21 March – Federal Cabinet decides to develop a third runway at Sydney's congested airport, leading to outraged protests from residents' groups and the sudden resignation from the Federal Ministry of Gary Punch whose marginal electorate of Barton bordered the airport.[9][10][11][12][13]
22 March – The Victorian Division of the National Safety Council collapses with debts of $235 million.[14]
15 April – John Anderson wins the 1989 Gwydir by-election, unopposed by either Labor or Liberal, after the retirement of National Party Deputy Leader Ralph Hunt.[16] Apart from Anderson, two far-right independent candidates are the only people to contest the by-election.[17]
6 May – Liberal Ian Macphee loses pre-selection for his seat of Goldstein in favour of hardliner David Kemp, amid accusations of branch-stacking and foul play.[23]
Andrew Peacock deposes John Howard as Federal Opposition Leader and Leader of the Liberal Party by a clear vote of 44 to 27.[24] Senator Fred Chaney is elected as Deputy Leader.[25]
Serafettin Huseyin kidnaps a group of kindergarten children, douses them in petrol and holds them hostage in a toilet cubicle at the Manresa Kindergarten in Hawthorn.[28][29] After a ten-day trial in February 1990, Huseyin is found guilty by a jury of 37 charges including 23 of false imprisonment.[30] He is subsequently sentenced to 21 years in prison, although he unsuccessfully attempts to have the conviction overturned.[31]
In the Harris-Daishowa affair, state Australian Labor Party General Secretary Stephen Loosley is convicted of not declaring a $10,000 donation from the wood chipping company.[32]
Liberal candidate Robin Gray wins the 1989 Tasmanian state election.[33] The Liberal Party secures 46.9% of the vote, while the Labor Party secures 34.7% and the Green Independents 17.1%.[33]
23 June – Vacancies caused by the departure to federal politics of New South Wales MPs Laurie Brereton, Laurie Ferguson and Janice Crosio see Labor retain the seats of Heffron, Granville and Smithfield.
9 August – The Victorian Government releases its Budget, proposing further savage cuts to the public sector due to the decreasing amount of Commonwealth funding available.
22 August – The damaging 2-month airline pilots' strike over a 30% pay rise begins in earnest. Prime Minister Bob Hawke makes a crusade of resisting the claim.
23 August – All of Australia's 1,645 domestic airline pilots resign over an airline's move to sack and sue them over a dispute, following a strike.
22 September – Queensland Emergency and Administrative Services Minister Russell Cooper becomes Queensland Premier after beating Mike Ahern in his second leadership attempt. Bill Gunn remains Deputy Premier.
17 October – New South Wales Premier Nick Greiner announces a Royal Commission under Mr. Justice Lee to investigate the case of Police Chief Superintendent Harry Blackburn who had been arrested and charged with sexual offences allegedly committed over a 20-year period. After several months, it was found that he had no case to answer.
22 October – The first Pride March is held at Parliament House, Perth as a rally in support of homosexual law reform (currently being debated in the West Australian Parliament).
25 October – In response to the Fitzgerald Inquiry recommendations, the Queensland Government establishes two new bodies - the Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) to be headed by former NCA Commissioner Sir Max Bingham and the Electoral and Administrative Review Commission (EARC) under Tom Sherman.
7 December – The Law Reform (Decriminalisation of Sodomy) Act 1989, decriminalising private sexual acts between two people of the same sex in Western Australia, is passed by the West Australian Parliament (going into effect in March 1990).
One of the few successful Australian Democrats Bills is passed through the House of Representatives on the voices. It outlaws the advertising of tobacco products in the print media.
25 December – A savage storm rips through Brisbane and Redcliffe, leaving a $5 million trail of destruction. Two people are killed, around 1,000 homes are damaged and about 4,500 homes suffer loss of electric power.
12 April – Fast Forward premieres in Australia (1989–1992).
June – Neighbours introduces a new look theme song. The theme is sung by Barry Crocker when it lasted until the end of 1994.
July – Bob Shanks takes over as managing director of Network Ten due to ailing ratings & totally revamps the network, giving it the name 10 TV Australia as well as introducing a new lineup with increased game show content. Most of the new shows are axed by the end of the year.
August – Acropolis Now premieres in Australia (1989–1992).
September – Network Ten is sold to Steve Cosser, head of Broadcom Australia, for $22 million.
31 December – Phase 2 of Aggregation of Television services occurs in Orange & Wagga Wagga, with aggregation occurring in Wollongong & Canberra in March
13 March – NSWRL unveils massive advertising campaign featuring rock legend Tina Turner singing What You Get is What You See.
17 March – First day of the Australian Track & Field Championships for the 1988–1989 season, which are held at the QEII Stadium in Brisbane, Queensland.
23 July – Bradley Camp wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:10:10 in Brisbane, while Jan Federick claims the women's title in 2:51:30.
11 August – Canterbury Bulldogs & Canberra Raiders meet at the WACA Ground in Perth in the first NSWRL match played outside the eastern states. On the same day, it is announced that the VFL will become known as the AFL from next season.
13 August – Marconi Fairfield win the NSL with a 2–0 victory over Sydney Olympic, in the last season to be played in traditional Winter format.
30 September – Hawthorn (21.18.144) defeat Geelong (21.12.138) to win the 93rd and indeed final VFL premiership until 1996, when the VFA would become known as the VFL.
^Angus, Nicole (9 January 1989). "Students face a testing time". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 50. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^Campbell, Rod; Whitfield, Kathryn; Zakharov, Jeannie; Waterford, Jack (11 January 1989). "Police chief shot dead". The Canberra Times. p. 1-2. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^Clark, Pilita; Cockburn, Milton; Moore, Matthew (22 March 1989). "Runway 3: Cabinet says yes". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 1. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
^Pam Crichton (2007). Diane Langmore (ed.). Hamilton, Leslie Bruce (1911–1989. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 16. Melbourne University Press. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
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