1838 Coronation of Queen Victoria 1838 Mar WC Yuille's camp at the Black Swamp 1838 Aug White settlement of the Ballarat district 1839 WC Yuille homestead site chosen on Yarrowee 1851 Feb 8 Black Thursday 1851 About the beginning of August a Mr Hiscock found gold in a gully near Buninyong. 1851 Aug 21 Gold discovery at Poverty Point 1851 Aug 25 Golden Point named when gold was discovered in that area. This was the beginning of the great gold discovery that became The Ballarat Diggings. 1851 From the end of August till September a number of parties arrived at Golden Point 1851 Sep 4 Geelong Advertiser report of gold discovery 1851 Sep 10 Messr Esmond and Cavanagh washed out 50 lbs of gold and this was the first gold sent down by escort to Geelong. 1851 Sep 19 Police Camp established near Magpie St hill 1851 Sep 20 First gold licence issued 1852 First house built by David Meek, cnr Mair & Lydiard 1852 Post Office moved to cnr of Mair & Lydiard Sts 1852 Proclamation of Township of Ballaarat 1852 Jan 17 W.S. Urquhart's survey map of Ballarat 1852 Jul Police Camp moved to Camp Hill 1852 Aug 25 First Township land sale 1853 Jul 1 Thomas Bath opened the Ballaarat Hotel (Craig's) 1854 Christ Church building commenced 1854 Apr 5 Gold claim extent 12ft x 12ft for one man 1854 May 19 Post Office opened cnr Mair & Lydiard Sts 1854 Jul 12 Bentley's "Eureka Hotel" opened 1854 Oct 7 Death of James Scobie 1854 Oct 17 Burning of Bentley's Hotel 1854 Nov 11 Ballarat Reform League formed 1854 Nov 29 Eureka Flag first raised on Bakery Hill 1854 Nov 18 Bentley's Trial 1854 Dec 3 Eureka Stockade 1855 Mar 4 First Wesleyan Church in Lydiard St opened 1855 Mar 4 St Paul's first church opened 1855 Sep 22 The Star first published 1855 Nov 10 P Lalor & JB Humffray elected to parliament 1855 Dec 8 Ballarat proclaimed a Municipality 1856 First Ballarat Council election 1856 Gaol building commenced at southern end of Lydiard Street 1856 Apr Temporary Council building completed in Sturt St 1856 Aug 11 Hospital opened in Drummond St 1856 Oct 24 Streets being metalled in Township 1856 Dec 3 First electric telegraph from Melbourne to Ballarat 1857 Walter Craig bought Bath's Hotel 1857 May 5 Ballaarat East Municipality proclaimed 1857 Jul 1 Union Bank opening in Lydiard St 1857 Sep 13 Christ Church, Lydiard St opened 1858 Ballarat Botanical Gardens begun 1858 Jan 20 Wesleyan Chapel in Lydiard St opened 1858 Jun 9 Welcome Nugget unearthed 1858 Jul 17 Opening of the Gas Company Works 1858 Aug St Paul's Church built in Humffray St on Bakery Hill 1858 Nov 21 Ballarat's first water pipeline from Yuille's Swamp 1858 Dec 19 Post Office building in Sturt St opened 1859 Apr 12 Botanical Gardens planting commenced 1859 Sep 24 Town Hall burnt down
1860 Barkly Street Church built 1860 Western Fire Brigade Foundation Stone laid 1860 Feb 20 Ballarat Benevolent Asylum opened 1860 May 20 First recorded football match at Green's paddock 1860 Aug 16 City Hall 1st Foundation Stone laid 1860 Aug 28 Brick Police Barracks completed 1860 Sep 28 Mechanics Institute Foundation Stone laid 1861 Nov 20 Ballarat Rowing Club established 1861 Burke and Wills perished 1861 Feb 1 First part of City Hall opened 1861 Oct 1 Last issue of Ballarat Times 1861 Dec 26 Ballarat East Town Hall Foundation Stone laid 1862 Kirks Reservoir obtained by both Councils 1862 Lester's Hotel in Sturt St 1862 St Paul's Anglican Church red brick tower built 1862 Feb 18 Ballarat Gaol walls completed 1862 Apr 11 First train from Geelong 1862 Dec 10 Ebenezer Church Foundation Stone laid 1863 Christ Church in Lydiard St completed 1863 Gate Lodges built at the Gardens 1863 Union Hotel in Sturt St built 1863 Jul 27 Report of cutting down of Camp St Logs tree 1863 Oct 21 Eastern and Western Municipalities declared Boroughs 1863 Nov 8 St Patrick's Cathedral opened 1864 Ballarat East Fire Station tower erected 1864 Apr 4 St Paul's Church subsided 1864 May 6 First Rowing Regatta on Lake Wendouree 1864 Jul 1 Ballarat College founded 1864 Aug 14 St Andrew's Church opened 1864 Dec 29 Post Office building (present)opened 1865 First steamer placed on Lake Wendouree 1865 Jan 11 Main Road