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See also: 1976 in Australia, other events of 1977, 1978 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

• Queen of Australia - HM Queen Elizabeth II
• Governor General - Sir John Kerr up to 8 December, Sir Zelman Cowen from 8 December
• Prime Minister - Malcolm Fraser
• Premier of New South Wales - Neville Wran
• Premier of South Australia - Don Dunstan
• Premier of Queensland - Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen
• Premier of Tasmania - Bill Neilson to December 1, Doug Lowe from December 1
• Premier of Western Australia - Sir Charles Court
• Premier of Victoria - Rupert Hamer

Events

• 10 January – The Easey Street murders take place, an unsolved crime in which two women were brutally stabbed to death in their home in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Collingwood.
• 18 January – Australia experiences its worst railway disaster at Granville, near Sydney, in which 83 people died.
• 1 February – The Federal Court of Australia began to exercise its jurisdiction.
• 15 May – A new political party, the Australian Democrats is launched by former Liberal MP Don Chipp at Melbourne Town Hall.
• 21 May – A referendum is held. Questions on Senate casual vacancies, referendums and retirement of judges are passed. A question on simultaneous elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate fails. A plebiscite to decide Australia's national song is won by "Advance Australia Fair".
• 1 July – The Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman is established.
• 15 July – Anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay disappears near Griffith, New South Wales. He is presumed to have been murdered.
• 4 September – The Queensland government bans street marches and demonstrations.
• 17 September – A state election is held in South Australia. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Don Dunstan is returned to power.
• 8 October – The Tasman Bridge in Hobart re-opens after repair to the damage sustained in the Tasman Bridge disaster when the bridge was struck by the bulk ore carrier MV Lake Illawarra on 5 January 1974.
• 12 November – A state election is held in Queensland, with the Liberal Party of Australia-National coalition led by Joh Bjelke-Petersen gaining their fourth successive victory.
• 30 November – The High Court of Australia rules in the case of Cridland v Federal Commissioner of Taxation that a group of university students avoiding tax by claiming to be farmers were acting legally under provisions of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936.
• 1 December – Bill Neilson resigns as Premier of Tasmania, and is replaced by Doug Lowe.
• 10 December - A federal election is held, with the incumbent Liberal Party led by Malcolm Fraser with coalition partner the National led by Doug Anthony returned for a second term.

Science and technology

Arts and literature

• Kevin Conno wins the Archibald Prize with Robert Klippel
• Ruth Park's novel Swords and Crowns and Rings wins the Miles Franklin Award

Film

Television

• Popular soap operas Bellbird, Number 96, and The Box, are all cancelled.
• Television soap operas The Restless Years and Cop Shop begin.

Sport

• March 20 – Australia is represented by nine long-distance runners (all men), including Robert de Castella, at the fifth IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Düsseldorf, West Germany. Steve Austin is Australia's best finisher, claiming the 15th spot (38:26.0) in the race over 12,3 kilometres.
• April 2 – The National Soccer League kicks off, as the first league of any football code to become national. The opening game sees West Adelaide defeat Canberra City 3-1 at Manuka Oval in Canberra.
• August 6 – Robert Wallace wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:20:11.2 in Cressy.
• October 2 – In motor racing Ford team-mates Allan Moffat and Colin Bond finish side by side to complete a 1-2 Formation Finish at the Bathurst 1000.
• Gold and Black wins the Melbourne Cup
• Western Australia wins the Sheffield Shield
• Kialoa II wins the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
• North Melbourne were premiers of the Victorian Football League
• March 12 - The Centenary Test commences between England and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
• England 3-0 Australia in The Ashes test series
• The St George Dragons were premiers of the New South Wales Rugby League

Births

• February 14 – Cadel Evans, cyclist
• February 24 – Jason Akermanis, Australian Rules footballer
• February 25 – Joanne Banning, field hockey striker
• March 24 – Darren Lockyer, Rugby league footballer
• March 31 – Garth Tander, racing driver
• May 10 – Chas Licciardello, comedian
• May 14 – Ada Nicodemou, actress
• June 11 – Geoff Ogilvy, golfer
• July 10 – Schapelle Corby, drug trafficker
• August 11 – Byron Pickett, Australian Rules footballer
• August 13 – Michael Klim, swimmer
• August 14 – Justin Anlezark, shot putter
• August 15 – Anthony Rocca, Australian Rules footballer
• September 1 – Henry Collins, boxer
• September 6 – Peter Wakefield, boxer
• October 23 – Brad Haddin, cricketer
• October 30 – Charmian Faulkner, missing toddler
• November 16 – Gigi Edgley, actress
• December 6 – Peta Gallagher, field hockey striker

Deaths

• January 14 – Peter Finch (b. 1916), actor

See also

• 1977
• 1970s