1883 in Australia

The following lists events that happened during 1883 in Australia.

Governors
Governors of the Australian colonies:
 * Governor of New South Wales – Lord Augustus Loftus
 * Governor of Queensland – Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy GCMG CB/Sir Anthony Musgrave GCMG
 * Governor of South Australia – Sir William Jervois then Sir William Robinson
 * Governor of Tasmania – Major Sir George Strahan
 * Governor of Victoria – George Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby

Premiers
Premiers of the Australian colonies:
 * Premier of New South Wales – Sir Henry Parkes until 5 January then Alexander Stuart
 * Premier of Queensland – Thomas McIlwraith until 13 November then Samuel Griffith
 * Premier of South Australia – John Cox Bray
 * Premier of Tasmania – William Giblin
 * Premier of Victoria – Bryan O'Loghlen until 8 March then James Service

Events

 * The J. Boag & Son brewery is established in Launceston, Tasmania.
 * 12 June – The first Australasian headquarters of the Salvation Army opened in Melbourne.
 * 14 June – A rail service between Sydney and Melbourne commences when the NSW and Victorian rail systems are joined at Albury.
 * 1 October – Sydney Boys High School is founded in Sydney, New South Wales. It is the first boys public school in Australia.
 * 26 November – An Australasian Inter-Colonial Conference is held in Sydney. Federation and annexation of surrounding islands are discussed by the Australian colonies, New Zealand and Fiji.

Exploration and settlement

 * Boundary rider Charles Rath discovers the Line of Lode, a massive silver deposit near the town of Broken Hill, New South Wales.

Sport

 * 30 January – England defeats Australia 2–1 in the 1882–83 Test cricket series, reclaiming "The Ashes" of English cricket.
 * November – Martini-Henry wins the Melbourne Cup
 * 2 November –The Northern Rugby Union (later renamed Queensland Rugby Union) is formed at a meeting in Brisbane
 * Petersham Rugby Union Football Club formed in Sydney NSW

Births

 * 16 March – Ethel Anderson (died 1958), poet, author, and painter
 * 12 April – Dally Messenger, (died 1959), rugby footballer
 * 15 April – Stanley Bruce (died 1967), 8th Prime Minister of Australia
 * 30 May – Sandy Pearce (died 1930), rugby league footballer and boxer
 * 1 July – Micky Dore (died 1910), rugby league footballer
 * 1 September – Robert Graves (died 1958), rugby footballer
 * 12 December – William Baylebridge (died 1943), poet and short story writer

Deaths

 * 5 January – Charles Tompson (born 1806), poet
 * 18 August – Roger William Bede Vaughan (born 1834), Archbishop of Sydney