Melbourne: History, Former Names & Timeline
Capital of the colony of Victoria that boomed in the gold rush, and seat of the federal government from 1901 to 1927.
MelbourneExplore Melbourne in the interactive map
Former names of Melbourne
| From | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1835 | Melbourne |
Timeline of Melbourne
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1835 | John Batman signs a treaty with Aboriginal elders and founds a settlement |
| 1851 | The Victorian gold rush begins |
| 1901 | Becomes the temporary federal capital |
| 1956 | Melbourne hosts the Summer Olympics |
Who ruled Melbourne
Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.
| Period | State |
|---|---|
| 500 BC–1599 | Australian aboriginal hunter-gatherers |
| 1600–1814 | Wurundjeri |
| 1815–1879 | New South Wales |
| 1880–1913 | Victoria (UK) |
| 1914–today | Australia |