fire destroyed 60 premises 1865 Feb 11 Shenandoah Grand Ball at Craig's 1865 Apr 23 St Paul's Anglican Church rebuilding in front of the tower opening 1865 Jun 11 Opening of St Peter's C of E 1866 Jul 8 Ballarat & District Orphan Asylum opened 1867 Jan 8 Mining Corner buildings removed 1867 Jun 10 First issue of the Courier 1867 Aug 26 Burke & Wills monument second Foundation Stone laid 1867 Nov 4 Burke & Wills monument completed 1867 Nov 20 Alfred Hall completed across Yarrowee 1867 Dec 9 First Royal visit, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh 1868 Clarendon Ladies College founded 1868 Court-house south of the gaol opened 1868 Rowing course at Lake Wendouree created 1869 BBH Prince Alfred Wing Foundation Stone laid
1870 Mitchell's Building built in Sturt St 1870 Aug 1 Ballarat Acclimatisation Society formed 1870 Aug 9 Withers first edition published 1870 Sep 9 Ballaarat proclaimed a City 1870 Oct 26 School of Mines opened 1871 Town Hall tower built 1871 Ballarat Town Hall completed 1872 State Savings Bank built 1872 Jan 8 Lydiard St Wesleyan Sunday School opened 1872 Aug 23 Borough of Ballaarat East proclaimed a Town 1873 Jun 30 Sunnyside Woollen Mill commenced production 1875 Gill's Lake View Hotel built 1875 Jun 7 Academy of Music (Her Majesty's) opened 1875 Dec 18 Launch of first commercial PS Wendouree 1876 Queen's College founded 1876 Jul 31 First football match played on Saxon Paddock 1877 Gong Gong Reservoir built 1877 May 29 Ballarat Yacht Club formed 1879 Crown-shaped Rockery built at the Lake 1880 Apr 1 Galloway Monument presented 1881 Congregational Church built 1881 Tunbridge Building in Lydiard St built 1881 View Point jetty completed 1881 Jun 29 Royal visit Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence & Prince George, Duke of York (George V) 1883 Oct 15 Wendouree Rowing Club formed 1884 Ballarat Football League formed 1884 Gabled extensions to the Fernery built 1884 Lydiard St Wesleyan (new) Church opened 1884 St Andrew's Kirk spire erected 1884 May 24 Stoddart Statues unveiled 1884 Jul Ballarat Fine Art Gallery established 1885 Post Office tower commenced 1885 Jun 16 Golden City steamer launched on Lake Wendouree 1886 Bones Building built in Lydiard St 1886 May 26 Death of James Russell Thomson 1886 Aug 27 Eureka Monument presented to Town Council 1887 City Oval grandstand built 1887 Withers Revised Edition 1887 Apr 21 Robbie Burn's Statue unveiled 1887 Jun 21 Queen Victoria's Jubilee Foundation Stones laid for Mining Exchange, Art Gallery & Old Colonists Hall 1887 Dec 21 Horse-drawn trams commenced on Gardens route 1888 Old Colonists Hall built in Lydiard St 1888 Feb 13 Mining Exchange in Lydiard St opened 1888 Aug 3 Thomson Bequest Statues unveiled 1888 Nov 30 Anglican Cathedral Foundation Stone laid 1889 Feb 9 Death of Peter Lalor 1889 May 24 Wallace Statue presented 1889 Dec 3 Thomas Moore Statue unveiled
1890 Claxton Memorial Fountain erected 1890 Lake Pavilion constructed 1890 May 23 Victoria Park Arbor Day planting 1890 Jun 13 Opening of Fine Art Gallery building 1891 Mar 9 Death of J.B. Humffray 1891 Jul 3 St Peter's Tower Foundation Stone laid 1891 Aug 30 Nazareth House opened 1892 Marble lions presented to Town Hall by E. Morey & W. Little 1892 Jan 14 Death of Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence & Avondale 1892 Jun 22 Disastrous cyclone, loss of life and immense damage 1892 Dec 31 66 Hotels closed by Local Option 1893 Marble lions in the Gardens were presented 1893 Bank Smash 1893 Jan 26 Peter Lalor Statue unveiled 1894 Ballarat Electric Supply Company founded 1894 Morey Gates presented 1895 Jan 24 Electric Light illuminates Ballarat streets 1885 Feb 10 First issue of "Echo" 1895 Apr 11 Ballarat Golf Club formed 1896 Shoppee Square in Sturt St proposed 1897 Bluestone pillars erected at the Gardens 1897 Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee 1897 May 10 Severe earthquake shock 1898 Apr 11 Battle of Ballarat at Victoria Park 1898 Dec 17 Official trial of Ballarat Melbourne telephone line 1899 Apr 3 City Oval officially opened 1899 Apr 3 Hebe Statue in Shoppee Square unveiled 1899 Apr 3 Her