Governors of the Australian colonies:
Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Young, Bt
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 (until 7 May), then Sir John Manners-Sutton (from 15 August)
Premiers of the Australian colonies:
Premier of New South Wales – Charles Cowper (until 21 January), then James Martin
Premier of Queensland – Robert Herbert (until 1 February), then Arthur Macalister (until 20 July), then Robert Herbert (until 7 August) then Arthur Macalister
Premier of South Australia – John Hart, Sr (until 28 March), then James Boucaut
Premier of Tasmania – James Whyte (until 24 November), then Sir Richard Dry
Premier of Victoria – James McCulloch
1 February – Arthur Macalister becomes Premier of Queensland
19 March – Sister Mary MacKillop founds the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart at Penola, South Australia.
17 April – The Tariff Bill passes though the Parliament of Victoria; Australia's first protective tariffs become law the following day.
20 June – Adelaide's town Hall opens
12 July – SS Cawarra was wrecked off Newcastle, only 1 of 61 passengers and crew survive
18 July – The passenger vessel Netherby is wrecked off King Island, all 450 on board survived
20 July – Arthur Macalister resigns as Premier of Queensland during a bank crisis, he resumes his post on 7 August as the crisis eased
15 August – John Manners-Sutton becomes Governor of Victoria
8 September – The Blood or bread riots begin as unemployed men attempt to storm government stores; the riots continue to the 10th
10 October – Dandenong Market opens in South-East Melbourne.
24 October – The Intercolonial Exhibition of Australasia opens in Melbourne.
24 November – Richard Dry becomes Premier of Tasmania
7 December – John Granville Grenfell, gold commissioner, killed by bushrangers near Narromine
26 March – Bancroft Boake, songwriter
11 April – Bernard O'Dowd, writer (died 1953)
5 August – Harry Trott, cricketer (died 1917)
11 January – Gustavus Vaughan Brooke, Irish actor (born 1818)
3 February – William Haines, Premier of Victoria (born 1810)
7 May – Edward Charles Close, New South Wales colonial magistrate (b. 1790)
5 June – John McDouall Stuart, explorer (born 1815)
25 September – Osmond Gilles, South Australian colonial treasurer (b. 1788)
