Defining Moments in Australian History

The 2015 Asian cup win, where Australia beat South Korea 2-1 to win our only male football trophy since moving from the Oceania football confederation, and Tim Cahill's only trophy for the Australian national team, as well as the competition being held in Australia.

Mr Democracy Manifest

Australia’s qualification for the 1974 FIFA World Cup

The Batman Treaty - 1835 The only ever attempted Treaty in Australia to date with First Nations Peoples! 1835 the founding of Melbourne.

The Governor of New South Wales, Sir Philip Game, dismissed the Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang. One of only two instances in Australian history where a viceroy has dismissed a sitting government

muttaburra saurus

Women's world cup in Australia. Beaconsfield miners.

The recreation and gifting of the young endeavour!

Sam konstas reverse ramping bumrah in 2024-2025 border gaviskar trophy

Harold Holt disappearing

The Great Flood of 1852 in Gundagai, where Yarri and Jacki Jacki saved many people’s lives.

Ray Gun

Taylor Swift goes on era tour for the whole year

About 5000 years ago, the expansion of the Pama-Nyungan language family starts, which today make up the vast majority of Aboriginal languages

Connecting the trans continental Telegraph 1873 transformed communication with the world

Julia Guillard’s misogyny speech in parliament

Scott Morrison's press conference in 2020 announcing border closures defining the Covid pandemic era.

Rod Laver winning all four tennis majors in one year in 1969 should be included as a defining moment in Australian history. To date, Rod Laver is the ONLY man to ever win all four tennis majors in a single calendar year. One of the best Australian sporting achievements ever.

Suggest decimalisation in 66 as a defining moment.

Prime Minister Keating's Redfern Park Speech in 1992, one of the first and most important admissions of the impact of colonisation by an Australian leader.

Failure of the 2023 Referendum

What about when gay marriage was voted in, Australia!!

matildas vs france penalty win

COVID was the most spreading germ in 2020 and it affected every single school and job and doctors, and lots of people died. - Will, age 7

1989 Taylor Swift, the current biggest artist, was born

Lismore floods 2022

I personally believe the victory of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks over the Melbourne Storm in the 2016 National Rugby League grand final (14-12) was a monumental event in Australian history.

19 November 2020: the report of the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) Afghanistan Inquiry, commissioned by Defence in 2016 after rumours and allegations emerged relating to possible breaches of the Law of Armed Conflict by members of the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan over the period 2005 to 2016, is released finding there is substance to those rumours of war crimes by elements of the Special Operations Task Group.

Jessica Watson sailing solo around the world.

Matilda sensation stops the nation. The woman's world cup in Australia unifying soccer fans and fans of woman sports across the nation. Year 2023

The great emu war 1932

It would be great to recognise the Matilda’s 4th place in the women’s World Cup as a huge monumental moment for women’s sport in australia

I believe the referendum from 14 October 2023 should be added as a notable event. The voice which was based upon the Uluru statement of the heart and the outcome highlight Australia’s continue need for growth.

Voluntary assisted dying laws, 2011 floods in Queensland, COVID pandemic

I would like to suggest Julia Gillard's misogyny speech

October 2023 Referendum to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

The uluru statement from the heart

1421 China launched a huge armada to map the world, with boats reaching Australia, and evidence still remaining in SA.

When homosexuality was officially legal in all of Australia

Julia Guillard’s Misogyny Speech

Launch of Radio Australia 1939

More before 17th century stuff lol

Battle of Long Tan should be on the wall

You’re missing the Great Emu War and the Rum Rebellion

2012 Julia Gillard Misogyny speech

Australian military deployment to Vietnam in 1962

Maybe Senator Neville Bonner could be considered as an addition

In 1999, Australian voters across all states resoundingly reject a proposed politicians republic in a nationwide referendum. This ensures the continual stability of Australia as a constitutional monarchy under the reign of Elizabeth II and Charles III.

2017 ball tampering against South Africa in the cricket

I want to see the moment with Captain Cook visiting New Zealand expanded and perhaps see what exactly compelled him to navigate North-West from New Zealand to eventually make it to Australia. E.g had people in New Zealand told him about the land or was it just a lucky coincidence?

