Governors of the Australian colonies:
Governor of New South Wales – John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar
Governor of Queensland – Sir George Bowen
Governor of South Australia – Sir Dominick Daly
Governor of Tasmania – Colonel Thomas Browne
Governor of Victoria – Sir Charles Darling
Premiers of the Australian colonies:
Premier of New South Wales – James Martin
Premier of Queensland – Robert Herbert
Premier of South Australia – Henry Ayers until 4 August, then Arthur Blyth
Premier of Tasmania – James Whyte
Premier of Victoria – James McCulloch
1 January – The Queensland Police Force is established and begins operations with approximately 143 employees.
4 May – The first trout hatchery in the southern hemisphere is established at Plenty, Tasmania.
14 May – Bushranger Frank Gardiner is sentenced to 32 years in prison, although he is later pardoned by Henry Parkes in 1874.
20 May – Bushranger Ben Hall and his gang escape from a shootout with police after attempting to rob the Bang Bang Hotel in Koorawatha, New South Wales.
2 June – The schooner Waratah disappears between Sydney and Newcastle, claiming seven lives.
1 October – The Australasian (later to be known as Australasian Post) is first published in Melbourne.
1 December - Great Fire of Brisbane
1 January – The All-England Eleven cricket team defeats the Victorian XXII at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Lantern wins the Melbourne Cup.
Carlton FC was founded
17 February – Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, poet (died 1941)
18 April – Rose Summerfield, feminist and labour activist (died 1922)
15 January – Isaac Nathan, composer (b. 1790)
6 March – Peter Miller Cunningham, naval surgeon and author (b. 1789)
25 May – John Joseph Therry, Catholic priest (b. 1790)
19 June – Richard Heales, 4th Premier of Victoria (b. 1821)
24 November – Edward Buckley Wynyard, New South Wales politician (b. 1788)
