1861 in Australia.html



See also: 1860 in Australia, other events of 1861, 1862 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

Governors

Governors of the Australian colonies:

• Governor of New South Wales - Sir William Dennison, John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar
• Governor of Queensland - Sir George Bowen
• Governor of South Australia - Sir Richard G. MacDonnell
• Governor of Tasmania - Sir Henry Young
• Governor of Victoria - Sir Henry Barkly
• Governor of Western Australia - (office first formed in 1890)

Premiers

Premiers of the Australian colonies:

• Premier of New South Wales - John Robertson, then Charles Cowper
• Premier of Queensland - Robert Herbert
• Premier of South Australia - Thomas Reynolds, then George Waterhouse
• Premier of Tasmania - William Weston, then Thomas Chapman
• Premier of Victoria - Richard Heales, then John O'Shanassy
• Premier of Western Australia - office first formed in 1890

Events

• May 13 - The Great Comet of 1861 is discovered by John Tebbutt of Windsor, New South Wales.
• July 6 - Robert Palin is hanged in Western Australia following the use of Ordinance 17 Victoria Number 7 to secure the capital punishment of a convict for a crime not normally punishable by death.
• July 8 - The Geelong College is established by Reverend Alexander James Campbell in Newtown, Victoria.
• October - Robertson land acts passed by Parliament of New South Wales.

Arts and literature

• National Gallery of Victoria founded

Sport

• November 7 - The first Melbourne Cup is won by Archer. (List of Melbourne Cup winners).

Births

• August 2 - Edith Cowan, the first Australian woman elected as a representative in an Australian parliament.

Deaths

• June 28 - Estimated death of William John Wills (b. 1834) and Robert O'Hara Burke (b. 1821), explorers.

See also

• 1861
• 1860s