Important Dates

Some Significant Dates in our first 100 years

Year	Event
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