1870 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1870 in Australia.

Governors
Governors of the Australian colonies:
 * Governor of New South Wales – Somerset Lowry-Corry, 4th Earl Belmore
 * Governor of Queensland – Colonel Sir Samuel Blackall
 * Governor of South Australia – Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet
 * Governor of Tasmania – Charles Du Cane
 * Governor of Victoria – John Manners-Sutton, 3rd Viscount Canterbury
 * Governor of Western Australia – The Hon. Sir Frederick Weld GCMG.

Premiers
Premiers of the Australian colonies:
 * Premier of New South Wales – John Robertson, until 13 January then Charles Cowper, until 16 December then James Martin
 * Premier of Queensland – Charles Lilley, until 3 May then Arthur Hunter Palmer
 * Premier of South Australia – Henry Strangways, until 30 May then John Hart
 * Premier of Tasmania – James Milne Wilson
 * Premier of Victoria – John Alexander MacPherson, until 9 April then James McCulloch

Events

 * 3 January – A state flag of Western Australia is adopted.
 * 1 February – A state flag of Victoria is adopted, although with no crown like the current flag.
 * 22 March – A state flag of Queensland is adopted, with a portrait of Queen Victoria.
 * 20 April – A second state flag of New South Wales is adopted, similar to the current flag of Victoria: a crown above the Southern Cross.
 * 22 July – A state flag of South Australia is adopted.
 * 11 August – Melbourne Town Hall is opened.

Exploration and settlement

 * Gulgong, New South Wales, is founded.
 * 27 August – John Forrest successfully arrives in Adelaide from Perth, leading an expedition along the south coast via the Great Australian Bight.

Science and technology

 * September – Work begins on the Australian Overland Telegraph Line linking Port Augusta to Darwin.

Sport

 * 12 May – Port Adelaide Football Club is founded in South Australia

Births

 * 3 January – Ethel Richardson, author (d. 1946)
 * 14 January – Sir George Pearce, Western Australian politician (d. 1952)
 * 17 May – Sir Newton Moore, 8th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1936)
 * 1 November – Christopher Brennan, poet, scholar and literary critic (d. 1932)
 * 21 November – Joe Darling, cricketer (d. 1946)
 * 26 December – Norman Ewing, 23rd Tasmanian Opposition Leader (d. 1928)

Deaths

 * 23 May – Foster Fyans, military officer, administrator and politician (born in Ireland) (b. 1790)
 * 25 May – Captain Thunderbolt, bushranger (b. 1835)
 * 24 June – Adam Lindsay Gordon, South Australian politician and (born in the United Kingdom) poet (b. 1833)