Dateline

THIS dateline is intended to illustrate chronologically those events that may have been important in the lives of the Tomerong residents. Other entries are included to provide a perspective of what was happening at that time.

Year Event
1770 Cook passes Jervis Bay.
1781 Alexander Berry born in Scotland.
1788 The First Fleet arrive in Sydney Cove.
1791 Convict transport enters Jervis Bay en route to Sydney. Leut. Bowen names Jervis Bay.
1797 George Bass enters Jervis Bay.
1801 Leut. Grant visits Jervis Bay.
1805 Kent and Evans explore Jervis Bay.
1811 Surveyor Evans and Governor Macquarie visit Jervis Bay. Cedar cutters in Shoalhaven River valley.
1818 Throsby observes St Georges Basin after exploring Currambene Creek.
1822 Berry and Edwardson survey and map Jervis Bay, St Georges Basin and Sussex Inlet. Berry takes up grant at Coolangatta.
1827 Hoddle surveys coast from Jervis Bay to Moruya.
1829 (Circa) Peter Maguire and James Barham arrive in Colony.
1830 John Lamb's Erowal grant is authorised, granted in 1837.
1831 Futter and Holman explore a line of road from Nerriga to Jervis Bay.
1835 Deas Thomson selects grant at mouth of Moona Moona Creek.
1836 Joseph Suffolk arrives in Colony.
1839 Private village of Terara is surveyed.
1840 The Wool Road is surveyed. Sydney Stephen is granted Comberton Grange. Government Township of Huskisson approved.
1841 The Wool Road is constructed from Nerriga to South Huskisson. Land sales at Jervis Bay.
1843 Monthly steamer services from South Huskisson to Sydney.
1848 Wool Road seldom used. John Pepper arrives in Colony.
1850 John Parnell mentioned in Berry Papers. Nowra is surveyed.
1851 Gold discovered at Bell's Creek, Bathurst, Ballarat and Bendigo. Bryce family arrives in Colony.
1852 Nowra is approved as a government township but is slow to develop compared to the thriving Terara.
1854 Bryce family purchase Erowal.
1855 First Public School opened in Shoalhaven at 'Worragee'. First land sale at Tomerong. Thomas Ganderton arrives in Colony.
1856 Malcolm Mathie and James Watt arrive in Colony.
1857 Road from Parma to Milton surveyed and opened. Road built from Braidwood to Bateman's Bay. Manslaughter of Ellen Duncombe. Traveller's Rest Hotel opens. John George Harriss arrives in Colony.
1859 Bridge built at Falls Creek.
1860 Cape St George lighthouse commissioned. Petition for the establishment of a Post Office at Tomerong. Major floods in the Shoalhaven.
1861 Tomerong to South Huskisson Road constructed. Horse racing held at Tomerong. Dent commences shipbuilding at Jervis Bay. Conditional Purchase Land laws passed. Terara trained and owned horse 'Archer' wins the first Melbourne Cup.
1862 Post Office and Non-vested School established at Tomerong.
1863 Tomerong to Huskisson Road gazetted.
1865 Coal seam found at Tomerong.
1866 New Ballroom opened by John Parnell. Rust destroys local wheat crop.
1867 Tomerong to Braidwood Road under construction. Thomas Langlands arrives in Colony.
1868 Jannung (Wandandian) Provisional School opens.
1870 Major floods at Terara. The Walter Hood founders south of Jervis Bay, 12 lives lost.
1871 Temperance meetings at Tomerong. Gold mining begins in earnest at Yalwal. Nowra becomes a Municipality. Huskisson Provisional School opens.
1872 (Circa) Erowal partitioned.
1873 Alexander Berry dies in Sydney.
1875 Mathew Craig dismissed after 13 years as Tomerong schoolteacher. Huskisson Post Office established. Tomerong Post Office temporarily closed. Worship no longer permitted in school buildings. Electric telegraph line opened to Ulladulla.
