The following lists events that happened during 1902 in Australia.
In 1902 women were finally allowed to vote and stand in federal elections.
Incumbents
Monarch – Edward VII Governor-General – John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun Prime Minister – Edmund Barton
State premiers Premier of New South Wales – John See Premier of South Australia – John Jenkins Premier of Queensland – Robert Philp Premier of Tasmania – Elliott Lewis Premier of Western Australia – George Leake (until 1 July), then Walter James Premier of Victoria – Alexander Peacock (until 10 June), then William Irvine
State governors Governor of New South Wales – Admiral Harry Rawson (from 27 May) Governor of South Australia – Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson (until 17 July) Governor of Queensland – Major General Sir Herbert Chermside (from 24 March) Governor of Tasmania – Captain Sir Arthur Havelock Governor of Western Australia – Sir Arthur Lawley (until 14 August) Governor of Victoria – Sir George Clarke
Events 7 February – The Waterside Workers Federation is formed. April – Averaged over Australia, the driest month on record with only .Sorted rainfall over Australia for all months Over half the continent was absolutely rainless and less than 3 percent outside Tasmania had more than .April 1902 rainfall totals 5 May – The Commonwealth Public Service Act creates Australia's Public Service. 31 May – The Second Boer War, in which Australia is involved, ends. 12 June – The Commonwealth Franchise Act granted most Australian women the right to vote and stand in federal elections. 31 July – A coal gas explosion kills 96 in the Mount Kembla mining disaster 1 August – New Idea magazine is first published. 3 November – Postmaster-General James Drake opens a submarine telegraph cable from Southport, Queensland to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, completing a British Empire communications line. 18 December – The mayors of Sydney and Melbourne are conferred the title of Lord Mayor 26 December – Brisbane is declared a city. 26 December – Ada Evans becomes the first female law graduate in Australia. As a culmination of the Federation Drought, this was by raw totals the driest calendar year averaged over Australia since 1890Australian Bureau of Meteorology National Climate Centre; Annual Climate Summary 2000, p. 1 with only Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Sorted annual rainfall over Australia (though by area-averaged mean decile it was only eleventh driest).Smith, Ian; "An assessment of recent trends in Australian rainfall"; in Australian Meteorological Magazine; issue 53 (2004); pp. 163-173
Unknown dates The world's first successful pyritic smelting takes place at Mount Lyell, Tasmania
Arts and literature
17 September – Opera singer Nellie Melba arrives in Brisbane for her first Australian tour after 16 years in Europe. James White wins the Wynne Prize with his bronze sculpture In Defence of the Flat
Sport 27 September – Collingwood wins the 1902 VFL grand final, defeating Essendon 9.6 (60) to 3.9 (27) at the first final to be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground before a record crowd of 35,000. 11 November – The Victory wins the Melbourne Cup New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield
Births 15 January – Dan Dempsey, rugby league footballer (d. 1960) 25 February – Vince Gair, politician (d. 1980) 2 May – Alan Marshall, writer (d. 1984) 22 May – Leslie Herron, Chief Justice of NSW (d. 1973) 12 July – Vic Armbruster, rugby league footballer (d. 1984) 17 July – Christina Stead, writer (d. 1983) 28 July – Albert Namatjira, painter (d. 1959)
Deaths 27 February – Breaker Morant, convicted military officer, bush poet and drover (born in the United Kingdom and died in South Africa) (b. 1864) 6 March – Frederick William Piesse, Tasmanian politician (b. 1848) 24 June – George Leake, 3rd Premier of Western Australia (b. 1856)
See also 1902 1900–1909
References