1998 жылғы Австралия оқиғалары

The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Australia.

1 February – Some Sunday newspapers publish a Libra advertisement for ultra absorbent menstrual pads accompanied by a caption which reads "Katherine could use some of these right now" while also depicting a flooded home. The model chosen is one where the president is chosen by a joint sitting of both houses of parliament
4 February – The Federal Government gives short term credit insurance to exporters to Indonesia to counter act the effect of Indonesia's economic problems. 5 February – High Court of Australia judge Ian Callinan is accused of bias in the High Court challenge of the Hindmarsh Bridge. 21 February – Elections in the ACT re elect the Liberal Party government of Kate Carnell. It would be the last State or Territory election that the Liberal Party have managed to form government after until the Western Australia state election in September 2008. 23 February–March – After generator breakdowns at four major coal fired power stations, rolling blackouts hit the city of Brisbane and much of South East Queensland.

3 March – Federal Speaker of the House of Representatives Bob Halverson resigns. 8 March – New South Wales Premier Bob Carr opens the Olympic Park Station on the new rail link between Sydney and the site for the 2000 Olympics. 12 March – The Federal Opposition alleges that Mining and Resources Minister Warwick Parer increased his ownership of a mining company during the first year of the Howard Government's office. 16 March – Prime Minister John Howard pledges a $50 million crime database investment if the Liberal Party is re elected. 17 March – The Federal Government announces sweeping reforms to business rules to attract overseas companies to Australia.

1 June – The Terminus Hotel in Wodonga, Victoria, burns down. 13 June – The Queensland state elections depose the ruling National Party government of Rob Borbidge & elect a minority ALP government, led by Peter Beattie. Pauline Hanson's One Nation scored 23% of the vote & 11 seats, leading to anti racism protests & four former Prime Ministers to sign an open letter rejecting racism. 26 June 1998 – While awaiting trial on child sex charges, former New South Wales state MP and former mayor of Wollongong Frank Arkell is murdered by Mark Valera. In 2000, Valera is found guilty of murdering Arkell and David O'Hearn and sentenced to two term of life imprisonment. 30 June – The Mercy Hospital in Albury, New South Wales, closes down its maternity unit. From 1 July, all babies are now born at the Wodonga Hospital in Wodonga, Victoria.

11 July – The Telstra sale bill is defeated in the Senate. Prime Minister John Howard states the full sale of Telstra is still on the agenda for the next election. 15 July – Prime Minister John Howard stands firm against a Coalition backbench revolt on the full sale of Telstra. Howard informs Parliament that the Government is committed to the Telstra sale. Talk of the challenge overshadows a Cabinet meeting in regional Victoria. 21 July – 5 September – A rapidly evolving water crisis occurs in Sydney, due to the suspected contamination of the microscopic pathogens cryptosporidium and giardia in the water supply, prompting authorities to instruct residents to boil all their tap water before using it. 22 July – The Federal Government bows to the mounting pressure from backbenchers and rural voters by placing a 49% cap on the sale of Telstra. 26 July – Premier Bob Carr promises to help the victims of flooding in Narrabri, Wee Waa and Gunnedah with the damage bill expected to top $100 million.

17 September – Prime Minister John Howard is involved in a heated off air exchange with ABC staff in Perth following a radio interview on 720 6WF in which he is asked by Mornings presenter Verity James about whether a GST would affect the price of heroin. An angry Howard states: "The suggestion that in some way the GST is linked to heroin is just about the most bizarre thing I've heard and I want an apology from the ABC without qualification, and I expect to get it." Prime Minister John Howard dismisses Mr. Beazley's job target as unrealistic. 25 September – A fire at Esso's Longford plant killed 2, injured 8 & left most of Victoria without gas for two weeks. Hundreds of businesses were affected.

3 October – With the help of One Nation preferences, John Howard's Liberal/National coalition government is re elected in the federal election.

6 November – The City of Rockhampton, the first of Queensland Rail's Electric Tilt Trains enters service, leading to the eventual demise of the Spirit of Capricorn. 12 November – State Premiers and Territory Chief Ministers meet in Canberra with Prime Minister John Howard to discuss the sharing of funds from a goods and services tax. 15 November – Prime Minister John Howard arrives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the APEC Conference. 20 November – The High Court of Australia decides to allow uranium mining to proceed at Jabiluka in the Northern Territory. 29 November – Prime Minister John Howard joins in celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Holden motor car.

