1879 in Australia
Encyclopedia
See also:
1878 in Australia
,
other events of 1879,
1880 in Australia
and the
Timeline of Australian history
.
:
:
1878 in Australia
1878 in Australia
See also:1877 in Australia,other events of 1878,1879 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.- Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales – Sir Hercules Robinson*Governor of Queensland – Sir Arthur Kennedy...
,
other events of 1879,
1880 in Australia
1880 in Australia
See also:1879 in Australia,other events of 1880,1881 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.-Events:* 20 January - Bushranger Captain Moonlite hanged in Sydney....
and the
Timeline of Australian history
Timeline of Australian history
This is a timeline of Australian history.-BC:*c. 68,000–40,000 BC: Aboriginal tribes are thought to have arrived in Australia.*c. 13,000 BC: Land bridges between mainland Australia and Tasmania are flooded. Tasmanian Aboriginal people become isolated for the next 12,000 – 13,000 years.*c...
.
Governors
Governors of the Australian coloniesGovernors of the Australian states
The Governors of the Australian states are the representatives of the Queen of Australia in each of that country's six states. The Governors perform the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level...
:
- Governor of New South WalesGovernors of New South WalesThe Governor of New South Wales is the state viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who is equally shared with 15 other sovereign nations in a form of personal union, as well as with the eleven other jurisdictions of Australia, and resides predominantly in her...
– Sir Hercules RobinsonHercules Robinson, 1st Baron RosmeadHercules George Robert Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead, GCMG, PC was a British colonial administrator who became the 5th Governor of Hong Kong...
(until 19 March), then Sir Augustus Loftus - Governor of QueenslandGovernors of QueenslandThe Governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of the Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level....
– Sir Arthur KennedyArthur Edward KennedySir Arthur Edward Kennedy GCMG CB was a British colonial administrator who served as governor of a number of British colonies, namely Sierra Leone, Western Australia, Vancouver Island, Hong Kong and Queensland.... - Governor of South AustraliaGovernors of South AustraliaThe Governor of South Australia is the representative in the Australian state of South Australia of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level.In...
– Sir William JervoisWilliam JervoisSir William Francis Drummond Jervois, GCMG, CB was a British military engineer who saw service, as Second Captain, in South Africa... - Governor of TasmaniaGovernors of TasmaniaThe Governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as the Governor-General of Australia does at the national level.In accordance with the...
– Frederick WeldFrederick WeldSir Frederick Aloysius Weld, GCMG , was a New Zealand politician and a governor of various British colonies. He was the sixth Premier of New Zealand, and later served as Governor of Western Australia, Governor of Tasmania, and Governor of the Straits Settlements.-Early life:Weld was born near... - Governor of VictoriaGovernors of VictoriaThe Governor of Victoria is the representative in the Australian state of Victoria of its monarch, Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level...
– Sir George Bowen (until 22 February), then George Phipps, 2nd Marquess of NormanbyGeorge Phipps, 2nd Marquess of NormanbyGeorge Augustus Constantine Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby, GCB, GCMG, PC , styled Viscount Normanby between 1831 and 1838 and Earl of Mulgrave between 1838 and 1863, was a British Liberal politician and colonial governor.-Background:Normanby was born in London, the son of Constantine Phipps, 1st...
Premiers
Premiers of the Australian coloniesPremiers of the Australian states
The Premiers of the Australian states are the de facto heads of the executive governments in the six states of the Commonwealth of Australia. They perform the same function at the state level as the Prime Minister of Australia performs at the national level. The territory equivalents to the...
:
- Premier of New South WalesPremiers of New South WalesThe Premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislature...
– Sir Henry ParkesHenry ParkesSir Henry Parkes, GCMG was an Australian statesman, the "Father of Federation." As the earliest advocate of a Federal Council of the colonies of Australia, a precursor to the Federation of Australia, he was the most prominent of the Australian Founding Fathers.Parkes was described during his... - Premier of QueenslandPremiers of QueenslandBefore the 1890s, there was no developed party system in Queensland. Political affiliation labels before that time indicate a general tendency only. Before the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, political parties were more akin to parliamentary factions, and were fluid, informal and...
– John DouglasJohn Douglas (Queensland politician)John Douglas CMG was an Anglo-Australian politician and Premier of Queensland.Douglas was born in London, the seventh son of Henry Alexander Douglas and his wife Elizabeth Dalzell, daughter of the Earl of Carnwarth...
(until 21 January), then Thomas McIlwraithThomas McIlwraithSir Thomas McIlwraith KCMG was for many years the dominant figure of colonial politics in Queensland. He was Premier of Queensland from 1877 to 1883, again in 1888, and for a third time in 1893... - Premier of South AustraliaPremiers of South AustraliaBefore the 1890s when there was no formal party system in South Australia, MPs tended to have historical liberal or conservative beliefs. The liberals dominated government from 1893 to 1905 with Labor support, with the conservatives mostly in opposition. Labor took government with the support of...