1876 New schoolhouse and Teacher's residence constructed. The Dandenong is wrecked near Jervis Bay, 40 lives lost.
1877 Tomerong Church Hall opens.
1878 Diphtheria epidemic. Cream separator invented.
1879 Tomerong Church dispute. Two sawmills operating locally.
1881 Jervis Bay Aboriginal Reserve gazetted. Bridge over Shoalhaven River constructed at Nowra.
1882 Tomerong General Store opens. New Public House Licensing Laws passed.
1883 Formation of the Tomerong Cricket Club.
1884 Local bush fires.
1885 New school building constructed. Nowra is proclaimed a town.
1886 Telephone communication established between Nowra and Tomerong.
1887 Depression. New Tomerong Union Church building opened. Falls Creek Provisional school opens.
1888 Malcolm Mathie dies. Centenary celebrations - 100 years since of arrival of first fleet. Victor Schutz arrives in Australia.
1892 William Bryce dies. Tomerong Literary & Debating Society formed.
1893 New school residence constructed. Rail line extended to Bomaderry.
1894 Local bushfires.
1895 Tomerong Creamery Company established.
1896 John Parnell dies. New road deviation east of Tomerong Hill.
1899 Point Perpendicular lighthouse commences operation. Federation Bill passes. Tomerong Progress Association formed. Tomerong locals leave for Boer War.
1900 Local bushfires burning between Tomerong and Jervis Bay.
1901 Pelican Point Park (Tomerong Park) established.
1902 Local bushfires. Tomerong Horse Racing Club re-formed. Tomerong Creamery Company goes into liquidation. Railway Extension League holds meeting at Tomerong. New Racecourse opened. Women awarded elective franchise. Ninety six miners killed in an explosion at Mount Kembla coal mine.
1903 Thomas Langlands (schoolteacher) dies. Thomas Warne patents gold saving machine.
1906 Clyde Shire Council proclaimed.
1907 New Post Office constructed north of the school. Tomerong Tennis Club formed.
1908 Plans for 'The Greater Erowal Estates'. First meeting in new Clyde Shire Council Chambers. Governor of NSW visits Tomerong. Watt & Mathie's Sawmill destroyed by fire.
1909 Black Sunday bushfires at Tomerong and St Georges Basin. John Pepper dies. Railway proposed from Federal Capital and Bomaderry to Jervis Bay. First hospital in area opens at Berry.
1910c. Motor Bus service begins on South Coast Road. Industrial dispute threatened in local sawmills.
1911 Local floods- Falls Creek bridge damaged. Commercial Hotel closes. Diphtheria epidemic.
1912 Building commences on RAN College. Bakery commences operation. James Watt I dies.
1913 Thomas Ganderton dies. Clerk and Engineer purchase cottages from Council.
1914 Falls Creek bridge repair completed. Tomerong to St Georges Basin telephone line erected. WWI commences (1914–1918).
1915 Jervis Bay land transferred to Commonwealth. Community assists WWI relief funds. Sid Watt dies in the Dardanelles.
1916 Clyde Shire forms Recruiting Association.
1917 Land sales at Woollamia and Jervis Bay Estates.
1918 Rowe's subdivision approved (west of School of Arts). Interest revived in Canberra to JB railway. Robert Smith dies in France.
1919 Local bushfires. Influenza epidemic. Local servicemen return home.
1920 Prince of Wales' visit to Tomerong. School of Arts plans first submitted. Erowal further sub-divided.
1921 Main South Coast Road renamed Princes Highway.
1922 Jerberra Estate subdivision (east of village).
1924 School P&C formed. Axe Handle factory destroyed by fire.
1925 Local floods.
1926 School of Arts opened. Petrol bowser erected in front of store. Local bushfires.
1928 Erowal land sales as 'Royal Park Estate.' Electricity arrives in Nowra.
1929 Local bushfires.Tomerong Hill deviation (west) constructed. New Huskisson Pub constructed. Timber workers 48hr strike.
