The first Voluntary Euthanasia Societies in Australia were formed in New South Wales and Victoria in 1973, followed by a Society in Western Australia in 1980, South Australia in 1983, Queensland in 1987, Tasmania in 1992 and the Northern Territory in 1995.  The Voluntary Euthanasia Society of NSW has branches in the ACT, Central Coast and the Northern Rivers.

The Right-to-die movement has been strong in Australia since the 1970s. This could have been partly due to the vast distances in rural areas between doctors and patients. Families and others were obliged to care for the dying, experiencing the realities of the suffering inherent in dying without the pain relief and treatment more readily available to people in the cities.
 
February 1995
Marshall Perron, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, introduces his Rights of the Terminally Ill Act into the NT Legislative Assembly. The Rights of the Terminally Ill Act becomes law in the Northern Territory, allowing terminally ill people the right to die (with strict guidelines in place) using active intervention from doctors.

25 May 1995
In a conscience vote, Perron’s legislation is passed by a majority of 15-10 after a 15 hour debate.  A period of time is set before enactment of the legislation for the development of regulations to control the law.

25 June 1996
The Rights of the Terminally Ill Act becomes law in the Northern Territory, allowing terminally ill people the right to die. Prime Minister John Howard opposes the NT Rights of the Terminally Ill Act and leaves the way open for Federal Parliament to overturn the Territory’s law.

1 July 1996
Enactment day for the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act.

24 July 1996
The full bench of the Northern Territory Supreme Court rejects a challenge to the Rights of the Terminal Ill Act by NT AMA President, Chris Wake and Uniting Church Minister, Jiniyini Gondara. They announce that the case will be referred to the Australian High Court.

2 August 1996
Max Bell, the taxi driver suffering from stomach cancer, who travelled to the Territory to use the law, dies in his home town of Broken Hill after failing in his attempt to obtain the necessary medical signatures.

9 September 1996
Victorian Liberal MHR, Kevin Andrews, introduces his controversial Euthanasia Laws Bill, designed to overturn the Territory’s law, into Federal Parliament.

22 September 1996
Bob Dent, a Territorian suffering from terminal prostate cancer, becomes the first person in the world to receive legal voluntary euthanasia. Pro-euthanasia campaigner Dr Phillip Nitschke assists Mr Bob Dent to become the first person to die using the NT laws.

10 December 1996
The Andrews Bill passes easily in a vote in the Federal House of Representatives, 88 votes to 35 overturning the Rights of the Terminal Ill Act.

2 January 1997
South Australian, Janet Mills, suffering from skin disease Mycosis Fungoides, becomes the second person to use the Territory law after a long battle to obtain the necessary medical endorsement. Two more terminally ill people die using the NT laws.

January 20, 1997
A terminally ill Territorian with stomach cancer becomes the third person to die under the NT law.

February, 1997
The Medical Journal of Australia reveals that approximately 30% of all deaths in Australian hospitals may have involved a doctor hastening a patient’s death.

1 March 1997
A NSW mother of five suffering from terminal breast cancer is brought to the NT by her children and becomes the 4th person to make use of the NT law.

March 25, 1997
The Andrews’ Bill is passed in the Federal Senate by 38 to 33 votes and ends legal assisted suicide in Australia.  An amendment, designed to allow the two people who had qualified to use the law to go ahead, is also defeated.

In a vote of 38 to 33, the Senate overturns the Northern Territory laws, and voluntary euthanasia once again becomes illegal in the NT. This Commonwealth legislation was the Euthanasia Laws Act, which remains in force although is the subject of public debate.

June 1997
Ester Wild died in Darwin using slow overdose of morphine after the Northern Territory law was overturned by the Australian Federal Parliament. She had carcinoid syndrome.

November 1998
Dr Philip Nitschke announces that he has assisted others to die, including a man from Victoria. He establishes an Internet site to promote his work and the pro-euthanasia cause.

January 2001
Norma Hall refused food and drink and spoke publicly about her right to determine her time of death. She died in Sydney after drinking liquid morphine.

May 2002
Mrs Nancy Crick takes her life in the company of family and friends after a lengthy battle with bowel cancer. She is later found to be cancer-free at the time of her death.

May 2002
Senator Bob Brown (Australian Greens) announces plans to introduce a private members bill into the Senate to overturn the Euthanasia Laws Act, and once again allow voluntary euthanasia in the Northern Territory.

July 2002
Internationally renowned activist Shirley Nolan takes her own life alone at home in Adelaide.

July 2002
Sandy Williamson, a Motor Neurone sufferer publicly argues for the right to die before overdosing in Melbourne on the barbiturate Amytal.

November 2002
Lisette Nigot an 80yr old academic ended her life by taking the barbiturate Soneryl. She was not ill but argued for the right to a peaceful death irrespective of health status.

December 2002
Elizabeth Godfrey died in Hobart using a plastic Exit bag. Her son John was accused of assisting and stood trial. He received a one year suspended sentence.

March 2006
John Whylie died from Nembutal overdose in Sydney, His wife Shirley Justins and friend Caren Jenning were accused of assisting his suicide/murder.

January 2007
Dr John Elliott, dying of Multiple Myeloma, travelled to Switzerland to use the services of Dignitas.

27 October 2007
June Burns died at her home at Warwick, west of Brisbane, after using a quantity of the lethal drug Nembutal, which she had kept since the late 1990s.

8 February 2007
Greens’ leader Bob Brown’s Rights of the Terminally Ill Bill 2007 is given its first reading in the Senate.
 
12 March 2008
The Senate referred the above Bill to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs for inquiry and report. This Bill would repeal the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997 which prevents the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly and the Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly from legalising voluntary euthanasia. Read report.

3 June 2008
The Victorian PAD Bill (Physician Assisted Dying) is introduced into the Victorian Legislative Council by upper house Greens MP Colleen Hartland. It passes first reading, but was denied a second reading by the lone DLP member, Peter Kavanagh. 

11 June 2008
Colleen Hartland, Greens member for Western Metropolitan, gives her Second Reading speech to the Medical Treatment Bill 2008 in the Legislative Council of Victoria.

20 June 2008
Caren Jenning and Shirley Justins convicted over death. A jury found Shirley Justins guilty of manslaughter and Caren Jenning of being an accessory to manslaughter in the case of Alzheimer’s sufferer and former Qantas pilot Graeme Wylie. Mr Wylie, 71, died in March 2006 from an overdose of the veterinary drug Nembutal, which Jenning had bought and illegally imported from Mexico, and which Justins had given to him in their Cammeray home. He had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in March 2003 and the case centred on his capacity at the time of his death to decide he wanted to commit suicide.

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