Incumbents

Governors of the Australian colonies

• Governor of New South Wales Henry Brand, 2nd Viscount Hampden
• Governor of Queensland Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington (from 9 April)
• Governor of South Australia Sir Thomas Buxton, 3rd Baronet
• Governor of Tasmania Jenico Preston, 14th Viscount Gormanston
• Governor of Victoria Thomas Brassey, 1st Earl Brassey
• Governor of Western Australia Sir Gerard Smith

Premiers of the Australian colonies

• Premier of New South Wales George Reid
• Premier of Queensland Hugh Nelson
• Premier of South Australia Charles Kingston
• Premier of Tasmania Edward Braddon
• Premier of Western Australia John Forrest
• Premier of Victoria George Turner

Events

• 13 February - The Brisbane River ferry Pearl capsizes, killing 28

Science and technology

Arts and literature

• While the Billy Boils, a collection of short stories, is published by Henry Lawson

Sport

• 7 to 11 April Edwin Flack wins gold medals in the 800 metre and 1500 metre events, and bronze in the tennis doubles at the Games of the 1st Olympiad. He was the only Australian competitor at these games.
• 3 October The Victorian Football League is formed, with competition beginning in 1897.
• 3 November Newhaven wins the Melbourne Cup.
• New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield

Births

• 22 January Norman Gilroy, first Australian-born Cardinal (d. 1977)
• 8 February Alfred Percival Bullen, circus proprietor (d. 1974)
• 18 February John Cramer, politician (d. 1994)
• 5 July Thomas Playford, Premier of South Australia (d. 1981)
• 11 July Evelyn Scotney, coloratura soprano (d. 1967)
• 18 July John Mullens, politician (d. 1978)
• 3 August Charles Adermann, politician (d. 1979)
• 24 August Edwin Corboy, politician (d. 1950)
• 28 August Arthur Calwell, politician (d. 1973)
• 15 September Norman Lethbridge Cowper, lawyer (d. 1987)
• 29 September Thomas James Bede Kenny, soldier and Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1953)
• 21 October Patrick Gordon Taylor, aviator (d. 1966)
• 16 November Joan Lindsay, author (Picnic at Hanging Rock) (d. 1984)
• 27 November Arthur Percy Sullivan, soldier and Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1937)

Deaths

• 27 April Sir Henry Parkes (b. 1815), politician
• 15 September John Anderson Hartley (b. 1844), educator
• 10 October Ferdinand von Mueller (b. 1825), botanist