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. |
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