The following lists events that happened during 1803 in Australia. Incumbents Monarch - George III Governors Governors of the Australian colonies: Governor of New South Wales – Captain Philip King Events 14 January – Lieut-Col David Collins commissioned in England to found a new settlement on Bass Strait, preferably at Port Phillip. 5 March – George Howe publishes the first issue of the weekly The Sydney Gazette and The New South Wales Advertiser, Australia's first newspaper. 19 April - Governor King proclaims toleration for Catholics and allows Fr James Dixon to say mass for Irish convicts. 14 May - Illegal Masonic meeting held in Sydney and all participants arrested. 27 December – Convict William Buckley escapes from Sullivan Bay, Victoria. He lives with the Wautharong Aboriginal people for 32 years. 26 June – John Macarthur writes the Statement of Improvement and Progression of Fine Woolled Sheep in New South Wales. Exploration and settlement January–February – Acting Lieutenant Charles Robbins and NSW Surveyor General Charles Grimes survey Port Phillip in 2 February – Charles Grimes discovered the Yarra River. 9 June – arrives in Port Jackson after circumnavigating Australia. On the voyage Matthew Flinders charted the coast and Robert Brown made an extensive collection of the flora of Australia. 11 September – John Bowen with a party of forty-eight found the first settlement in Van Diemen's Land near the Derwent River. 9 October – David Collins, on and Ocean, establishes the short-lived settlement at Sullivan Bay on Port Phillip Births 1 January – Daniel Egan, politician (died 1870) Deaths 26 August – Joseph Luker, police officer (born ) 16 September – Nicholas Baudin, French explorer (born 1754) 17 November – William Balmain, First Fleet surgeon (born 1762) References Australia Years of the 19th century in Australia