If Social Media existed back then, what would our ancestors have been talking about? Taken from year books, Almanacs and newspapers, follows is a list of notable events that occurred in this year. Includes disasters, severe weather, notable people, milestones, construction, inaugurations and other significant events. Obviously, this list references recorded events only and is not exhaustive.

January 1878

• 3rd – Presentation to Mr Hugh George, on his retirement from the general managership of the Argus, Melbourne, to that of the Sydney Morning Herald.
• 5th – Fire at Havelock, New Zealand. Damage £6,000.
• 8th – Scarlet fever broken out amongst a number of immigrants at Murrurrundi, New South Wales.
• 8th – Issue of Government Gazette, Melbourne, dismissing large numbers of the Civil Servants.
• 9th – Opening of Portland and Hamilton railway.
• 9th – Terrible accounts of the drought and heat in New South Wales.
• 9th – Fearful hurricane, New Hebrides.
• 12th – 8,500 kangaroos killed in a battle on a station in Queensland.
• 12th – The Australian Blondin crossed the Yarra near Prince’s Bridge, Melbourne, on a thin wire rope.
• 13th – Archbishop Vaughan invested with the pallium received from the Pope, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney. Eight bishops present.
• 14th – Intense heat at Riverina, thermometer 121° in the shade. Birds dropped dead from the trees.
• 16th – Meeting of gold miners at Sydney to arrange for prospecting New Guinea.
• 17th – Disastrous fire at Auckland. £7,000 damage.
• 18th – Sir Wm Jervois turned the first sod of the Port Augusta railway, South Australia
• 18th – Wreck of the ASN Co’s, paddle steamer Queensland, at the Fitzroy river.
• 23rd – New South Wales Political Reform Association issued manifesto.
• 23rd – Contract accepted of a Melbourne firm for the completion of the railway from Wagga Wagga to Albury, in three years.
• 30th – Fatal railway accident at Emu Plains, New South Wales, 3 killed and a number injured, and rolling stock damaged to the amount of £8,000

February 1878

• 1st – Mr Geo Elliot Barton, barrister, sentenced to one month’s imprisonment for contempt of court, at Wellington New Zealand.
• 1st – Supplement to New South Wales Gazette announces opening of International Exhibition in Sydney in August, 1879.
• 2nd – Sir John Coode, CE, arrived in Melbourne to report on harbour improvements
• 4th – Sir Bryan O’Loghlen returned for West Melbourne, in opposition to Mr. J. G. Francis.
• 5th – Flood and loss of life in Sydney.
• 6th – Opening of the Port bridge, Adelaide by Sir Wm Jervois.
• 9th – Sir Arthur Gordon arrived at Samoa.
• 15th – Australian Juvenile Industrial Exhibition opened, Ballarat.
• 16th – Drought on the Darling broken up.
• 19th – Motion negatived in the New South Wales Assembly, for the immediate construction of a railway from Sydney to Jervis Bay.
• 28th – Deplorable accounts received in Sydney of the state of business in New Caledonia.

March 1878

• 1st – Opening of the railway from Oakleigh to Sale, Victoria.
• 8th – Fire at Riverston, New Zealand. Damage, £10,000.
• 9th – Japanese man of war arrived at Brisbane.
• 10th – Disturbances at Hyde Park, Sydney, in connection with the open air preaching of the Rev W Allen.
• 13th – Serious outbreak at the Pentridge Reformatory, Victoria.
• 14th – Announcement in the New South Wales Assembly, that the Government intend to carry the Great Western Railway from Dubbo to Bourke.
• 15th – Typhoid fever raging at Kurrajong, New South Wales.
• 15th – Chimborazo steamer struck on a rock off Jervis Bay, New South Wales.
• 16th – Great floods, Melbourne and the suburbs. Injury to the Yan Yean aqueduct. Floods also in the country districts, Victoria.
• 16th – Fire at Auckland, New Zealand. Damage, £10,000
• 17th – Further riots at Hyde Park, Sydney, in connection with Pastor Allen’s preaching. The military under arms.
• 23rd – Colonist started for New Guinea from Sydney.
• 25th – Great discoveries of tin at Mount Heemskirk, Tasmania.
• 26th – Motion carried in the New South Wales Assembly to open the Sydney Museum on Sundays.
• 26th – Attempt made to burn down the office of the Evening Argus, Wellington, New Zealand.
• 27th – Termination of the Victorian Deadlock.