Majesty's Theatre opened 1900 May 24 Queen Victoria Statue unveiled 1901 Queen Alexandra Bandstand built in Sturt St 1901 Jan 22 Death of Queen Victoria 1901 Jan 31 Edward VII proclaimed King 1901 Apr 4 City Library Foundation Stone laid 1901 May 9 Federation - First Federal Parliament, Royal Exhibition Building 1901 May 13 Royal visit, Prince George & Princess May (King George V and Queen Mary) 1901 May 13 Soldiers Statue Foundation Stone laid 1902 George Hotel built with 3 storeys 1902 Yarrowee paved with basalt 1902 May 24 Queen Victoria drinking fountain presented 1902 Aug 9 Coronation of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra formerly Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales who succeeded his mother Queen Victoria 1904 Aug 23 Power House Foundation Stone laid 1904 Dec 3 50th Anniversary of Eureka 1905 National Mutual Building completed 1905 Aug 18 First electric tram 1906 Nov 1 Soldiers Statue unveiled 1907 Jun 14 Art School transferred to SMB 1908 Nov 10 Moorabool Reservoir construction began 1908 Dec 16 Water restrictions 1909 Sep 28 Coliseum opened
1910 Aug 27 Ballarat High School opened 1911 King Edward VII Pavilion built 1911 Feb 17 Ballarat Church of England Grammar School founded 1911 Mar 3 Death of James Oddie aged 87 1912 Apr 15 Titanic sank on maiden voyage from England to New York 1913 Titanic Bandstand built 1913 Apr 14 Last horse-tram to Sebastopol 1914 Aug 4 War declared against Germany 1917 Ballarat Railway Workshops completed 1917 Apr 4 Back to Ballarat celebrations 1917 Oct 23 Exceptionally brilliant meteor 1918 Nov 11 Armistice Day, end of WW I 1919 Jun 9 Avenue of Honour planting completed 1919 Aug 27 Fly Fishers Club founded 1920 Jun 2 Royal visit, Prince Edward, Prince of Wales (Duke of Windsor) 1920 Jun 3 Arch of Victory opened 1921 May 25 Amalgamation 0f Ballarat East and West 1922 Feb 9 Death of C.H. Petersen, Fountain in Sturt St 1922 Dec 6 Sewerage construction commenced 1923 Mar 7 Fire destroyed Sunshine Biscuit Factory 1925 Jul 1 Sewerage scheme in operation 1927 Jan 28 - Feb 4 Home to Ballarat celebrations 1927 Apr 29 Duke & Duchess of York (later King George VI) visited Ballarat 1934 Jul 1 State Electricity Commission assumed charge 1934 Aug 27 Yuille Cairn unveiled at Lake Wendouree 1934 Oct 6 Eureka Tile Factory fire 1934 Nov 1 Royal visit, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester 1935 Oct 31 BBH Eildon House opened 1936 Mar 24 Burning of the Coliseum 1937 George V Statue erected in Sturt St 1938 Centenary of founding of Ballarat Colony of Victoria 1938 Mar 8 Floral Festival began 1938 Mar 10-12 Ballarat's first floral carpet displayed 1940 Prime Ministers Avenue opened 1945 Dec 6 Royal visit, Duke and Duchess of Gloucester 1952 Frank Pinkerton Bequest Statue unveiled in Sturt St 1953 First Begonia Festival held 1954 Mar 6 Royal visit, Queen Elizabeth II & Duke of Edinburgh 1955 BBH Prince Alfred tower demolished 1956 Olympic Games events on Lake Wendouree 1958 Oct 18 Ballarat Yacht Club House officially opened 1958 Mar 2 Royal visit, Queen Mother 1965 Ballarat Gaol closed 1969 Horse Statue erected in Sturt St 1970 Nov 29 Sovereign Hill opened 1971 Ballarat Tramways closed 1972 Fly Fishing jetty built
1980 Dec 18 Ornamental lamps erected outside Town Hall 1983 Apr 15 Royal visit, Prince Charles & Princess Diana 1989 Jul 4 Ballarat Goldfields mine shaft sunk 1989 Nov 16 Freak hailstorm, damaged roofs and cars 1990 New lamps in Lydiard Street 1991 First Ballarat Region Conservation Strategy 1992 Jan International Scout Jamboree at Victoria Park 1994 Mar Royal visit, HRH Prince Edward 1994 Local government amalgamation, City of Ballarat 1995 William Dunstan VC Memorial erected in Sturt St 1995 WW II Memorial erected in Sturt St 1996 May Nerrina Wetlands Project began 1996 Nov 6 Refurbishment of Town Hall 1996 Nov 24 Community Adventure Playground built at the Lake 1998 Jan 1 Merger of SMB, Wimmera TAFE & University of Ballarat 1998 Mar 27 Eureka Centre opening 1998 May 29 Preview of Panoramas of Ballarat at Craigs Royal Hotel 1998 May 30 Launch of Panoramas of Ballaarat at Collins Bookstore, Bridge Mall