On this day in 1803 The Sydney Gazette, Australia's first newspaper was printed in a small shed behind the government house building.
The masthead of the paper featured the powerful motto "Thus we hope to prosper"

On this day in 1902, the first water was pumped through the most difficult section of the golden pipeline in WA.
In order to develop Western Australia and gain access to the goldfields Premier John Forrest authorised the Goldfields water supply scheme. An ambitious infrastructure project that saw 60,000 connection sections of 30" diameter steel pipe laid allowing 23,000 kilolitres of fresh water to be pumped the 530km to where it was needed.
At the time the construction was completed it was the longest freshwater pipeline in the world. The pipeline continues to operate and is still supplying fresh water today.

Happy Commonwealth day!
The sun still shines on the British race and their descendants ☀️

On this day in 1871, surveyor William Whitefield Mills discovered the Spring which from which the town of Alice springs takes its name.

On this day in 1840 Polish explorer and geologist Sir Paul Strzelecki reached the summit of the highest mountain in Australia which he named Mount Kosciuszko.

On this day in 1774 Matthew Flinders was born. Flinders is best know as the first to circumnavigate the Australian continent in the 1790s. His charting of the coastline and inland explorations made a huge early contribution to settlement plans.
Happy birthday to one of the towering figures in Australian history.

On this day in 1910 Australian aviation pioneer Frederik Custance made an approximately 5 and a half minute flight in Bolivar, SA.
This event can be considered Australia's first powered flight however some dismiss Custance's flight on the grounds there were very few witnesses.

On this day in 1910 Famous magician Harry Houdini made what is widely recognised as Australia's first powered flight at Diggers Rest Victoria.
Houdini's flight was certified by the Aerial league of Australia cementing his record for the first powered flight in the country.

Born on this day in 1944 is iconic Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith.
Dick is most well know for founding the Dick Smith electronics chain but he had many business ventures including Australian Geographic magazine and Australian produced and owned food company Dick Smith foods.
Dick has been politically active as a promoter of reforms to support local business and a critic of mass migration.
Happy birthday Dick Smith!

On this day in 1932 the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened.
The Bridge is constructed from 52,800 tonnes of steel held together with roughly 6 million hand driven rivets taking around 9 years to complete.
The opening ceremony was marked with controversy after Cpt Francis de Groot rode in on a horse and cut the ribbon before NSW premier Jack Lang could cut the ribbon.

On this day in 1897 Sir Edmund Barton led a conference to discuss a proposed constitution for the Commonwealth of Australia.
Pictured is the drafting committee for the Australian constitution bill in Adelaide. L-R John Downer, Edmund Barton, Richard O'connor.

On this day in 1887 Australia's first major mining disaster occurred at the Bulli mine in NSW when a catastrophic coal dust explosion took the lives of 81 men and boys. The disaster left behind 50 widows and 150 fatherless children.
The disaster was a defining moment in Australia's labor movement transforming the isolated local groups into a unified and militant movement that was able to wield political power and demand increased safety measures.

On this day in 1936, PM Joseph Lyons officially opened the world's longest submarine telephone and telegraph cable, connecting mainland Australia to Tasmania. At the time of its completion, this 160-mile (approx. 258 km) link was a global record-breaker for its kind and finally integrated all Australian states into a single, common telephone network.

On this day in 1908, Witches Falls in the Gold Coast hinterland was declared Queensland's first national park.

On this day in 1901 Edmund Barton was elected as Australia's first Prime Minister after the nations first federal election.
Already serving as caretaker PM after federation on the 1st of Jan 1901 the election provided Barton with a mandate to continue leading the new nation.

On this day in 1792, emancipated convict James Ruse was granted the first official land grant in NSW.
When early attempts at farming had met with little success Ruse was given the use of 1.5 acres on a trial basis with the condition he must produce a harvest. Ruse was successful in producing the colony's first wheat crop and Governor Phillip granted him 30 acres of land near paramatta as a reward.

https://ausnatives.org/podcast/sydneysiders/

Listen in to the latest Natives' Rouseabout 📣

In this episode Trent, Richard and Percy discuss the establishment of a new ANA branch in Sydney along with the city’s historical and cultural importance.

On this day in 1978 Entrepreneur Dick Smith orchestrated the Sydney iceberg hoax.
Smith hired a barge which he covered in plastic sheeting, firefighting foam and shaving cream to create the illusion of an iceberg. As the "iceberg" was towed into Sydney harbour in the early morning, co-conspirators rang radio stations to report they had seen an iceberg being towed into the harbour. People were initially fooled but after it started raining the foam and shaving cream were washed away making the "iceberg" far less convincing.
Despite the weather not cooperating this is still considered one of Australia's most successful April fools day pranks with many radio stations and newspapers hoodwinked.

On this day in 1846 South Australia's first payable gold was discovered. at Echunga.
The South Australian government had offered a reward of £1,000 for the discovery of a payable goldfield to prevent the mass exodus of miners for the Victorian goldfields.