Portal:Australia/Anniversaries/June/June 12

Portrait of William Spence in 1908.

• 1789 – The Hawkesbury River is discovered by Governor Arthur Phillip.
• 1883 – The first Australasian headquarters of the Salvation Army opened in Melbourne.
• 1886 – William Spence chaired a meeting of shearers in Ballarat, Victoria at which the unanimous decision was to form the Amalgamated Shearers' Union which later became part of the Australian Workers Union.
• 1902 – The Commonwealth Franchise Act granted most Australian women the right to vote and stand in federal elections.
• 1956 – A free mass vaccination program with Salk polio vaccine commences.
• 1996 – Two Australian Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters collide near Townsville killing 18 soldiers.