Historical Australian Towns: Williamstown, VIC: Charming Seaport of a Bygone Era

Located 11 km (6.8 miles) southwest of Melbourne's CBD, at the mouth of the Yarra River, Williamstown is one of the most historic settlements in Victoria.

With its atmosphere of a bygone seaport, Williamstown possesses significant charm and seaside grandeur.

Hobsons Bay is a wheelchair accessible beach.

The Yalukit-willam clan of the Kulin People

The Kulin people were made up of clans who spoke five related languages and shared the same religious beliefs. Aboriginal languages were oral, not written languages.

Boundaries existed between clans; there were strict rules of social organisation and marriage and trading and songlines, or a “dreaming track”, marked the movements and actions of "creator-beings".

Waterways defined the boundaries of most of Melbourne’s clans. The Yalukit-willam called the Williamstown area “koort-boork-boork”, meaning “clump of she-oaks“, literally “She-oak, She-oak, many.”

Waang (the Australian Raven) and Bunjil (wedge-tail eagle) are two moiety ancestors. Bunjil had two wives and a son, Binbeal the rainbow. His brother was Palian the bat. Six wirmums or shamans who represent the clans of the Eaglehawk moiety assisted Bunjil.

One Kulin nation man and 2 boys of the Port Phillip region, Melbourne, 1847. Note the scarification to the man's chest and that his possum skin cloak seems to have a design of repeating patterns on the inside. The photographer, Kilburn, had a professional photographic studio in Melbourne. Kilburn was thought of as a sorcerer by the Kulin people who later viewed these images. Photo credit: Douglas T. Kilburn

The ethnologist, A.W. Howitt, who researched Aboriginal culture and society, recorded in the 1860s that medicine men (wirrirrap) may be a type of doctor, a "rainmaker", a "seer" or "spirit-medium", or may practise some form of magic. Read here

Some Kulin clans considered kurrburra (koalas) to be wise counsellors from whom they sought advice.

Ceremonial rites and ceremonies marked birth, adolescence and death.

Early studio photo of a Kulin nation man, possibly a Coranderrk resident, with prominent chest scarification to one side, circa. mid to late 1860s. The scarring indicated that he may have experienced many initiation ceremonies. Photo credit: Douglas T. Kilburn

The moiety inherited from the father determined all behaviour, social relationships, and marriage partners. An individual who belonged to the Bunjil (wedge-tail eagle) moiety (totem) could not marry a person of the same moiety.

Women were mostly responsible for gathering vegetables, roots, fruits, nuts, eggs and honey, as well as small animals such as snakes and lizards. The types of food depend on the seasonal availability and climatic conditions.

Two Kulin nation women of the Port Phillip region, Melbourne, 1847. Photo credit: Douglas T. Kilburn

Aboriginal men hunted birds and animals such as kangaroos, emus, wallabies and possums using weapons such as spears. Animals were also flushed out using fire.

Kulin people made bowls called "tarnuks" to carry water from gnarled round growths on tree trunks.

Reverend Joseph Orton described Aboriginal people he met in Melbourne the year after settlement:
"Their clothing consists of a garment of kangaroo or possum skins, sewn together with the fibrous parts of the animal which they throw over their shoulders and which reaches down to the knees. Their hair is black coarse and long, usually decorated with kangaroo teeth, claws of animals, bones of fish, pieces of earthenware and buttons obtained from Europeans or anything of the kind. Many of them have their faces whimsically painted and have fish and other small bones pierced through the ears and other small bones on the dividing cartilage of the nose, which are worn as ornamental appendages."

Archaeological evidence of deep Aboriginal occupation can be found in middens, rock art, stone arrangements and artefact scatters.

1770

James Cook FRS was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean and to New Zealand and Australia. HMS Endeavour was a British Royal Navy research vessel that Lieutenant James Cook commanded to Australia and New Zealand on his first voyage of discovery

James Cook arrives off the coast of Victoria, aboard the Endeavour, according to his Journal at 6 a.m. on 19 April 1770.

George Bass was the next navigator after Cook to visit this coast in 1798.

Captain James Grant in the Lady Nelson examines the coast of Victoria in 1800 and returns in the following year to conduct surveys.

Lieutenant John Murray, on the Lady Nelson, enters Port Phillip Bay on 14 February 1802 and explores Corio Bay, taking possession for Britain.

1803

Acting-Lieutenant Charles Robbins onboard the Cumberland explored the area around Point Gellibrand with a survey party in 1803.