April 1878

• 8th – Death of Mr Justice Fellowes, Melbourne.
• 8th – Sir Wm Manning elected chancellor of Sydney University.
• 10th – Funeral of Mr Justice Fellowes.
• 11th – Sir Bryan O’Loghlen re-elected for West Melbourne.
• 11th – Announcement that owing to the drought, the number of sheep in New South Wales had decreased last year by 3,748,093.
• 16th – Reef struck in the Magdala claim, Pleasant Creek, at a depth of 1,925 feet.
• 17th – Great Southern line of railway, New South Wales, opened to Bethungra.
• 28th – Severe hurricane at Gregadoo station, near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.

May 1878

• 1st – 11,000 persons visited the Sydney Exhibition.
• 1st – Announcement that the Rt Rev Dr Tyrrell Bishop of Newcastle, New South Wales, has devoted £250,000 to his diocese.
• 9th – Cable conference opened, Melbourne.
• 10th – Dr Temple, of Young New South Wales, drowned
• 10th – Extensive fire, Balclutha, New Zealand.
• 17th – Mr Richall Richardson and three companions, drowned by the upsetting of a boat in Macquarie harbour, Tasmania.
• 21st – Dreadful coach accident near Oamaru, New Zealand.
• 21st – Mr J G Francis elected for Warrnambool, Victoria.
• 23rd – Terrific foundry explosion, Sydney.

June 1878

• 1st – Wreck of the Loch Ard, near Cape Otway, Victoria. Midshipman Pearce and Miss Carmichael alone saved.
• 2nd – The SS Blackbird wrecked on the Ninety Mile Reach, Victoria. All saved.
• 8th – Extraordinary meteor seen in various parts of New South Wales.
• 10th – Norwood tramway opened, South Australia.
• 14th – The SS Cuzco reached Portland from England, disabled.
• 16th – Nugget weighing 127 grains found at Humbug Gully, Chinaman’s Flat, Victoria.
• 16th – Distressing news received at Brisbane of the illness of the prospecting party in New Guinea.
• 22nd – 400 ounce nugget found by a Chinaman at Jericho, near Bealiba, Victoria.
• 25th – Ship Hyderabad, with railway iron from Lyttelton to Adelaide went ashore in Cook’s Straits.
• 25th – Outbreak in New Caledonia, massacre of settlers.

July 1878

• 5th – Grand Banquet to Sir Henry Parkes, at Wagga Wagga.
• 6th – Opening of railway from Cootamundra to Junee, New South Wales.
• 6th – Roberts and Shorter played their final Billiard Match at Melbourne.
• 7th – Funeral at Melbourne of the late Mr Edward Wilson, senior proprietor of the Argus.
• 9th – News reached Adelaide of the murder of Mr Maunsell of the Morelana Station.
• 11th – 250 ounce nugget found near Bunninyong.
• 15th – Port Pirie and Jamestown Railway opened, South Australia.
• 19th – Queenslander Expedition left Blackall for Port Darwin.
• 23rd – Wreck of the James Service from Calcutta for Melbourne, off the coast of Western Australia, all on board lost.
• 23rd – Large Meeting at Sydney, to protest against Chinese Immigration.
• 23rd – Mutiny Act proclaimed in New South Wales.
• 29th – Enthusiastic Meeting, Melbourne Town Hall in support of Lord Beaconsfield’s policy.

August 1878

• 7th – Miss Robinson, daughter of Sir Hercules Robinson, married to Mr Finlay at Sydney.
• 11th – Funeral of the Rev Dr Lang at Sydney.
• 12th – Telegram received at Adelaide announcing rich gold fields, Pine Creek.
• 22nd – Close of the Stevenson prosecution, Melbourne.
• 24th – Operations suspended at the Wallaroo mines in consequence of the low price of copper.
• 29th – First passenger train crossed the new Murray bridge at Echuca.

September 1878

• 3rd – Railway opened from Dunolly to Bealiba, Victoria.
• 3rd – Railway opened from Junee to Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.
• 5th – Heavy flood, Mudgee, New South Wales.
• 11th – Grand calico ball, Sydney.
• 20th – Senior Sergeant Wallings, New South Wales Police, shot dead at Wonbobbie, when endeavouring to arrest a man charged with horse stealing.
• 22nd – Great fire at Maryborough, Queensland, damage £6,000.

