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Family history > Australian family history records > Victorian history timeline

​Victorian history timeline

Find ideas to add dept to your Victorian family history.
This timeline begins from the time of British settlement in Victoria. It includes key events likely to interest family historians.

9 Oct 1803 HMS Calcutta and supply ship Ocean with 402 people settled at Sullivan Bay, Port Phillip

May 1804 Sullivan Bay settlement abandoned

Nov 1826 Small convict settlement established at Corinella, Westernport

Apr 1828 Westernport settlement abandoned

Aug 1834 Port Phillip Association formed by group of Launceston investors

19 Nov 1834 Henty family from Tasmania (Van Diemen’s Land) established settlement at Portland

1835 Melbourne founded by John Batman. Unlit beacon established at Williamstown.

1836 Church birth death and marriage records start in Victoria (Port Phillip)

2 Sep 1836 Port Phillip census as part of NSW

Nov 1836 Census of sheep station owners, as part of NSW

12 Sep 1838 Census, as part of NSW

1840 Lighthouse established at Williamstown, Port Phillip

2 Mar 1841 Population census, as part of NSW

1842-43 Financial depression

​1843 First parliamentary elections in Port Phillip. Only men with 200 pounds freehold or 20 pounds annual lease could vote. Sandstone lighthouse opened at Queenscliff

2 Mar 1846 Population census, as part of NSW (now destroyed)

Aug 1848 Cape Otway lighthouse opened in Victoria, Australia’s second mainland coastal light

1850 Voting eligibility changed. Men with 100 pounds freehold, 10 pounds annual lease or depasturing licence could vote.

1851 Gold rush starts in Victoria

6 Feb 1851 Black Thursday bushfires burnt 5 million hectares (a quarter of Victoria) and caused 12 fatalities

1 Mar 1851 Population census, as part of NSW (now destroyed)

1 Jul 1851 Colony of Victoria separated from New South Wales

11 Sep 1851 Elections for first Legislative Council of Victoria

6 Oct 1851 Melbourne Academy (Scotch College) opened

13 Nov 1851 Official opening of Victorian parliament

1852 Signal station established at Point Lonsdale, Victoria to help guide ships. Victorian census of Crown land occupiers

24 Dec 1852 Bushranger, Captain Frank Melville captured near Geelong, Victoria

1853 Wooden lighthouse opened at Queenscliff and Gabo Island lighthouse opened on east coast of Victoria

22 Jan 1853 Legislation passed to establish University of Melbourne

1 Jul 1853 Civil registration commenced in Victoria

26 Apr 1854 Victorian population census (now destroyed)

12 Sep 1854 First railway line in Australia opened between Melbourne and Sandridge, Victoria

3 Dec 1854 Eureka rebellion at Ballarat, Victoria

11 June 1855 Chinese Act received assent, limiting number of Chinese immigrants entering Victoria

8 Jan 1856 Melbourne first lit with gas

11 Feb 1856 Melbourne Public Library opened

19 Mar 1856 Electoral Act received assent, making Victoria the first place in the world to adopt secret ballot

12 May 1856 Eight hour day recognised

29 Mar 1857 Victorian population census (now destroyed)

24 Nov 1857 Voting eligibility changed. All male British subjects over 21 years could vote.

31 Dec 1857 Yan Yean Reservoir opened in Victoria

1859 Whaler’s Bluff (Portland), Griffith Island (Port Fairy), Middle Island (Warrnambool) and Beach (Warrnambool) lighthouses opened on far west coast of Victoria. Gellibrand Point Lightship (now Gellibrand Pile Light) established in Port Phillip. Cape Schanck and Wilson’s Promontory lighthouses opened on east coast of Victoria

21 Jul 1859 First Melbourne fire brigade opened

25 Dec 1859 Rabbits arrived in Melbourne

7 Apr 1861 Victorian population census (now destroyed)

1862 Queenscliff white and black lighthouses replace earlier sandstone and wooden lights

1863 Yarra River (Melbourne) largest flood on record. Lighthouse replaces signal station at Point Lonsdale.

1870 Ovens River (Wangaratta) largest known flood, Murray River (Yarrawonga) largest known flood, Goulbourn, Campapse & Barwon River major floods

2 Apr 1871 Victorian population census (now destroyed)

1871-72 Middle Island lighthouse relocated to Lady Bay Upper and Beach lighthouse relocated to Lady Bay Lower lighthouse