– William MorganWilliam Morgan (Australian politician)Sir William Morgan KCMG was the Premier of South Australia between 1878 and 1881.-Early life:William Morgan was born in Bedfordshire, England, the son of George Morgan, a farmer, and his wife Sarah, née Horne. He emigrated to South Australia, arriving in Port Adelaide on 13 February 1849 in the... - Premier of TasmaniaPremiers of TasmaniaThe Premier of Tasmania is the head of the executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the party or political grouping which has majority support in the House of Assembly will nominate its leader to be Premier. The nominated politician is then invited by the Governor of...
– William CrowtherWilliam Crowther (Australian politician)William Lodewyk Crowther FRCS was an Australian politician, who was Premier of Tasmania 20 December 1878 to 29 October 1879.-Early life:...
(until 30 October), then William GiblinWilliam GiblinWilliam Robert Giblin was Premier of Tasmania from 5 March 1878 until 20 December 1878 and from 1879 until 1884.-Early life:... - Premier of VictoriaPremiers of VictoriaThe Premier of Victoria is the leader of the government in the Australian state of Victoria. The Premier is appointed by the Governor of Victoria, and is the leader of the political party able to secure a majority in the Legislative Assembly....
– Graham BerryGraham BerrySir Graham Berry KCMG , Australian colonial politician, was the 11th Premier of Victoria. He was one of the most Radical and colourful figures in the politics of colonial Victoria, and made the most determined efforts to break the power of the Victorian Legislative Council, the stronghold of the...
Events
- 8 February – Bushranger Ned KellyNed KellyEdward "Ned" Kelly was an Irish Australian bushranger. He is considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded cop killer — others, however, consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-Australian ruling class.Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish...
and his gang raid the town of Jerilderie, New South WalesJerilderie, New South WalesJerilderie is a town of 768 people in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the only town in the Jerilderie Shire Local Government Area....
, locking up the town's two policemen, stealing their uniforms, cutting the telegraph lines and robbing the bank. Kelly also pens the famous Jerilderie Letter. - 19 February – The foundation stone is laid and construction begins on the Royal Exhibition BuildingRoyal Exhibition BuildingThe Royal Exhibition Building is a World Heritage Site-listed building in Melbourne, Australia, completed in 1880. It is located at 9 Nicholson Street in the Carlton Gardens, flanked by Victoria, Nicholson, Carlton and Rathdowne Streets, at the north-eastern edge of the central business district...
in Carlton, VictoriaCarlton, VictoriaCarlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
. - 6 March – The town of Cleve, South AustraliaCleve, South AustraliaCleve is a small agriculturally based town on Central Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. It is 226 km southwest of Port Augusta and 143 km north of Port Lincoln...
is officially gazetted. - 17 March – The Municipality of CanterburyCity of Canterbury, New South WalesThe City of Canterbury, previously the Municipality of Canterbury, is a Local Government Area in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It lies southwest of the central business district and forms part of the Greater Sydney metropolitan area....
is proclaimed. - 14 April – The first use of a parachuteParachuteA parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
in Australia occurs when Henri L 'Estrange's balloon ruptures above Melbourne's Agricultural Showgrounds. - 21 April – From 1879 the eight-hour dayEight-hour dayThe eight-hour day movement or 40-hour week movement, also known as the short-time movement, had its origins in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, where industrial production in large factories transformed working life and imposed long hours and poor working conditions. With working conditions...
was a public holiday in Victoria; it celebrated the stonemasons' strike in 18561856 in AustraliaSee also:1855 in Australia,other events of 1856,1857 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.- Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales — Sir William Denison...
. - 26 April – Seventy square kilometres of land in SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's Sutherland ShireSutherland ShireThe Sutherland Shire is a Local Government Area in the Southern Sydney region of Sydney, Australia. Geographically, it is the area to the south of Botany Bay and the Georges River...
is proclaimed The National ParkRoyal National ParkRoyal National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 29 km south of Sydney CBD.Founded by Sir John Robertson, Acting Premier of New South Wales, and formally proclaimed on 26 April 1879, it is the world's second oldest purposed national park, the first usage of the term...
(later the Royal National ParkRoyal National ParkRoyal National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 29 km south of Sydney CBD.Founded by Sir John Robertson, Acting Premier of New South Wales, and formally proclaimed on 26 April 1879, it is the world's second oldest purposed national park, the first usage of the term...
). - 1 July – The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph (Australia)The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...
newspaperNewspaperA newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
is first published in Sydney. - 17 September – The Sydney International Exhibition opens at the Garden PalaceGarden Palacethumb|300px|Sydney's Garden Palace; an architectural drawing from the 1870s.The Garden Palace was a large purpose-built exhibition building constructed to house the Sydney International Exhibition ...
