1860 in Australia

Incumbents

Governors

• Governor of New South Wales - Sir William Denison
• Governor of Queensland - Sir George Bowen
• Governor of South Australia - Sir Richard G. MacDonnell
• Governor of Tasmania - Sir Henry Young
• Governor of Victoria - Sir Henry Barkly

  Premiers

• Premier of New South Wales - William Forster until 8 March then John Robertson
• Premier of Queensland - Robert Herbert
• Premier of South Australia - Richard Hanson until 9 May then Thomas Reynolds
• Premier of Tasmania - Francis Smith until 1 November then William Weston
• Premier of Victoria - William Nicholson until 26 November then Richard Heales

  Events

• 20 August - Burke and Wills expedition sets off from Royal Park, Melbourne at about 4pm watched by around 15,000 spectators.
• 12 November - The Victorian College for the Deaf is opened in a small house in Peel Street Windsor.
• 12 December - Initial riots on the Lambing Flat goldfields near present-day Young, New South Wales.

  Births

• 20 June – Jack Worrall, Australian cricketer, footballer, and coach
• 23 June – Sir Baldwin Spencer, the first person to study Australia anthropology.
• 6 September – May Jordan McConnel, trade unionist and suffragist
• 7 December – Joseph Cook, sixth Prime Minister of Australia

  Deaths

• 31 March - Frederick Irwin, acting Governor of Western Australia
• 1 July - Robert Thomas,, newspaper proprietor