1866 in Australia

See also: 1865 in Australia, other events of 1866, 1867 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

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 though 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
• 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

• 26 March - Bancroft Boake, songwriter
• 11 April - Bernard O'Dowd, writer (d. 1953)
• 5 August - Harry Trott, cricketer (d. 1917)

Deaths

• 11 January - Gustavus Vaughan Brooke, Irish actor (b. 1818)
• 3 February - William Haines, Premier of Victoria (b. 1810)
• 5 June - John McDouall Stuart, explorer (b. 1815)

References

• Barker, Anthony (1996). What Happened When. St Leonards: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86373-986.