A TIMELINE OF THE BOROUGH
THROUGH THE DECADES
Our Borough has a rich and varied history.
As you know it has been home to Indigenous Australians for thousands of years.
It also became home to immigrants traveling to Australia from other countries.
For those who stayed, it also became home to their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren's descendants.
This timeline provides an oral history of our Borough from community members who can remember what it was like through the decades. It aims to be both informative and a valuable educational resource for people seeking to better understand how the Borough has changed over the last 100 years.
For students wishing to place the Borough's development in the context of wider Australian developments, this timeline can be compared to the timeline on
My Place. Please visit http://www.myplace.edu.au/decades_timeline/1900/decade_landing_10.html
As you know it has been home to Indigenous Australians for thousands of years.
It also became home to immigrants traveling to Australia from other countries.
For those who stayed, it also became home to their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren's descendants.
This timeline provides an oral history of our Borough from community members who can remember what it was like through the decades. It aims to be both informative and a valuable educational resource for people seeking to better understand how the Borough has changed over the last 100 years.
For students wishing to place the Borough's development in the context of wider Australian developments, this timeline can be compared to the timeline on
My Place. Please visit http://www.myplace.edu.au/decades_timeline/1900/decade_landing_10.html
THE BOROUGH IN THE 2010s
Mark Connell moved into the Borough of Queenscliffe in 2013. As a place to live, the Borough offers an endless array of activities from walking on the beach to going diving with dolphins. Time can be spent fishing, rock rambling, dining at one of the many cafés and watching the sun go down from the Salt Gallery balcony. Point Lonsdale has benefitted from some major council works including a new roundabout, slowed speed limits and an enhanced boulevard development. Queenscliff has also been enhanced by improved road works, the Monahan Centre and the South Pier development. Harry’s has reopened at the Queenscliff Play Space and Point Lonsdale has its own upstairs gallery.
Mark Connell moved into the Borough of Queenscliffe in 2013. As a place to live, the Borough offers an endless array of activities from walking on the beach to going diving with dolphins. Time can be spent fishing, rock rambling, dining at one of the many cafés and watching the sun go down from the Salt Gallery balcony. Point Lonsdale has benefitted from some major council works including a new roundabout, slowed speed limits and an enhanced boulevard development. Queenscliff has also been enhanced by improved road works, the Monahan Centre and the South Pier development. Harry’s has reopened at the Queenscliff Play Space and Point Lonsdale has its own upstairs gallery.
THE BOROUGH IN THE 2000s
Chris Taylor moved to the Borough in the 2000s. In this video, he gives us an overview of what the Borough was like at that time. He describes how his weekends were spent surfing the back beach and running his children to and from cricket, basketball and football.
Entertainment was al fresco dining at one of the many gorgeous Borough cafes, attending the vintage car rally, going to the local Sunday markets, swimming at Santa Casa beach and taking the kids to the Borough's hidden playgrounds.
It is a time when Eddies Emporium leaves the town, the Queenscliff playspace is built and the marina development takes off.
Chris Taylor moved to the Borough in the 2000s. In this video, he gives us an overview of what the Borough was like at that time. He describes how his weekends were spent surfing the back beach and running his children to and from cricket, basketball and football.
Entertainment was al fresco dining at one of the many gorgeous Borough cafes, attending the vintage car rally, going to the local Sunday markets, swimming at Santa Casa beach and taking the kids to the Borough's hidden playgrounds.
It is a time when Eddies Emporium leaves the town, the Queenscliff playspace is built and the marina development takes off.
THE BOROUGH IN THE 1990s
Emily Limb grew up in the Borough of Queenscliffe attending Point Lonsdale Primary and Queenscliff Secondary school.
In this video she describes to us life in the 1990s as a teenager, working in the local shops, playing sports all summer and having picnics in the Bunny Woods in Point Lonsdale.
Emily Limb grew up in the Borough of Queenscliffe attending Point Lonsdale Primary and Queenscliff Secondary school.
In this video she describes to us life in the 1990s as a teenager, working in the local shops, playing sports all summer and having picnics in the Bunny Woods in Point Lonsdale.
