c ...
, 86, rugby league player ( Eastern Suburbs)


February

*6 February – Douglas Warren, 93, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Wilcannia-Forbes (1967–1994) *8 February – Jack Dale Mengenen, 78, indigenous artist and painter *9 February – Colin Laverty, 75, doctor and art collector *11 February – ** Vi Lloyd, 89, politician, member of the
New South Wales Legislative Council The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. Along with the New South Wales Legislative As ...
(1973–1981) **
Kevin Peek Kevin Peek (21 December 1946 – 11 February 2013) was an Australian guitarist, playing both Rock music, rock and classical music, best known for his work with the progressive rock band Sky (English/Australian band), Sky. Biography Peek wa ...
, 66, musician (
Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the planetary surface, surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from ...
) *15 February – Bill Morrison, 84, politician, federal MP for
St George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the R ...
(1969–1975, 1980–1984), Minister for Defence (1975) *22 February – Neil Mann, 88, VFL footballer and coach ( Collingwood) *23 February –
Joan Child Joan Child, (3 August 192123 February 2013) was an Australian politician. She was the first woman to be Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives. Up until the election of Anna Burke on 9 October 2012 , she was the only female Speaker ...
, 91, politician, MP for Henty (19741975, 19801990), first female Speaker of
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
(19861989) *25 February – Ray O'Connor, 86,
Premier of Western Australia The premier of Western Australia is the head of government of the state of Western Australia. The role of premier at a state level is similar to the role of the prime minister of Australia at a federal level. The premier leads the executive br ...
(1982–1983) *26 February –
Bert Flugelman Herbert Flugelman (28 January 1923 – 26 February 2013), usually known as Bert, was a prominent Australian visual artist, primarily a sculptor, who had many of his works publicly displayed. He is known for his stainless steel geometric public s ...
, 90, sculptor *28 February –
Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
, 42, DJ


March

*2 March – Peter Harvey, 68, television journalist *3 March – ** Col Firmin, 72, politician ** James Strong, 68, CEO of
Qantas Qantas ( ), formally Qantas Airways Limited, is the flag carrier of Australia, and the largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations in Australia and List of largest airlines in Oceania, Oceania. A foundi ...
(1993–2001) *10 March – ** Brian Archer, 83, Senator for Tasmania (1975–1994) ** John Chick, 80, footballer ( Carlton) *13 March – Richard Davey, 74, actor and playwright *15 March – Leverne McDonnell, 49, actress *21 March – ** Ernest Chapman, 86, Olympic rower ** Tyrone Gilks, 19, motorbike stunt rider (born
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
) ** Max Oldmeadow, 88, politician, MP for Holt (1972–1975) **
Bruce Skeggs Bruce Albert Edward Skeggs (11 October 1932 – 21 March 2013) was a longstanding Australian Victorian Parliamentarian who was equally famous for his career as a race-caller. He was a Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly fr ...
, 81, politician and trotting commentator *31 March –
Ernie Bridge Ernest Francis Bridge, AM (15 December 193631 March 2013) was an Australian parliamentarian and country music singer. He was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1980 to 2001, representing the electorate of Kimberley, ...
, 76, politician, Western Australia MLA for
Kimberley Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia Queensland * Kimberley, Queensland, a coastal locality in the Shire of Douglas South Australia * County of Kimberley, a cadastral unit in South Australia Ta ...
(1980–2001)


