13 January – 278 millimetres (10.9 in) of rain falls in 24 hours at
Scamander in north east Tasmania leads to flash flooding in the town, along with
St Helens.[3]
27 January – Prime Minister Julia Gillard announces that her government proposes to introduce a
Flood levy to assist in funding reconstruction works required as a result of major floods in
Queensland and
Victoria.[8]
30 January –
Tropical Cyclone Anthony makes landfall near
Bowen in Queensland's north, bringing wind gusts of up to 155 kilometres per hour (96 mph).[9]
4–5 February – Severe thunderstorms related to
Tropical Cyclone Anthony affect much of Victoria.
Flash flooding affected many places across the state including
Mildura in the state's north west and the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne.[11] The town of
Koo Wee Rup was evacuated when the
Bunyip River reached a height of 7.2 metres (24 ft).[12]
17 February – REDGroup Retail (including the
Borders and
Angus & Robertson bookshop chains) is placed into voluntary administration with Ferrier Hodgson appointed as administrators.[14]
24 February – Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that the Federal Government proposed to introduce a
carbon pricing scheme by 1 July 2012. Federal Opposition Leader
Tony Abbott claims that Gillard broke a promise made during the
2010 Federal election campaign not to introduce a
carbon tax.[15]
3 March – The temperature in
Perth reaches above 30 degrees for the 26th consecutive day, making it the longest recorded heatwave in the city, beating the previous record set in 1988.[17]
19 April – Floodwaters inundate around 100 houses in the western Queensland town of
Roma.[19]
20 April – Asylum seekers at Sydney's
Villawood Detention Centre riot in protest over delays in processing their applications for asylum, burning down at least three buildings.[20]
29 May 2011: Detective Senior Constable Damien Leeding (CIB) was shot when he confronted an armed offender at the
Pacific Pines Tavern on the
Gold Coast. Leeding died in hospital on 1 June three days after being shot.[23]
June
5 June –
Say Yes demonstrations occur in numerous cities across Australia in support of political action on climate change.[24]
8 August – A
High Court judge orders the government's "Malaysia Solution" to send asylum seekers to Malaysia be put on hold until the full bench of the High Court could assess the scheme's legality.[28]
1 September – Forensic experts confirm that the remains of a person found on the grounds of the former
HM Prison Pentridge are those of bushranger
Ned Kelly.[31]
28 September –
Eatock v Bolt Justice
Mordecai Bromberg founds conservative political commentator
Andrew Bolt to have contravened
section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.[32][33][34] The case was controversial. Bolt described the decision as a "terrible day for free speech" in Australia and said it represented "a restriction on the freedom of all Australians to discuss
multiculturalism and how people identify themselves. I argued then and I argue now that we should not insist on the differences between us but focus instead on what unites us as human beings."[33]
29 October – In response to
industrial action by pilots, ground staff and engineers,
Qantas grounds its entire international and domestic fleet.[38]
31 October –
Fair Work Australia orders the termination of all industrial action taken by Qantas and the involved trade unions. Qantas flights resume on the afternoon of that day.[39]
18 December – A boat sailing from Indonesia carrying over 200
asylum seekers sinks off the coast of
Java while heading for
Christmas Island. At least 160 people are feared dead.[46]
17 August – The
National Gallery of Victoria announces it has acquired Madonna and Child with the infant Saint John the Baptist by Italian
High Renaissance painter
Antonio da Correggio. Purchased at auction for £3.2 million ($5.2 million), it is the most expensive acquisition in the 150-year history of the NGV.[49]
30 July – Australian rules football:
Geelong hands
Melbourne the second worst marginal defeat in
AFL/VFL history, winning by 186 points.[68] Twenty-four hours after the siren blew at
Kardinia Park,
Dean Bailey was sacked as Demons coach after three and a half seasons at the helm.[69]
^Parker, Gareth (23 January 2011).
"VC Hero killed Taliban". The West Australian. Archived from
the original on 24 January 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
^Beck, Maris; Carey, Adam (5 February 2011).
"Floods cause traffic chaos". The Age.
Archived from the original on 6 February 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
^O'Connell, Ronan; Jones, Christiana; Mercer, Daniel; Bailey, Megan (7 February 2011).
"Houses razed in firestorm". The West Australian. Archived from
the original on 9 February 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
^"Andrew Bolt loses racial vilification court case". The Australian. News Corporation Australia. 28 September 2011.
Archived from the original on 6 June 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015. HERALD Sun columnist Andrew Bolt has lost an action brought in the Federal Court in which the columnist was accused of breaching the Racial Discrimination Act.
