1859 in Australia

Incumbents

Governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Sir William Denison
• Governor of Queensland – Sir George Bowen
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Richard MacDonnell
• Governor of Tasmania – Sir Henry Young
• Governor of Victoria – Sir Henry Barkly
• Governor of Western Australia as a Crown Colony – Sir Arthur Kennedy

  Premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – Charles Cowper, William Forster
• Premier of Queensland – Robert Herbert
• Premier of South Australia – Richard Hanson
• Premier of Tasmania – Francis Smith
• Premier of Victoria – John O'Shanassy, William Nicholson

  Events

• 14 May – Melbourne Football Club is founded.
• 6 June – The colony of Queensland is established by decree of Queen Victoria.
• July – Geelong Football Club is founded.
• 5 August – The passenger steamship SS Admella is shipwrecked on a submerged reef near Mount Gambier South Australia with the loss of 89 lives.
• 6 October – Thomas Austin takes 24 rabbits and 5 hares to Australia in order to release them there as a game. They will multiply exponentially.
• The first permanent educational institution for girls, the East Leigh, is founded in Melbourne by Elizabeth Tripp.