1863 in Australia
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The following lists events that happened during 1863 in Australia.
Incumbents
Governors
Governors of the Australian colonies:
- Governor of New South Wales â John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar
- Governor of Queensland â Sir George Bowen
- Governor of South Australia â Sir Dominick Daly
- Governor of Tasmania â Colonel Thomas Browne
- Governor of Victoria â Sir Henry Barkly until 10 September, then Sir Charles Darling
- Governor of Western Australia â Dr John Hampton.
Premiers
Premiers of the Australian colonies:
- Premier of New South Wales â Charles Cowper until 15 October, then James Martin
- Premier of Queensland â Robert Herbert
- Premier of South Australia â George Waterhouse until 4 July, then Francis Dutton until 15 July, then Henry Ayers
- Premier of Tasmania â Thomas Chapman until 20 January, then James Whyte
- Premier of Victoria â John O'Shanassy until 27 June, then James McCulloch
Events
- 1 January â The Torrens title system is introduced in New South Wales with the commencement of the Real Property Act 1862.[1]
- 7 February â The Sydney-based Royal Navy corvette HMS Orpheus sinks off the coast of New Zealand claiming 189 lives.
- 21 February â James Cockle is appointed the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland.
- 14 March â Queen Victoria issues Letters Patent granting Goulburn, New South Wales city status, making it Australia's first inland city.
- 6 July â Queen Victoria issues Letters Patent annexing to South Australia the part of the colony of New South Wales that would later become the Northern Territory.[2]
- 11 November â Elizabeth Scott is hanged for the murder of her husband, making her the first woman to be executed in Victoria.
Non-specific dates
- South Sea Islanders are brought into Queensland to work as indentured labourers in the colony's sugar industry.
- Over 2,400 volunteers are recruited to fight in the New Zealand Wars.
Exploration and settlement
- 17 January â Explorer John McKinlay returns home to Gawler, South Australia after an unsuccessful two-year search for the missing Burke and Wills expedition.
- 28 April â Brewarrina, New South Wales proclaimed a township.
Sport
- 3 November â Banker wins the Melbourne Cup, in the smallest field in Cup history of six horses.
Births
- 26 January â Sir Charles Wade, 17th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1922)
- 26 March â George Philip Barber, Queensland politician (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1938)
- 28 April â Josiah Thomas, New South Wales politician (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1933)
- 20 June â James Fowler, Western Australian politician (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1940)
- 21 June â Bill Wilks, New South Wales politician (d. 1940)
- 14 July â Arthur Coningham, cricketer (d. 1939)
- 16 July â Anderson Dawson, 14th Premier of Queensland (d. 1910)
- 26 October
- Sir Neville Howse, New South Wales politician, military officer and first Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1930)
- John Henry Michell, mathematician (d. 1940)
- 29 November â Sir Adrian Knox, 2nd Chief Justice of Australia (d. 1932)
- Unknown â Francis McLean, New South Wales politician (d. 1926)
Deaths
- 5 February â John Wroe, evangelist (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1782). Hannan Henry o William (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1721)
- 8 March â Samuel Stocks, businessman (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1786)
- 26 March â James Drummond, botanist and naturalist (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1786)
- 28 April â James Dickson, New South Wales politician (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1813)
- 5 July â Thomas Brown, Western Australian politician and explorer (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1803)
- 26 October â Gotthard Fritzsche, Lutheran pastor (born in the Electorate of Saxony) (b. 1797)