THE BOROUGH IN THE 1980S
Ross Hutchins has lived in the Borough of Queenscliffe all his life. He describes how little Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale have changed in the 1980s until now. The service stations in the main street have gone and many of the old houses in Point Lonsdale have been replaced by new ones. The Australian Army personnel, who had been a key component of the Borough residents, had left leaving a handful of personnel behind. The old gasworks was still operating. Fun was found outdoors, fishing, building boats and on the beach.
Ross Hutchins has lived in the Borough of Queenscliffe all his life. He describes how little Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale have changed in the 1980s until now. The service stations in the main street have gone and many of the old houses in Point Lonsdale have been replaced by new ones. The Australian Army personnel, who had been a key component of the Borough residents, had left leaving a handful of personnel behind. The old gasworks was still operating. Fun was found outdoors, fishing, building boats and on the beach.
THE BOROUGH IN THE 1970s
John Gower talks to us about the Borough in the 1970s. He describes the country town feel of Point Lonsdale and a childhood spent rolling down sand dunes, playing sport, walking the dogs on the beach and fishing.
Evenings were spent at the local picture theatre or eating fish and chips at the lighthouse watching the boats go by. People had televisions for at-home entertainment and the secondary college at Queenscliff was operating.
John Gower talks to us about the Borough in the 1970s. He describes the country town feel of Point Lonsdale and a childhood spent rolling down sand dunes, playing sport, walking the dogs on the beach and fishing.
Evenings were spent at the local picture theatre or eating fish and chips at the lighthouse watching the boats go by. People had televisions for at-home entertainment and the secondary college at Queenscliff was operating.
THE BOROUGH IN THE 1960s
Annie Olgilvie talks to us about the Borough of Queenscliffe in the 1960s. She describes how the main street of Queenscliff was filled with residences, guesthouses and shops sporting large verandahs on streets with blue stone-lined gutters. There was a hotel, service stations, butchers, a bank, a furniture shop and a large emporium called Eddie George’s. Annie describes how they would go surfing at Pt Lonsdale’s front and back beaches, skateboard down the streets and watch the football at Queenscliff Oval. Popular pastimes were to listen to the juke box at Hans & Mary’s milkbar or hang out at the Captain’s Cabin Café, both in Pt Lonsdale. At that time, people living in the Borough worked as fishermen, teachers, at the Fort, in shops, at the State Electricity Commission (SEC) or in the Council.
THE BOROUGH IN THE 1950s
Lani and Kevin Coltys describe life in the Borough of Queenscliffe in the 1950s. It was a time of simple pleasures: swimming, square dancing, making bonfires for Guy Fawkes Night, hiring boats for the day and going to the movie theatre at the back of the Vue Grande. In Queenscliff, there was a donut making machine, a billiards hall and milk bars in which you could have your Blue Heaven shakes. There was little traffic and no supermarket. People worked at the Post Office sorting mail and putting through telephone calls (most people did not have phones in their houses), on the pilot boats, in the Council or at the State Electricity Commission (SEC). Shop owners tended to live above their shops on the main road. Queenscliff had it own dairy and milk was delivered to everyone’s front door. Bodgies and Widgies (cool kids) hung out at the kiosk at the top end of town past the Bowling Club.
THE BOROUGH IN THE 1940s
Margaret Baker gives us a unique insight into life in the 1940s in the Borough of Queenscliffe. In this video, she tells us how they would go square dancing, listen to serials on the radio and get all their goods delivered to their homes by the ice man, bread man and grocery man.
The main streets of Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff were busy with a variety of local business from the local hamburger hang out to the clothing drapery store. People living in the Borough were occupied with jobs at the Navy Base, Polacco factory, local guest houses and businesses.
The Post Office and Grand Vue were key local landmarks in the 1940s, as was the Fort.
Margaret Baker gives us a unique insight into life in the 1940s in the Borough of Queenscliffe. In this video, she tells us how they would go square dancing, listen to serials on the radio and get all their goods delivered to their homes by the ice man, bread man and grocery man.
The main streets of Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff were busy with a variety of local business from the local hamburger hang out to the clothing drapery store. People living in the Borough were occupied with jobs at the Navy Base, Polacco factory, local guest houses and businesses.
The Post Office and Grand Vue were key local landmarks in the 1940s, as was the Fort.