The following lists events that happened during 2013 in Australia.
Incumbents
Monarch – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – Quentin Bryce
Prime Minister – Julia Gillard (until 27 June), then Kevin Rudd (until 18 September), then Tony Abbott Deputy Prime Minister – Wayne Swan (until 27 June), then Anthony Albanese (until 18 September), then Warren Truss Opposition Leader – Tony Abbott (until 18 September), then Chris Bowen (until 13 October), then Bill Shorten Chief Justice – Robert French
State and territory leaders
Premier of New South Wales – Barry O'Farrell
Opposition Leader – John Robertson
Premier of Queensland – Campbell Newman
Opposition Leader – Annastacia Palaszczuk
Premier of South Australia – Jay Weatherill
Opposition Leader – Isobel Redmond (until 31 January), then Steven Marshall
Premier of Tasmania – Lara Giddings
Opposition Leader – Will Hodgman
Premier of Victoria – Ted Baillieu (until 6 March), then Denis Napthine
Opposition Leader – Daniel Andrews
Premier of Western Australia – Colin Barnett
Opposition Leader – Mark McGowan
Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory – Katy Gallagher
Opposition Leader – Zed Seselja (until 11 February), then Jeremy Hanson
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Terry Mills (until 13 March), then Adam Giles Opposition Leader – Delia Lawrie Chief Minister of Norfolk Island – David Buffett (until 20 March), then Lisle Snell
Governors and administrators
Governor of New South Wales – Marie Bashir
Governor of Queensland – Penelope Wensley
Governor of South Australia – Kevin Scarce
Governor of Tasmania – Peter Underwood
Governor of Victoria – Alex Chernov
Governor of Western Australia – Malcolm McCusker
Administrator of the Australian Indian Ocean Territories – Jon Stanhope
Administrator of Norfolk Island – Neil Pope
Administrator of the Northern Territory – Sally Thomas
Events
January
4–20 January – A heat wave in south-eastern Australia results in several bushfires in Tasmania. 23 January – A monsoon trough passes over parts of Queensland and New South Wales, causing severe storms, flooding, and tornadoes. 27–28 January – Cyclone Oswald causes heavy rainfall and flooding in Queensland. 30 January – Prime Minister Julia Gillard announces the date of the 2013 federal election as 14 September.
February
5 February –
Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy admit that they received free holiday accommodation from allegedly corrupt former state MP Eddie Obeid. Gold Coast mother, Novy Chardon, aged 34, goes missing from her Upper Coomera home, sparking a police search. 14 February – The Supreme Court of Queensland orders that serial rapist Robert John Fardon should be released because any risks which he posed to the community could be managed. 15 February – Queensland Premier Campbell Newman announces that the Department of Transport and Main Roads Director-General Michael Caltabiano has been dismissed. In October 2012, Mr Caltabiano was referred to State Parliament's ethics committee for comments he made in an estimates committee hearing about Ben Gommers, son of former arts minister Ros Bates. Queensland Arts Minister, Ros Bates, resigns amid controversy, with scandals having recently emerged over alleged irregularities with her lobbyist contact register, the Crime and Misconduct investigation into the appointment of her son Ben Gommers to a departmental role, and links to Michael Caltabiano. 21 February – Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor urges the Coalition to rethink its opposition to the Malaysian solution, after the reported deaths of 98 asylum seekers who were trying to make their way to Indonesia or Australia. 24 February – Severe flooding occurs in Northern New South Wales, as well as a severe damage in Sydney's south-west, leaving many homes without power.