The following lists events that happened during 1873 in Australia.

Incumbents

Governors Governors of the Australian colonies: Governor of New South Wales – Hercules Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead Governor of Queensland – George Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby Governor of South Australia – Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet, then Anthony Musgrave Governor of Tasmania – Charles Du Cane Governor of Victoria – John Manners-Sutton, 3rd Viscount Canterbury, then George Bowen Governor of Western Australia – The Hon. Sir Frederick Weld GCMG.

Premiers Premiers of the Australian colonies: Premier of New South Wales – Henry Parkes Premier of Queensland – Arthur Hunter Palmer Premier of South Australia – Henry Ayers, until 22 July then Arthur Blyth Premier of Tasmania – Frederick Innes, until 4 August then Alfred Kennerley Premier of Victoria – James Francis

Events 9 December – More than 1,000 striking gold miners attack police and Chinese workers brought in to Clunes, Victoria to break the strike. 30 December – Elizabeth Woolcock is hanged at the Adelaide Gaol, the only woman to be executed in South Australia.

Exploration and settlement 19 July – Surveyor William Gosse names "Ayers Rock" after the premier of South Australia Henry Ayers (later changed to its Indigenous name, Uluru). 3 September – The town of Cooktown, Queensland is founded after gold is discovered at the Palmer River, sparking a gold rush.

Births 28 January – Monty Noble, cricketer (d. 1940) 21 August – Fred Leist, artist (d. 1945) 2 September – Lily Poulett-Harris, founder of women's cricket in Australia (d. 1897)

Deaths 28 January – John Hart, 10th premier of South Australia (b. 1809) 19 April – Hamilton Hume, explorer (b. 1797) 30 May – Thomas Gilbert, South Australian pioneer (b. 1789) 22 June – Terence Aubrey Murray, NSW politician (b. 1810) 12 November – David Lennox, bridge-builder (b. 1788) 11 December – John West, clergyman, writer and editor of The Sydney Morning Herald (b. 1809) 24 December – Madame Rens, New South Wales settler and merchant (b. 1789)

References