1875 in Australia
The following lists events that happened during 1875 in Australia.
Incumbents
Governors
Governors of the Australian colonies:- Governor of New South Wales β Hercules Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead
- Governor of Queensland β Sir William Cairns
- Governor of South Australia β Sir Anthony Musgrave
- Governor of Tasmania β Frederick Weld
- Governor of Victoria β Sir George Bowen
- Governor of Western Australia - The Hon. Sir Frederick Weld GCMG, then Sir William Robinson GCMG.
Premiers
Premiers of the Australian colonies:- Premier of New South Wales β Henry Parkes until 8 February, then John Robertson
- Premier of Queensland β Arthur Macalister
- Premier of South Australia β Arthur Blyth until 8 June, then James Boucaut
- Premier of Tasmania β Alfred Kennerley
- Premier of Victoria β
- * until 7 August β George Kerferd
- * 7 August - 20 October β Graham Berry
- * starting 20 October β James McCulloch
Events
- 11 January β William Robinson arrives in Western Australia to become Governor of the colony.
- 13 January β Frederick Weld becomes Governor of Tasmania.
- 23 January β William Cairns becomes Governor of Queensland.
- 9 February β John Robertson becomes Premier of New South Wales, replacing Henry Parkes.
- 24 February β The SS Gothenburg strikes Old Reef off Ayr, Queensland and sinks with the loss of 102 lives.
- 24 May β J. V. Mulligan and party discover the Barron River in Queensland, they left Cooktown on 17 April
- 6 May β Ernest Giles and party leave South Australia for an overland expedition to Perth, they arrive on 10 November.
- 3 June β Premier of South Australia Arthur Blyth resigns and is replaced by James Boucaut.
- 7 August β Graham Berry becomes Premier of Victoria.
- 20 October β James McCulloch becomes Premier of Victoria for the fourth time.
- 24 December β 59 die when a cyclone destroys the pearling fleet in the Exmouth Gulf of Western Australia.
- Undated -
- *Between 80 and 100 Arrernte men, women and children are killed by a raiding party of 50 to 60 Matuntara warriors in the massacre of Running Waters.
- *The 1875β1876 Australia scarlet fever epidemic begins in Victoria.
Arts and literature
- New South Government establishes an art gallery in Sydney; it later becomes the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Sport
- Polo played for the first time in Australia at Albert Park in Victoria
- Soccer played for the first time in Australia at Goodna in New South Wales.
- Wollomai wins the Melbourne Cup; the cup was held on the first Tuesday in November for this first time this year
Births
- 20 March β Benjamin Fuller, theatrical entrepreneur
- 29 April β Margaret Preston, painter and printmaker
- 22 July β Leslie James Wrigley, academic, school inspector, principal, and teacher
- 3 December β Max Meldrum, painter
Deaths
- 28 January β James Hurtle Fisher, South Australian pioneer
- 25 February β Thomas Reynolds, premier of South Australia
- 25 February β James Stokes Millner, medical practitioner
- 10 September β Silas Gill, Methodist preacher
- 20 October β Charles Cowper, premier of New South Wales
- 9 November β William Hovell, explorer
- 2 December β Charles La Trobe, lieutenant-governor of Victoria