Stanwell Park - Timeline
| 1824 | Colonial Secretary's Office approves the granting of 1,000 acres to Matthew Gibbons at 'Little Bullie' later Stanwell Park |
| 1825 | A stockyard was established at 'Little Bullie' in the care of John Paid |
| 1829 | John Paid sentenced to death for his activities as a bushranger |
| 1832 | Matthew Gibbons Grant at 'Little Bullie' made official |
| 1833 | Deeds of 'Little Bullie' issued to Matthew Gibbons by the Governor |
| 1835 | Matthew Gibbons dies |
| 1850 | Lawrence Hargrave born in Greenwick, England |
| 1863 | Company formed to work the coal seam on an estate formerly the property of Sir Thomas Mitchell|Proposed to construct a basin 200 foot square to ensure the safety of vessels |
| 1865 | The Hargrave family arrives in Sydney |
| 1883 | Section of Illawarra Railway from Bottle Forest to Stanwell Park survey protracted |
| 1887 | Mr Hargraves new residence at Stanwell Park |
| 1889 | Railway blocked. Fall of thousands of tons of earth at Stanwell Park |
| 1890 | Lady Carrington and children staying at Stanwell Park |
| 1890 | Stanwell Park Station first listed in time table |
| 1894 | Lawrence Hargrave, Australian pioneer in aeronautics, on 12 Nov 1894, lifted 16 feet into the air by string box kites |
| 1894 | Lawrence Hargrave, Australian pioneer in aeronautics, on 12 Nov 1894, lifted 16 feet into the air by string box kites |
| 1899 | Mr J L Hargrave to start on a 12 months trip to Europe |
| 1899 | Tourist Union seeks resumption of roadway from the railway to the beach at Stanwell Park |
| 1901 | Platform removed from the east to the west side of the line. New siding being constructed in place of the platform. Siding to be 794 feet long. |
| 1901 | Railway siding at Stanwell Park nearly complete |
| 1907 | Land resumed at Stanwell Park for public park |
| 1907 | Business and residential lots to be sold between the railway station and the beach |
| 1908 | Land sale - Roman Catholic Church and Episcopalian Church secure sites |
| 1908 | Building begins. Boarding house of 22 rooms being erected |
| 1908 | Stanwell Park popular with tourists |
| 1908 | Railway commissioner at request of Bulli Council, to provide a siding and additional accommodation at Stanwell Park. Add 66 feet to "present platform". Erect new platform for "up" (Sydney) train passengers. New office for Stationmaster and 2 runaway sidings |
| 1909 | New railway station, residence and sidings costing £5000 to be installed. Work commenced |
| 1909 | Railway station improvements. Goods siding available to the public. Station Masters office to the extreme south end of platform with goods siding opposite. Overhead bridge wanted to avoid the walk to the end of the station to cross at the north end |
| 1909 | Helensburgh and Stanwell Park Surf Bathing and Life Saving Club erect dressing sheds on the beach. Bridge over Stanwell Park Creek being built by R B Cram |
| 1909 | Stanwell Park Life Saving and Surf Bathing Club has 135 members |
| 1909 | Governor and Lady Chelmsford visit Stanwell Park by motor car. Children staying at Hillcrest |
| 1910 | 3000 to 4000 tourists at Stanwell Park on Eight Hour Day |
| 1912 | Helensburgh people travel to Stanwell Park Episcopalian Church Sunday School picnic |
| 1912 | Launching of new life boat "Grace Darling" |
| 1914 | Stanwell Park Estate Company making roads on subdivision to sell land |
| 1914 | Episcopalian Church Rev. W Newmarch, Rural Dean of Wollongong, laid the foundation stone for the new Episopalian Church Hall on Saturday 20 December, assisted by Rev. W T Price of Helensburgh, the originator of the movement |
| Bulli Shire Council seeks old railway line for roadway when Stanwell Park deviation complete from Cliftonville level crossing to Stanwell Park level crossing | |
| 1920 | Passenger trains running to Sydney on new deviation. Grade reduced and time the same. Deviation eliminates Otford tunnel |
| 1921 | 1921 Lady Carrington Drive, Stanwell Park to causeway road in neglect and disrepair|Trustees policy to re-open for motor traffic |
| 1926 | Stanwell Park to Clifton bus proposed |