December – A man posts 28 mail bombs at a Canberra post office after losing a legal battle with the Australian Taxation Office which had been going since 1994. One of the bombs explodes, injuring two workers. 2 December – The Linton bushfire kills five volunteer firefighters in Linton, Victoria. 4 December – Colin Dunstan, aged 43, is arrested for the tax office mail bomb campaign. 14 December – New South Wales Premier Bob Carr opens extra lanes on the road the runs from Penrith to Strathfield. 19 December – A fire breaks out at the Country Comfort hotel in Albury, New South Wales, spreading up to the top floor. 20 December – Christopher Skase is rushed to a Majorca hospital just days after a Spanish court lifts an order preventing his deportation.

The Wiggles re release three videos after the video release of The Wiggles Movie, including Yummy Yummy, Wiggle Time, and Wiggledance!. However, Yummy Yummy and Wiggle Time contains new footage, as they have been re recorded, Wiggledance! cuts out the song "Vini Vini". Wilkins Farago book publishing house is founded in Melbourne.

16 February – Long running British preschool series Teletubbies premieres on ABC. 27 March – Darwin finally gets a second commercial television station when TND 34 opens, taking a Seven Network affiliation. WIN Television WA is granted a licence to broadcast to regional & remote Western Australia to commence transmission in 1999. 27 November – After 25 years, The Midday Show is axed by the Nine Network. 5 October – Pokémon begins on Network Ten. December – The remote Central & Eastern Australia markets are aggregated, with Imparja taking a Nine Network affiliation & Seven Central (formerly QSTV) taking a joint Seven & Network Ten affiliation.

16 May – South Melbourne become Australian Champions for the third time in their history, beating newly formed Carlton SC in the National Soccer League Grand Final at Olympic Park, 2 1. The game is marred by brawling soccer fans who invade the playing arena, throw flares and rip up seating prompting Victoria Police to consider increasing police presence and introducing CCTV to monitor crowd behaviour for future games at the venue.

13 March – The NRL competition kicks off, with the South Sydney Rabbitohs upsetting the Auckland Warriors 24–18 at Ericsson Stadium. 14 March – In their first match, the Melbourne Storm upset the Illawarra Steelers 14–12 at WIN Stadium. The Storm go on to have a remarkable debut season, going within one game of the grand final. 12 June – Rugby league rocked by drugs scandal. Three Newcastle Knights players test positive, as do one Melbourne player & a Western Suburbs player. 23 September – The St. George Dragons & the Illawarra Steelers announce they will form the game's first joint venture team, the St George Illawarra Dragons. 27 September – Minor premiers the Brisbane Broncos defeat the Canterbury Bulldogs 38–12 to win the 91st NSWRL/ARL/NRL premiership. Gordon Tallis is awarded the Clive Churchill Medal. It is the first premiership held under the NRL name & the last grand final to be played at the Sydney Football Stadium (now Aussie Stadium). It is also the second consecutive premiership for the Broncos following their success in the 1997 Super League. The Western Suburbs Magpies finish in last position on points difference and points against, claiming the wooden spoon. 1 & 3 December – The Adelaide Rams & the Gold Coast Chargers are eliminated from the NRL competition for 1999.

16 October – Mark Taylor equals Don Bradman's record of 334 in a test match against Pakistan. However, unlike Bradman, Taylor is not out & declares the innings closed when he reaches that score. 9 December – Shane Warne & Mark Waugh publicly confess to accepting money from an Indian bookmaker when the Australian cricket team was on tour in Pakistan & Sri Lanka in 1994.

8 to 17 January – The 8th FINA World Championships are held in Perth. Ian Thorpe wins his first gold medal at a major meet in the 400m freestyle. Human growth hormone was found in a Chinese swimmer Yuan Yuan's bag at Sydney Airport, resulting in her deportation.

8 March – Finnish driver Mika Häkkinen wins a controversial Australian Grand Prix ahead of McLaren teammate Scot David Coulthard after Coulthard moved over and allowed Häkkinen to take the race lead in the closing stages of the race. 4 October – Mick Doohan riding a Honda NSR500 won his third and final Australian motorcycle Grand Prix at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. The win secured Doohan's fifth consecutive World Championship victory. 4 October – Jim Richards and Swede Rickard Rydell win the Bathurst 1000 in their TWR prepared Volvo S40, defeating Richards' son Steven Richards and Brit Matt Neal in a Nissan Primera by the smallest competitive margin in the races history. It was Richards' sixth Bathurst victory. 8 November – Finnish driver Tommi Mäkinen won his second Rally Australia driving a Mitsubishi Lancer. 15 November – Jason Bright and Steven Richards in a Ford Falcon take victory in the Bathurst Classic, the first major victory for Stone Brothers Racing team.

September – Australia comes home with a record 199 medals, 80 of them gold from the 1998 Commonwealth Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

3 November – Jezabeel wins the Melbourne Cup.