1789 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1789 in Australia.

Leaders

*Monarch - George III
* Governor of New South Wales – Captain Arthur Phillip
* Governor of Norfolk Island – Philip Gidley King
*Commanding officer of the colony's marine presence – Major Robert Ross

Events

* January – A convict uprising on Norfolk Island is easily crushed.
* April – An outbreak of smallpox at the Sydney Cove settlement kills many local Eora Aboriginals, including Arabanoo.
*29 April – The Mutiny on the Bounty occurs; Captain William Bligh and 18 others are cast adrift.
* 4 June – The first Government House is completed.
* 4 June – Australia's first theatrical performance ''The Recruiting Officer'' by George Farquhar staged with convicts acting in the roles.
* 12 June – Phillip leads an expedition to Broken Bay (departed from Sydney on the 6th), and discovers the Hawkesbury River.
*27 June – Captain Watkin Tench and party discover the Nepean River
*22 September – (Today's New South Wales) Commonly cited as the First white child in Australia, first white child or the first white female born in Australia, Rebecca Small (22 September 1789 – 30 January 1883), was born in Port Jackson, the eldest daughter of John Small a boatswain in the First Fleet which arrived at Botany Bay in January 1788.
*5 October – The first ship built in the colony, ''Rose Hill Packet'', begins service on the Parramatta River.
* 21 November – James Ruse, a convict, provisionally given land at Parramatta, New South Wales, Parramatta to establish Experiment Farm.
* 25 November – For the purposes of understanding Australian Aborigine, Aboriginal culture, Phillip captures Bennelong and Colebec.
* December – First successful harvest at Parramatta

Births

* 19 January – Madame Rens, New South Wales settler and merchant (d. 1873 in Australia, 1873)
* 16 March – Jared Davys, Governor of Victoria, Administrator of Victoria (d. 1872 in Australia, 1872)
* 1 May – George Fife Angas, Businessman and politician (d. 1879 in Australia, 1879)
* 29 September – Benjamin Carvosso, first Wesleyan minister to preach in Australia (d. 1854 in Australia, 1854)
* November – Peter Miller Cunningham, ship's doctor, naval surgeon and author (d. 1864 in Australia, 1864)
* 5 November – William Bland, Medical practitioner, surgeon and politician (d. 1868 in Australia, 1868)
* ''date unknown''
** John Bateman (Australian settler), John Bateman, Fremantle pioneer, merchant and whaler (d. 1855 in Australia, 1855)
** Prosper de Mestre, merchant (d. 1844 in Australia, 1844)
** Michael Fenton (Australian politician), Michael Fenton, first Speaker of the Tasmanian House of Assembly (d. 1874 in Australia, 1874)
** Thomas Gilbert (pioneer), Thomas Gilbert, South Australian pioneer (d. 1873 in Australia, 1873)
** Robert Menli Lyon, Aboriginal advocate (d. 1874 in Australia, 1874)

Deaths

* 18 May – Arabanoo, cultural mediator between the British settlers and Eora Aboriginals
* December – George Austin (gardener), George Austin, gardener on
* December – James Smith (gardener), James Smith, gardener on

References

* ''Australian Encyclopedia 6th edition'' Australian Geographic Terrey Hills NSW 1996 Volume 1 Chronology page 25
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{{Oceania topic, 1789 in, countries_only=yes

1789 in Australia,
1789 by country, Australia
Years of the 18th century in Australia