History of the Waverley Area |
Updated 20.3.13 |
Before the appearance of the white man the Woi Wurrung - Wurundjeri Aboriginal tribe occupied the area from the mountains East of Melbourne to the shores of Port Phillip Bay as they hunted throughout the year.
It would appear that the earliest white settlement of the Mulgrave area was in about 1836/37 with Joseph and John Hawdon grazing cattle along the Dandenong Creek.
The City of Waverley grew from the Oakleigh and Mulgrave Roads district which was created by an Act of Parliament in 1857 following the land sales of 1853.
Featured in the logo of the WHS is St. Stephens Church which was established in 1865 and is the oldest church in what was the City of Waverley which has subsequently been absorbed into the City of Monash. See the development of schools in the Waverley Mulgrave district at Schools History.
This is not an exhaustive list! If you have any dates which you feel should be included or have detected any errors, please email us.
| 1803 | Charles Robbins sights future Parish of Mulgrave (Feb) |
| 1837 | Joseph and John Hawdon graze cattle along the "Dandenong Creek" flats |
| 1839 | Thomas Napier leases west bank Dandenong
Creek, later Bushy Park Run (Oct) The Woi Wurrung, a nomadic tribe of aborigines, included the present Waverley area in their hunting grounds (before 1839) |
| 1840 | John McMillan applies for licence of
Scotchman's Creek Run (Jan) Survey of Dandenong Creek, Scotchman's Creek and Kooyong Koot (Gardiner's Creek) (Oct) |
| 1841 | |
| 1842 | South Yarra Pound gazetted (later site of Oakleigh) (July) |
| 1846 | John McKean takes over McMillan's lease (Dec) |
| 1850 | Wesleyan Methodists held cottage meetings at Black Flat |
| 1851 | |
| 1852 | |
| 1853 | Survey of the Parish of Mulgrave by
Eugene Bellairs (Apr ) First land sales of country block in Mulgrave (Sep - Oct ) Dr James Silverman purchases site in what was to become Mt Waverley (Dec) |
| 1854 | Dr James Silverman subdivides and sells
first lot of "Township of Waverley" subdivision
(Feb - Mar) Mulgrave Arms Hotel built (Princes Highway, Oakleigh) |
| 1855 | |
| 1856 | Common school built at Mulgrave, corner of Wellington and Springvale Roads |
| 1857 | Oakleigh Mulgrave Roads Board Constituted
Road District of Oakleigh - Mulgrave gazetted (Jan ) |
| 1858 | |
| 1859 | Mulgrave Common School established (cnr Springvale & Wellington Rds) |
| 1860 | First road board elected (Jun) |
| 1865 | St Stephen's Church of England, Mount Waverley built, first service (23 Jul ) |
| 1866 | Judge Sir Redmond Barry buys land at
Syndal Wesleyan Church, Black Flat Oakleigh Mechanics Institute |
| 1867 | |
| 1868 | |
| 1869 | St Matthews Church of England, Mulgrave,
built Wesleyan Church, Black Flat, establishes church school |
| 1871 | Road district becomes a Shire (Dec) "Breakneck Road" becomes Waverley Rd |
| 1874 | Act of Parliament phases out all toll gates on public land |
| 1875 | Warrigal Road State School opened |
| 1876 | |
| 1877 | Oakleigh township moves south, closer to Railway |
| 1878 | |
| 1879 | Melbourne-Gippsland railway link (via Oakleigh) completed (Mar) |
| 1880 | Black Flat brick schoolhouse (NE cnr
Springvale & Waverley Rd) First stone metal road constructed in Glen Waverley |
| 1881 | |
| 1882 | |
| 1883 | |
| 1885 | First Postmaster of Black Flat appointed - (the Black Flat school master) |
| 1888 | Reticulated gas in Oakleigh Oakleigh Times commenced publication Mt Waverley Methodist Church opened |
| 1888 | First Shire offices completed in Oakleigh (Oct) |
| 1890 | Waverley Rd - Oakleigh railway opened (Part of Outer Circle) |
| 1890 | Melbourne and Metropolitan water supply installed |
| 1891 | Borough of Oakleigh severed from Shire of
Oakleigh (13 Mar) Mulgrave Presbyterian Church FTG Rd, Wheelers Hill built |
| 1892 | |
| 1893 | Gold discovered at Black Flat G V Blackburne of Tally-Ho purchased Dr Hewlett's place "Letcombe" |
| 1894 | |
| 1895 | |
| 1896 | |
| 1897 | Shire of Oakleigh changed to the Shire of Mulgrave (19 Feb) |
| 1898 | Methodist Church established at corner of Charles St and High Street Rd |
| 1899 | Opening of the horticultural hall "Horty Hall" Mount Waverley (Sept) |
| 1900 | |
| 1901 | Federation of Australia |
| 1902 | |
