The following lists events that happened during 1978 in Australia. Incumbents Monarch – Elizabeth II Governor-General – Sir Zelman Cowen Prime Minister – Malcolm Fraser Deputy Prime Minister – Doug Anthony Opposition Leader – Bill Hayden Chief Justice – Sir Garfield Barwick State and Territory Leaders Premier of New South Wales – Neville Wran Opposition Leader – Peter Coleman (until 7 October), then John Mason Premier of Queensland – Joh Bjelke-Petersen Opposition Leader – Tom Burns (until 28 November), then Ed Casey Premier of South Australia – Don Dunstan Opposition Leader – David Tonkin Premier of Tasmania – Doug Lowe Opposition Leader – Max Bingham Premier of Victoria – Rupert Hamer Opposition Leader – Frank Wilkes Premier of Western Australia – Sir Charles Court Opposition Leader – Colin Jamieson (until 21 February), then Ron Davies Majority Leader/Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Paul Everingham Opposition Leader – Jon Isaacs Governors and Administrators Governor of New South Wales – Sir Roden Cutler Governor of Queensland – Sir James Ramsay Governor of South Australia – Sir Keith Seaman Governor of Tasmania – Sir Stanley Burbury Governor of Victoria – Sir Henry Winneke Governor of Western Australia – Sir Wallace Kyle Administrator of Norfolk Island – Desmond O'Leary Administrator of the Northern Territory – John England (from 1 June) Events January 1 January – Another Vietnamese refugee boat arrives at night, from a camp off the Malaysian coast. The Festival of Sydney begins. A jail warder, Victor Sullivan is struck on the head by a prisoner at Parramatta Jail. 2 January – Senator Neville Bonner attacks the Queensland Government over delays in its housing reconstruction programme for Mornington Island, which was ravaged by Cyclone Ted more than a year ago. 3 January – Bela Csidei, a prominent Sydney businessman, is alleged in the Darwin Magistrates' Court to have been involved in growing marijuana in the Northern Territory. Acting Health Minister Mr McLeay reiterates the Federal Government's election promise to keep the Medibank levy and ceiling at the same level for the next six months. Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen announces that he will ask churches throughout Queensland to hold a day of prayer for rain, suggesting a date of 15 January. 4 January – The Australian dollar is devalued from 89.4 to 89.2 due to a drop in the US dollar to bring the effect devaluation since November 1976 to 15.3%. Acting Prime