1874 South Channel Pile light and Eastern lighthouse opened in Port Phillip Bay

Dec 1878 Kelly gang raided National Bank at Euroa and Faithfull Creek station

Feb 1879 Kelly gang raided Bank of New South Wales at Jerilderie

Jun 1880 Kelly gang took hostages at Glenrowan hotel

11 Nov 1880 Ned Kelly hanged at Melbourne Gaol

1880s Economic boom

3 Apr 1881 Victorian population census (now destroyed)

1884 Cape Nelson lighhouse opened on far west coast of Victoria and Cliffy Island lighthouse opened on east coast of Victoria

1890 Point Hicks lighthouse opened on east coast of Victoria

1891 Victorian women’s suffrage petition. Eagles Nest Point lighthouse opened (later Split Point) in Victoria

5 Apr 1891 Victorian population census (now destroyed)

1893 Economic depression

1 Feb 1898 Red Tuesday bushfires burnt 260 000 hectares and caused fatalities in South Gippsland, Victoria 

1 Jan 1901 Australian federation, Victoria became a state with Melbourne as the nation’s capital city

31 Mar 1901 Victorian population census (now destroyed)

1906 Maribyrnong River (Footscray) largest flood on record

1908 Women over 21 years could vote.

1909 Major floods of Loddon, Avoca, Yarrowee, Glenelg and Wimmera Rivers

1913 Cape Liptrap and Citadel Island lighthouses opened on east coast

1916 Major floods of Murray and Goulbourn Rivers

1917 Major floods of Murray and Ovens Rivers

1920 Tambo River (Bruthen) largest flood on record

1924 Port Melbourne lighthouses opened Feb-Mar 

1926 Bushfires in Gippsland caused 60 fatalities

1927 Canberra replaced Melbourne as the national capital

1934 Largest floods on record of Bunyip River (Koo Wee Rup), Moe River (Moe) and LaTrobe River (Rosedale). Major floods of Yarra River (Melbourne) and Yea River (Yea)

1936 Major flood of Mitchell River (Bairnsdale)

1937 Major flood of Bunyip River (Koo Wee Rup)

13 Jan 1939 Black Friday bushfires burnt 1.5 to 2 million hectares and caused 71 fatalities

22 Dec 1943 Bushfire near Wangaratta burnt 100 000 hectares and caused 10 fatalities

14 Jan-14 Feb 1944 Bushfires in the Western district caused 15-20 fatalities

1946 Major floods of Glenelg, Merri and Moyne Rivers

1951 Gippsland Lakes largest flood on record 

5 Feb 1952 Bushfire near Benalla caused several fatalities

1956 Melbourne hosted the Olympic Games. Major floods of Murray River (Mildura) and Campapse River (Rochester)

14-16 Jan 1962 Bushfires in Dandenong Ranges and outer Melbourne caused 32 fatalities

17 Jan 1965 Grass fire near Longwood caused 7 fatalities

8 Jan 1969 Multiple bushfires burnt 250 000 hectares and caused 23 fatalities

Feb 1971 Major flood of Cann River 

Feb 1973 Whiteheads Creek (Seymour) major flood

Oct 1974 Nhill Swamp highest recorded flood

12 Feb 1977 Grass fires in Western district burnt 103 000 hectares and caused 4 fatalities

Jun 1978 Thomson River (Sale) major flood

16 Feb 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires burnt 210 000 hectares and caused 47 fatalities

Oct 1993 Major floods of Ovens River (Wangaratta and Myrtleford) and Broken River (Benalla)

Sep 1998 Kiewa River (Kiewa) largest flood on record

Jun 2007 Macalister River (Glenmaggie) major flood

7 Feb 2009 Black Saturday bushfires burnt 430 000 hectares and caused 173 fatalities

Sep 2010 Widespread floods

Jan 2011 Floods affected one third of the state

Feb 2011 Further flash floods in previously affected areas.
​Sources
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australian Electoral Commission 
Australian Government
Department of Sustainability and Environment 
Lighthouses of Australia Inc
Parliament of Victoria
State Flood Policy Committee
State Library of Victoria

Australian family history records
Australian BDM records
Australian census records
Australian civil administration
Australian history timeline
Victorian history timeline

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