| 1903 | |
| 1904 | |
| 1905 | Mount Waverley Post Office named Glen Waverley, formerly Black Flat, township gazetted (Jan) Glen Waverley township officially gazetted (May) Waverley becomes Mount Waverley and Mount Waverley post office officially named (Jul) |
| 1906 | Mount Waverley Primary School opened |
| 1907 | Referendum to select Mulgrave Shire council location (FTG Rd chosen) |
| 1908 | First football match at Glen Waverley reserve |
| 1909 | Glen Waverley Mechanics Institute opened
(Aug) Avenue of Honour planted in High Street Rd (from Reservoir to Lawrence Rd) |
| 1910 | Motor Vehicle Registration and Driver's Licences introduced in Victoria (1 Jan) |
| 1911 | |
| 1912 | |
| 1913 | Oakleigh Borough divided into three Wards
(30 May) St Leonards RC Church south of Waverley Rd built |
| 1914 | Red Cross Branch formed in Waverley district |
| 1915 | |
| 1916 | St Stephens Church enlarged |
| 1917 | |
| 1918 | |
| 1919 | Loan obtained for building of Mount Waverley Co-operative Cool Store |
| 1920 | First Mulgrave Council meeting in new Shire Offices - Notting Hill (Dec) |
| 1921 | Oakleigh Council Chambers Atherton Rd Oakleigh connected to sewerage system St Paul's C of E, Waverley Rd, Glen Waverley built Halfway House Hotel renamed the Nottinghill Hotel (21 Mar) |
| 1922 | Melbourne-Oakleigh-Dandenong railway
electrified Burnley - Darling railway electrified Browns Stores operates in High Street Rd, Mount Waverley Oakleigh RSL established |
| 1923 | |
| 1924 | |
| 1925 | Hughesdale railway station opened |
| 1926 | Electricity mains connected in Waverley district |
| 1927 | Borough of Oakleigh declared a City, (28
April, proclaimed 2 Aug) Mount Waverley reservoir begun Railway survey party establishes camp near where railway now passes under Stephensons Rd |
| 1928 | East Oakleigh (now Huntingdale) railway station opened |
| 1929 | |
| 1930 | Railway line (Electrified) East Malvern - Glen Waverley opened by Lord Somers (5 May) at 2.30pm |
| 1931 | |
| 1932 | |
| 1933 | Waverley Riding School established at "Grandview", Jordanville by the Irving Sisters |
| 1934 | |
| 1935 | |
| 1936 | |
| 1937 | |
| 1938 | |
| 1939 | |
| 1940 | |
| 1941 | |
| 1942 | Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) formed from local men, to assist war effort |
| 1943 | |
| 1944 | |
| 1945 | |
| 1946 | Tuhan's Boundary Store, SE corner
Waverley and Warrigal Rds, demolished for road widening Nicholas buys site of Aspro factory NE corner of Waverley and Warrigal Rds |
| 1947 | |
| 1948 | Public Housing commences in Jordanville |
| 1949 | Severance of part of South and Centre Ridings and annexed to Oakleigh (15 Dec) |
| 1950 | Glen Waverley RSL formed Mt Waverley Youth Club formed Waverley Riding School moves from "Grandview", Jordanville to "Oakwood Park", Dandenong and area subdivided Extra carriage added to the East Malvern - Glen Waverley Railway shuttle service in peak periods |
| 1951 | Mt Waverley Infant Welfare Centre opens |
| 1952 | Chadstone Church of Christ in Waverley Rd was built in 12 hours |
| 1953 | Glen Waverley Infant Welfare Centre
opened Ashwood Primary School opened 3 Feb. Jordanville Sth Primary School opened 10 July. |
| 1954 | Foundation stone for Corpus Christi Roman
Catholic Seminary (now the Police Academy) laid End of Glen Waverley rail shuttle service (11 Sep) and ABMs turned into parcel vans. |
| 1955 | Opening of Mulgrave Municipal Offices,
Springvale Road (Aug) Passing loop at Mt Waverley Station (14 Nov) |
| 1956 | May Rd and Hewlett Rd became Blackburn Rd Bay View Rd renamed Huntingdale Rd. Bayview Primary school opened 16 Apr 1956 Mulgraves's first naturalisation ceremony St Leonards RC Church moved to north of Waverley Rd |
| 1957 | Chadstone (Birrahlee) Infant Welfare Centre opened |
| 1958 | 3 position Signalling on Railway: Mount
Waverley - Syndal (Sunday 7 Sep) Syndal Railway duplicated (Sun 7 Sep) Mt Waverley Shopping Centre Glen Waverley Mechanics Institute burned down Monash University created by Act of Parliament |
| 1959 | Further severance of South Riding (Oct) Mt Waverley Nth Post Office opened |
| 1960 | Glen Waverley Heights Primary School opened 25 July. |
| 1961 | Shire of Mulgrave proclaimed the City
of Waverley on 14 Apr 1961. Population approx.