John Batman in 1835 announced that he had negotiated a “treaty” with Kulin people by offering them tools, blankets and food in exchange for land. This treaty was controversial, and the colonial government in New South Wales refused to recognise it as legitimate.

A late-19th-century artist's impression of Batman's Treaty being signed

Batman saw the potential of the area which would become Melbourne. He wrote in his diary 8 June 1835: "This will be the place for a village."

An unlit beacon was located at Gellibrand’s Point from 1835. This was probably Victoria’s first navigational aid.

Captain Robson Coltish arrived from Launceston in the barque Norval in November 1835, with 500 sheep and 50 Hereford cattle, which had been consigned by Dr Alexander Thomson.

Captain Coltish chose the area now known as Port Gellibrand as a suitable place to unload the cargo. The name “Gellibrand’s” Point was first used by John Pascoe Fawkner in his Journal on 30th June 1836.

Settlers were arriving within weeks. The first land sales in the area took place in 1837.

Governor Richard Bourke and Captain William Lonsdale visited the Port Phillip settlement in 1837, and they renamed it William’s Town after King William IV, the English king. Bourke said: “A Battery will be required for the protection of the Bay, and a Beacon or Tower should be erected on this point”.

Portrait of Sir Richard Bourke, Governor of New South Wales, by Martin Archer Shee c. 1837-1850. As an Irish-born British Army officer who served as Governor of New South Wales from 1831 to 1837. As a lifelong Whig (Liberal), he encouraged the emancipation of convicts and helped bring forward the ending of penal transportation to Australia.

Hobson’s Bay was named for Captain Hobson of HMS Rattlesnake.

Williamstown became Melbourne’s first anchorage and an important port for the Port Phillip district after a 30-metre stone jetty was built by convict labour in 1838. Williamstown would become a major port for overseas cargo trade.

Firefly was the first steamer to run from Melbourne to Williamstown in 1838, becoming a daily service up and down the Yarra.

Gellibrand’s Point was established as a convict quarry in 1839. A convict barracks was located in the area of the later Fort. A tramway was built by the convicts to transport stone.

The first licensed hotel was the Ship Inn of 1839. William Leard purchased the first land at the first land sales on 1st June 1837.

Local tales tell of a sly grog hut known as the “Bucket of Blood” in the late 1830s.

Anglican services have been held in Williamstown since 1839. The first Church building at Nelson Place site was a prefabricated iron structure brought out from England by ship.

Smallpox, one of the most virulent and deadly diseases that has afflicted humanity throughout history, arrived in Australia with Europeans. Aboriginal people had been isolated from the rest of humanity for thousands of years, and had no immunity to this disease. The results on populations was devastating.

1840s

A lighthouse was constructed in 1840, right on the point of Gellibrand's Point. This lighthouse was of timber with a bluestone base and a fixed white light.

The Harbour Master's office and Boarding and Customs Offices were also operating at Williamstown by 1840.

Williamstown, Vic, in 1840, a sketch by R Hoddle, Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946)

NELSON-PLACE IN JUNE, 1840. From an original sketch loaned by Mr. A. King, of Melbourne. The whole of this property was then owned by Mr. John Jeffreys, an English gentleman, for whom Mr. King's father acted as agent. Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954)
The Albion Hotel was operating in 1841.

Point Gellibrand, Williamstown's first burial ground was established after the arrival of a fever ship in 1842. Also buried here were sailors, convicts, and locals.

"On the 16th February, 1842, there
arrived in Hobson's Bay, with the
yellow flag flying, a ship named the
"Manlius," from Greenock, with 245
immigrants. Most of the crew and
passengers were stricken down with
fever."

"The earliest headstone was dated 1842.
During the voyage of the "Manlius,"
11 male adults, 15 female adults, chil.
dren 7 to 15 years; 2; one to 7 years,
9; under-l year, 7, died. After arrival,
9 male adults, 6 female adults, 2 children

between 1 to 7 years, making a
total of 61 deaths."

Williamstown Chronicle (Vic. : 1856 - 1954)

In 1842, St Mary's School opened, making it the oldest continuously operating Catholic school in Victoria.

Melbourne Aboriginal School mentioned 1846. here

A bluestone lighthouse at Gellibrand's Point was built in 1849 at a cost of £925. Four lamps were shining in May 1849, and a larger lamp was installed in August 1849.

1850s

The Colony of Victoria only came to being in 1851. Before this, it was called the Port Phillip Settlement and part of the colony of New South Wales.

