The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Pre-European settlement Aboriginal Australians settled the area for at least 30,000 years.
19th century’s timeline
1800 – James Grant explores the south-east of Australia 1801 – John Murray sails into Port Phillip in the Lady Nelson 1803 Charles Robbins and Charles Grimes explore the entirety of Port Phillip and discover the Yarra River in the David Collins sent from Sydney to establish a settlement for the British Government. Unaware of previous discoveries, Collins settles near present-day Sullivan Bay on the Mornington Peninsula. This settlement is abandoned five months later. 1834 – Henty family establish first long-term European settlement in Victoria at Portland 1835 John Batman 'buys' the 2,430 km2 that Melbourne would be founded on from the local Aboriginal nation, the Wurundjeri. The Batman Deed is now widely recognised to be more of a treaty than a sale. Melbourne is founded by John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner 1836 – William Lonsdale built the first government block, declaring Melbourne the capital of the Port Phillip district 1837 28 March – Hoddle Grid of streets for the central business district is surveyed by Robert Hoddle 10 April - Melbourne named by Governor General Richard BourkeNew South Wales Government Gazette, 12 April 1837 (No.271), p. 303. 1 June – First inner-city land sale 1838 Melbourne is declared a legal port and administrative centre, opening the way for vastly increased immigration Melbourne Cricket Club is founded Second inner-city land sale 1839 – Third inner-city land sale. Quarrying of bluestone began out of the Melbourne Corporation Quarry at Clifton Hill. 1840 – First petition for the separation of Port Phillip District from New South Wales drafted by Henry Fyshe Gisborne and presented to Governor George Gipps. 1841 – First seaport and market are opened 1842 Melbourne Municipal Corporation Act was passed in Sydney. Melbourne City Council is formed. Birth of Saint Mary MacKillop 1845 – First Princes Bridge constructed connecting both sides of the Yarra 1846 – The Melbourne Botanic Gardens is founded 1847 Melbourne declared a city by Queen Victoria on 25 June.Melbourne the city's history and development, 2nd ed pg 5, Miles Lewis, 1995 Melbourne Building Act was proposed in 1847 based on Sydney act of 1833. 1848 Melbourne Hospital founded (from 1935 the hospital is called The Royal Melbourne Hospital) First Catholic bishop appointed 1849 – "Melbourne Building Act" was passed.Charles Augustus FitzRoy. An Act for Regulating Buildings and Party Walls and for Preventing Mischiefs by Fire in the City of Melbourne. Melbourne: (Government of New South Wales, 1849). 1851 Beginning of the Victorian gold rush with discovery of gold at Buninyong Victoria becomes a colony, separate from New South Wales First state Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe inaugurated 1852 – City's first gas works is opened 1853 – The University of Melbourne is founded 1854 The Melbourne Terminus (first Flinders Street station building) is completed and opened. First steam railway journey in Australia from Melbourne Terminus (on the current site of Flinders Street station) to Sandridge (later Port Melbourne) Melbourne Exhibition held in conjunction with Exposition Universelle (1855) The State Library of Victoria is founded First telegraph service, to Williamstown The first Town Hall is completed 1855 First state Governor Sir Charles Hotham inaugurated The Melbourne Museum is founded 1856 – Stonemasons win the eight-hour day 1857 First reservoir water supply (at Yan Yean Reservoir) tapped outside city limits Queen Victoria Market is founded Victoria's first country railway from Geelong to Melbourne is built City streets first lit by gas lighting Werribee railway station opened. 1858 7 August – a game of football played between Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College First inter-city telegraph services, to Adelaide and Sydney 1859 14 May – Melbourne Football Club, Australia's oldest football club, is founded The Balaclava, Batman, train stations are opened. Spencer Street station (then Batman's Hill Station) and Princes Bridge railway station completed Construction of the General Post Office begins First Melbourne Trades Hall building opened. Diggers Rest, Elsternwick, Footscray, Newport, North Brighton, North Melbourne, North Williamstown, Richmond, Spencer Street (later renamed Southern Cross), Sunbury, Williamstown, Windsor and Watergardens railway stations opened. 1860 Burke & Wills expedition departed from Royal Park. Ascot Vale, East Richmond, Essendon, Kensington, Moonee Ponds, Newmarket, Prahran and South Yarra railway stations opened. 1861 National Gallery of Victoria is founded First Melbourne Cup Victorian Exhibition held The Young and Jackson Hotel is established. Albion, Brighton Beach, Flemington Racecourse, Hawthorn and Middle Brighton railway stations opened. Melbourne's population reaches 125,000 1862 – Melbourne Zoo founded 1863 – Batman's Hill levelled 1865 – Melbourne overtakes Sydney to become Australia's most populous city 1866 – Intercolonial Exhibition of Australasia held 1867 – Melbourne Town Hall begins construction 1869 – Royal Mint is completed 1871 Yarraville railway station opened. 1872 Craigieburn and Roxburgh Park railway stations opened. 1873 Broadmeadows railway station opened. 1874 – Supreme Court building is completed 1875 – Victorian Intercolonial Exhibition held 1877 First Test cricket match, between Australia and England, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. First season of the Victorian Football Association. Berwick, Dandenong, Oakleigh and Pakenham railway stations opened. 1878 Xavier College, in Kew, is founded after the increased need of boarding space for the oldest Jesuit School in Melbourne, St Pat's. Ruyton Girls' School, also in Kew is founded by Charlotte Anderson. Its land includes the heritage listed Henty House, built by the seminal Hentys of Sussex. Spotswood railway station opened. 