45,000 Monash University opens in Clayton |
| 1962 | VFL purchases 272 acres in Mulgrave for a
football stadium Syndal Infant Welfare Centre opened Pinewood Infant Welfare Centre opened St Lukes (Uniting) Church established at 94 Essex Rd, Mt Waverley Essex Heights Primary School opened 16 July. Mt Waverley Youth Centre opened Manchester Unity opens Wahroonga Aged Care home in Coleman Pde, Glen Waverley |
| 1963 | Glen Waverley station moved back west
beyond Kingsway St Lukes (Uniting) Church kindergarten established at 94 Essex Rd, Mt Waverley Library Committee formed Essex Heights Infant Welfare Centre opened in Outlook Rd. |
| 1964 | East Malvern - Mt Waverley railway
duplicated (Sunday 28 Jun) 3 position signalling on Railway: East Malvern - Mt Waverley (Sunday 28 Jun ) Syndal - Glen Waverley railway duplicated (Sunday 29 Nov) 3 position signalling on Railway: Syndal - Glen Waverley (Sunday 29 Nov) Mt Waverley West Post Office opened Ron Fauld's swimming pool in High Street Rd (Syndal) opened |
| 1965 | Waverley Municipal Pool opened |
| 1966 | Melway No 1 produced in a Mt Waverley
garage Dollars and Cents - Decimal Currency introduced (14 Feb) Wellington Infant Welfare Centre opened |
| 1967 | The Glen Shopping Centre opened. Cooinda Primary School opened Postcodes began in Australia |
| 1968 | Matthew Flinders Hotel opened (Mar Labour
Day Weekend) Jordanville Youth Centre opened Mazenod Secondary School Mulgrave opened (2 Nov) Mt Waverley South Post Office opened Waverley Little Athletics Centre opened (Nov) St Phillips Church Completed and dedicated (Nov) St Stephens new Church completed Lutheran Chapel, Glen Waverley dedicated (1 Dec) |
| 1969 | Mt Waverley library opened Highvale Primary School opened Jells Park area sold to MMBW (Melbourne Water) Great Hall at Glen Waverley High School completed |
| 1970 | VFL Park opened (Apr). Sports Pavilion on GW Central Reserve opened (Apr) Brandon Park Shopping Centre opened Ambulance station at Waverley Rd & Heany St opened Waverley Historical Society formed |
| 1971 | Legend Park Estate, Glen Waverley opened
by developer Hooker Rex Estates, (June 71) Holmesglen Hostel closed |
| 1972 | Roman Catholic Seminary and 40 acres
passed to the Victoria Police College Brandon Park Infant Welfare Centre opened Wheelers Hill Library opened (Apr). |
| 1973 | Work commenced on Mulgrave (now Monash)
Freeway Mulgrave Freeway - Springvale Rd to Jacksons Rd opened temporarily for football crowds (26 Aug). Chadstone Church of Christ (built in 12 hours in 1952) is moved a few metres across the site to allow new building First McDonalds Restaurant in Victoria opens (12 Sep) at cnr High Street Rd & Springvale Rd. Mt Waverley Sth P.O. closed. |
| 1974 | Monash Freeway - Stud Rd to Jacksons Rd
opened. Jell's Park started. Metrication of distance, weight and measure Southern Youth Centre opened. |
| 1975 | Monash Freeway - Stephensons Rd bridge opened |
| 1976 | Monash Freeway - Blackburn Rd to
Springvale Rd opened. Jells Park opened. |
| 1977 | Monash Freeway - Blackburn Rd to Forster
Rd opened Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre opened Methodist, Presbyterian & Congregational churches combine as the Uniting Church Mt Waverley West Post Office closed |
| 1978 | Mt Waverley Community Centre (Miller Cres.) opened |
| 1979 | Monash Freeway - Forster Rd to Huntingdale Rd opened |
| 1980 | |
| 1981 | Fire destroys the Fruit Growers Hall (Horty Hall) in High Street Rd, Mt Waverley. July |
| 1982 | |
| 1983 | Mt Waverley Nth Post Office closed |