Williamstown, VIC, in 1850, Weekly Times (Melbourne)

The first Williamstown Post Office opened on 1 March 1850.

Skelton Oriental Building built at Nelson Place about 1850.

Before the connection of Yan Yean the water Reservoir in the late 1850s, fresh water was transported by cart to Williamstown.

With the discovery of gold, Melbourne becomes one of the richest cities on Earth, with a booming population.

Convicts were kept on prison hulks off Point Gellibrand from 1852 to 1859. During the gold rush several of these ships were abandoned off Williamstown by their crews, who had absconded to the goldfields.

The dilapidated convict hulk Success in port at Williamstown. Webb & Webb, date unknown. Photograph. SLVIC

THE OLD STONE JETTY.-Williamstown, 1853. From the original drawing by E. Thomas. Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946)

R. L. Ellery was in charge of developing the Observatory on Gellibrand’s Point in 1853. The first timeball in Victoria was dropped at 1pm daily. The tower provided an additional time signal at eight o'clock each night.

Australia's first telegraph line began operating between Melbourne and Williamstown on 3 March 1854. The first rapid communication between continents became possible.

The Victorian Gold Discovery Committee wrote in 1854:
"The discovery of the Victorian Goldfields has converted a remote dependency into a country of worldwide fame; it has attracted a population, extraordinary in number, with unprecedented rapidity; it has enhanced the value of property to an enormous extent; it has made this the richest country in the world; and, in less than three years, it has done for this colony the work of an age, and made its impulses felt in the most distant regions of the earth."

The first Victorian suburban newspaper, Williamstown Chronicle, was established in 1854.

The first Freemasons lodge in the Hobsons Bay area was founded on 31 July 1854.

In the 1850s, William White, a boatbuilder of Williamstown, manufactured the Port Fairy Lifeboat which was said to be unsinkable, self-righting and self-bailing.

Former Port Health Officer's residence (231 Nelson Place) built 1852.

Breheney's and Taegtow's breweries were operating by 1853-4.

Williamstown lighthouse, VIC, 1853, NLAUST

On 12 September 1854 the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company opened Australia's first steam railway line.

Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Thursday 27 September 1855

In 1855, during the Crimean War, Fort Gellibrand was developed in case of Russian invasion.

Park House, former Presbyterian Manse (27 Lyons Street), was built in 1856.

Williamstown Chronicle (Vic. : 1856 - 1954), Saturday 29 November 1856,

Williamstown Council was established in 1856, enabling public works such s roads and infrastructure.

Pilot Thomas Ruffles advertised a ferry service in September 1856 and 1860, at North Williamstown, to ply between his pier and Dalgano & Co. wharf.

Tide Gauge House (Nelson Place) was built by convict labour at Point Gellibrand in 1857 to house one of three tide gauges that arrived from England in 1855.

ONE OF THE FIRST ENGINES, built in 1857 and used to drivetrucks on Sandridge Pier for Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Co. Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)

On March 26, 1857, John Price, Inspector-General of Penal Establishments was murdered by convicts who were constructing the breakwater at Williamstown. Fifteen convicts were tried for his murder and seven were hanged.

Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 30 March 1857

WILLIAMSTOWN'S FIRST TIMBER YARD. This stood on the corner In Nelson-place, now occupied by the lawns and. gardens of Liston Oval. Characters from left to right:— C. Muir, W. Anderson (watch maker and jeweller), T. Weston (who took over the business after Mr. Muir died) — Murdoch, J. Farmer (brother of W. Farmer, for years a local school teacher) and _ Miller (municipal carpenter). Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954). James Muir, died at Williamstown on Friday morning. He came to the colony in 1853, and after being on the diggings settled at Williamstown as a builder.

Williamstown Cemetery opened in 1858. According to "Buried by the Sea", a book by A. Lemon, M. Morgan and H. Doyle, one thousand people were buried at the seafront cemetery.

The original Steam Packet Hotel opened in the mid-1850s. The building was replaced in 1863.

Williamstown Immigration Office and Depot (120 and 123 Nelson Place) from the late 1850s processed arrivals for the Gold Rush.

Former Prince of Wales Hotel (1 Nelson Place) constructed 1857.

Tide Gauge House (Nelson Place), was built by convict labour at Point Gellibrand in 1857 to house one of three tide gauges that arrived from England in 1855.

Mandalay (24 The Strand) dates from 1858.

The first morgue built in Victoria operated near Gem Pier in 1859. later moved to Ann Street.

Williamstown railway station opened on 1 February 1859. The main railway workshops of the Victorian Railways were at Point Gellibrand.