Defining white moments in Australian history?? Where is indigenous perspective

Ash Barty becomes the first woman since Evonne Goolagong Cawley to win Wimbledon, the most prestigious sporting event in the world.

Outcomes of the 2022 Federal Election, including the increased representation of women - notably by teal independents who unseated some longstanding blue-ribbon Liberal seats in some major capital cities, the significant fall in primary votes for both major parties and the greatly enlarged crossbench, increased diversity especially of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members, etc., etc.

Marriage equality

The 2011 Brisbane floods should be added

Medicare formed

Marriage Equality vote

Black Summer bushfires of 2020 or Floods of 2022 for Climate Change induced Natural disasters

2019-2022 bushfires and 2022 floods

Jakara Anthony winning gold for Australia in the winter olympics, for the first time in 12 years.

1888 - Australias first mosque

31 January 2022 - Freedom Truck Convoy arrives in Canberra.

1867 Gold discovered by James Nash in Gympie Queensland needs to be added.

Lesser Bilby goes extinct 1960s

The death of the great Steve Irwin. It rocked the lives of many Australians

Bob hawke becomes Prime Minister

I would like to see the election of the Gough Whitlam government as a defining moment.

COVID-19 response and 2019-2020 bushfires across Australia

19 October 2001: SIEV X asylum seeker boat sinks in Australia's aerial border protection zone, 353 people drowned. There is a memorial to these people in Weston Park, not far from the Museum.

The first COVID-19 vaccinations in Australia

The demise of the local car manufacturing industry should be on the timeline, since the first Holden is there

Can you tell me about the first prime minister

Formation of TISM and subsequently the end of TISM

2000 Olympic Games Sydney

How about adding some moments in history from the past 10 years to the defining moments wall. Surely AFLW, marriage equality , stopping people climbing Uluru.

Early aboriginal history maybe through archaeological finds across Australia

Cathy freeman winning Gold at Sydney Olympics.

I believe we should have Sam the Koala as a moment in Australia as it tells the tale of the koala who drank from a water bottle and was taken to Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter in the 2009 Bushfires

Proposal for a new Australian Defining Moment: Can a small group change a nation (and the world) through a clear, passionate, well-researched message? Small Melbourne based protest group wins a nobel peace prize for calling to attention weapons against humanity https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2017-11/news/ican-wins-nobel-peace-prize Despite being a small group, stripped of funding, and essentially challenging the Australian government and world’s super powers in their love of weapons which do not differentiate between soldiers or civilians, ICAN’s message prevailed! Why does the world need cluster bombs? Or nuclear weapons? http://www.icanw.org/au/ican-australia-people/ This Defining Moment would have direct links to the current NMA Defining Moment https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/maralinga Come-on NMA! The public and primary and secondary educators across the country need and want to recognise the power of active citizenship, pressure groups, and have quality resources for Civics and Citizenship units in the Australian Curriculum. Also, some of us have seen and heard the inspiring Former Federal MP and UN lawyer Melissa Parke speak at History Teachers' Conferences and about a small Melbourne group challenging and changing the world and 'Australia’s role leading the world to get rid of nuclear weapons and weapons that harm civilians is critically important’ (hear! hear!).

Nicky Winmar mid 90s lifting his jumper and pointing to his skin mid AFL game - indigenous Australian

The burning of gold licences and the anti Chinese party is not included in the defining moments wall

hello, this helped my son, benny and my daughter, mia she finally understood the ending of the phar lap mystery book. from archie ( not the one from riverdale) thanks

thank you! it worked wonderfuly for my kid, liah.

