See also: 2003 in Australia, other events of 2004, 2005 in Australia
Incumbents
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Events
- January 13 - The Spirit of Tasmania III makes its inaugural trip from Sydney to Devonport. It ceased in 2006
- February 1 - The first Ghan passenger train across Australia from Adelaide to Darwin sets off on its three-day journey.
- February 6 - The Music Industry Piracy Investigations organization uses an Anton Piller order to raid offices of P2P companies Sharman Networks and Brilliant Digital Entertainment, the homes of their key executives, as well as several internet service providers and universities.
- February 8 - Peter Beattie's Australian Labor Party Queensland state government is re-elected in a landslide.
- February 11 - A Black Hawk helicopter reportedly crashed near Amberley air force base, Mount Walker with at least five seriously injured.
- February 14 - Riots break out between police and Aboriginal residents of Sydney suburb Redfern
- February 15 - Violent riots ensue in the Sydney suburb of Redfern after an Aboriginal boy dies while allegedly fleeing police.
- February 23 - Tasmanian Premier Jim Bacon resigns after being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, handing power to his deputy, Paul Lennon.
- February 25 - Qantas launches its discount domestic airline, Jetstar.
- February 29 - Malcolm Turnbull controversially wins Liberal pre-selection for the federal seat of Wentworth, displacing sitting member Peter King.
- March 11 - A Senate report on poverty is immediately dismissed by Prime Minister John Howard. The report shows between 2 and 3.5 million Australians, or up to 19 per cent of the population, are living in poverty.
- April 5 - Australia's biggest supplier of the potential explosive ammonium nitrate decides to pull the product from its stores in response to concerns it could be used by terrorists.
- April 14 - The Family Court allows a thirteen year old child, born female, to start preliminary hormone treatment: the child identifies as being male and has been suffering from gender identity disorder.
- April 24 - John Howard joins Australian troops in Baghdad for ceremonies honouring the country's war dead.
- May 14 - Hobart woman Mary Donaldson marries Frederick, Crown Prince of Denmark in Copenhagen to become Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
- May 25 - Jetstar Airways commences operations with a maiden flight from Newcastle to Launceston via Melbourne.
- June 1 - Australian Jennifer Hawkins wins the Miss Universe contest, held in Quito, Ecuador.
- June 3 - United States President George W. Bush publicly supports Prime Minister John Howard and criticises Opposition Leader Mark Latham, sparking criticism from the Opposition for intervening in Australian domestic politics.
- July 5 - Australia and Thailand sign a free trade agreement.
- August 9 - Richard Butler, the controversial governor of Tasmania, resigns.
- August 29 - John Howard announces that the 2004 federal election will take place on October 9
- September 9 - A bomb blast outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, kills eleven people and injures up to 100 people.
- October 9 - The Liberal Party of Australia government of John Howard is returned for a fourth term at the 2004 federal election.
- October 12 - Simon Crean resigns from the position of Shadow Treasurer, requesting a lesser portfolio, and John Faulkner resigns as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate in the aftermath of the Australian Labor Party's election loss.
- October 12 - Numerous Australians visit Kuta, Bali, to commemorate the second anniversary of the Bali bombing, with services being held across the nation.
- October 14 - Annette Ellis stands down as Shadow Minister for Ageing, Seniors and Disabilities.
- October 14 - The successful tenderer for Melbourne's Mitcham-Frankston Freeway is announced, with tolls due to be set at $4.43 for a one way trip.
- November 26 - a riot occurred on Palm Island leading to a complete break down of law and order with the 18 members of the Queensland Police barricading themselves in the local hospital.
Arts and literature
Film
Television
- January 1 - Australia's first Digital commercial free-to-air channel, Tasmanian Digital Television begins broadcasting in Hobart as a supplementary broadcaster to existing broadcasters Southern Cross Tasmania & WIN Television. On the same day, WIN TEN goes on air in the Mount Gambier & Riverland regions of South Australia as a supplementary broadcaster to existing solus broadcaster WIN Television.
- February - Deal or No Deal debuts its 5.30pm timeslot on Seven.
- February - Top-rating game show Wheel Of Fortune makes a super international revamp and a super new-look over to continue its long-run on Seven Local TV.
- March 15 - Foxtel launches its new digital service, Foxtel Digital.
