1856 in Australia

See also: 1855 in Australia, other events of 1856, 1857 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Contents 1 Incumbents 1.1 Governors 1.2 Premiers 2 Events 3 Exploration and settlement 4 Births 5 Deaths 6 See also

Incumbents

Governors

Governors of the Australian colonies:

• Governor of New South Wales — Sir William Denison
• Governor of South Australia — Sir Richard MacDonnell
• Governor of Tasmania — Sir Henry Young
• Governor of Victoria — Sir Henry Barkly
• Governor of Western Australia as a Crown Colony — Captain Charles Fitzgerald

Premiers

Premiers of the Australian colonies:

• Premier of New South Wales — Stuart Donaldson from 6 June to 25 August then Charles Cowper to 2 October then Henry Parker
• Premier of Queensland — office not created until 1859
• Premier of South Australia — Boyle Finniss from 24 October
• Premier of Tasmania — William Champ from 1 November
• Premier of Victoria — Dr William Haines
• Premier of Western Australia — office not created until 1890

Events

• 7 February — Tasmanian Electoral Act introduced the secret ballot, which was known elsewhere, in particular in the United States as the "Australian ballot"
• 19 March — The Electoral Act 1856 introduced the secret ballot in Victoria
• 2 April — South Australia introduced the secret ballot
• 11 April — At a public meeting in Melbourne, Dr Thomas Embling repeated the slogan "eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest".
• 22 May — First Parliament of New South Wales opened by the governor, Sir William Denison
• 24 June — Queen Victoria makes Norfolk Island a separate settlement from Tasmania to be administered by the Governor of New South Wales.
• 23 September — The town of Perth, Western Australia is proclaimed a City by letters patent from Queen Victoria.

Exploration and settlement

• 1 January – The name Tasmania officially adopted to replace Van Diemen's Land which was felt to have too many convict connotations.
• 8 June – Pitcairn Islanders arrived on Norfolk Island; the last convict had left and the island was no longer a penal colony. Queen Victoria granted the island to the Pitcairners as a home. Bounty Day is celebrated each year in Norfolk Island to commemorate the event.
• Suburb of Goodna founded in Queensland, Australia – Originally part of NSW, its 150-year anniversary was celebrated in 2006.

Births

• 8 March — Tom Roberts, artist (d. 1931)
• 3 August — Alfred Deakin, Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1919)
• 19 September — Arthur Morgan, Premier of Queensland (d. 1916)
• 3 December — George Leake, Premier of Western Australia (d. 1902)

Deaths

• 1 January — Convict William Buckley dies near Hobart, aged 75.

See also

• 1856
• 1850s