April

*2 April – ** Linda Vogt, 90, flautist ** Ian Wilson, 80, politician, MP for Sturt (1966–1969; 1972–1993) *4 April – ** Chris Bailey, 62, musician ( The Angels) **
Tommy Tycho Thomas Tycho AM MBE DMus (11 April 19284 April 2013) was a Hungarian-born Australian pianist, conductor, composer and arranger. He was active in both classical music and pop. He was associated with musical productions on Australian televisi ...
, 84, composer, arranger and orchestra conductor ** Ian Walsh, 80, rugby league player (
St. George Dragons The St. George Dragons are an Australian rugby league, rugby league football club from the St George, Sydney, St George District in Sydney, New South Wales that played in the top level New South Wales Rugby League, New South Wales competition ...
) and Australian team Captain * 8 April –
Peter Reveen Peter Justin Reveen (8 October 1935 – 8 April 2013) was an Australian illusionist and hypnotist who performed mainly in Canada, and particularly Atlantic Canada. Early life Reveen was born in Adelaide, Australia, and traveled to the US ...
, 77, stage hypnotist and illusionist * 11 April – David O'Halloran, 57, footballer ( Hawthorn) * 16 April – Murray Vernon, 76, cricketer (
Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
) * 19 April – Bill Knott, 92, politician, member of the
New South Wales Legislative Assembly The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the lower of the two houses of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The upper house is the New South Wales Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House ...
(1978–1986) * 21 April – **
Chrissy Amphlett Christine Joy Amphlett (; 25 October 1959 – 21 April 2013) was an Australian singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the frontwoman of the rock band Divinyls. She was notable for her brash, overtly sexual persona and subversive hu ...
, 53, musician (
Divinyls Divinyls () were an Australian rock band that were formed in Sydney in 1980. The band primarily consisted of vocalist Chrissy Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. Amphlett garnered widespread attention for performing on stage in a school un ...
; died in New York City) ** William Edward Murray, 93, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of
Wollongong Wollongong ( ; Dharawal: ''Woolyungah'') is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near water' or 'sound ...
(1975–1996) * 22 April – Carmel Kaine, 75, violinist, co-founder/leader of
Academy of St Martin in the Fields The Academy of St Martin in the Fields (ASMF) is an English orchestra, based in London. John Churchill, then Master of Music at the London church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and Neville Marriner founded the orchestra as "The Academy of St. M ...
* 25 April – Johnny Lockwood, 92, actor and performer * 27 April –
Joseph Peter O'Connell Joseph Peter O'Connell (10 December 1931 – 27 April 2013) was the Roman Catholic titular bishop of 'Sanctus Germanus' and auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth ...
, 81, Roman Catholic prelate, Auxiliary Bishop of
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
(1976–2006) * 28 April – Ron Baggott, 96, footballer (
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
)


May

* 1 May – Gregory Rogers, 55, children's author * 3 May –
Brad Drewett Brad Drewett (19 July 1958 – 3 May 2013) was an Australian tennis player and ATP official. He was the 1975 and 1977 Australian Open junior champion and the youngest player at age 17 to win the title since Ken Rosewall and John Newcombe. He wa ...
, 54, tennis player and administrator, ATP Executive Chairman (2012–2013) * 5 May –
Greg Quill Gregory Raymond Quill (18 April 19475 May 2013) was an Australian-born musician, singer-songwriter and journalist. He lived in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and was an entertainment columnist at the ''Toronto Star'' newspaper from the mid-1980s unt ...
, 66, roots musician and entertainment critic (''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...
'') * 10 May – Barbara Callcott, 66, actress * 12 May – Doug Beasy, 83, footballer ( Carlton) * 13 May – Jill Kitson, 74, radio broadcaster and literary journalist * 14 May – Joy Baluch, 80, politician, Mayor of
Port Augusta Port Augusta (''Goordnada'' in the revived indigenous Barngarla language) is a coastal city in South Australia about by road from the state capital, Adelaide. Most of the city is on the eastern shores of Spencer Gulf, immediately south of the ...
(1981–1993, since 1995) * 15 May – ** Albert Lance, 87, opera singer ** Billy Raymond, 75, television presenter and entertainer * 17 May –
Penne Hackforth-Jones Penne Hackforth-Jones (5 August 194917 May 2013) was an American-born Australian actress and biographer. Early life Penelope Beatrix Hackforth-Jones was born in August 1949 in Greenwich, Connecticut, to Paul and Susan Felicity (née Gullett) ...
, 63, actress * 23 May – ** Peter Ellis, 66, footballer ( Fitzroy) **
Hazel Hawke Hazel Susan Hawke (née Masterson, 20 July 192923 May 2013) was the first wife of Bob Hawke, the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia. She married him in 1956, and supported him throughout his prime ministership (1983–1991); they divorced in 19 ...
, 83, social activist, former wife of Prime Minister
Bob Hawke Robert James Lee Hawke (9 December 1929 – 16 May 2019) was an Australian politician and trade unionist who served as the 23rd prime minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991. He held office as the Australian Labor Party, leader of the La ...
**
Gerry Peacocke Gerald Beresford Ponsonby Peacocke (2 June 1931 – 23 May 2013) was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. A solicitor by profession, and a former city councillor, Gerry Peacocke was elected t ...
, 81, politician, NSW MLA for
Dubbo Dubbo (; ) is a city in the Orana (New South Wales), Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with a population of 43,516 at June 2021. The city is located at the intersection of the ...
(1981–1999) * 24 May – John Sumner, 88, founder and artistic director of Melbourne Theatre Company


