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See also: 1995 in Australia, other events of 1996, 1997 in Australia

Incumbents

• Queen of Australia - HM Queen Elizabeth II
• Governor General - Bill Hayden, then Sir William Deane.
• Prime Minister - Paul Keating, then John Howard
• Premier of New South Wales - Bob Carr
• Premier of South Australia - Dean Brown, then John Olsen
• Premier of Queensland - Wayne Goss, then Rob Borbidge.
• Premier of Tasmania - Ray Groom, then Tony Rundle
• Premier of Western Australia - Richard Court
• Premier of Victoria - Jeff Kennett
• Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory - Kate Carnell.
• Chief Minister of the Northern Territory - Shane Stone

Events

• February 19 - Rob Borbidge becomes Premier of Queensland after winning a by-election from the Labor Party & winning the support of Independent MP Liz Cunningham.
• February 24 - The Liberal Party government of Ray Groom is re-elected in Tasmania. Tony Rundle becomes the new Premier on March 18.
• March 2 - The Liberal/National coalition scores a comfortable win in the federal election & John Howard becomes Australia's 25th Prime Minister on March 11. ousting the ALP government of Paul Keating that had been in power since 1983.
• March 30 - The state election in Victoria re-elects the Liberal/National coalition government of Jeff Kennett for a second term.
• April 4 - The Wiggles' fifth album, "Wake Up Jeff" was released".
• April 28 - Port Arthur massacre: Martin Bryant kills 35 people and injures 21 in a shooting spree at the Port Arthur historic site in Tasmania. Bryant is captured the next day after an 18½ hour standoff by Special Operatives Police.
• May 10 - The Prime Minister announces new gun control measures, which involve the banning of self-loading rifles, shotguns & pump-action shotguns & tightening of other gun laws.
• May - Floods in southern Queensland & northern New South Wales kill 5 people & causes more than $55 million in farm losses.
• June 12 - Two Blackhawk Helicopters collide near Townsville, killing 18 people.
• July 1 - The Northern Territory legalises voluntary euthanasia. It would be repealed by a conscience vote in the federal Parliament in 1997.
• August 4 - The Wiggles' "Wake Up Jeff" video was released.
• August 6 - Australian census takes place.
• September 6 - The Wiggles' "Wiggly Wiggly Christmas" album was released.
• November 19 - Martin Bryant is sentenced to 35 consecutive sentences of life imprisonment plus 1035 years without parole for the Port Arthur massacre.
• November 19 - U.S President Bill Clinton makes a visit to Australia in which he addresses both Houses of Parliament.
• November 28 - Dean Brown is ousted in a party-room ballot as Premier of South Australia by John Olsen.
• December 14 - The Liberal/National coalition government of Richard Court is reelected in Western Australia.

Sometime in 1996, a massive party happened that changed lives.

Arts and literature

• Wendy Sharpe wins the Archibald Prize with Self Portrait - as Diana of Erskineville
• William Robinson wins the Wynne Prize with Creation Landscape Earth and Sea
• National Biography Award established, first winner, Abraham Biderman for The world of my past
• Highways to a War by Christopher Koch wins the Miles Franklin Award

Film

Television

• Jessica Rowe joins Ten News Sydney in January to co-anchor with Ron Wilson for the next nine years.
• Australian television celebrates its 40th birthday with celebrations lasting throughout the year. The actual birthday was on September 16.
• April - John Burgess is shelved from the Seven Network after being long-time host of Wheel Of Fortune. The show begins to repeat the 1988 episodes.
• July - Wheel Of Fortune returns and starts in mid 1996 with the relocation from Adelaide to Sydney.
• August - After a court battle, the first series of Friends screens on the Seven Network, almost two years after it premiered in the United States. Subsequent series is picked up by the Nine Network.

Sport

• February 23 – Super League's challenge to club loyalty contracts signed with the ARL is ruled out of order & orders banning Super League until 2000 are made.
• March 7 – First day of the Australian Track & Field Championships for the 1995-1996 season, which are held at the Sydney Athletic Field in Sydney. The 10,000 metre championship was conducted at the Zatopek Meet in Melbourne, Victoria on December 14, 1995.
• March 10 – The first Australian Grand Prix to be held at the Albert Park grand prix circuit takes place. Damon Hill, of the Williams team wins.
• March 17 – Sri Lanka win the Cricket World Cup, defeating Australia in the final.
• March 22 – Clubs aligned with the Super League forfeit opening round of matches in the ARL competition.
• May 18 – The Fitzroy Lions (16.11.107) defeat the Fremantle Dockers (10.16.76) at the Whitten Oval in what would be Fitzroy's final ever victory as a stand-alone club.
• May 26 – Melbourne Knights win the NSL for the second season in a row, defeating minor premiers Marconi Fairfield 2-1 in the Final at Olympic Park.
• June 8 – About 2/3rds of the way into the 3rd quarter of the match between Essendon & the St Kilda Saints at Waverley Park, the ground lighting fails. The remainder of the game is played the following Tuesday, Essendon won, 13.11.89 to 9.13.67.
• July 4 – The AFL teams endorse a merger between the Fitzroy Lions & the Brisbane Bears.
• July 21 – Magnus Michelsson wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:20:20 in Brisbane, while Sylvia Rose claims the women's title in 2:40:17.
• August 17 – Fitzroy & Brisbane play each other for the last time before merging. At Optus Oval, Brisbane win 29.13.187 to 14.16.100.
• August 25 – Fitzroy play their last game in Melbourne, against the Richmond Tigers at the MCG. Richmond win, 28.19.187 to 5.6.36. Despite losing by 151 points, the Fitzroy song is played after the game and their fans flood the field.
• September 1 – Fitzroy play their last ever game of Australian rules football as a stand-alone entity. Against Fremantle at Subiaco Oval, Fremantle win, 24.13.157 to 10.11.71.
• September 21 – Tony Lockett kicks a memorable behind to ensure the Swans (10.10.70) defeat the Essendon Bombers (10.9.69) & thus qualify for Sydney's first grand final appearance since 1945.
• September 28 – The North Melbourne Kangaroos (19.17.131) defeat the Sydney Swans (13.10.88) to win the 100th VFL/AFL premiership. It is the Kangaroos third premiership and they are presented with the only gold premiership cup to mark the centenary season.
• September 29 – The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles defeat the St. George Dragons 20-8 to win the 89th NSWRL/ARL premiership.
• October 4 – The full bench of the Federal Court overturn the earlier decision to ban Super League, meaning the competition can start in 1997.
• November 5 – Saintly wins the Melbourne Cup giving Bart Cummings his 10th win as a trainer.

Births

Deaths

• March 28 - Peter Dombrovskis, 51, photographer
• August 28 - Beverley Whitfield, 42, swimmer