Governors
Governors of the Australian colonies:
Governor of New South Wales — John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar, until 11 August then Somerset Lowry-Corry, 4th Earl Belmore
Governor of Queensland — Sir George Bowen
Governor of South Australia — Sir Dominick Daly
Governor of Tasmania — Colonel Thomas Browne
Governor of Victoria — Sir John Manners-Sutton
Premiers
Premiers of the Australian colonies:
Premier of New South Wales — James Martin
Premier of Queensland — Robert Herbert until 15 August then Robert Mackenzie
Premier of South Australia — James Boucaut until 3 May then Henry Ayers (for the 3rd time)
Premier of Tasmania — Richard Dry
Premier of Victoria — James McCulloch
7 January — Riots at the Crocodile Creek goldfield destroyed the property of Chinese miners.
1 June — Greatest recorded flood of the Hawkesbury River at 19.2 metres.
12 October — The transportation of convicts to Western Australia ceases when the last convict ship to Western Australia, the Hougoumont, left Britain.
16 October — English immigrant James Nash reports to authorities that he has discovered 75 ounces of alluvial gold in a creek at Gympie, Queensland. The find sparks a gold rush to the area, saving the colony of Queensland from bankruptcy.
30 October — Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria, arrives in Australia for the country's first royal visit.
Saint Mary MacKillop and Fr Julian Tenison Woods found the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart
Arts and literature
National Gallery of Victoria Art School accepts its first students
Tim Whiffler wins the Melbourne Cup
8 April — Arthur Streeton, artist (died 1943)
17 June — Henry Lawson, writer (died 1922)
4 December — Stanley Argyle, Premier of Victoria (died 1940)
26 December — John Bradfield, engineer (died 1943)
11 January — Stuart Donaldson, Premier of New South Wales (born 1812)
25 June — Bushrangers the Clarke brothers executed in Sydney.
11 November — Mary Ann Bugg, bushranger (born 1834)
