1896 in Australia

Decades:	1870s; 1880s; 1890s; 1900s; 1910s;
See also:	Other events of 1896; Timeline of Australian history;

The following lists events that happened during 1896 in Australia.

Incumbents

13 February - The Capsize of the ferry Pearl on the Brisbane River, killing 28
27 October Passengers Alighting from Ferry Brighton at Manly the first film shot and screened in Australia

While the Billy Boils, a collection of short stories, is published by Henry Lawson
Augustus Juncker (1855–1942) publishes English duet edition of I was dreaming popularised in the French opera Ma mie Rosette^[1]^[2]

7 to 11 April – Edwin Flack wins gold medals in the 800-metre and 1500 metre events, and bronze in the tennis doubles at the Games of the 1st Olympiad.^[3] He was the only Australian competitor at these games.
3 October – The Victorian Football League is formed, with competition beginning in 1897.
3 November – Newhaven wins the Melbourne Cup - the first horse-racing films produced in Australia.
New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield

22 January – Norman Gilroy, first Australian-born Cardinal (died 1977)
8 February – Alfred Percival Bullen, circus proprietor (died 1974)
18 February – John Cramer, politician (died 1994)
5 July – Thomas Playford, Premier of South Australia (died 1981)
11 July – Evelyn Scotney, coloratura soprano (died 1967)
18 July – Jack Mullens, politician (died 1978)
3 August – Charles Adermann, politician (died 1979)
24 August – Edwin Corboy, politician (died 1950)
28 August – Arthur Calwell, politician (died 1973)
8 September – Marion Allnutt, welfare worker, commanding officer of the NGO, Women's Australian National Services (died 1980)
15 September – Norman Lethbridge Cowper, lawyer (died 1987)
29 September – Thomas James Bede Kenny, soldier and Victoria Cross recipient (died 1953)
3 October – Auvergne Doherty, businesswoman (died 1961]
21 October – Patrick Gordon Taylor, aviator (died 1966)
16 November – Joan Lindsay, author (Picnic at Hanging Rock) (died 1984)
27 November – Arthur Percy Sullivan, soldier and Victoria Cross recipient (died 1937)

^ "NEW MUSIC". The Daily Telegraph. No. 5466. New South Wales, Australia. 26 December 1896. p. 11. Retrieved 23 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^ 78rpm recording online at national film and sound archive Australia
^ "Australia's first Olympian - April 1896: Edwin Flack becomes Australia's first Olympian". www.nma.gov.au. National Museum of Australia. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2017.