June

* 1 June – Dorothy Napangardi, 60s, indigenous artist * 2 June – Yunupingu, 56, musician (
Yothu Yindi Yothu Yindi (Yolŋu Matha, Yolngu for "child and mother", pronounced , natively ) are an Australian musical group with Australian Aboriginal, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members, formed in 1986 as a merger of two bands formed in 1985 – a wh ...
) * 7 June – Harvey Dunn, Jr., 81, footballer ( Carlton) * 9 June –
Christopher Pearson Chris or Christopher Pearson may refer to: * Chris Pearson (boxer) (born 1990), American boxer * Chris Pearson (politician) (1931–2014), first premier of the Yukon * Christopher Pearson (Vermont politician) (born 1973), Vermont state legislator * ...
, 61, journalist, political speech-writer, founder of the ''
Adelaide Review ''The Adelaide Review'' (AR) was a monthly print arts magazine and dynamic website in Adelaide, South Australia. It was first published in 1984, but gained standing after one of its writers, Christopher Pearson, took it over in 1985. In March ...
'' * 14 June – Betty Burstall, 87, theatre director, founder of La Mama Theatre * 15 June – ** Helen Hughes, 84, economist **
Dennis O'Rourke Dennis O'Rourke (14 August 1945 – 15 June 2013) was an Australian cinematographer and documentary filmmaker. Early life and education Dennis O'Rourke was born on 14 August 1945 in Brisbane. For most of his childhood, Dennis O'Rourke lived i ...
, 67, documentary film maker ** Syd Young, 95, footballer (
South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at the 2021 ...
) * 18 June –
Jean Melzer Jean Isabel Melzer (); 7 February 1926 – 18 June 2013) was an Australian politician and activist. She was a Senator for Victoria from 1974 to 1981, representing the Australian Labor Party (ALP). A long-time supporter of the anti-war and an ...
, 87, politician,
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...
for
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
(1974–1981) * 19 June – **
Michael Hodgman William Michael Hodgman AM QC (16 November 193819 June 2013) was an Australian politician and lawyer. He was a member of the Liberal Party and served as Minister for the Capital Territory in the Fraser government from 1980 to 1983. He was act ...
, 74, Tasmanian politician **
Paul Mees Paul Mees (20 March 1961 – 19 June 2013) was an Australian academic, specialising in urban planning and public transport. Mees died on 19 June 2013, 14 months after the diagnosis of kidney cancer. He was 52. At the time of his death he was ...
, 52, academic and lawyer * 20 June – ** Beril Jents, 95, fashion designer **
Jeffrey Smart Frank Jeffrey Edson Smart (26 July 1921 – 20 June 2013) was an expatriate Australian painter known for his precisionist depictions of urban landscapes that are "full of private jokes and playful allusions". Smart was born and educated ...
, 91, painter * 21 June – Wendy Saddington, 64, jazz and blues singer (
Chain A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A ...
) * 22 June –
Cameron Baird Cameron Stewart Baird, (7 June 1981 – 22 June 2013) was a soldier in the Australian Army who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia, the highest award in the Australian honours system. Baird was the fourth person to receive ...
, 32, soldier,
Victoria Cross for Australia The Victoria Cross for Australia is the highest award in the Australian honours system, superseding the British Victoria Cross for issue to Australians. The Victoria Cross for Australia is the "decoration for according recognition to persons w ...
recipient (died in Afghanistan) * 28 June – ** Peter Lehmann, 82, winemaker ** Kenneth Minogue, 83, academic and political scientist