- April - After 18 years at SBS, Margaret Pomeranz & David Stratton announce their resignation from the station to move to the ABC to present a new program, At The Movies. Four younger presenters replace them on The Movie Show - Megan Spencer, Fenella Kernebone & Jaimie Leonarder with Marc Fennell presenting a segment on newly released DVDs.
- July 26 - Broken Hill resident Trevor Butler proposes to his girlfriend immediately after winning $A1,000,000 on Big Brother
- November 21 - 17 year old Casey Donovan wins the second series of Australian Idol defeating 21 year old favourite, Anthony Callea
- December 11 - The Network Ten is the next Australian television network to introduce a watermark on its programs, although the watermark was broadcast on Ten News. It was located on the bottom left of the screens by TEN-10 Sydney before switching to bottom right in 2006.
Ending this year:
Sport
- January 6 – Australian captain Steve Waugh retires from Test cricket, playing his last match against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground
- February 26 – First day of the Australian Track & Field Championships for the 2003-2004 season, which are held at the Sydney Olympic Park in Homebush.
- March 24 – Sydney Kings defeat West Sydney Razorbacks 90-79 in Game 5 of the best-of-five NBL Grand Final series, becoming champions for the second time.
- April 4 – Minor Premiers Perth Glory defeat Parramatta Power 1-0 at Parramatta Stadium in the last ever NSL Grand Final, becoming National Champions for the second year in succession.
- At the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, rower Sally Robbins collapses as the team is set to win bronze, relegating them out of the medals. She is mocked by the press & her teammates afterwards.
- August – Australia brings home 49 medals, including a record 17 gold medals, from the 2004 Summer Olympics.
- August 28 – The Sydney Swifts defeat the Melbourne Phoenix 52-51 in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy netball grand final.
- September 12 – Daniel Green wins the men's national marathon title, clocking 2:23:06 in Sydney, while Jenny Wickman claims the women's title in 2:55:09.
- September 25 – The Port Adelaide Power (17.11.113) defeat the Brisbane Lions (10.13.73) to win the 108th VFL/AFL premiership. It is the first AFL premiership for Port Adelaide & the first grand final loss for Brisbane.
- October 3 - The Canterbury Bulldogs defeat the Sydney Roosters 16-13 to win the 97th NSWRL/ARL/NRL premiership. It marks a successful end to a controversial season for the Bulldogs, in which they were accused of sexual assault while in Coffs Harbour. The behaviour from some of their fans at times also put the club in hot water.
- October 10 - Greg Murphy and Rick Kelly take back-to-back victories by winning the Bob Jane T-marts Bathurst 1000 for the K-mart Racing Team. It was the sixth consecutive win for Holden, extending the longest winning streak for a manufacturer in the races history.
- October 29 - Test cricket: Australia wins the third test against India, winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and winning the first away test series against India since 1969.
- November 2 - Makybe Diva wins the Melbourne Cup horse racing event. It is the second consecutive Melbourne Cup win for the mare.
Births
Deaths
- January 19 - David Hookes, 48, cricketer
- February 16 - Shirley Strickland, 78, athlete, three-time Olympic champion
- March 24 - Rupert Hamer, 87, former Premier of Victoria
- April 19 - Tim Burstall, 76, film director and producer
- May 26 - Gatjil Djerrkura, 54, indigenous leader, Chairman of ATSIC
- June 20 - Jim Bacon, 54, former Premier of Tasmania
- July 7 - Xiaokai Yang, 55, economist
- July 12 - George Mallaby, 64, actor
- August 17 - Thea Astley, 78, novelist
- August 22 - Marcel Caux, 105, First World War veteran, last known survivor of the Battle of Pozières
- September 4 - Walter Campbell, 83, Governor of Queensland
- October 11 - Keith Miller, 84, cricketer, Australian rules footballer, fighter pilot and journalist
- November 1 - Marie Tehan, 64, Victorian health minister
- November 6 - Johnny Warren, 61, football (soccer) player, coach and ethnic community advocate
- November 8 - Eddie Charlton, 78, snooker player
- November 19 - Mulrunji, 36, Indigenous Australian resident of Palm Island who controversially died in custody.
- November 20 - Janine Haines, 59, Australian Democrats senator
- December 4 – June Maston, 76, sprinter and athletics coach
- December 26 - Troy Broadbridge, 24, Australian rules footballer, killed in the Indian Ocean Tsunami
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