| 1926 | Old abandoned railway route to be converted to a road by the Main Roads Board. Stanwell Park new station 289 feet above sea level, 191 feet above the old station. In 1920 the railway was diverted to skirt the rim of the vast ampitheatre of Stanwell Park to reduce the railway grade of 1 in 40 which limited operations |
| 1926 | New school building to be erected |
| 1927 | Bridge over Hargrave Creek opened |
| 1927 | Three rooms and veranda of "Hillcrest" blown away in a storm |
| 1928 | New school opened on Saturday 21 April. |
| 1932 | Electric light officially switched on by D Hopkins, one of the oldest residents of Stanwell Park, in the presence of shire councillors. Installed by Bulli Shire Council to replace hurricane lamps. Celebration at "Stanwell House" of Mr and Mrs D Hopkins |
| 1933 | Great storm. Lagoons cut through beaches. Tremendous damage to railway. Family swept away |
| 1938 | Lawrence Hargrave Memorial proposed |
| 1940 | Lawrence Hargrave Memorial on top of bald hill unveiled by Governor, Lord Wakehurst, on Saturday 3 August |
| 1940 | Lady Wakehurst officially opened Lady Carrinngton Drive, the resurrection of the old Lady Carrington Drive. It had fallen into disrepair in 1931 and was now rebuilt. Lady Wakehurst Lookout also opened |
| 1940 | On Bald Hill, a memorial overlooks Stanwell Park, the home of Lawrence Hargrave|He lived at Stanwell Park from 1893 to 1899 and experimented there with box kites. Memorial erected by Bulli Shire Council and unveiled by Lord Wakehurst |
| 1949 | Blue Gum residents want name changed to Hargrave Heights. Area above Stanwell Park already called Stanwell Tops |
| 1955 | Water famine in Stanwell Park and Stanwell Tops. Rely on house tanks and water cart |
| 1956 | Stanwell Park branch of Country Womens Association active |
| 1956 | Stanwell Park Progress Association active |
| 1956 | Water to be turned on at Stanwell Park |
| 1956 | Members subscribe £300 towards cost of building Stanwell Park Surf Club clubhouse. Stanwell Park is oldest surf club in Illawarra |
| 1956 | Water supply for Stanwell Park turned on by J B Renshaw, Minister for Local Government, on Saturday 15 September |
| 1957 | Stanwell Park Ladies Surf Club formed on Sunday 1 December |
| 1958 | State surf championships to be held at Stanwell Park |
| 1960 | Stanwell Park has Country Womens Association group |
| 1961 | Fire last November razed 24 holiday huts that had been erected without council approval |
| 1963 | Railway blocked by landslide on southern mountain |
| 1963 | Stanwell Park Country Womens Association building fund reaches £950 |
| 1964 | Stanwell Park Country Womens Association rooms and Baby Health Centre construction begun |
| 1965 | Argentine ant eradication campaign. Infestation over 50 acres to be sprayed |
| 1965 | Swimming pool sought by deputation to council |
| 1965 | James Irvine’s folk museum established in the basement of the former home of Lawrence Hargrave. Exhibits date back over a century |
| 1966 | Camping area costing $56,000 proposed. Alderman Bartlem says unwarranted |
| 1966 | Wollongong Council drops the camping area project |
| 1974 | Stanwell Park conservation society formed |
| 1975 | $200,000 federal grant for additions to Frank and Jess Kennett home for the elderly. |
| 1985 | Stanwell Park railway viaduct is damaged after mining activity is carried out in its proximity. Repairs carried out and further reinforced in 1992. |
| 1992 | Stanwell Park viaduct identified as a structure of high heritage significance to the local area. |
| 1997 | NSW government commits to establishment of a Priority Sewerage Program for the area. |
| 1999 | Priority Sewerage Program plan released for public comment. Program to involve a mixture of pipes, pumping stations and overland transfers. |
| 2003 | Stanwell Park railway viaduct undergoes remedial work and reinforcement. |
| Work commences on a Priority Sewerage program for the area at total projected cost of approximately $45 Million. | |
| 2006 | $40,000 NSW Environment trust grant allows extensive bush restoration work at Hargraves Creek. |
| 2007 | Priority Sewerage program works completed. |
| 2008 | Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Surf Life Saving Club celebrates its 100th anniversary with membership of almost 500 |
Last Modified: 6/08/2008
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