Australian Historical Events is a daily guide to the important events that shaped Australia to what it is today. It is a compilation of significant events for the month of May including the birth and death of famous Australians as well as laws promulgated by authorities. The list is constantly updated to incorporate the most recent events.
Australian Historical Events in May
| Day | Year | Event |
| 1 | 1969 | The Australian Copyright Act 1968 came into force, replacing the British Copyright Act 1911. |
| 2 | 1829 | The Colony of Western Australia was established as the Swan River Colony. |
| 6 | 1845 | The Roman Catholic Diocese of Perth was established following its separation from the Archdiocese of Sydney. |
| 7 | 1965 | Richard Gavin Gardiner Casey, Baron Casey, starts his term as the 16th Governor-General of Australia. |
| 8 | 1953 | William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim, begins his term as the 13th Governor-General of Australia. |
| 9 | 1901 | The first Australian Parliament was opened in the city of Melbourne by Prince George who later on became King George V. |
| 9 | 1988 | The Parliament House in Capital Hill, Canberra was inaugurated by by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. |
| 10 | 1887 | Diocese of Brisbane was elevated to become the Archdiocese of Brisbane. |
| 10 | 1934 | Ashmore and Cartier Islands Acceptance Act 1933 came into operation formally making the islands a territory of Australia. |
| 12 | 1850 | Old St Stephens Church in Brisbane, Queensland was opened. |
| 13 | 1968 | Birth: Scott Morrison, 30th prime minister of Australia |
| 14 | 1858 | Surveyor John McDouall Stuart, with financial backing from William Finke set off on the first of his six major expeditions to the inland areas of Australia. |
| 14 | 1958 | The United Kingdom’s Christmas Island Act was given royal assent, enabling Britain to transfer authority over Christmas Island from Singapore to Australia by an order-in-council. |
| 15 | 1839 | The first Catholic mass in Victoria State was celebrated in Melbourne, then called the Port Philip Settlement. |
| 18 | 1914 | Thomas Denman, 3rd Baron Denman, ends his term as the fifth governor-general of Australia. |
| 18 | 1914 | Ronald Munro Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar, begins his term as the sixth governor-general of Australia. |
| 19 | 1901 | Sir George Houston Reid assumes role as the first leader of the opposition in Australian politics. |
| 20 | 1901 | Chris Watson assumes role as the first leader of the Australian Labour Party (ALP). |
| 23 | 2022 | Anthony Albanese was sworn in as the 31st prime minister of Australia. |
| 31 | 1942 | Three Japanese midget submarines entered Sydney harbour, one of which became entangled in the western end of the the harbour anti-submarin eboom net’s central section. |
RELATED: Australian Events in January, February, March, April, June, July, August, September, October, November, December