October 1878

• 2nd – Enthusiastic reception at Adelaide of Sir Wm Jervois on his arrival in HMS Sapphire.
• 2nd – £2,000 given by Mr W J Clarke, of Sunbury, Victoria, to the Indian Relief Fund.
• 2nd – Land-tax Bill read a second time in the Legislative Council, Victoria.
• 4th – Tax on livestock imported into Victoria, carried in the Assembly by 38 to 22.
• 9th – Vote of want of confidence carried against the New Zealand Ministry, by a majority of 3.
• 9th – Discovery at Glenelg, South Australia, at the sandmills, of a large parcel of bank-notes, supposed to have been stolen from the Glenelg post-office, 26 April, 1874.
• 10th – New Zealand Ministry resigned.
• 12th – New South Wales Assembly dissolved.
• 12th – Disorderly scenes in Tasmanian Assembly.
• 12th – Gold discovered in the British and Tasmanian Charcoal and Iron Company’s ground, Lempriere, Tasmania.
• 15th – Sir George Grey forms new ministry, New Zealand.
• 16th – Return of Mr Sergison’s exploring party from the Katherine River, northern territory, splendid country reported.
• 17th – Opening of the National Show at Stawell, Victoria.
• 17th – Further gold discoveries, Brandy creek, Tasmania.
• 18th – Vote of want of confidence carried against the Government in the South Australian Assembly, by Mr. Boucaut.
• 18th – Queensland Gold Fields Amendment Act, levying £3 licence fee on Chinese miners, put in force.
• 23rd – A woman and five children burnt to death at Wellington, New Zealand.
• 24th – Sydney elections, rejection of Sir Henry Parkes.
• 25th – Queensland Assembly negatived vote based on Defence Commission Report.
• 26th – Railway opened, Ararat to Hamilton, Victoria.
• 26th – New ministry formed by Mr Boucaut, sworn in at Adelaide.
• 29th – Sir Wm Jervois, in turning first sod of Adelaide and Norwood tramway, advocated introduction of Chinese into northern territory.

November 1878

• 2nd – Suicide of Capt Goldsmith, mining inspector at Auckland.
• 4th – Mr Berry’s cabinet determined to send mission to England regarding Reform question, Victoria.
• 5th – Melbourne Cup won by Mr De Mestre’s Calamia.
• 6th – Petition, 500 feet long, presented to the New South Wales Assembly by students of Sydney against Chinese immigration.
• 6th – Financial statement made by New South Wales Treasurer. Revenue estimated at £4,873,750.
• 7th – Railway accident on Northern line, Queensland. Four navvies killed and seventeen injured.
• 13th – £5,000 voted for the expense of the embassy to England by Victorian Assembly.
• 14th – Fatal accident, Moonta mines, South Australia. Three men killed.
• 15th – David Henry and Wm Ireland convicted of embracery at Melbourne Central Criminal Court.
• 18th – Anti-Chinese agitation, Newcastle, New South Wales. Strike of the ASN Steam Co’s crews at Sydney, &c.
• 18th – Enormous bush fires, Waimate, New Zealand.
• 19th – South Australian Legislative Council rejected Bill for re-establing customs duties, Northern territory.
• 19th – Splendid reception at Auckland, New Zealand, of the Australian team of cricketers.
• 21st – Immense bush fires, Maitland district, New South Wales.
• 21st – Suicide at Launceston, Tasmania, of Mr Theodore Bartley, a very old colonist.
• 21st – News received at Perth, Western Australia, of the natives being troublesome on the Murchison river. Several shot by the settlers.
• 30th – Picnic at Clontarf, Sydney, to Mr A MacArthur, MP for Lambeth.

December 1878

• 2nd – The Duplicate cable contract signed by Mr Graham Berry at Melbourne.
• 4th – Announcement made to New South Wales International Committee that £50,000 will be asked from the Legislature for the necessary expenses.
• 5th – Destruction by fire of the Bathurst Hospital, New South Wales.
• 5th – Government Land Bill, New South Wales, defeated by 41 to 22 in the Assembly.
• 7th – Successful meeting, Brisbane, in reference to exportation of meat.
• 11th – Outrage by the Kelly gang at Euroa, Victoria.
• 11th – Grand reception at Melbourne of the Australian cricketing team on their return from England.
• 13th – Sir John Robertson requested to form ministry New South Wales.
• 15th – Four young girls drowned in the Namoi river New South Wales.
• 19th – Sir Henry Parkes formed ministry, New South Wales.
• 19th – Tasmanian ministry resigned. Mr Crowther formed new cabinet.
• 21st – Sir George Grey turned the first sod of the Thames-Waikato Railway, New Zealand.
• 22nd – Burning of the brig Iserbrook, at Sydney.
• 22nd – Day of general mourning for the death of the Princess Alice.
• 22nd- Steamer Mecca lost in Torres Straits.
• 26th – Match at Melbourne between Lord Harris’ English Eleven and fifteen of Victoria.
• 28th – Meeting of 20,000 persons Hyde Park, Sydney, in favour of restrictions on Chinese immigration.
• 28th – Messrs Graham Berry and Pearson, constituting the embassy to England, left Victoria per mail steamer.
• 30th – Appointment of International Exhibition Commission, Sydney.