1839 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1839 in Australia.

Incumbents

 * Monarch - Victoria

Governors
Governors of the Australian colonies:
 * Governor of New South Wales - Sir George Gipps
 * Governor of South Australia - Lieutenant Colonel George Gawler
 * Governor of Tasmania - Sir John Franklin
 * Governor of Western Australia - Captain James Stirling then John Hutt

Events

 * 3 January - John Hutt becomes Governor of Western Australia
 * 15 January - The first US consul, J. H. Williams, takes residence in Sydney
 * 6 February - The Port Phillip Patriot and Melbourne Advertiser are published for the first time by John Pascoe Fawkner
 * 16 February - Kiama is proclaimed a town
 * 19 March - Settlement begins at Port Lincoln
 * 3 April - William Light is replaced by Charles Sturt as Surveyor-General of South Australia
 * 13 April - Albury is proclaimed a village
 * 24 April - Braidwood is proclaimed a town
 * 1 May - Edward John Eyre explores the area north of Adelaide until 29 June, during the expedition he discovers Lake Torrens
 * June - Up to 40 Aboriginals as 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 - A settlement is founded at Victor Harbor
 * 27 July - The Adelaide River is discovered
 * 9 September - Port Darwin is named by John Lort Stokes on HMS Beagle
 * Undated (mid 1939) - 35 to 40 Aboriginals of the Tarnbeere Gundidj clan of the Djargurd Wurrung are killed in the Murdering Gully massacre.
 * Undated - 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 – George Adams, publican and lottery promoter (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1904)
 * 18 April – Henry Kendall, author and bush poet (d. 1882)
 * 30 April – Sir Francis Suttor, New South Wales politician and pastoralist (d. 1915)
 * 10 May – Thomas Joseph Carr, Catholic archbishop (born in Ireland) (d. 1917)
 * 29 May – Ned Gregory, cricketer (d. 1899)
 * 19 June – Howard Willoughby, journalist and war correspondent (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1908)
 * 1 July – William George Lawes, minister, missionary and public lecturer (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1907)
 * 2 September – Elias Solomon, Western Australian politician (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1909)
 * 9 December – Norman Selfe, civil engineer (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1911)
 * 19 December – Charles Dempster, Western Australian politician and explorer (d. 1907)
 * Unknown – George Rignold, actor (born in the United Kingdom) (d. 1912)

Deaths

 * 6 May – John Batman, explorer, grazier and entrepreneur (b. 1801)
 * 27 June – Allan Cunningham (botanist), botanist and explorer (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1791)
 * 24 July – Sir Richard Spencer, naval officer and settler (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1779)
 * 6 October – William Light, military officer and surveyor (born in Malaysia) (b. 1786)
 * 9 October – James Oatley, watchmaker and convict (born in the United Kingdom) (b. 1769)