So I'm doing more research on Dragon Ball in Oceania and it turns out the movies may have aired on Cartoon Network there earlier than I thought.
According to this link the two specials and first 4 Z movies were broadcast in April 2003:
Dragonball Z Movie Blitz!
Apr. 21-Apr. 25 at 5:30 pm, Apr. 26 at 6:00 p.m.
ALL DAY DRAGONBALL Z MOVIE MARATHON ON APR. 27 beginning at 11:30 a.m.
This year, Easter week is more than a simple chocolate feast for Dragonball Z fans! Cartoon Network is screening a total of six Dragonball Z Movie Specials across the Easter School Holidays week. From Monday, April 21st to Saturday, April 26th, a different Dragonball Z Movie will screen each day. Plus, don't worry if you miss a single movie because Sunday will feature a marathon in which all six movies will play out in order. Dragonball Z nirvana - only on Cartoon Network.
And according to Toonami Fandom the airdates (possibly taken from
this dead link) were as follows:
- Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks - 5:30 PM Monday 21st April
- Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku - 5:30 PM Tuesday 22nd April
- Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone - 5:30 PM Wednesday 23rd April
- Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest - 5:30 PM Thursday 24th April
- Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might - 5:30 PM Friday 25th April
- Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug - 6:00 PM Saturday 26th April
- Marathon on April 27, 2003:
- 11:30 AM - Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks
- 12:30 PM - Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku
- 1:30 PM - Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone
- 2:30 PM - Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest
- 3:30 PM - Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might
- 4:30 PM - Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug
Apparently there was also another run of the specials and movies with a premier of the two Cooler movies in January 2004:
- Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks - 6:00 PM Saturday January 10th
- Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku - 7:00 PM Sunday January 11th
- Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone - 7:35 PM Monday 12th January 12th
- Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest - 7:35 PM Tuesday January 13th
- Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might - 7:35 PM Wednesday January 14th
- Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug - 7:35 PM Thursday January 15th
- Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge - 7:35 PM Friday January 16th (Premiere)
- Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler - 7:00 PM Sunday January 18th (Premiere)
There was also a
"Z Spree" 30-hour marathon of the Boo arc leading up to Christmas 2003:
Toonami - "Z Spree"
Starts December 22 at 8:30 am
We've gone full-throttle on Dragonball Z, kicking it up a notch from the regular weekend Toonami timeslot to a full-on, 30 hour action-packed marathon of Z! This Z Spree features the entire sagas of: Great Saiyaman, World Tournament, Babidi and Majin Buu - some of which you won't see on Cartoon Network again! Forget your Christmas shopping spree - The Toonami Z Spree is the only 'spree' you need this Christmas!
The Z specials and movies also
aired one last time in January 2005 on a special block called "Turbo Toonami":
Turbo Toonami
Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd Jan from 11.30am to 3.30pm
Toonami goes overdrive this weekend with a 4 hour weekend afternoon block. An explosion of Dragon Ball Z movies take over your screens with favourites like Dragon Ball Z: History of Trunks, Dragon Ball Z - Bardock: Father of Goku, Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone, Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug, Dragon Ball Z: World's Strongest, Dragon Ball Z: Tree of Might, Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge.