ON THIS DAY – 7th April
1780 – Colourful character Jorgen Jorgenson, whaler, English spy and convict, was born.
1815 – Bathurst, New South Wales was founded following its discovery by George Evans.
1826 – Australia's first street lamp was erected in Macquarie Place, Sydney – it burned whale oil.
1835 – Major Thomas Mitchell sets out from Boree Station on his second expedition, determined to discredit the discoveries made by Sturt. The expeditions purpose was to chart the course of the Darling River which Sturt had discovered some years earlier. Mitchell was determined to prove Sturt wrong in the latter's belief that the river flowed southward into the Murray, as Mitchell believed it must flow northwest. After travelling for several months and following the Darling for almost 500km, Mitchell was forced to admit that Sturt was indeed correct.
1841 – Edward John Eyre became the first European to cross the Nullarbor Plain. He arrived in Western Australia with Wylie, an indigenous Australian who accompanied him. Eyre left Fowlers Bay, South Australia on 25 February and reached Albany, Western Australia on 7 July.
1851 – Edward Hargraves proclaimed the discovery of gold at Ophir, New South Wales. A court later decided that Hargraves companions William Tom and John Lister found the gold.
1896 – Edwin Flack won gold medals in the 800-metre and 1500 metre events, and bronze in the tennis doubles at the Games of the 1st Olympiad. He was the only Australian competitor at these games.
1939 – Prime Minister Joseph Lyons died of a sudden heart attack. He was the first Prime Minister to die in office. Sir Earle Page, the leader of the Country Party was appointed caretaker Prime Minister until the United Australia Party could elect a new leader.
1941 – The Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) was formed.
1966 – New South Wales repealed the Sunday Observance Act, allowing theatres and cinemas to open, sporting events to charge admission and clubs to sell alcohol on Sundays.
1967 – Australian military adviser Major Peter Badcoe was killed in action in Vietnam during an operation in Hương Trà District with the 1st ARVN Division Reaction Company. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery, conspicuous gallantry and leadership on more than one occasion.
1998 – Patrick Corporation sacked 2,000 dock workers to try to improve efficiency on the waterfront. In response, the Maritime Union of Australia staged possibly the largest industrial dispute Australia has ever seen. In the end, the jobs were restored to the workers in exchange for improvements in efficiency.
Pictured:
Jørgen Jørgensen [Eckersberg] (Wiki) – Top Middle
Edwin Flack in Athens in 1896 (Wiki) – Left
Telegraphist ratings of the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) equipped with gas respirators during World War II. (Royal Australian Navy) – Bottom
Major Peter John Badcoe (AWM) – Top Right
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