13 January – 278 millimetres (10.9 in) of rain falls in 24 hours at
Scamander in north east Tasmania leads to flash flooding in the town, along with
St Helens.[3]
27 January – Prime Minister Julia Gillard announces that her government proposes to introduce a
Flood levy to assist in funding reconstruction works required as a result of major floods in
Queensland and
Victoria.[8]
30 January –
Tropical Cyclone Anthony makes landfall near
Bowen in Queensland's north, bringing wind gusts of up to 155 kilometres per hour (96 mph).[9]
4–5 February – Severe thunderstorms related to
Tropical Cyclone Anthony affect much of Victoria.
Flash flooding affected many places across the state including
Mildura in the state's north west and the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne.[11] The town of
Koo Wee Rup was evacuated when the
Bunyip River reached a height of 7.2 metres (24 ft).[12]
17 February – REDGroup Retail (including the
Borders and
Angus & Robertson bookshop chains) is placed into voluntary administration with Ferrier Hodgson appointed as administrators.[14]
24 February – Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that the Federal Government proposed to introduce a
carbon pricing scheme by 1 July 2012. Federal Opposition Leader
Tony Abbott claims that Gillard broke a promise made during the
2010 Federal election campaign not to introduce a
carbon tax.[15]
3 March – The temperature in
Perth reaches above 30 degrees for the 26th consecutive day, making it the longest recorded heatwave in the city, beating the previous record set in 1988.[17]
19 April – Floodwaters inundate around 100 houses in the western Queensland town of
Roma.[19]
20 April – Asylum seekers at Sydney's
Villawood Detention Centre riot in protest over delays in processing their applications for asylum, burning down at least three buildings.[20]
29 May 2011: Detective Senior Constable Damien Leeding (CIB) was shot when he confronted an armed offender at the
Pacific Pines Tavern on the
Gold Coast. Leeding died in hospital on 1 June three days after being shot.[23]
June
5 June –
Say Yes demonstrations occur in numerous cities across Australia in support of political action on climate change.[24]
8 August – A
High Court judge orders the government's "Malaysia Solution" to send asylum seekers to Malaysia be put on hold until the full bench of the High Court could assess the scheme's legality.[28]
1 September – Forensic experts confirm that the remains of a person found on the grounds of the former
HM Prison Pentridge are those of bushranger
Ned Kelly.[31]
28 September –
Eatock v Bolt Justice
Mordecai Bromberg founds conservative political commentator
Andrew Bolt to have contravened
section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.[32][33][34] The case was controversial. Bolt described the decision as a "terrible day for free speech" in Australia and said it represented "a restriction on the freedom of all Australians to discuss
multiculturalism and how people identify themselves. I argued then and I argue now that we should not insist on the differences between us but focus instead on what unites us as human beings."[33]
29 October – In response to
industrial action by pilots, ground staff and engineers,
Qantas grounds its entire international and domestic fleet.[38]
31 October –
Fair Work Australia orders the termination of all industrial action taken by Qantas and the involved trade unions. Qantas flights resume on the afternoon of that day.[39]
18 December – A boat sailing from Indonesia carrying over 200
asylum seekers sinks off the coast of
Java while heading for
Christmas Island. At least 160 people are feared dead.[46]
17 August – The
National Gallery of Victoria announces it has acquired Madonna and Child with the infant Saint John the Baptist by Italian
High Renaissance painter
Antonio da Correggio. Purchased at auction for £3.2 million ($5.2 million), it is the most expensive acquisition in the 150-year history of the NGV.[49]
30 July – Australian rules football:
Geelong hands
Melbourne the second worst marginal defeat in
AFL/VFL history, winning by 186 points.[68] Twenty-four hours after the siren blew at
Kardinia Park,
Dean Bailey was sacked as Demons coach after three and a half seasons at the helm.[69]
^Parker, Gareth (23 January 2011).
"VC Hero killed Taliban". The West Australian. Archived from
the original on 24 January 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
^Beck, Maris; Carey, Adam (5 February 2011).
"Floods cause traffic chaos". The Age.
Archived from the original on 6 February 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
^O'Connell, Ronan; Jones, Christiana; Mercer, Daniel; Bailey, Megan (7 February 2011).
"Houses razed in firestorm". The West Australian. Archived from
the original on 9 February 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
^"Andrew Bolt loses racial vilification court case". The Australian. News Corporation Australia. 28 September 2011.
Archived from the original on 6 June 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015. HERALD Sun columnist Andrew Bolt has lost an action brought in the Federal Court in which the columnist was accused of breaching the Racial Discrimination Act.