Many of these entries were extracted from "Geelong events in history 1802 - 1972" by David J. Davies
| 1802 | Lieutenant John Murray R.N. discovered and explored Corio Bay |
| 1802 | Matthew Flinders explored Corio Bay and climbed the You Yangs |
| 1835 | John Batman landed at Indented Head representing members of the Port Phillip Association from Van Diemens Land |
| 1837 | Captain Foster Fyans arrived in Geelong as Police Magistrate and protector of Aborigines |
| 1838 | First survey plan of Geelong issued |
| 1839 | First sale of Geelong town allotments |
| 1839 | First mail between Geelong and Melbourne |
| 1840 | First ship load of wool for London left from Point Henry |
| 1840 | First Post Office established in Barwon Terrace |
| 1840 | First issue of the Geelong Advertiser published - it is Victoria's oldest morning newspaper |
| 1840 | First stone building in Geelong erected - Strachan's Wool Store |
| 1841 | First race meeting in Geelong |
| 1844 | First theatre in Geelong opened |
| 1848 | First Barwon Bridge was built |
| 1849 | Town of Geelong incorporated |
| 1850 | First meeting of Geelong Town Council held in the Royal Hotel, Malop Street |
| 1851 | Bush fires destroyed most of the countryside between Shelford, Barrabool Hills and the Otways - BLACK THURSDAY February 6th |
| 1851 | Gold found in the Mt. Bunninyong district |
| 1852 | Large floods on the Barwon River washed away the Barwon Bridge |
| 1855 | Moorabool Pier constructed - demolished in 1949 |
| 1857 | Australia's first country railway : Geelong to Melbourne |
| 1857 | First wool sales in Geelong |
| 1860 | Gas introduced to Geelong |
| 1862 | Geelong - Ballarat railway opened |
| 1866 | First meeting of the Borough of Steiglitz |
| 1867 | Winchelsea Bridge over the Barwon River opened |
| 1869 | Clipper "Lightning" burnt on Corio Bay |
| 1870 | Severe floods in the Barwon & Moorabool valleys following the great droughts of 1869 |
| 1871 | Meredith Shire proclaimed |
| 1873 | Geelong Footballers changed their colours to the familiar Blue and White stripes |
| 1874 | Shire of South Barwon came into being with amalgamation of the Connewarre road district and the Borough of South Barwon |
| 1875 | Geelong West proclaimed a Borough |
| 1876 | Railway line from Geelong to Winchelsea opened |
| 1877 | Railway line from Winchelsea to Colac was officially opened |
| 1879 | Railway line between Geelong and Queenscliff opened |
| 1885 | King Billy, the last of the Barrabool Tribe died |
| 1888 | Electric light seen in Geelong for the first time |
| 1888 | First Telephone Exchange in Geelong was opened |
| 1891 | Ship "Joseph H. Scammell" wrecked at Torquay |
| 1893 | Hopetoun Channel through Corio Bay was opened |
| 1898 | Anglesea Hotel destroyed by fire |
| 1902 | Electric light lit the streets of Geelong for the first time |
| 1910 | Geelong was proclaimed a city |
| 1912 | Trams first appeared in the streets of Geelong, Geelong West and Newtown |
| 1912 | First automatic telephone exchange in the Southern Hemisphere opened in Geelong |
| 1925 | Ford Motor Company commenced operations in Geelong |
| 1926 | Tornado struck Highton |
| 1927 | Barwon Heads - Ocean Grove Bridge opened |
| 1930 | Radio Station 3GL "The voice of Geelong" was on the air for the first time |
| 1938 | Geelong & District Centenary Celebrations |
| 1940 | Bushfires destroyed practically everything in their path in the Torquay area |
| 1954 | Shell Refinery opened at Corio |