Figtree - Timeline
| 1821 | Cornelius O’Brien discovers and develops a track over the escarpment |
| 1846 | What was to become known as Mt Keira Hotel was built by Hugh Higgins |
| 1859 | Central Illawarra proclaimed a Municipality |
| 1861 | Figtree Bridge built by Moore & Vaughan for the municipality |
| 1867 | Figtree Inn - a small weatherboard building built alongside the giant fig tree, later its name changed to Figtree Hotel. The hotel was well known for 'beer considered to be better than that sold at any other in the district' and was popular with travellers and local miners and steelworkers. The building was demolished in 1961 to provide car-parking space when a 'modern £100,000 hotel' was built alongside it. |
| 1888 | Figtree Sunday School (an outpost of the Parish of Wollongong) commenced in a cottage belonging to James Buckland, with Rev. Cockerill |
| 1903 | Proclamation of 'Fig Tree Park' on 25th November. |
| 1911 | All Saints, Figtree was opened and dedicated on 14th November by Archdeacon Gunther assisted by the Rev. Lampard. |
| 1956 | Figtree Public School opened |
| 1965 | Westfield Shoppingtown opened on 23rd September 1965. In 1974 it was redeveloped changing it from a neighbourhood shopping centre to a full regional centre making it one of the largest shopping areas outside the Wollongong CBD. |
| 1969 | Figtree High School opened |
| 1972 | Figtree Heights Public School opened |
| 1977 | Nareena Hills Public School opened |
| 1979 | Illawarra Private Hospital opened on 15th October |
| 1996 | The ‘Fig Tree’ is cut down |
| 1998 | Fig Tree Park revamped with new plantings and a 3m diameter Aboriginal mosaic as a result of a community project. It is now known as Morton Bay Figtree Park. |
Last Modified: 25/07/2008
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