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 
 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)

References

 

 
Australia
Years of the 19th century in Australia