358 .yi:w SOUTH wales. 



1839. 



30 April Mr. (afterwards Sir Alfred) Stephen appointed Judge of the Supreme 



Court of New South Wales. 



30 September... Mr. Charles Joseph Latrobe arrived at Melbourne. 



31 October System of military juries ceased. 



1840. 



29 January Foundation of the Colony of New Zealand. Captain John Hobson 



appointed first Governor, 20th November. 

 1 August Transportation to New South Wales practically ceased. 



1841. 



^\ "^R^J T^ 1 ^' "^' ^y^'® journeys from Adelaide to King George's Sound. 



15 May Captain (afterwards Sir George) Grey appointed Governor of South 



Australia. 



1842. 



10 February ... Moreton Bay district declared a free settlement. 



20 July Town of Sydney incorporated. John Ho-sking, first mayor. 



11 August Town of Melbourne incorporated. Henry Condell, first mayor. 



1843. 



23 February ... Final meeting of the Legislature as constituted in 1823. 



1 August First meeting of the partly elective and partly nominee Legislative 



Council held. Mr. Alexander Macleay, Speaker. 



1844. 



29 September... Norfolk Island separated from New South Wales, and annexed to the 

 Government of Van Diemen's Land. 



1 October Leichhardt leaves the Darling Downs on his fir.st expedition to Port 



Essington, discovering the Dawson, Mackenzie, Burdekin, Suttor, 

 and other rivers. 



1845. 



17 November... Sir Thomas Mitchell starts on his expedition to the N.W., in which he 

 discovered the Fitzroy Downs, and the Culgoa, Warrego, and Barcoo 

 rivers. 



1846. 



29 January Public meeting held at Sydney to advocate railway construction. 



1 1 July Sir George Gipps dejiarts ; Sir Maurice O'Connell acting in the interim. 



3 August Governor FitzRoy assumes the Government. 



1847. 



— January'' Flood in the Hunter River. 



— November... Leichhardt left Moreton Bay on his laist expedition. 



1848. 



5 January Denominational School Board appointed. 



1849. 



8 .January .... Cessation of transportation. Last convict vessel arrived at Sj'dney. 



1850. 



3 July First sod of I'ailway Sydney to Goulburn turned, 



5 August Australian Colonies Bill (Imperial) assented to. 



1851. 



.5 February ... Black Thursday. Extensive bush fires and great destruction of property 

 and loss of life in Victoria. 



— April Gold discovered near Bathurst and handed to Government by Mr. E. H. 



Hargraves. 



1 July Victoria separated from New South Wales. 



25 August Gold discovered at Ballarat. 



5 December . . . First electric telegraphic message sent in New South Wales. 



1852. 



25 .June Disastrous flood in the Murrumbidgee and other rivers. The town of 



Guadagai swept away and nearly 100 lives lost. 



3 August The first P. and 0. mail steamer, the Chusan, arrived. 



1 October The Sydney University inaugurated. 



