1770    James Cook formally claims eastern Australia for Great Britain, naming it New South Wales.

1804    Castle Hill Rebellion: Irish convicts rebel against British colonial authority in the Colony of New South Wales.

1815    The Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie, officially names the town of Blackheath in the upper Blue Mountains.

1840    The transporting of British convicts to the New South Wales colony is abolished.

1859    Australia: Queensland is established as a separate colony from New South Wales (Queensland Day).

1901    The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton is appointed the first Prime Minister.

1944    World War II: possibly the biggest prison breakout in history occurs as 545 Japanese POWs attempt to escape outside the town of Cowra, New South Wales, Australia.

1964    Melbourne-Voyager collision: The aircraft carrier {{HMAS|Melbourne|R21|6}} collides with the destroyer {{HMAS|Voyager|D04|6}} off the south coast of New South Wales, Australia.

1979    The Ghost Train Fire at Luna Park Sydney (New South Wales, Australia) kills seven.

1984    Homosexuality is declared legal in the Australian state of New South Wales.

1986    A low-pressure system that redeveloped off the New South Wales coast dumps a record 328 millimeters (13 inches) of rain in a day on Sydney.

1999    Glenbrook rail accident near Sydney, New South Wales.