See also: 1887 in Australia, other events of 1888, 1889 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.

Incumbents

• Premier of New South Wales - Henry Parkes
• Premier of South Australia - Thomas Playford II
• Premier of Queensland - Samuel Griffith (til June 13), Thomas McIlwraith (til November 30) then Boyd Morehead
• Premier of Tasmania - Philip Fysh
• Premier of Victoria - Duncan Gillies
• Governor of the Crown Colony of Western Australia - Sir Frederick Broome

Events

• January - Centennial Park is opened in Sydney
• January 30 - The Presbyterian Church of New South Wales establishes its first school, the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney
• October 4 - Princes Bridge, Melbourne is opened
• October 9 - Launceston, Tasmania is proclaimed a city.

Undated

• Angus & Robertson publish their first book, A Crown of Wattle
• Excavation begins on the water supply tunnels beneath Fremantle Prison, in Western Australia.

Sport

• Mentor wins the Melbourne Cup

Births

• June 29 – Squizzy Taylor, Melbourne gangster. (d. 1927)
• October 31 – Hubert Wilkins, polar explorer (d. 1958)
• December 14 – Harold Hardwick, freestyle swimmer (d. 1959)

Deaths

• February 21 - William Weston, Premier of Tasmania (b. 1804)
• May 30 - Louis Buvelot, painter (b. 1814)
• October 9 - Anthony Musgrave, Governor of Queensland (b. 1828)

See also

• 1888
• 1800s