| 1984 | New Waverley City Council offices opened
( 22 Nov) by The Governor of Victoria, Rear Admiral Sir
Brian Murray and the Mayor D.C. McIntosh, J.P. Glen Waverley Police Station opened 20 June (by Hon C.R.T. Mathews MLA Minister for Police & Emergency Services) |
| 1985 | |
| 1986 | |
| 1987 | |
| 1988 | First sod turned for building of Arts Centre at Jells Rd and Ferntree Gully Rd |
| 1989 | Oakleigh Municipal Offices renovated |
| 1990 | Foot bridge over Blackburn Rd at Waverley
Hospital (Aug) St Lukes (Uniting) Essex Rd, Mt Waverley, new Church built (29 Apr) |
| 1991 | Mt Waverley Reservoir roofed over. Bus interchange constructed Nth of GW Railway Station Aspro Company moves from Warrigal Rd to Heatherton Rd, Clayton The Glen Shopping Extension Centre opens (Aug) |
| 1992 | |
| 1993 | Ashwood Primary School closed Jordanville Primary School closed Jordanville Technical School closed |
| 1994 | Commissioners brought in to manage
Waverley City and City of Oakleigh Women's Sports centre at Jell's Park opened Mimosa Primary School closed Cooinda Primary School closed City of Waverley and City of Oakleigh amalgamate to form City of Monash (Gazetted 15 Dec) |
| 1995 | |
| 1996 | . |
| 1997 | |
| 1998 | Novotel Hotel, and Century Walk,
Springvale Rd, Glen Waverley opened Oakleigh Police move to old Municipal Building site. Feasibility study completed for proposed Monash Aquatic Centre |
| 1999 | Syndal the former home of Sir Redmond Barry demolished ( April ) |
| 2000 | Rail Crash at Holmesglen (26 July ) |
| 2001 | Monash Federation Centre opened Spirit of the Land Sculpture erected in Hurst Reserve, Oakleigh East (Feb) Monash Aquatic & Recreation Centre opened (Dec) |
| 2002 | |
| 2003 | Brandon Park Secondary College closed Ritchies Supermarket opens in Mt Wavwerley Village |
| 2004 | |
| 2005 | Heritage Steam Train service Darling to Glen Waverley to mark the 75 years since opening |
| 2006 | Eastlink construction commences Madeline's Restaurant opened in Jell's Park First Ashwood Chadstone Fun day (In Batesford Reserve) |
| 2007 | "Once There Was
Jordanville" published by the WHS. Official
launch (14 Nov) Heritage Steam rail service Darling to Glen Waverley WHS Rooms flooded from heavy rain |
| 2008 | Eastlink Toll Road opens (29 Jun) Sandoz/Clarient Factory in Warrigal Rd Demolished New Oakleigh Motors Buildings on FTG Rd (Near Stephensons Rd) demolished Oakleigh Swimming Pool rebuilding starts Sussex Heights Primary School fire (June) |
| 2009 | Heritage Steam rail service Darling to
Glen Waverley (June) Works begins on undergrounding the railway line on Springvale Rd, Nunawading Connex Rail service ends in Nov 30. MTR takes over Melbourne's Rail service 1 Dec Mt Waverley Primary School extensively renovated Holy Family Primary School extensively renovated. |
| 2010 | Darling - Glen Waverley railway line
turns 80 years old. (5 May) Ashwood College fire (17 June) Sussex Heights Primary School fire damaged rooms opened (Aug 14) John Sands sells its Clayton Rd site for $10M (Oct) "Then and Now" published by the WHS. Official launch (Oct ) |
| 2011 | Batesford Hub development completed. Gardiners Creek cycling path underneath Warrigal Rd completed. John Sands Greeting Cards leaves its Nottinghill, Clayton Rd site. Waverley North Primary School rebuilding completed Essex Heights Primary School rebuilding completed. (Dec) |
| 2012 | Work commences on the upgrade of Central
Reserve, Glen Waverley (Jan). Euneva Carpark GW opened 10 Sept. Euneva Monash Link Complex opened. Last paper ticket issued on Metro rail network (12 Oct) |