Massacre of Aboriginal people on the McKinlay River, Northern Territory. The perpetrators are exonerated by an official inquiry. There is trade union agitation in Melbourne against Chinese in the furniture trade and in Sydney against Chinese seamen.
New South Wales Government establishes the Protectorate of Aborigines which in 1883 becomes the Aborigines Protection Board.
South Australia is the first colony to introduce restrictions on Chinese immigration in line with recommendations from the Intercolonial Conference; New South Wales and Victoria pass similar legislation. A group of Italian immigrants form a settlement known as New Italy
First Inter-Colonial Conference agrees on the need for uniform legislation to restrict Chinese immigration. New South Wales Premier Sir Henry Parkes proposes restrictions on Irish immigration to maintain the British character of the population.
First Intercolonial Trades Union Congress unanimously opposes Chinese Immigration.
Seamen in Sydney go on strike against employment of low-paid Chinese crews on ships. The strike spreads to other ports in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. A mass anti-Chinese meeting is held in Hyde Park, Sydney. The Great Synagogue
Queensland Chinese Immigrants Regulation Act and Gold Fields Act Amendment Act impose restrictions on Chinese immigration and on their access to the goldfields. Anti-Chinese riot occurs on the Palmer River goldfields in Northern Queensland where Chinese diggers outnumber the Europeans.
Truganini, believed to be the last surviving tribal Tasmanian Aborigine, dies in Hobart.
Rioting occurs at Clunes, Victoria when Chinese are used to break a miners’ strike.
Arrivals from Ireland peak at 200,000. Up to World War 1 the Irish, after the English, form the second largest component of immigrant community. They have a minority status as Catholics in a predominantly Protestant society.