. - 13 November – Bushranger Captain Moonlite take thirty hostages at a farm near Gundagai, New South WalesGundagai, New South WalesGundagai is a town in New South Wales, Australia. Although a small town, Gundagai is a popular topic for writers and has become a representative icon of a typical Australian country town...
. A shoot-out with police ensues, resulting in the death of a policeman and two members of Moonlite's gang.
Exploration and settlement
- 1 August – QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
annexesAnnexationAnnexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
the Torres Strait IslandsTorres Strait IslandsThe Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands which lie in Torres Strait, the waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea but Torres Strait Island known and Recognize as Nyumaria.The islands are mostly part of...
. - 3 September – The town of Cunnamulla, QueenslandCunnamulla, QueenslandCunnamulla is a small town that lies on the Warrego River in south west Queensland, Australia, south of Charleville, and approximately west of the state capital, Brisbane....
is founded as a coach stop for Cobb & CoCobb and CoCobb and Co is the name of a transportation company in Australia. It was prominent in the late 19th century when it operated stagecoaches to many areas in the outback and at one point in several other countries, as well....
stagecoaches.
Sport
- 8 February – A controversial umpiring decision at an international cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
match results in the Sydney Riot of 1879Sydney Riot of 1879The Sydney Riot of 1879 was a civil disorder that occurred at an early international cricket match. It took place in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, at the Association Ground, Moore Park, now known as the Sydney Cricket Ground, during a match between a touring English team captained by Lord...
. - 4 November – Darriwell wins the Melbourne CupMelbourne CupThe Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
.
Births
- 22 February – Norman LindsayNorman LindsayNorman Alfred William Lindsay was an Australian artist, sculptor, writer, editorial cartoonist, scale modeler, and boxer. He was born in Creswick, Victoria....
(d. 1969), artist and writer - 22 May – Warwick ArmstrongWarwick ArmstrongWarwick Windridge Armstrong was an Australian cricketer who played 50 Test matches between 1902 and 1921. An all-rounder, he captained Australia in ten Test matches between 1920 and 1921 and was undefeated, winning eight Tests and drawing two...
(d. 1947), cricketer - 19 June – James Muir AuldJames Muir AuldJames Muir Auld was an Australian artist. His works are signed J.Muir Auld.James Muir Auld was born in Ashfield, New South Wales, third son of Presbyterian minister, Reverend John Auld and his wife, Georgina née Muir. James Auld attended Ashfield Public School and later, Sydney Grammar School...
(d. 1942), artist - 26 June – Charles Leslie BarrettCharles Leslie BarrettCharles Leslie Barrett was an Australian naturalist, journalist, author and ornithologist.Born in Hawthorn, Victoria, he was a foundation member of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union in 1901 and editor of its journal the Emu, 1910-1916...
(d. 1959), naturalist, journalist, author and ornithologist - 24 July – Robert Clyde PackerRobert Clyde PackerRobert Clyde Packer was the founder of Australia's Packer media dynasty, which used to own Publishing and Broadcasting Limited now owns Consolidated Press Holdings and Crown Limited....
(d. 1934), founder of the Packer media dynasty - 15 September – Joseph LyonsJoseph LyonsJoseph Aloysius Lyons, CH was an Australian politician. He was Labor Premier of Tasmania from 1923 to 1928 and a Minister in the James Scullin government from 1929 until his resignation from the Labor Party in March 1931...
(d. 1939), Premier of Tasmania and 10th Prime Minister of Australia - 14 October – Miles FranklinMiles FranklinStella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin, known as Miles Franklin was an Australian writer and feminist who is best known for her novel My Brilliant Career, published in 1901...
(d. 1954), writer - 18 November – C.E.W. BeanCharles BeanCharles Edwin Woodrow Bean , usually identified as C.E.W. Bean, was an Australian schoolmaster, judge's associate, barrister journalist, war correspondent and historian....
(d. 1968), war journalist - 26 November – Denis LutgeDenis LutgeDenis "Dinny" Lutge was a pioneer Australian rugby league and rugby union player, a dual-code international...
(d. 1953), rugby footballer - 27 November – Chris McKivatChris McKivatChristopher Hobart McKivat was an Australian rugby union and rugby league player – a dual-code rugby international. He represented the Wallabies in over 20 Tests and tour matches from 1907 to 1909 and the Kangaroos in 5 Tests from 1910 to 1912...
(d. 1941), rugby footballer and coach
Deaths
- 21 November – Sir Archibald BurtArchibald BurtSir Archibald Paull Burt Kt QC was a British lawyer from the colonies of the West Indies, and was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia, which is the highest ranking court in the Australian State of Western Australia.-Biography:Archibald Paull Burt was born in 1810, in...
(b. 1810), first Chief Justice of Western Australia