1860s

Old Williamstown cemetery that was in use from at least 1842 until 1856. It contained the graves of ships' fever victims, sailors, and other men of the sea as well as convicts, and local pioneers. It was located next to the railway workshops which operated between the years 1858 and 1889 before moving to Newport. Both the workshops and cemetery were located in what is now the Point Gellibrand Coastal Heritage Park. In 1899 some 808 bodies were exhumed from the old grave site by order of the railway department and re-interred in a mass grave at the new Williamstown cemetery in Champion Road, with the surviving gravestones mounted on a vault built in 1901. This cemetery has been operating since 1856. In 1861, photographer Edward Haigh took this image from the Timeball Tower. See here

In the 1860s, 27 hotels were operating. The Steampacket Hotel was built on the site of the first licensed hotel, the Ship Inn.

The Williamstown Mechanics Institute was constructed in stages between 1860 and 1890.

William Thomas Liley's House (12 The Strand), a stone house, was built in 1862 for harbour pilot William Thomas Liley.

In 1860, Kulin representatives met a preacher called John Green and his wife, Mary Smith Benton Green, who established a school for Aboriginal children.

An Aboriginal reserve, Coranderrk, was run by the Victorian government between 1863 and 1924, located around 50 kilometres (31 mi) north-east of Melbourne.

Williamstown from the railway bridge, VIC, Leader (Melbourne, Vic. : 1862 - 1918, 1935), Saturday 4 April 1863

Former George Hotel (Lyons Street) was a timber building built in 1863 that was replaced by the present building in 1872.

The Napier Hotel, Williamstown, VIC, year unknown, built in 1864

The Confederate States Navy warship CSS Shenandoah sailed into Hobsons Bay on 25 January 1865, during the final months of America's Civil War. This, created diplomatic concerns regarding the equipping of vessels for warlike purposes. More than 7000 people flocked to see the ship, and 40 men stowed away and enlisted with the Confederates.

The Confederate raider, CSS Shenandoah in Hobsons Bay off Williamstown. VIC, State Library of Victoria

The first 50 street lights were lit at Williamstown in September 1866, supplied by the Williamstown gas works in Nelson Place.

HRH Prince Alfred, KG, Duke of Edinburgh, arrived in the Royal Navy's first ironclad, HMS Warrior and lay the foundation stone of the Alfred Graving Dock on 4 January 1868.

The Williamstown Rowing Club began in 1869, however, the building on Stanley Street dates from 1875.

1870s

Victorian Railways Workshops at Williamstown Victoria, 1870, SLVIC

Williamstown was the major cargo port of Victoria.

The congregational church was built in 1870 - 1871 in the Gothic style.

Ned Kelly, a prisoner on the prison hulk, Sacramento, docked at Point Gellibrand in 1873 where he was set to work each day building sea walls and artillery bunkers. Read part of a novel about Ned's experience here

Williamstown, VIC, 1873. Source: State Library NSW. (Nelson Place looking North from Cole St.)

Williamstown Customs House (Cnr Syme Street and Nelson Place) constructed from 1873.

Williamstown North Primary School was established in 1874.

Navy ship HMS/HMVS Nelson at Williamstown Dry Dock, Victoria, 1874, SLVIC. The HMVS Nelson was given to the colony of Victoria by the British government in 1867. In the following year, it dropped anchor off Point Gellibrand

The Methodist Church was built in 1876.

Former Bank of Australasia (189 Nelson Place) was constructed in 1876–77.

Craigdoon (14 The Strand) was constructed in 1876–77 for Peter Murray, a shop keeper.

Wlliamstown Navy Sea Cadets depot (Nelson Place, between Pasco and Parker Streets). The White Brothers operated a slipway here from at least 1877.

Studio portrait of an Aboriginal woman Queen Eliza,'Yarra Tribe.'. She is wearing a blanket and white headband, carrying a basket over her back and holding a spear. Creator: Johan Friedrich Carl Kruger. Date Range: 1877 - 1877 Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954). Europeans called the Aboriginal people around Melbourne, the Yarra tribe (Aboriginal people did not, have chiefs, kings and queens)

Gaunt’s (or Alfred) Woollen Mills were established in 1878.

The Victorian Government purchased 322 acres of land for a rifle range near the corner of Choroid Creek Road in Victoria Street in Williamstown in the 1870s.

1880s

The Blunt family boat-building business has operated at Nelson Place continuously since the 1880s.

