1890 in Australia
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Incumbents
- Premier of New South Wales - Henry Parkes
- Premier of South Australia - John Cockburn until 19 August, then Thomas Playford II
- Premier of Queensland - Boyd Dunlop Morehead until 12 August, then Samuel Griffith
- Premier of Tasmania - Philip Fysh
- Premier of Western Australia - established from 29 December, John Forrest
- Premier of Victoria - Duncan Gillies until 5 November, then James Munro
Events
- 1 January - The University of Tasmania opens
- 28 February - The steamship RMS Quetta sinks off Cape York Peninsula, killing 133
- 29 December - Sir John Forrest becomes the Premier of Western Australia and the first Premier in Australia.
Arts and literature
- 26 April - Banjo Paterson's The Man from Snowy River is published.
Sport
- 31 May – The first Australian Championships in Athletics are held under the name Inter Colonial Meet. The men's competition is staged at the Moore Park in Sydney.
- Carbine wins the Melbourne Cup
Births
- 2 March Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey, Governor of South Australia 1939–1944 (died 1969)
- 10 March - Albert Ogilvie, Premier of Tasmania (died 1939)
- 18 July - Frank Forde, 15th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1983)
- 29 August - Richard Gardiner Casey, Governor General of Australia (died 1976)
- 10 September - Robert Heffron, Premier of New South Wales (died 1978)
- 31 December - Daryl Lindsay, artist (died 1976)
Deaths
- 9 November - James Boag I, brewer (born 1822)
- 8 January - [Alfred Nobel] , Inventor {born 1833}
