1840 in Australia

Updated on Dec 07, 2024

Edit

Comment


Decades: 1820s1830s1840s1850s1860s See also: Other events of 1840Timeline of Australian history

Governors

Governors of the Australian colonies:

Governor of New South Wales - Sir George Gipps

Governor of South Australia - Lieutenant Colonel George Gawler

Governor of Tasmania - Captain Sir John Franklin

Governor of Western Australia as a Crown Colony - John Hutt

Events

3 January - The Melbourne newspaper The Herald is founded by George Cavanaugh as the Port Phillip Herald.

May – British Government agrees to cease sending convicts to New South Wales, some 80,000 convicts had been sent since 1788. Convicts still sent to Van Diemen's Land and Port Phillip District colonies.

25 August - two Ngarrindjeri men are publicly hung along the Coorong in front of their tribe after being accused of the murders of all 26 crew and passengers of the Maria shipwreck. The two men had been convicted in a drumhead court-martial with Major Thomas O'Halloran, South Australian Police Commissioner, presiding and passing sentence.

2 November - Construction of The Causeway across the Swan River in Perth begins.

Sydney City Council and Adelaide City Council are incorporated. A ratepayer required 1000 pounds worth of property to stand for election.