Terrace Houses (10–11 The Strand) were built in 1881 for Samuel David Thomas, who had been a successful gold miner.

Alfred Graving Dock, Williamstown, Victoria. 1882.

Blacksmiths workshops Williamstown, VIC, 1883, VPRS 12800/P1 item H 2345

Railway Pier Williamstown, VIC, Australia ca. 1885, Nettleton, Charles, photograph. SLVIC. Williamstown railway pier featuring tall ships, locomotives on tracks, and smaller boats in water. The Williamston railway pier was demolished in 1987 and replaced with a carpark.

During the 1880s, Victoria experienced financial crises and naval activity was curtailed. HMVS Nelson was sold and would be relocated to Sydney. Because the anchors were heavy, they were cut off and dropped into the water. Years later, whilst dredging, the anchors were rediscovered. Today one anchor is at Commonwealth Reserve and the other one in Burgoyne Reserve.

Former Advertiser Building (205 Nelson Place), that served as both a print shop for the newspaper and a shipping exchange, was built between 1885 and 1888 for the Williamstown Advertiser.

Williamstown Chronicle (Vic. : 1856 - 1954), Saturday 19 September 1885

The borough of Williamstown was declared a town in 1886.

Craigantina (125–129 Nelson Place) was constructed in 1886 for John Harker Craig.

Melbourne Savings Bank (Ferguson Street) opened on 14 February 1887.

Williamstown Volunteer Fire Brigade, location Ferguson Street, VIC, 1887, Identifications typed on papers adherred to mount. Back row from left: J. Davidson, W. Russell, J. Wallace, H. Strange, G. Gilbert, A. Knowles, W. Riverett, J. Burtonday. Front row from left: [--], J. Murdock, A. Hall, W. Worthington Esq., W. Goodwin, H. Wilson, G. H. Paine. State Library Victoria Collections

1890s

Australian Squadron at Hobson's Bay, Williamstown, Victoria, circa 1890. Museums Victoria

The three-storey, Former Royal Hotel (85 Nelson Place) was built in 1890 following the demolition of an earlier building on the site.

Former Punshon's Store (Ferguson Street), a general store with cellar and roof garden, was completed in 1890.

The Melbourne sewerage scheme commenced in 1891.

The Williamstown Hospital was opened on its present site in 1894.

Williamstown Post office, Williamston, Victoria, about 1897.

In 1899 bodies were exhumed from Point Gellibrand, including two convicts with their leg irons attached, and re-interred at Williamstown cemetery in a mass grave. Any surviving gravestones were mounted on a vault built in 1901.

Warwick Examiner and Times (Qld. : 1867 - 1919), Wednesday 27 September 1899

1900s

The Williamstown Steamboat Service, VIC, Leader (Melbourne, Vic. : 1862 - 1918, 1935), Saturday 17 February 1900

Fire damage at Williamstown breakwater pier, VIC, Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), Saturday 10 February 1900

Nelson Place, Williamstown, Victoria. Date: Unknown.

Back beach, Williamstown, VIC, c.1900-1910s. The sign on the front of the covered in jetty says 'Hot sea baths' and on the side 'Red flag for ladies, Blue flag for gentlemen'

The Williamstown Ladies' Swimming Club, VIC, Punch (Melbourne, Vic. : 1900 - 1918; 1925), Thursday 23 February 1905

NEW GELLIBRAND LIGHTHOUSE IN HOBSON'S BAY, SHOWING RED AND WHITE DISAPPEARING LIGHTS ; HEIGHT, 50ft.: ILLUMINATING CAPACITY EQUAL TO 2,500 CANDLE-POWER. Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), Saturday 11 August 1906

Loading wheat at Williamstown Wharf, VIC, Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), Saturday 27 January 1906,

The Ball Tower, Williamstown, VIC, Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), Saturday 27 January 1906,

The old police buildings, including local-up, at Williamstown, VIC, Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 15 June 1907

White House (5 The Strand), designed and constructed by John Garnsworthy in 1907.

Williamstown Telegraph Office, VIC, 1906

THE VICTORIAN RIFLE ASSOCIATION'S MATCHES AT WILLIAMSTOWN, VIC. Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 30 November 1907

THE VICTORIAN RIFLE ASSOCIATION'S MATCHES AT WILLIAMSTOWN, VIC. THE LADIES SHOOTING. Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 30 November 1907

Missions to Seamen, Williamstown, VIC, Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), Saturday 22 June 1907. The Victorian Mission was established on July 1, 1857 and began its work on an ex water police hulk called the Emily anchored in Hobsons Bay near Williamstown

Williamstown swimmings baths, VIC, Punch (Melbourne, Vic. : 1900 - 1918; 1925), Thursday 7 February 1907

Williamstown, VIC, football team, Leader (Melbourne, Vic. : 1862 - 1918, 1935), Saturday 20 June 1908

FOOTBALL: Footscray v. Williamstown. crowds, played at Williamstown, VIC, Punch (Melbourne, Vic. : 1900 - 1918; 1925), Thursday 20 August 1908

The Modern Buildings (213–215 Nelson Place) date from 1909.