July

* 1 July –
Gary Shearston Gary Rhett Shearston (9 January 19391 July 2013) was an Australian singer-songwriter and Anglican priest. He was a leading figure of the folk music revival of the 1960s and performed traditional folk songs in an authentic style. He scored a top ...
, 74, singer and songwriter * 5 July – ** Paul Couvret, 91, politician and military veteran **
Gwyn Hanssen Pigott Gwyn Hanssen Pigott OAM (1935–2013) was an Australian ceramic artist. She was recognized as one of Australia’s most significant contemporary artists. By the time she died she was regarded as "one of the world's greatest contemporary potters ...
, 77, ceramicist * 16 July – Don McIntyre, 98, footballer ( Carlton) * 19 July – Alan Hunt, 85, politician, member of the
Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House, Melbourne, Parliament ...
(19611992) * 21 July – Irene Gleeson, 68, humanitarian * 23 July – Mike Morwood, 62, archaeologist, discoverer of the Flores hobbit * 26 July –
Mike Shipley Michael Shipley (7 October 1956 – 25 July 2013) was an Australian mixing engineer, audio engineer, and record producer. Shipley's music career spanned more than 30 years – mostly working in Los Angeles. At the Grammy Awards of 2012 he ...
, 56, Grammy Award-winning sound engineer and music producer (
Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drummer), Rick Allen (drums), Phil Collen (guitar, ...
) * 27 July – Nick Evers, 75, politician,
Tasmanian Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The state encompasses the main island of Tasmania, the 26th ...
MHA for
Franklin Franklin may refer to: People and characters * Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...
(19861990) * 28 July – **
Graham Murray Graham Ernest Murray (6 January 1955 – 28 July 2013) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s, and coached in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. A New South Wales State of Origin head coach, Murray ...
, 58, rugby league player (
Parramatta Eels The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL). The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and ...
and South Sydney) and coach ** Ray Strauss, 85, cricketer (
Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
) * 29 July –
Tony Gaze Frederick Anthony Owen Gaze, (3 February 1920 – 29 July 2013) was an Australian fighter pilot and racing driver. He flew with the Royal Air Force in the Second World War, was a flying ace credited with 12.5 confirmed victories (11 and 3 shar ...
, 93, military officer, RAF World War II flying ace and
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural ''Grands Prix'') most commonly refers to: * Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition ** List of Formula One Grands Prix, an auto-racing championship *** Monaco Grand Prix, the most prestigious ...
race car driver


August

* 1 August – John Dengate, 74, folk singer and songwriter * 4 August – Billy Ward, 20, Olympic boxer (born
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
) * 6 August – John Kingsmill, 92, author and actor * 8 August – Ios Teper, 98, Soviet military officer, awarded
Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...
for
Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula–Od ...
* 9 August –
Brian Moll Brian Percy Moll (19 May 1925 – 9 August 2013) was a British-born Australian comedian character actor of stage, television and film and director and producer who emigrated to Australia from his native England in 1950. Quitting his job as a pub ...
, 88, actor (''
A Country Practice ''A Country Practice'' is an Australian television soap opera/serial which was broadcast on the Seven Network from 18 November 1981 until 22 November 1993, and subsequently on Network Ten from 13 April 1994 to 5 November 1994. Altogether, 14 ...
'', ''
Street Fighter is a Media mix, Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Capcom. Street Fighter 1, The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by List of Street Fighter video games, six other ma ...
'') * 10 August – Jonathan Dawson, 71, film maker, critic and historian * 13 August – Bob Bignall, 91, Olympic soccer player (
1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
) * 16 August – John Munro, 84, cricketer (
Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
) and footballer (
Claremont Claremont may refer to: Places Australia *Claremont, Ipswich, a heritage-listed house in Queensland * Claremont, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart * Claremont, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth * Town of Claremont, Perth * Claremont Airbase, an ...
) * 17 August –
Jim Clark James Clark (4 March 1936 – 7 April 1968) was a British racing driver from Scotland, who competed in Formula One from to . Clark won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles with Lotus, and—at the time of his death—held the ...
, 88, VFL footballer ( Carlton) * 19 August – Noel Pidding, 86, rugby league player (
St George Dragons The St. George Dragons are an Australian rugby league, rugby league football club from the St George, Sydney, St George District in Sydney, New South Wales that played in the top level New South Wales Rugby League, New South Wales competition ...
) * 22 August – Jim Ramsay, 83, politician, Victorian MLA for
Balwyn Balwyn () is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Boroondara local government area. Balwyn recorded a population of 13,495 at the 2021 census. The sub ...
(1973–1988) * 23 August – John Mainstone, 78, physics professor * 27 August – ** Maxwell Fuller, 68, chess master ** Chris Kennedy, 64, film director ('' Doing Time for Patsy Cline'', '' A Man's Gotta Do'') ** Bill Peach, 78, television journalist (''
This Day Tonight ''This Day Tonight'' (TDT) was an Australian Broadcasting Commission The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and ...
'') * 28 August – Matt Doust, 29, artist (died in Los Angeles) * 31 August – William John Brennan, 75, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of
Wagga Wagga Wagga Wagga (; informally called Wagga) is a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, with an urban population of more than 57,003 as of 2021, it is an important agricultural, m ...
(1984–2002)


