During this Month

1838 John Pascoe Fawkner’s newspaper, The Melbourne Advertiser, is published for the first time, the initial nine issues being hand written.
1839 Charles Joseph La Trobe is appointed Superintendent of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales; he arrives in Melbourne from London nine months later.
1840 The Port Phillip Herald, forerunner of the Herald-Sun newspaper, is published for the first time.
1847 Charles Joseph La Trobe, while serving as Administrator of Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania), ascends Mt Wellington.
1848 Charles Perry, first Bishop of Melbourne, arrives in the newly proclaimed city and lives in La Trobe’s Upper Jolimont cottage for five years.
1852 William A’Beckett is appointed first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria.
1852 Redmond Barry is appointed to the bench of the Supreme Court of Victoria.
1853 The Melbourne Public Library (now State Library Victoria) is established.
1853 The University of Melbourne is established.
1854 The English, Scottish and Australian Chartered Bank, a forerunner of the ANZ Bank, opens a branch in Melbourne.
1854 The first Cobb and Co coach leaves Melbourne for Bendigo.
1856 The City of Melbourne is lit with gas.