1839 in Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following lists events that happened during 1839 in Australia.
Incumbents
Governors
Events
- 3 January â John Hutt becomes Governor of Western Australia
- 15 January â The first US consul, J. H. Williams, takes residence in Sydney
- 6 February â The Port Phillip Patriot and Melbourne Advertiser are published for the first time by John Pascoe Fawkner
- 16 February â Kiama is proclaimed a town
- 19 March â Settlement begins at Port Lincoln
- 3 April â William Light is replaced by Charles Sturt as Surveyor-General of South Australia
- 13 April â Albury is proclaimed a village
- 24 April â Braidwood is proclaimed a town
- 1 May â Edward John Eyre explores the area north of Adelaide until 29 June, during the expedition he discovers Lake Torrens
- June â Up to 40 Aboriginals are killed in the Campaspe Plains massacre, which was a reprisal raid against Aboriginal resistance to the invasion and occupation of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung lands.
- 20 June â A settlement is founded at Victor Harbor
- 27 July â The Adelaide River is discovered
- 9 September â Port Darwin is named by John Lort Stokes on HMS Beagle
- Undated (mid 1939) â 35 to 40 Aboriginals of the Tarnbeere Gundidj clan of the Djargurd Wurrung are killed in the Murdering Gully massacre.
- Undated â An unknown number of Aboriginals are killed in the Blood Hole massacre
Exploration and settlement
- Edward John Eyre explores areas to the far north and west of Adelaide during his two expeditions.
Settlements
- Alberton, South Australia
- Albury, New South Wales
- Balhannah, South Australia
- Blakiston, South Australia
- Brunswick East, Victoria
- Burnside, South Australia
- Carcoar, New South Wales
- Findon, South Australia
- Gumeracha, South Australia
- Hahndorf, South Australia
- Hope Valley, South Australia
- Mandurama, New South Wales
- Mount Barker, South Australia
- Nairne, South Australia
- Penwortham, South Australia
- Seymour, Victoria
- St Kilda, Victoria
- Strathalbyn, South Australia
- Tusmore, South Australia
Arts and literature
- First mechanics' institute was founded at Melbourne
Births
- 14 March â George Adams, publican and lottery promoter (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1904)
- 18 April â Henry Kendall, author and bush poet (d. 1882)
- 30 April â Sir Francis Suttor, New South Wales politician and pastoralist (d. 1915)
- 10 May â Thomas Joseph Carr, Catholic archbishop (born in Ireland) (d. 1917)
- 29 May â Ned Gregory, cricketer (d. 1899)
- 19 June â Howard Willoughby, journalist and war correspondent (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1908)
- 1 July â William George Lawes, minister, missionary and public lecturer (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1907)
- 2 September â Elias Solomon, Western Australian politician (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1909)
- 9 December â Norman Selfe, civil engineer (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1911)
- 19 December â Charles Dempster, Western Australian politician and explorer (d. 1907)
- Unknown â George Rignold, actor (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1912)
Deaths
- 6 May â John Batman, explorer, grazier and entrepreneur (b. 1801)[2]
- 27 June â Allan Cunningham (botanist), botanist and explorer (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1791)
- 24 July â Sir Richard Spencer, naval officer and settler (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1779)
- 6 October â William Light, military officer and surveyor (born in Malaysia) (b. 1786)
- 9 October â James Oatley, watchmaker and convict (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1769)
