Significant events in the history of Kew and Kew East:
1800–1850
| Month | Year | Event |
| 1803 | The Charles Grimes survey party moves beyond Dight’s Falls into what was to become Studley Park | |
| 1845 | The first (successful) and second sale of Crown land in Kew | |
| 1846 | A third sale of Crown land in Kew | |
| 1847 | A fourth sale of Crown land in Kew |
1850–1900
| Month | Year | Event |
| 1851 | Hawthorn Bridge at the end of Bridge Road is constructed to cross the Yarra River A fifth and sixth sale of Crown land in Kew Fenwick purchases Allotment 87 as the site for the Village of Kew |
|
| 1853 | The first retail shop opens in Kew | |
| 1854 | The Boroondara Roads District, covering Kew, Hawthorn and Camberwell is proclaimed | |
| 1856 | The Boroondara Roads Board is establishedA provisional Post Office is opened at Kew |
|
| 1857 | Studley Park Bridge (Penny Bridge) at end of Church Street opens. It is removed in 1878 | |
| 1858 | The ‘New Bridge’ at Johnston Street to Kew is opened. Suffering from dry rot, it requires continual repairs Bonwick’s A Sketch of Boroondara is published |
|
| 1859 | The site of Boroondara Cemetery is proclaimed and the first burial takes place | |
| 1860 | Hawthorn, and subsequently Kew, secedes from the Boroondara Road District to form separate municipalities | |
| 1861 | The population of Kew reaches 1,439 (Males 711, Females 728). Kew has 279 inhabited dwellings A new Hawthorn Bridge is opened The South Bourke Standard, the first newspaper in the area, begins publication. [It ceases publication in 1873] |
|
| 1863 | Kew is proclaimed a Borough Major flooding of the Yarra River |
|
| 1864 | A 340-acre site is reserved at Kew for the construction of a mental hospital | |
| 1866 | The first kerosene street lamps are installed in Kew | |
| 1869 | Gas supplies are extended across the Yarra to Kew | |
| 1871 | The population of Kew reaches 2,430 (Males 1,146, Females 1,284) | |
| 1876 | The Melbourne Omnibus Company starts a horse drawn bus service from Hawthorn Bridge to Kew An iron-span bridge replaces the wooden ‘New Bridge’ at Johnston Street; it is replaced in 1958 |
|
| 1878 | A mains water supply from Yan Yean Reservoir is extended into Kew | |
| 1881 | The population of Kew reaches 4,288 (Males 2,072, Females 2,216). Kew has 565 inhabited dwellings | |
| 1882 | The Kew and Hawthorn Express newspaper begins publication. It ceases publication in 1909. The Boroondara Standard newspaper begins publication. It ceases publication in 1897. |
|
| 1884 | The Victoria Street Bridge opens | |
| 1887 | A horse tram service from Victoria Bridge to the Kew Cemetery opens The Hawthorn to Kew railway line opens with stations at Kew and Barkers Road |
|
| 1888 | The Kew Post Office, Court House and Police Station are built The Kew Mercury newspaper begins publication. [It ceases publication in 1911] |
|
| 1891 | The population of Kew reaches 8,462 (Males 4,011, Females 4,451). Kew has 1,331 inhabited dwellings The southern portion of the new Outer Circle Railway Line is officially opened Major flooding of the Yarra River |
|
| 1892 | The Borough of Kew is subdivided into five wards: [North, Prospect, Studley Park, Central and College] | |
| 1893 | The first purpose-built fire station is built in Walpole Street | |
| 1895 | The walls and gates of the Boroondara (Kew) Cemetery are completed |
1900–1950
| 1901 | The population of Kew reaches 9,469 (Males 4,354, Females 5,115). Kew has 1,586 inhabited dwellings | |
| 1910 | The population of Kew reaches 9,820. Kew has 2,100 inhabited dwellings Kew is gazetted as a Town Kew Council makes a request for electric tramlines in the township |
|
| 1912–24 | A series of electric tramlines are constructed throughout Kew | |
| 1915 | The tram tracks from Victoria Bridge to the Boroondara Cemetery are completed | |
| 1916 | Major flooding of the Yarra River | |
| 1921 | The population of Kew reaches 17,382. Kew is gazetted as a City Major flooding of the Yarra River |
|
| 1923 | Major flooding of the Yarra River | |
| 1926 | The Kew Advertiser newspaper begins publication | |
| 1928 | Kane’s [foot] Bridge, linking Yarra Bend Park (Fairfield) and Studley Park (Kew), is built | |
| 1929 | The Fairfield Railway Bridge is converted for road traffic and opened | |
| 1934 | Major flooding of the Yarra River | |
| 1947 | The population of Kew reaches 30,859. |
1950–2000
| 1952 | Discontinuation of passenger services on the Kew Branch Railway line | |
| 1954 | The population of Kew reaches 31,518. | |
| 1958 | The Kew Railway line closes The New Johnston Street Bridge opens |
|
| 1959 | The Kew Railway yards are dismantled and demolished | |
| 1960 | The new Kew City Hall is officially opened ‘Tara Hall’ in Studley Park Road is demolished WD Vaughn’s Kew’s Civic Century is published |
|
| 1961 | The population of Kew reaches 33,341. | |
| 1966 | The population of Kew declines to 32,819. Kew has 9,404 inhabited dwellings | |
| 1973 | Dorothy Roger’s A History of Kew is published | |
| 1976 | The population of Kew declines to 29,683. | |
| 1986 | The population of Kew declines to 28,162. |
References
Government of Victoria 1863, Census of Victoria, 1861
Government of Victoria 1874, Census of Victoria, 1871
Government of Victoria 1883, Census of Victoria, 1881
Government of Victoria 1893, Census of Victoria, 1891
Government of Victoria 1904, Census of Victoria, 1901
Reeves, S. 2012, Thematic Environmental History
Rogers, D. 1973. A History of Kew
Government of Victoria, Victorian Year Book 1973.
Vaughan W.D. 1960, Kew’s Civic Century.