1866 in Australia
The following lists events that happened during 1866 in Australia.
Incumbents
Governors
Governors of the Australian colonies:- Governor of New South Wales – Sir John Young, Bt
- Governor of Queensland – Sir George Bowen
- Governor of South Australia – Sir Dominick Daly
- Governor of Tasmania – Colonel Thomas Browne
- Governor of Victoria – Sir Charles Darling, then Sir John Manners-Sutton
- Governor of Western Australia - Dr John Hampton
Premiers
Premiers of the Australian colonies:- Premier of New South Wales – Charles Cowper, then James Martin
- Premier of Queensland – Robert Herbert, then Arthur Macalister, then Robert Herbert then Arthur Macalister
- Premier of South Australia – John Hart, Sr, then James Boucaut
- Premier of Tasmania – James Whyte, then Sir Richard Dry
- Premier of Victoria – James McCulloch
Events
- 1 February – Arthur Macalister becomes Premier of Queensland
- 19 March – Sister Mary MacKillop founds the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart at Penola, South Australia.
- 17 April – The Tariff Bill passes through the Parliament of Victoria; Australia's first protective tariffs become law the following day.
- 20 June – Adelaide's town Hall opens
- 12 July – SS Cawarra was wrecked off Newcastle, only 1 of 61 passengers and crew survive
- 18 July – The passenger vessel Netherby is wrecked off King Island, all 450 on board survived
- 20 July – Arthur Macalister resigns as Premier of Queensland during a bank crisis, he resumes his post on 7 August as the crisis eased
- 15 August – John Manners-Sutton becomes Governor of Victoria
- 8 September – The Blood or bread riots begin as unemployed men attempt to storm government stores; the riots continue to the 10th
- 10 October – Dandenong Market opens in South-East Melbourne.
- 24 October – The Intercolonial Exhibition of Australasia opens in Melbourne.
- 24 November – Richard Dry becomes Premier of Tasmania
- 7 December – John Granville Grenfell, gold commissioner, killed by bushrangers near Narromine
Births
- 29 January – Frank Tudor, 6th Federal Leader of the Opposition
- 31 January – Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster, 7th Governor-General of Australia
- 15 March – Matthew Charlton, 7th Federal Leader of the Opposition
- 26 March – Barcroft Boake, poet
- 27 March – John Allan, 29th Premier of Victoria
- 11 April – Bernard O'Dowd, poet, activist, and journalist
- 21 April – Stanley Price Weir, army officer and public servant
- 5 August – Harry Trott, cricketer
- 23 September – James Hume Cook, Victorian politician
- 15 October – Jack Barrett, cricketer
- 16 November – Dagmar Berne, medical doctor and the first woman to study medicine in Australia
Deaths
- 11 January – Gustavus Vaughan Brooke, actor
- 3 February – William Haines, 1st Premier of Victoria
- 7 May – Edward Charles Close, New South Wales politician and soldier
- 5 June – John McDouall Stuart, explorer
- 25 September – Osmond Gilles, South Australian politician