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 October 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 October
| Day | Year | Event |
| 6 | 1920 | Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster, begins his term as the seventh governor-general of Australia. |
| 7 | 1919 | Death: Alfred Deakin, the second prime minister of Australia. |
| 8 | 1925 | John Baird, 1st Viscount Stonehaven, begins his term as the eighth governor-general of Australia. |
| 8 | 1958 | The Migration Act 1958, a law that governs immigration to Australia was given royal assent. |
| 11 | 1852 | The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, was inaugurated as the first university in Australia. |
| 14 | 1824 | Robert Howe published in Sydney the first edition of Australian, the first uncensored newspaper on the mainland. |
| 17 | 2010 | Mary MacKillop, the Australian nun who founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (the Josephites), was canonized as St. Mary of the Cross in a public ceremony held in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican. |
| 17 | 1917 | The Trans-Australian Railway, which runs from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, was completed. |
| 20 | 1973 | The Sydney Opera House was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II after 14 years since construction began. |
| 21 | 1890 | The colony of Western Australia received the Responsible Government status. |
| 21 | 1992 | Old St Stephens Church, also known as the Pugin Chapel, built from 1848 to 1850, in Brisbane was added to the Queensland Heritage Register. |
| 23 | 1845 | St Francis’ Church in Melbourne, the oldest Catholic Church in Victoria, was completed and blessed. |
| 25 | 1616 | Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog made landfall at an island (now called Dirk Hartog Island) off the coast of Shark Bay, Western Australia. He was the second record European explorer to land on Australian soil. |
| 30 | 1924 | Brisbane City Council was organized. |
| 31 | 1825 | Birth: Catherine Helen Spence, first Australian woman to stand in an electoral exercise. |
RELATED: Australian Events in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, November, December