September

* 1 September – Gordon Steege, 95, military officer,
RAAF The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the governor-general of Aus ...
flying ace * 3 September –
Lewis Morley Lewis Frederick Morley (16 June 1925 – 3 September 2013) was a photographer. Biography Morley was born in Hong Kong to English and Chinese parents and interned in Stanley Internment Camp during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong between 19 ...
, 88, photographer (
Christine Keeler Christine Margaret Keeler (22 February 1942 – 4 December 2017) was an English model and showgirl. Her meeting at a dance club with society osteopath Stephen Ward drew her into fashionable circles. At the Cold War (1953–1962), height of the ...
,
Joe Orton John Kingsley Orton (1 January 1933 – 9 August 1967), known by the pen name of Joe Orton, was an English playwright, author, and diarist. His public career, from 1964 until his murder in 1967 committed by his partner, was short but highly i ...
) * 4 September – Sir Arthur George, 98, association football administrator * 7 September –
Frank Blevins Frank Trevor Blevins (3 June 1939 – 7 September 2013) was an Australian politician and 6th Deputy Premier of South Australia from 1992 to 1993 for the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party. Blevins served in both the Legislati ...
, 74, politician,
Deputy Premier of South Australia The deputy premier of South Australia is the second-most senior officer in the Government of South Australia. The deputy premiership is a ministerial portfolio in the Cabinet of South Australia, and the deputy premier is appointed by the governo ...
(1992–1993) * 11 September – Keith Dunstan, 88, journalist and author * 14 September – Faith Leech, 72, Olympic champion freestyle swimmer (
1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
) * 15 September –
Joyce Jacobs Joyce Mary Jacobs (née Penn; 15 April 1922 – 15 September 2013) was an English-born Australian character actress, and comedienne who had a successful career on the small screen, in soap opera and serials, after emigrating there from her ...
, 91, actress (''
A Country Practice ''A Country Practice'' is an Australian television soap opera/serial which was broadcast on the Seven Network from 18 November 1981 until 22 November 1993, and subsequently on Network Ten from 13 April 1994 to 5 November 1994. Altogether, 14 ...
'') * 17 September – ** Ted Connelly, 94, politician,
Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly The Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly is the presiding officer of the South Australian House of Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament of South Australia. The other presiding officer is the President of the South Australian ...
(1975–1977) **
Bernie McGann Bernard Francis McGann (22 June 1937 – 17 September 2013) was an Australian jazz alto saxophone player. He began his career in the late 1950s and remained active as a performer, composer and recording artist until near the end of his life. McGa ...
, 76, jazz saxophonist * 18 September – ** Allyson McConnell, 34, convicted killer who drowned her two children in
Alberta, Canada Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
** Dame Monica Gallagher, 90, community worker and church activist * 20 September – Ron Richards, 85, VFL footballer ( Collingwood) * 23 September – **
Anthony Hawkins Anthony Hawkins (30 September 1932 – 23 September 2013), was an English-born, Australian-based television actor. He was best known for his roles as Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Smith in the police procedural ''Special Squad (1984)'' and Fr ...
, 80, actor ('' Special Squad'') **
John Hipwell John Noel Brian Hipwell (24 January 1948 – 23 September 2013) was an Australian national representative rugby union player who played and captained the Wallabies. He played the majority of his career at scrum half and his representative car ...
, 65, rugby union player and national team captain ** Rex Hobcroft, 88, pianist, conductor, composer and music administrator **
Christopher Koch Christopher John Koch AO (16 July 1932 – 23 September 2013) was an Australian novelist, known for his 1978 novel '' The Year of Living Dangerously'', which was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film by the same name for which he co-wro ...
, 81, novelist ('' The Year of Living Dangerously'') * 24 September –
Margaret Feilman Margaret Anne Feilman (21 June 1921 – 24 September 2013) was an Australian architect and Perth's first female town planner. She practiced as an architect and landscape designer. A founding member of the Western Australian Town Planning Insti ...
, 92, town planner and architect. * 29 September – Michael Maher, 77, politician, MP for Lowe (1982–1987) * 30 September – ** John Hopkins, 86, conductor and administrator **
Janet Powell Janet Frances Powell (née McDonald, 29 September 194230 September 2013) was an Australian politician. Early life and career A native of Nhill, Victoria, Powell was educated at Ballarat Grammar School and Nhill High School. She graduated ...
, 71, politician, Senator for Victoria and Leader of the Australian Democrats (1990–1991)