1930 Highway bituminised through the village. RAN College moved to Victoria. Depression. Council workers laid off due to shortage of funds from non-receipt of rates.
1931 Original Church building removed and new Sunday school erected on same site.
1932 Butcher's shop proposed.
1933 Tomerong first grade cricket runners up.
1934 Junior Farmer's Club formed. Tomerong wins Shoalhaven first grade cricket premiership.
1935 Tomerong Red Cross branch formed. Tomerong wins the Shoalhaven first grade Cricket premiership.
1936 Tomerong first grade cricket runners up.
1937 Petrol bowsers erected opposite Post Office.
1938 Electricity connected to the village. Local floods.
1939 Bushfires destroy Yalwal. Formation of Bush Fire Brigade (interrupted by war). WWII commences (1939-1945).
1940 Council and School support war effort.
1942 Road direction signs removed by Council. Bill Lackersteen resigns from Council.
1943 Junior Farmer's Club reformed. James Watt II dies.
1945 Cloak rooms added to School of Arts. Air Station commissioned as HMS Nabbington (now HMAS Albatross).
1946 Tomerong servicemen and women return from war. Wireless purchased by School. South Tomerong has electricity connected.
1947 Tomerong Bush Fire Brigade re-established.
1948 Shoalhaven Shire proclaimed. Clyde Council final meeting. HMAS Albatross commissioned.
1949 Provisional school established at St Georges Basin. Local bushfires.
1951 Bill Lackersteen dies. Public Hospital built at Nowra.
1952 Local bushfires.
1953 New cricket pitch constructed at South Tomerong.
1954 School Library commenced.
1956 Bush fires at Tomerong and St Georges Basin.
1957 RAN College re-established. Local bush fires.
1958 Local floods.
1959 Sunday school building extended. Additional classrooms, store and ablutions constructed at school. Local floods.
1962c. Erowal House burnt down by vandals.
1962. School Centenary.
1964 Aboriginal cave paintings discovered at Wandandian. Uniform introduced at School. Sanctuary Point Public School opens. Eighty-two lives lost when HMAS Melbourne collides with HMAS Voyager off Jervis Bay.
1965 Local bush fires. Decimal currency instruction held at school.
1966 Tomerong Bush Fire Brigade re-established. TV set purchased for School. Street lighting installed in village. Registration required for National Service.
1967 Aboriginals given right to vote.
1968 Fire destroys sawmill on Blackbutt Range Road. New toilets at School.
1969 Proposed Steel Works and Nuclear Power Station on Jervis Bay.
1970 School reduced to one-teacher School. Tomerong Creek bridge widened.
1971 Local bush fires.
1972 Local commercial Radio Station opens (2ST).
1974 Local floods.
1976 Fiftieth anniversary of School of Arts.
1977 Union Church Centenary.
1978 Old School building demolished. Local floods.
1980 Tomerong bush fire claims two lives.
1981 Demountable classrooms installed at School. Second bridge built over the Shoalhaven at Nowra.
1982 Reticulated water supply connected to the village.
1984 Stewart Creek bridge widened.
1985 School of Arts piers replaced.
1986 School receives computer.
1987 Tomerong Church Committee dissolved. Corporal punishment abolished at Schools.
1990 School soccer field completed. School enrolments reach 100 for first time.
1991 New Bush Fire Brigade building opened on Church Street.
1993 Tomerong Bypass commenced. Tomerong School Council is formed. School residence is 100 years old.
1994 Ceiling installed at the School of Arts. The Shoalhaven Mobile Pre-School commenced operations from the School of Arts.
1995 Tomerong Bypass opens. New permanent school buildings erected.
1996 Post Office moves from Service Station to north of the School.
1997 Tomerong Forum commences.
2000 Tomerong Service Station building destroyed by fire and removed. Locals participate in Olympic Torch Relay and Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Olympics.


Olympics Tomerong

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