The Nugget shoe polish factory operating at 16-20 Kanowna St in 1909, was originally a Steam Laundry.

Beach at Williamstown, VIC, 1909 -State Library Victoria

Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Tuesday 21 December 1909

HOMELESS AT CHRISTMAS TIME : TWENTY-SIX HOUSES DESTROYED BY FIRE AT WILLIAMSTOWN. VIC, Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 25 December 1909

The Williamstown Ferry, VIC, 1910

Nursing staff at the Williamstown Hospital, VIC, Punch (Melbourne, Vic. : 1900 - 1918; 1925), Thursday 14 December 1911

Williamstown Chronicle (Vic. : 1856 - 1954), Saturday 10 February 1912

Williamstown SS and scholars, VIC, Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 6 September 1913

Old Williamstown, Douglas Pde, VIC, Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 6 September 1913

Time ball, Williamstown, VIC, Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 6 September 1913

FIRST PRODUCT OF THE WILLIAMSTOWN SHIP-BUILDING YARDS : THE SUCTION DREDGE, VIC, Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 19 July 1913

WILLIAMSTOWN : A BUSY CENTRE OF PORT PHILLIP., VIC, Sydney Mail (NSW : 1912 - 1938), Wednesday 1 April 1914

WWI

Training of soldiers for World War 1 was conducted at Fort Gellibrand. Cerberus was a familiar sight at Williamstown. The Williamstown Dockyards were taken over by the Government during the war period.

HMAS Cerberus at her third mooring location, near the mouth of the Yarra River off Williamstown in Victoria's Hobson's Bay, in 1914. After the war (in April 1921) she was re-named HMAS Platypus II and tasked as 'secondary tender' for the J-Class Submarine fleet based in Corio Bay, SLSA

Frederick McCubbin visited Williamstown to sketch and paint the foreshore and the old shipyards. He pained the Williamstown docks in 1915.

Williamstown Dockyard was sold to the Commonwealth in 1918. In 1923, it was renamed Nelson Pier and ownership passed to the Melbourne Harbour Trust in 1924.

Fete at Williamstown for the ANZAC Club, Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 23 November 1918

Williamstown Town Hall, VIC, Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic. : 1885 - 1939), Thursday 22 May 1919

The Williamstown Gardens, VIC, Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 17 May 1919

I. TESTING WHEAT. 2. PUTTING BAGS OF WHEAT INTO THE SLINGS. 3. BRINGING WHEAT TO THE SHIP'S SIDE, Williamstown, VIC, .Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), Saturday 8 February 1919

In 1919, electrification of the Melbourne railway lines.

Williamstown was proclaimed a City on 17 May 1919. Former City of Williamstown Municipal Offices and Town Hall designed in the Greek revival style, dates from 1919.

1920s

The Hobson's Bay Yacht Club's Opening Day at Williamstown. Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 26 November 1921

FORT GELLIBRAND, OFF WILLIAMSTOWN (VIC.), WHICH IS TO BE DISMANTLED. Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), Saturday 9 September 1922

Concrete roads for Williamstown, VIC, Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Wednesday 6 August 1924

The erecting of an Anzac Memorial showing large crowd of people gathered around a man standing in a elevated position next to a block and tackle. Williamstown, VIC, State Library Victoria Collections

ARTILLERY CAMP AT WILLIAMSTOWN. VIC, Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Wednesday 21 April 1926

Old Gem Pier at Williamstown, VIC, Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Thursday 17 November 1927

Men laying the Williamstown railway line, Footscray, Victoria, 1928. The line is in a cutting (Mus. Vic MM 5372)

The former Williamstown City Council Electricity Supply Department was constructed in 1929 with later additions, at 6 Bath Place.

WILLIAMSTOWN'S HISTORIC NATURAL SWIMMING POOL TO GO: In the scheme for improving the back beach at Williamstown, "Bunbury's" old swimming basin— used by the blacks when Williamstown was known as the "fishing village"— will disappear. Spacious, and encircled by rocks, the pool was the rendezvous of 40 Williamstown boys when they formed a swimming club half a century ago. A general view of the historic pool, taken today. Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), Tuesday 22 October 1929

1930s

Williamstown Croquet Club Pavilion (Victoria Street) constructed in 1930.

