Incumbents

• Premier of New South Wales - George Dibbs
• Premier of South Australia - Thomas Playford II (until 21 June), Frederick Holder (until 15 October), then John Downer
• Premier of Queensland - Samuel Griffith
• Premier of Tasmania - Philip Fysh (until 17 August) then Henry Dobson
• Premier of Western Australia - John Forrest
• Premier of Victoria - James Munro (until 16 February), then William Shiels

Events

• 20 April - Victoria holds a general election.
• 23 May - Frederick Deeming hanged at Melbourne Gaol having been unsuccessfully defended by the lawyer Alfred Deakin. Deeming was accused of committing a series of crimes on three continents theft, perjury, fraud, bigamy and murder; he used at least 20 aliases.
• 10 October - Jackie Howe shears a total of 321 sheep in 7 hours and 40 minutes at Blackall, Queensland, a record for hand shears that still stands.

Sport

• 5 October - the Australian Cricket Council announces an intercolonial cricket competition to be known as the Sheffield Shield.
• Glenloth wins the Melbourne Cup

Births

• 13 April - Gladys Moncrieff (d. 1976), singer
• 20 April - Grace Cossington Smith, (d. 1984), artist
• 6 July - John Simpson Kirkpatrick (d. 1915), World War I ANZAC known as "the man with the donkey" http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090613b.htm
• 7 August - Sir Arthur Coles (d. 1982), businessman and philanthropist
• 8 December - Bert Hinkler (d. 1933), aviator

Deaths

• 10 May - Barcroft Boake (b. 1866), poet
• 7 November - John Morphett (b. 1809), explorer, settler and politician