A Timeline of Melbourne

By Tim Lambert

19th Century Melbourne

1835 The city of Melbourne is founded

1837 Williamstown is laid out

1842 St James Cathedral is built. Melbourne is incorporated.

1848 Melbourne Royal Hospital is founded

1851 Melbourne has a population of 29,000

1853 Melbourne University is founded

1854 A railway is built between Melbourne and Port Melbourne

1856 The State Library is built

1862 The Old Treasury Building is built

1865 A monument to Burke and Wills is erected in Melbourne

1867 Treasury Gardens are laid out

1870 Melbourne Town Hall is built. Royal Arcade is built.

1876 Government House is built

1878 The first telephone call in Australia is made in Melbourne

1880 Ned Kelly is hanged in Melbourne

1883 Melbourne is connected to Sydney by railway

1892 Block Arcade is built

20th Century Melbourne

1903 Melbourne City Baths are built

1906 Electric trams begin running in Melbourne

1932 Manchester Unity Building is built

1934 The Shrine of Remembrance is built. Captain Cook’s Cottage is shipped to Melbourne.

1940 The Century Building opens

1956 Melbourne hosts the Olympic Games

1970 The West Gate Bridge over the Yarra collapses

1980 City Square opens

1982 The Jewish Museum opens in Melbourne

1985 City Loop is completed. The Chinese Museum opens.

1986 Rialto Towers is built

1990 The Gold Treasury Museum opens

1992 Scienceworks Museum opens

1993 The Museum of Printing opens

1996 Melbourne Exhibition Centre opens

1999 Bolte Bridge is Built

21st Century Melbourne

2001 Melbourne Museum opens

2002 Federation Square opens

2006 Eureka Tower is built

2006 Unesco designates Melbourne a city of literature