| 1844 |
Hazelwood Station Settled |
| 1845 |
Maryvale Station Settled |
| 1846 |
Merton Rush Station Settled |
| 1847 |
Tyers surveyed Melbourne – Sale route and built bridge over
Morwell River – later called Morwell Bridge |
| 1848 |
Scrubby Forest Station settled |
| 1848 |
First church service of any denomination (Anglican) held at
Hazelwood Station by Rev. Francis Hales, on a 3 month touring mission throughout
Gippsland |
| 1858 |
Peter Jeremiah Smith built hotel at Morwell Bridge |
| 1876 |
Hazelwood Ridge Primary School opened – first government
school in the area |
| 1879 |
First public sale of allotments in Morwell township –
January 14th |
| 1879 |
First train Princes Bridge sale – April 2 |
| 1879 |
First government school opened in Morwell township in a
disused butcher shop in Tarwin Street – April 3rd (Later became Commercial
primary school) |
| 1884 |
Sacred Heart Catholic School opened in the church in George
Street |
| 1884 |
12 Mile Peg (Boolarra) established. First survey of township |
| 1885 |
Morwell – Mirboo branch rail line completed |
| 1885 |
Morwell – Mirboo “Gazette” established – October |
| 1886 |
Morwell “Advertiser” established – October |
| 1887 |
Morwell Brass Band established |
| 1888 |
Great Morwell Coal Mining Company established |
| 1890 |
March and August – fires destroyed ten shops in Commercial
Road Morwell |
| 1890 |
Morwell Butter Factory opened |
| 1892 |
Morwell Shire established – May 22 |
| 1896 |
Second Briquette factory built at Great Morwell Coal Mine
replacing first one destroyed by fire |
| 1897 |
First recorded sighting of a rabbit in the district |
| 1897 |
First picture show (still) in Mechanics Institute – on tour
from Melbourne |
| 1898 |
Bad bush fires state-wide – much damage in Morwell Shire |
| 1899 |
Boer War – a number of local men enlisted – at least four
died |
| 1900 |
First movie picture show in Morwell (Lux Travelling Cinema)> |
| 1902 |
Morwell Orchestra founded |
| 1908 |
Morwell Golf Club formed – played in Kline’s paddock |
| 1910 |
Petrol lamps established in eastern end of Commercial Road –
previously lit by kerosene lamps |
| 1912 |
Fire destroyed four shops in Commercial Road – July 31 |
| 1912 |
Fire destroyed five shops in Commercial Road December 31st –
these had replaced shops destroyed in 1890 fires |
| 1912 |
First Telephone exchange in Morwell – six subscribers |
| 1912 |
Morwell Waterworks Trust established – September |
| 1913 |
Morwell Bowling Club formed |
| 1913 |
Reticulated water supply to Morwell from Billy’s Creek |
| 1914 |
World War 1 broke out – many local men enlisted |
| 1914 |
Volunteer Fire Brigade formed – November |
| 1915 |
Acetylene street lamps in parts of Morwell |
| 1916 |
Diphtheria epidemic |
| 1919 |
Spanish flu epidemic – Commercial Road school became a
temporary hospital |
| 1920 |
Excavation of Yallourn open cut commenced |
| 1923 |
Electric power from Yallourn to parts of Gippsland |
| 1923 |
Electric street lights in Morwell |
| 1924 |
Commercial power from Yallourn to Melbourne |
| 1925 |
Swimming pool built in Alexandra Park, Morwell |
| 1929 |
Back-to-Morwell to celebrate Morwell’s 50th year |
| 1929 |
Four shops burnt in Commercial Road – November |
| 1929 |
Morwell Butter Factory burnt – April |
| 1929 |
Early settlers at Hermes Oak (Haunted Hills) |
| 1930 |
Work ceased at Great Morwell Coal mine – it was later
re-opened for a short time when Yallourn open cut was flooded |
| 1932 |
Kingsford Smith came to Morwell barnstorming with the
Southern Cross |
| 1934 |
Bad floods in November – Morwell Isolated – Yallourn open
cut flooded |
| 1935 |
Morwell Mechanics Institute destroyed by fire |
| 1936 |
Morwell Town Hall and Shire Offices – foundation stone laid |
| 1937 |
Australian Paper Manufacturers pilot mill at Maryvale
established |
| 1939 |
Widespread disastrous fires – many areas in shire devastated |
| 1939 |
World War 2 broke out – many locals enlisted |
| 1944 |
More disastrous fires – Morwell Flax Mill destroyed –
thirteen people in shire burned to death – over 100 homes destroyed |
| 1945 |
La Mode Industries new factory in Morwell commenced work |
| 1946 |
Morwell Chamber of Commerce and Morwell Rotary formed |
| 1948 |
Morwell reservoir constructed |
| 1948 |
Housing Commission purchased 300 acres for housing in
Morwell |