1879 Armadale, Beaconsfield, Carnegie, Caulfield, Hawksburn, Malvern, Murrumbeena and Toorak railway stations opened. 1880 Ned Kelly hanged in Melbourne Gaol Royal Exhibition Building opened Melbourne International Exhibition held Burnley, Clayton, Hallam and Springvale railway stations opened. 1881 Benteligh, Cheltenham, Glen Huntly, Highett, Mentone, Moorabbin, Mordialloc, Officer, Ormond, train stations are opened. 1882 Auburn, Blackburn, Box Hill, Camberwell, Canterbury, Carrum, Croydon, Frankston, Glenferrie, Lilydale, Mitcham, Narre Warren and Ringwood railway stations opened. 1883 Historic Yarra-Yarra Falls (near Queens Bridge) removed using explosives Showgrounds railway station opened. 1884 Victorian International Exhibition held Brunswick, Coburg, Jewell, McKinnon, Moreland and Royal Park railway stations opened. 1885 First cable tram line opens in the Melbourne cable tramway system Victorians' Jubilee Exhibition Flemington Bridge, Pascoe Vale and Sunshine railway stations opened. 1886 Laverton railway station opened. 1887 Melbourne Town Hall is completed Glenroy, Hampton, Macaulay, Mooroolbark, Sandringham and St Albans railway stations opened. 1888 Victorian Juvenile Industrial Exhibition and Centennial International Exhibition held Alphington, Altona, Baxter, Clifton Hill, Cranbourne, Fairfield, Ferntree Gully, Heidelberg, Ivanhoe, Nunawading, Preston, Regent, Reservoir, Victoria Park, West Footscray and Westgarth railway stations opened. 1889 Bayswater, Bell, Bittern, Crib Point, Croxton, Epping, Fawkner, Hastings, Merlynston, Mernda, Merri, Northcote, Sandown Park, Somerville, Stony Point, Thomastown, Thornbury, Tyabb, Upfield, Upper Ferntree Gully and Williamstown Beach railway stations opened. 1890 Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works is formed Ashburton, Burwood, Darling, Gardiner, Glen Iris, Heyington, Kooyong, Riversdale, Strathmore and Tooronga railway stations opened. 1891 Aspendale, South Kensington and Tottenham railway stations opened. 1894 – City streets first lit by electric lighting 1897 First season of the Victorian Football League First part of the mains sewage system becomes operational
20th century
1900 Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook narrow-gauge railway (now Puffing Billy Railway) opens Construction of the current Flinders Street station building begins Belgrave and East Camberwell railway stations opened. 1901 Commonwealth of Australia is formed. Melbourne becomes national capital Collingwood, Jolimont, North Richmond, Upwey and West Richmond railway stations opened. 1902 Sydney reclaims title from Melbourne as Australia's most populous city Eltham and Greensborough railway stations opened. 1903 – City Baths are opened 1905 First Australian Open championship Melbourne Continuation School, Victoria's first state secondary school, is founded in Spring Street 1906 First electric tram service commences Gardenvale, Hartwell, Middle Footscray and Seddon railway stations opened. 1907 The General Post Office is completed Chelsea railway station opened. 1908 Willison railway station opened. 1910 – Current Flinders Street station building is completed 1911 Macleod railway station opened. 1912 Diamond Creek, Hurstbridge, Ripponlea and Wattle Glen railway stations opened. 1913 The Domed Reading Room of the State Library is opened Noble Park and Seaford railway stations opened. 1916 Strict height limit of 132 feet (40 metres) imposed on all buildings Introduction of 6:00pm closing for all hotels (abolished in 1966) 1919 Electric suburban train services commence on the Broadmeadows line Edithvale and Parkdale railway stations opened. 1920 Boronia and Seaholme railway stations opened. 1922 Darebin, Glenbervie and Montmorency railway stations opened. 1923 W-class trams introduced. 1923 Victorian Police strike 1924 First radio station 3AR (now known as Radio National.) Dennis and Tecoma railway stations opened. 1925 Hughesdale and Ringwood East railway stations opened. 1926 Anstey, Eaglemont and Heathmont railway stations opened. 1927 Federal Parliament is moved to Canberra, the new national capital Aircraft, Bonbeach, Chatham, Huntingdale, Rosanna and Rushall railway stations opened.
1928 Melbourne City Council installs the city's first set of traffic lights at Collins & Swanston Streets Gowrie railway station opened. 1929 East Malvern and Keon Park railway stations opened. 1930 Glen Waverley, Holmesglen, Jordanville, Mount Waverley and Syndal railway stations opened. 1934 Centenary of Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance completed and dedicated.
1940 – Last cable tram service ends operation 1943 – Russell Street Police Headquarters building is completed 1948 Alamein railway station opened. 1949 Lalor railway station opened. 1951 Westall railway station opened. 1954 April—Victorian Railways closes the Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook narrow-gauge railway (now Puffing Billy Railway) First Moomba parade Proposal to demolish much of East Melbourne and Jolimont Yard to make way for an inner city ringroad. 1955 City's first parking meters are installed ICI building given special exception from CBD height limits 1956 First television station HSV-7 Olympic Games held in Melbourne Oak Park railway station opened. 1957 – Plot ratio height limits introduced to CBD (dependent upon floor space and light angles), plazas and open space. By laws introduced for compulsory carspace for all new city buildings. 1.45 m setbacks for 'Little' streets introduced to widen footpaths. 1958 Heatherdale and Laburnum railway station opened. 1959 Sidney Myer Music Bowl opened Jacana and Leawarra railway station opened. 1960 Morradoo railway station opened. 1961 Proposal to demolish Flinders Street station and replace it with office blocks. Patterson railway station opened. 1962 – Puffing Billy Railway is re-opened as a tourist attraction 1963 Death of Archbishop Mannix aged 99.