1904 in Australia
See also: 1903 in Australia, other events of 1904, 1905 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history.
Incumbents
- Monarch – King Edward VII
- Governor-General – Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson (until January 21), then Henry Northcote, 1st Baron Northcote
- Prime Minister – Alfred Deakin (until April 27), Chris Watson (until August 18), then George Reid
State premiers
- Premier of New South Wales – John See (until June 14), Thomas Waddell (until August 29), then Joseph Carruthers
- Premier of South Australia – John Jenkins
- Premier of Queensland – Arthur Morgan
- Premier of Tasmania – William Propsting (until July 12), then John Evans
- Premier of Western Australia – Walter James (until August 10), then Henry Daglish
- Premier of Victoria – William Irvine (until February 16), then Sir Thomas Bent
State governors
- Governor of New South Wales – Sir Harry Rawson
- Governor of South Australia – Sir George Ruthven Le Hunte
- Governor of Queensland – Sir Herbert Chermside (until October 10)
- Governor of Tasmania – Captain Sir Arthur Havelock (until April 16), then Sir Gerald Strickland (from October 28)
- Governor of Western Australia – Admiral Sir Frederick Bedford
- Governor of Victoria – Major General Sir Reginald Talbot (from April 25)
Events
- January 6 – The Tasmanian government replaces the state's Central Board of Health with a Public Health Department.
- January 13 – The flag of South Australia is officially gazetted as the current design.
- January 23 – A by-election is held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Ryde. It is won by Edward Terry for the Liberal Reform Party.
- February 29 – Women's suffrage is granted in Tasmania.
- June 1 – A general election is held in Victoria. Incumbent premier Sir Thomas Bent is reutrned with an increased majority.
- June 20 – The P&O ship SS Australia is wrecked at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. There is no loss of life.
- December 1 – Ipswich, Queensland is proclaimed as a city
Arts and literature
- January 12 – Melbourne businessmann Alfred Felton leaves a large bequest to the Art Gallery of Victoria.
- Hans Heysen wins the Wynne Prize with Mystic Morn
- The Austral Hall Toowoomba was officially opened on 5 November, 1904 by Sir Hugh Nelson, Lieutenant Governor of Queensland for The Austral Society.
Sport
- September – The Australasian Lawn Tennis Association is formed in Sydney.
- November 1 – Acrasia wins the Melbourne Cup.
- New South Wales wins the Sheffield Shield.
- Two Australians, Corrie Gardner and Leslie McPherson, compete in athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics. They do not return with any medals
Births
- April 7 – Roland Wilson, economist
- April 8 – John Antill, musician and composer (d. 1986)
- May 29 – Hubert Opperman, cyclist and politician (d. 1996)
Deaths
- January 8 – Alfred Felton (b. 1831), entrepreneur and philanthropist
- January 25 – Graham Berry (b. 1822), Premier of Victoria
- February 2 – Edward Braddon (b. 1829), Premier of Tasmania
- August 5 – George Dibbs (b. 1834), Premier of New South Wales
- December 17 – William Shiels (b. 1848), Premier of Victoria