- 1770 – Captain James Cook claims the east coast of New Holland in the name of King George III, naming the site Possession Island.
- 1872 – The 3200 km Australian Overland Telegraph Line is completed.
- 1930 – The two spans of the Sydney Harbour Bridge are joined.
- 1985 – A Royal Commission found that there was no link between chemical defoliant Agent Orange and health problems of Vietnam war veterans.