1796 in Australia

none September 2026 January 2012 1796 The following lists events that happened during 1796 in Australia. Leaders Monarch - George III Governor of New South Wales – John Hunter Lieutenant-Governor of Norfolk Island – Philip Gidley King Inspector of Public Works – John Macarthur/Richard Atkins Events frame|A pen and wash drawing of Sydney in 1796 16 January – Australia's first theatre opens in Sydney. Edward Young's The Revenge and the comedy The Hotel are the first works performed. 23 January – The distillation of spirits is prohibited. 5 February – Soldiers from the New South Wales Corps wreck a house belonging to millwright John Baughan. 10 February – Magistrate William Balmain challenges Macarthur over the house-wrecking incident. 29 February – Macarthur resigns as Inspector of the Public Works and is replaced by Richard Atkins. June – George Bass makes an unsuccessful attempt to cross the Blue Mountains. Coal is discovered near Port Stephens. 14 September – Governor Hunter complains to the Colonial Secretary of Macarthur's behaviour. 15 September – Macarthur complains to Colonial Secretary of Hunter's governing. 9 November – As Sydney grows, Hunter disbands the convict night watch. He divides Sydney into four districts responsible for their own watchmen and orders houses to be numbered. Births 20 March – Edward Gibbon Wakefield date unknown Henry Vincent, first superintendent of Rottnest Island Aboriginal Prison (d. 1869) References Barker Anthony What Happened When Allen & Unwin 1996 St Leonards 978-1-86373-986-3 National Library of Australia The World Upside Down: Australia 1788 – 1830 http://www.nla.gov.au/exhibitions/upsidedown/index.html 9 February 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070320021016/http://www.nla.gov.au/exhibitions/upsidedown/index.html 20 March 2007 1796 in yes Australia Category:Years of the 18th century in Australia