1872 in Australia

Incumbents

Governors

• Governor of New South Wales – Somerset Lowry-Corry, 4th Earl Belmore, then Hercules Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead
• Governor of Queensland – George Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby
• Governor of South Australia – Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet
• Governor of Tasmania – Charles Du Cane
• Governor of Victoria – John Manners-Sutton, 3rd Viscount Canterbury

  Premiers

• Premier of New South Wales – Sir James Martin, until 14 May then Henry Parkes
• Premier of Queensland – Arthur Hunter Palmer
• Premier of South Australia – Arthur Blyth, until 22 January then Henry Ayers
• Premier of Tasmania – James Milne Wilson, until 4 November then Frederick Innes
• Premier of Victoria – Charles Gavan Duffy, until 10 June then James Francis

  Events

• 13 February to 28 March – An election is held in New South Wales.
• 19 February – The Municipal District of Dubbo is established, following the approval of the Colonial Secretary.
• 26 February – The brig Maria is wrecked when it strikes a reef near Cardwell off the coast of Queensland, killing 39 people.
• 12 June – A Victorian branch of the Royal Australian Mint opens in Melbourne.
• 22 August – The Australian Overland Telegraph Line is completed when two telegraph lines are joined at Frew's Ponds in the Northern Territory.
• 24 September – The General Post Office opens in Brisbane, Queensland.

  Sport

• The Quack wins the Melbourne Cup

  Births

• 1 January – Arthur Manning, politician
• 22 February – Shaw Neilson, poet
• 26 February – John Holman, politician
• 11 September - Daniel Teese, historic event forcer
• 28 September – David Unaipon, writer and inventor
• 14 October – John Leckie, politician
• Joe Slater musical composer and publisher

  Deaths

• 4 January - Edward Macarthur, Administrator of Victoria
• 15 January – John King, explorer
• 12 February – George Herbert Rogers, actor
• 20 February – Andrew Petrie, architect
• 20 March - William Wentworth, explorer and politician
• 28 April – Caroline Calvert, writer and naturalist
• 19 May – John Baker, Premier of South Australia
• 11 June – John Davies, founder of The Mercury newspaper
• 31 December – John McKinlay, explorer
• date unknown
• * John Dibbs, mariner