Percy Trezise and Dick Roughsey's friendship and bond resulting in them winning the Order of Australia and the Order of the British Empire as they created and left a legacy of more than 30 childrens books about indigenous history and culture published in every state and territory in Australia, and worldwide. Dick Roughsey was awarded the Order of the British Empire, as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for Service to Aboriginal Art and Culture in 1978. Percy Trezise AM (1923 - 2005) was a painter and writer as well as an historian and documenter of Aboriginal rock art. Trezise served in the RAAF during WW2, and from 1956 he worked in northern Australia as an airline pilot. From the air he would gauge areas likely to contain Aboriginal rock art that he would later explore. Trezise collaborated on a series of children’s books with Aboriginal artist Dick Roughsey, and as well as being a member of the Order of Australia, in 2004 he received an Honorary Doctorate from James Cook University. Roughsey's passion for the preservation of Indigenous culture and traditions presented him with the opportunity to be appointed to the Aboriginal Advisory Committee for the Australia Council in 1970. In 1971 he wrote the first autobiography by an Aboriginal author. In 1973 Roughsey became the Chair of the Aboriginal Arts Board, continuing this role until 1975. He was also a member of the Institute of Aboriginal studies. Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award, Picture Book of the Year, 1974: commended for The Giant Devil-Dingo Fellowship of Australian Writers Patricia Weickhardt Award to an Aboriginal Writer, 1976 for The Rainbow Serpent Fellowship of Australian Writers Patricia Weickhardt Award to an Aboriginal Writer, 1976. Children's Book Council Book of the Year Award, Picture Book of the Year, 1976: winner for The Rainbow Serpent Children's Book Council Book of the Year Award, Picture Book of the Year, 1979: winner for The Quinkins IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) Honour Diploma, Illustration, 1980 for The Quinkins Children's Book Council Book of the Year Award, Picture Book of the Year, 1983: commended for Turramulli the Giant Quinkin The Order of the British Empire, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for Service to Aboriginal Art and Culture, 1978 These notable awards for his publications were significant in contributing to cross-cultural communication between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. His cultural contributions inspired the establishment of the Gooalathaldin Memorial Community Centre, which opened in his honour on Mornington Island in 2003. Roughsey met Percy Trezise in 1962 at Karumba Lodge at the mouth of the Norman River. Trezise was a pilot for Ansett Airlines who painted casually and quickly became Roughsey's mentor. Trezise encouraged Roughsey to paint the stories that were part of his country and not to mimic the styles and narratives of the then famous Albert Namatjira. Trezise encouraged Roughsey to develop his personal painting style on bark paintings initially, then move to oil on canvas. Throughout their relationship Trezise regularly supplied Roughsey with art materials often cutting bark himself from around his home in Cairns. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-31/quinkan-rock-art-percy-trezise/5255960 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Roughsey

ICAN awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) originated in Australia launching in 2007 in Melbourne as a grassroots movement growing to 122 countries. It is the first Australian-born group to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Former Federal MP and UN lawyer Melissa Parke spoke at the 2018 History Teachers' Association about how, especially with current tensions so high in the region between Asia and the US, and Australia complicit in selling uranium to overseas buying knowing that nuclear and indiscriminate weapons are made and possibly stored on bases in and around our country, public awareness and global understandings not just about the threats from nuclear weapons, but also from prohibited weapons which are classed as indiscriminate and inhumane such as biological and chemical weapons, land mines, cluster munitions is important to be known and talked about. These concerns are based on the principles of international humanitarian law. http://www.icanw.org/au/ican-australia-people/ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-06/anti-nuclear-campaign-wins-nobel-peace-prize/9024908

This timeline is amazing Thank you so much to the researchers :) Could I suggest 'Statement of the heart' 2010's

2017- ICAN wins Nobel Peace Prize

Lucy Osburn: The founder of modern Australian nursing Lucy Osburn was an English nurse trained at the School of Nursing founded by Florence Nightingale. She is regarded as the founder of modern nursing in Australia. In the wake of a damning report into the Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary (known as Sydney Hospital from 1881), NSW Colonial Secretary Henry Parkes made a request to British nursing legend Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) to help reform the lax system of patient care. Nightingale appointed Lucy Osburn (1836–91) to head a team of six nurses to travel to Sydney to reform nursing at the infirmary and to establish a school to train local women, who would then spread the system of “Nightingale nursing” throughout hospitals in the colony.