1870 in Australia explained

The following lists events that happened during 1870 in Australia.

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
• Governor of Western Australia  - The Hon. Sir Frederick Weld GCMG.

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, author (d. 1946)
• 14 January – Sir George Pearce, Western Australian politician (d. 1952)
• 17 May – Sir Newton Moore, 8th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1936)
• 1 November – Christopher Brennan, poet, scholar and literary critic (d. 1932)
• 21 November – Joe Darling, cricketer (d. 1946)
• 26 December – Norman Ewing, 23rd Tasmanian Opposition Leader (d. 1928)

Deaths

• 23 May – Foster Fyans, military officer, administrator and politician (born in Ireland) (b. 1790)
• 25 May – Captain Thunderbolt, bushranger (b. 1835)
• 24 June – Adam Lindsay Gordon, South Australian politician and (born in the United Kingdom) poet (b. 1833)

Notes and References

1. Parliament of New South Wales, http://parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/web/common.nsf/key/ResourcesFactspremiers
2. Parliament of Queensland, http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/historical/records1860.asp?SubArea=officeHolders
3. Parliament of South Australia, http://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/Members/Ministers/Pages/PremiersofSouthAustralia.aspx
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