Point Lonsdale: Timeline

Some events in the history of Point Lonsdale (events extracted from 'A history of Point Lonsdale' by N.A. Dunn) :-

Pre-European Settlement	Area inhabited by Bengalat balug (Clan) of the Wathaurong Tribe
1802	First European explorers. January : Lieutenant John Murray April : Captain Matthew Flinders
1803 - 1835	William Buckley the first European living in the area
1835 +	Area investigated and surveyed by Wedge and Gellibrand
1836 +	Area occupied by squatters
1839	Captain George Tobin obtained first sea pilot's licence
1842 - 43	First lighthouse constructed from local stone at Shortlands Bluff - later replaced by "Black Lighthouse". The first light shone in April 1843.
1848	Schooner "Thetis" and "Sophia" wrecked on a reef opposite Point Lonsdale
1849	"Princess Royal" wrecked on Point Lonsdale Reef
1850 - 53	"David", "James Foored", "Conside", "Portland",and "Isabella" and "Sacramento" (among others) all wrecked at Port Phillip Heads highlighting the need for a lighthouse at Point Lonsdale.
1853	Auditor General allocated £15,000 for lighthouse
1854	Captain Preston began building the signal station - there were no houses so it is presumed the Captain and his niece Fanny Green may have lived in tents until the station was completed.
1857 - 58	"House on the Hill" built by a gang of convict labour
1860	Small farms and lime kilns of Messrs James Hutchins and J Coopser had been started
1863	Salt works started
1863 - 64	Old Queenscliff lighthouse moved to Point Lonsdale. Captain Richards was in charge of the lighthouse - his assistants were Moore and Martin
1864	Governess Miss Jones drowned and was believed to be the first burial in the Queenscliff cemetery at Point Lonsdale.
1865 - 66	Another gang of convicts arrived to build a house in the Reserve below the lighthouse
1867 - 68	Salvage opportunities afters wrecks of the "Black Swan" and "Light of Ages"
1869	Miss Fanny Green left to become post mistress at Malmsbury
1874	Passenger steamers and Cobb & Co coming to Point Lonsdale
1876	Government land sale - Admans and Simpson some of the early buyers, paying £5 an acre for land north of the cemetery
1878	Telephones came into use between Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale
1879	Railway line completed between Geelong and Queenscliff, bringing more visitors to Point Lonsdale Edward Gill went to work at Hutchins' Farm - he later took of the farm, worked a lime kiln supplying lime for new buildings, and kept cows supplying milk to the district
1881 - 1882	Wesleyan Camp Meeting held at end of December and beginning of January
1882	Crouch family arrive in Point Lonsdale to build a house - the first of many people from Ballarat to chose Point Lonsdale for their holidays or home
1885	Further land sales - south of the cemetery Point Lonsdale House advertised as being open to the public for a limited number of boards. It stood where the Terminus now stands - the original building was destroyed by fire.
1886	Fog horn erected - originally run by a hot-air engine, this was quickly replaced by a steam engine "Glaneuse" wrecked off Ocean Beach near the lighthouse
1888	"Retreat Villa" erected for Tom McBain, assistant lightkeeper
1889 - 90	Cottee's Coffee Palace erected
1890's	Pier built and paddle steamers came to the Point
1899	William Golightly erected a large twelve-roomed house for Mr McBain adjacent to "Retreat Villa". This became the boarding House "Merrilyn"
1901 - 02	New lighthouse built and light was lit on 20th Mary 1902 Postal duties removed from lookout and signal station to the lighthouse keeper's quarters
1903	Blasting of the rock in the Rip damaged the lighthouse
1906	First wireless message from Australia to Devonport in Tasmania - sent from near the National Fitness Camp at Point Lonsdale
1910	First Post Office opened - Edward Gill appointed Postmaster
1946	House in the Reserve below the lighthouse demolished