1870 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1870 in Australia.

← 1869 1868 1867 1870 in Australia → 1871 1872 1873
Decades:	1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s
See also:	Other events of 1870 Timeline of Australian history

Incumbents

Governors

Governors of the Australian colonies:

• Governor of New South Wales – Somerset Lowry-Corry, 4th Earl Belmore
• Governor of Queensland – Colonel Sir Samuel Blackall
• Governor of South Australia – Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet
• Governor of Tasmania – Charles Du Cane
• Governor of Victoria – John Manners-Sutton, 3rd Viscount Canterbury

Premiers

Premiers of the Australian colonies:

• Premier of New South Wales – John Robertson, until 13 January then Charles Cowper, until 16 December then James Martin[1]
• Premier of Queensland – Charles Lilley, until 3 May then Arthur Hunter Palmer[2]
• Premier of South Australia – Henry Strangways, until 30 May then John Hart[3]
• Premier of Tasmania – James Milne Wilson[4]
• Premier of Victoria – John Alexander MacPherson, until 9 April then James McCulloch[5]

Events

• 3 January – A state flag of Western Australia is adopted.
• 1 February – A state flag of Victoria is adopted, although with no crown like the current flag.
• 22 March – A state flag of Queensland is adopted, with a portrait of Queen Victoria.
• 20 April – A second state flag of New South Wales is adopted, similar to the current flag of Victoria: a crown above the Southern Cross.
• 22 July – A state flag of South Australia is adopted.
• 11 August – Melbourne Town Hall is opened.

Exploration and settlement

• Gulgong, New South Wales, is founded.
• 27 August – John Forrest successfully arrives in Adelaide from Perth, leading an expedition along the south coast via the Great Australian Bight.

Science and technology

• September – Work begins on the Australian Overland Telegraph Line linking Port Augusta to Darwin.

Sport

• 12 May – Port Adelaide Football Club is founded in South Australia

Births

• 3 January – Ethel Richardson (died 1946), author, better known by her nom de plume Henry Handel Richardson
• 17 May – Newton Moore (died 1936), Premier of Western Australia
• 1 November – Christopher Brennan (died 1932), poet

Deaths

• 23 May – Foster Fyans, first mayor of Geelong (b. 1790)
• 25 May – Captain Thunderbolt (real name Fred Ward, born 1836), bushranger
• 24 June – Adam Lindsay Gordon (born 1833), poet

References

1. Parliament of New South Wales, http://parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/web/common.nsf/key/ResourcesFactspremiers Archived 16 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
2. Parliament of Queensland, http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/historical/records1860.asp?SubArea=officeHolders Archived 11 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine
3. Parliament of South Australia, http://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/Members/Ministers/Pages/PremiersofSouthAustralia.aspx Archived 19 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine
4. Parliament of Tasmania, http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/tpl/datasheets/Premiers_Table.htm
5. Parliament of Victoria, http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/about/people-in-parliament/premier-of-victoria

See also