1919: Victoria's Great Ocean Road project officially launched. The road took 13 years to build and was considered a monumental engineering feat in the 1920s. The first section, Eastview, stretching from Lorne to the Great Ocean Road, was officially opened to traffic on March 18, 1922. The second official opening took place on 27 April 1932, celebrating the extension of the road to Warrnambool.


1954: Australian writer and feminist Miles Franklin has died. Her most famous novel is My Brilliant Career. She was committed to developing a unique Australian literary form and actively pursued this goal by supporting writers, literary magazines and writers' organizations. Her influence was further recognized in 2013 with the establishment of the Stella Prize, awarded annually to the best literary work by an Australian woman.


2003: Australian singer Slim Dusty has passed away. He is an Australian cultural icon, universally known as the "King of Australian Country Music" and one of the country's most award-winning stars, with a career spanning nearly seven decades and a plethora of recordings. He is best known for his recordings of songs from traditional Australian genres, especially Bushlife. He sang Australia's very famous song "Waltzing Matilda" at the 2000 Sydney Olympics Closing Ceremony.


2005: The Latham Diaries was published by former Labor leader Mark Latham. The book attracted a lot of criticism upon its publication, mainly from members of his former party, the Australian Labor Party. Much of the controversy revolved around Latham's candid and pointed criticism of the Australian Labor Party, as well as highly personal attacks and occasionally vulgar comments about certain individuals.


2023: The Bureau of Meteorology has announced that Australia is currently in an El Niño climate pattern, which will increase the likelihood of hot and dry summers and increase the risk of dangerous bushfires. A total fire ban has been declared on the New South Wales south coast and the greater Sydney region, and bushfire evacuation orders have been issued for parts of Queensland.