A ferry across the lower Yarra River enabled more direct access to Melbourne in 1931.

Learn-To-Swim Drive at Williamstown, VIC, Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), Thursday 21 January 1932

Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic. : 1885 - 1939), Thursday 23 June 1932

This is how the two elevators at the Williamstown wheat dumps convey the bags of Victorian grain from the railway trucks to the plies which are awaiting shipment overseas, VCI. Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), Saturday 4 February 1933

THE CHILLY WIND in Melbourne on Saturday did not deter competitors at the opening of the South Port Lifesaving Club's season at South Melbourne. The Williamstown women's team snapped during its exhibition.News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954), Tuesday 19 December 1933

Lack of fresh Water robbed Williamston of the chance of being the capital of Victoria. Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), Wednesday 30 January 1935

New Bathing pavilion at Williamstown, VIC, Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Wednesday 29 July 1936

The Williamstown Dressing Pavilion (The Esplanade) constructed at Williamstown Beach in 1936.

Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), Monday 12 April 1937

The Old Home of ' Sir George Verdon on the Strand, Williamstown, VIC. Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), Wednesday 27 January 1937. Sir George Frederic Verdon was an Australian politician and public figure who was elected a member of the legislative assembly for Williamstown in 1859.

Gem Pier, built in 1938, took its final name from its most notable ferry boat, the paddle steamer Gem.

FAMILY LIVING IN PAVILION 12 Children Without A HomeIn a sports pavilion behind Williamstown racecourse are living a man, his wife, and 12 children, nine boys and three girls. They can't get a home! The father is employed and the family is not destitute, but they are unable to obtain a house because, they state, agents will not let houses to such a large family.Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), Thursday 2 March 1939

1940s and WWII

Miss Sutton Reaches Century Williamstown's Oldest Resident On Friday, Miss Emma Sutton, of 12 Rouen-street, Hampton, celebrated her 100th birthday. The daughter of Captain Thomas Halk Sutton, the first Port Phillip, pilot, she was born in Melbourne on February 16, 1840, and brought as an infant to Williamstown, residing here for over 80 years.Williamstown Chronicle (Vic. : 1856 - 1954), Saturday 17 February 1940

HMAS Castlemaine was one of sixty Australian Minesweepers (commonly known as corvettes) built during World War II. Castlemaine, constructed at Williamstown Naval Dockyard at a cost of £250,000, is now preserved as museum ship at Gem Pier. Williamstown shiphuilding facilities were expanded during the war period.

Williamstown woollen mills manufactured military uniforms, employing many women.

Building the Air Sea Rescue vessel at Williamstown, VIC, c.1940, Public Record Office Victoria

The unveiling of the Commonwealth Reserve anchor circa 1940-5. Williamstown, VIC,

AIF Camp, Williamstown, VIC, Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), Saturday 3 August 1940

General Sir Harry Chauvel, instructing VDC [Volunteer Defence Corps] Staff Officers on Williamstown Rifle range during the VDC [Volunteer Defence Corps] Staff Officers course at Fort Gellibrand. Photograph - 1942, NAAUST

FORT GELLIBRAND, WILLIAMSTOWN, VIC. 1943-01-26. FIRING MORTARS AT A DEMONSTRATION OF NEWLYINTRODUCED WEAPONS HELD IN THE PRESENCE OF GENERAL SIR THOMAS BLAMEY, GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, ALLIED LAND FORCES, AND OTHER HIGH-RANKING SERVICE CHIEFS. AWM

FORT GELLIBRAND, WILLIAMSTOWN, VIC. 1943-01-26. AN AUSTRALIAN BUILT AC 4 (17 POUNDER) TANK AT THE PROVING GROUND DURING A DEMONSTRATION OF NEWLY INTRODUCED WEAPONS. AWM

The construction of the Altona Refinery commenced in 1946. The refinery is located next to Kororoit Creek which is not navigable.

LIFE ON A LIGHTHOUSE It's not half as monotonous as you might think, living on a lighthouse.
Mr Bill Taylor, his wife and two children) have spent the last 15 years at the Gellibrand pile lighthouse, one mile from Williamstown. Contact with the shore is by launch. Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), Thursday 20 June 1946

Second World War serviceman’s homes were built on part of the Williamstown Rifle Range in 1946. Streets were named Anzac Crescent, Tobruk Crescent and Kokoda Road.

