| 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 |
| 1855 |
St Leonards owed its early development to Captain George Ward
Cole, pioneer Melbourne merchant, who exploited the natural resources of the area to
provide firewood for Melbourne. He may have been alerted to the commercial possibilities
of the area by F. W. Langdon, his former partner, who came to live in the vicinity.
Whatever the reason, Cole bought 779 acres along the Eastern foreshore extending from
today's Indented Head to below the town of St Leonards. He is said to have established the
firewood trade in 1855 and to have built the first houses in the area |
| 1860 |
St Leonards produced bricks from the five large brick kilns
established by Anderson. These were situated on today's golf course. A hundred strong
Chinese community established itself along the banks of the creek |
| pre 1862 |
The first pier was built from unsawn logs brought from Mt.
Martha and an old ship was sunk at the end for further protection. The pier was certainly
in existence in 1862 |
| 1863 |
The first attempt to start a school was made by the Church of
England which had opened before 1863 but it closed in 1865 |
| 1864 |
First land sales in the town |
| 1864 |
The hotel, in the hands of Robert Smiley (and later his
widow) served many functions, including the meeting place for the Paywit Hounds |
| 1865 |
As a result of Robert Smiley's efforts, another school opened
in October 1865, in temporary accommodation on private property. George Stephenson was the
head teacher, but the school was struck off the Board of Education rolls two years later
because the local committee could not raise enough money to erect a building - it
continued as a private school |
| 1866 |
Robert Smiley bought foxhounds |
| 1872 |
Another land sale in the town |
| Oct 1874 |
State School No. 866 opened on a half acre donated by G. W.
Cole |
| 1882 |
Harvey Park was named after Edward Harvey who was a Shire
Councilor from 1882 to 1897 |
| 1891 |
The towns permanent population in 1891 was 50 people, with no
Church and no public hall. The hotel became the meeting place for the inhabitants |
| 1904 |
The original hotel was burned down but was quickly replaced
by another in 1905 |
| 1905 |
The Church of England held its first service in the State
School, so St Thomas' was born, but it was 1914 before a building was erected. This was
the old church from East Bellarine |
| 1911 |
The first Progress Association in St Leonards was formed |
| 1914 |
The church was rebuilt on land on which the Holden Brothers
used to graze their circus animals. George Holden was a Sunday School superintendent and
vestryman |
| 1915 |
The new church was dedicated as St Paul's on January 27. Part
of the Ozone, which was scuttled at Indented Heads by Capt. Forbes, can be seen in St
Leonards Parade. The house was once owned by the Fletcher Sisters.
The old St Leonards Hotel was split in two and was moved to Blanche Street near the golf
course |
| 1926 |
St Leonards Progress Association celebrated the opening of
its Recreation Hall with a dinner |
| 1941 |
Holden's old Coffee Palace fell into disrepair and was
condemned |
| 1943 |
St Leonards Fire Brigade was formed |