October

* 1 October – Rosemary Adey, 80, softballer * 7 October – ** Basil Dickinson, 98, Olympic athlete (
1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...
) **
Bruce McPherson Bruce A. McPherson (born January 7, 1944) is an American politician who served as the 30th California secretary of state from March 30, 2005, to January 7, 2007. He is currently a member of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. As of 2024 ...
, 77, Queensland Supreme Court judge * 9 October – Chopper Read, 58, crime figure and author * 13 October – David Thomson, 88, politician, member of the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
(1975–1983) * 15 October – ** Sean Edwards, 26, English professional racing driver (died in
Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
) ** Nevill Drury, 66, author and publisher * 16 October – **
Charles Halton Charles Halton (March 16, 1876 – April 16, 1959) was an American character actor who appeared in over 180 films. Life and career Halton trained at the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts. He made his Broadway debut in 1901, after which ...
, 81, mathematician and civil servant ** Laurel Martyn, 97, ballerina and choreographer * 20 October –
Bruce Beeby Bruce Edward Beeby (21 October 1921 – 20 October 2013) was an Australian actor who worked primarily in British films and television. He was probably best known for portraying Stephen "Mitch" Mitchell in the 1950s BBC radio serials '' Journ ...
, 91, actor * 23 October –
Anthony Joseph Burgess Anthony Joseph Burgess (29 July 1938 − 23 October 2013) was an Australian-born Papua New Guinean Roman Catholic bishop. Ordained to the priesthood in 1967 in Maitland for the Diocese of Hobart, Burgess was appointed coadjutor bishop of the R ...
, 75, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of
Wewak Wewak is the capital of the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. It is on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea. It is the largest town between Madang and Jayapura. It is the see city (seat) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak. ...
(2002–2013) * 27 October – **
Basil Hennessy John Basil Hennessy AO (10 February 1925 – 27 October 2013),Val ...
, 88, archaeologist ** Albie Thomas, 78, Olympic runner (
1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
,
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Janu ...
and
1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...
) * 28 October – ** Troy Clarke, 44, Australian rules footballer (
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
) ** Marea Gazzard, 85, sculptor and ceramicist


November

* 3 November – ** Rupert Gerritsen, 60, historian ** Leonard Long, 102, landscape painter * 7 November – Ian Davies, 57, Olympic (
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
and
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
) and Hall of Fame basketballer * 10 November – John Grant, 91, neurosurgeon and disability sport administrator * 19 November – ** Gunter Christmann, 77, painter **
Joan Gardner Joan Gardner may refer to: * Joan Gardner (British actress) (1914–1999), British actress * Joan Gardner (voice actress) (1926–1992), American actress * Joan Gardner (Broadway actress) (1903–?), Broadway actress and chorus girl * Joan Gard ...
, 95, microbiologist * 25 November –
Elke Neidhardt Elke Cordelia Neidhardt AM (5 July 194125 November 2013) was a West German born actress and opera and theatre director. She spent most of her career after 1967 in Australia and became an Australian citizen in 2007. She appeared in theatre, tele ...
, 72, opera director (''
Ring (The) Ring(s) may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV * ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...
'' cycles) and actress (''
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo ''Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'' (known commonly as ''Skippy'') is an Australian television series created by Australian actor John McCallum, Lionel (Bob) Austin, and Lee Robinson, produced from 1967 to 1969 (airing from 5 February 1968 to 4 May 1 ...
'')


December

* 1 December –
Martin Sharp Martin Ritchie Sharp (21 January 1942 – 1 December 2013) was an Australian artist, cartoonist, songwriter and film-maker. Career Sharp was born in Bellevue Hill, New South Wales in 1942, and educated at Cranbrook private school, where one ...
, 71, artist * 2 December – John Ewbank, 64, rock climber * 4 December – Robert Allman, 86, opera singer * 8 December – Sir John Cornforth, 96, chemist, laureate of the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry The Nobel Prize in Chemistry () is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outst ...
(1975) (died in England) * 10 December – ** Mary Allitt, 80, cricketer ** Alan Coleman, 76, television director and producer (''
The Young Doctors ''The Young Doctors'' is an Australian early-evening soap opera originally broadcast on the Nine Network and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation, it aired from Monday 8 November 1976 until Wednesday 30 March 1983. The series is primarily s ...
'', ''
Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera that has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons and ...
'') * 11 December – Frederick Fox (milliner), Frederick Fox, 82, milliner * 13 December – Andrew Plain, sound editor * 14 December – Neil Robson (politician), Neil Robson, 85, politician * 22 December – Keith McGowan, 70, radio presenter


See also

* 2013 in Australian literature * 2013 in Australian television * List of Australian films of 2013


References

{{Oceania topic, 2013 in, countries_only=yes 2013 in Australia, Years of the 21st century in Australia