A MODEL HOME-BUILDING PLAN on the Williamstown Rifle Range site, VIC, Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), Tuesday 24 May 1949

TWENTY-SIX OF THE 63 SURVIVING DRIVERS OF THE OLD COBB AND CO.COACHES met together . yesterday lor their annual reunion at The Palms to talk over the good old, days when there was excitement in travelling. Here Tom Lewis, 84, of Williamstown (left); Charlie Holbrook, 76, of North Carlton, and Will Leftwitch, ' 86, of Richmond, bring back some old memories. Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), Wednesday 23 February 1949

1950s

New hospital property, Williamstown, VIC. The Committee of Management of the Williamstown and District General Hospital announces that it has purchased "Berkburn". Williamstown Chronicle (Vic. : 1856 - 1954), Friday 11 August 1950

Migrant Hostels were located in Williamstown after WWII.

Repairing the cutter teeth of a dredge, Williamstown, VIC, c.1950, Public Record Office Victoria

The destroyer HMAS Anzac was commissioned at Williamstown Naval Dockyard on 14 March 1951.

A94 Sabres A-A over Williamstown, Victoria. Date/Time date unknown. Location Williamstown. Commonwealth of Australia. From the late 1950s, Sabre squadrons were deployed at Williamtown as part of 81 Wing. Wing’s role primarily was the air defence of Australia

1960s

Fort Gellibrand became the training and administrative centre for the 2nd Commando Company (Army Reserve) in 1966.

1970s

The West Gate Bridge opened in 1978. During construction an accident resulted in the deaths of 35 men.

1980s

Merrett Rifle Range closed in 1986.

1990s

The rifle range site was developed as a hosing estate and some land was reserved for the protection of native flora and fauna. Jawbone Marine Sanctuary (4 hectares of 30 hectares) is located near Williamstown.

2000

Threatened by subdivision and redevelopment, the lighthouse site at on Point Gellibrand, was declared an historical site by the Premier, Steve Bracks, in 2000.

2013: Tallships

Victoria celebrated the spirit of tall ship voyages and adventurers with the Melbourne Tall Ships Festival at Williamstown, in September 2013

Victoria celebrated the spirit of tall ship voyages and adventurers with the Melbourne Tall Ships Festival ay Williamstown, in September 2013. "Europa" and "Oosterschelde" from \ the Netherlands and "Lord Nelson" from Southampton in England

2013: The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) is concerned about the future of the Williamstown shipyards.

2015: 150 years since the arrival of the Confederate ship "created havoc" during America's civil war, and recruited dozens of Australian men.

2017: Concerns that Williamstown shipyard could be forced to close after the Federal Government's naval shipbuilding plan prioritised South Australia and Western Australia.

Around Williamstown

Williamstown, Victoria, Australia

Historic precinct at Williamstown.The Breakwater Stone. The Hulk Anchor. The Lighthouse and Time Ball, built 1850 -52. Point Gellibrand.Williamstown foreshore. Victoria

Melbourne skyline from Williamstown, VIC, panorama, Alpha

HMAS Castlemaine was one of sixty Australian Minesweepers (commonly known as corvettes) built during World War II in Australian shipyards, Williamstown, VIC

The large Armstrong Cannons (1864, Williamstown, VIC, at John Morley Reserve on The Strand were placed there after the Crimean War, to repel a possible Russian invasion

Williamstown Customs House, Vic, (Cnr Syme Street and Nelson Place), erected from 1873

Heritage buildings, Nelson Place, Williamstown, VIC

Nelson Place, WILLIAMSTOWN, VIC, former Clarendon Hotel, built 1855

Williamstown – Mechanics' Institute, built in 1860, Williamstown, VIC

Samuel George Cox, a professional fisherman purchased land at Williamstown, VIC, in 1849. At that time the area was known as Newtown (now North Williamstown). Between 1851 and 1853 Cox engaged builder William Pearson to build seven two-roomed labourers cottages. Cox also owned the land that now has the shopping Centre built on it

Former Royal Hotel, Nelson Place, Williamstown, Melbourne, Victoria, built 1852

Former Britannia Hotel, Kanowna Street Williamstown Vic, constructed c.1910

Morning Star Hotel, Electra Street Williamstown Vic, built, constructed in 1890

The Prince Albert Hotel, Douglas Parade, Williamstown, VIC, built for the Carlton & United Brewery Company in 1915-16 to replace an earlier timber structure