1877 in Australia

Governors of the Australian colonies:

• Governor of New South Wales – Hercules Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead
• Governor of Queensland – Sir William Cairns until 14 March, then Arthur Kennedy
• Governor of South Australia – Sir Anthony Musgrave until 29 January, then William Jervois
• Governor of Tasmania – Frederick Weld
• Governor of Victoria – Sir George Bowen
• Governor of Western Australia – Sir William Robinson GCMG, then Major General The Hon. Sir Harry Ord GCMG CB RE

Premiers of the Australian colonies:

• Premier of New South Wales –
  • until 21 March: John Robertson
  • 21 March-16 August: Henry Parkes
  • 17 August-17 December: John Robertson
  • starting 17 December: James Farnell
• Premier of Queensland – George Thorn until 8 March, then John Douglas
• Premier of South Australia – John Colton until 26 October, then James Boucaut
• Premier of Tasmania – Thomas Reibey until 9 August, then Philip Fysh
• Premier of Victoria – James McCulloch

• 8 March – John Douglas becomes Premier of Queensland
• 10 March – Cloncurry was established
• 15 March to 4 April – 1877 Australia v England series is played
• 1 April – A settlement on Thursday Island was established for the refueling of steam ships
• 8 June – Lutherans found the Hermannsburg Mission at Finke River in the Northern Territory
• 20 July – Arthur Kennedy becomes Governor of Queensland
• 9 August – Philip Fysh becomes Premier of Tasmania
• 17 August – John Robertson begins another term as Premier of New South Wales
• 11 September – Ships Avalanche and Forrest collide off Portland, Victoria, only 3 of the 107 passengers are saved
• 2 October – William Jervois becomes Governor of South Australia
• 26 October – James Boucaut becomes Premier of South Australia
• 12 November – Harry Ord becomes Governor of Western Australia

• 30 April – South Australian Football League founded.
• 17 May – Victorian Football Association founded.

• 17 January – May Gibbs
• 25 August – John Latham
• 8 October – Hans Heysen
• 14 November – Norman Brookes

• 25 March – Caroline Chisholm, humanitarian (b. 1808)
• 2 April – Bully Hayes, ship's captain and trader
• 7 April – John Arthur, Tasmanian cricketer (b. 1847)
• 16 June – John Fairfax, journalist and politician (b. 1804)
• 18 July – Joseph Anderson, Norfolk Island administrator (b. 1790)
• 17 August – Martin Cash, convict escapee (born 1808)
• 16 September – Saxe Bannister, first Attorney General of New South Wales (b. 1790)

• Barker, Anthony (1996). What Happened When. St Leonards: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-86373-986-3.