DATE | EVENT |
25,000 BP | Aboriginal people arrive in Canberra region. |
December 1820 | First Europeans arrive and camp near Mt Pleasant (Charles Throsby, James Vaughan, Joseph Wild and Charles Throsby Smith). |
1825 | James Ainslie established a sheep station called Pialligo for Robert Campbell. Lease covers much of Mount Majura. |
1846 | Robert Campbell renamed the property Duntroon. |
1860 | Darmody family arrived and purchased lease holdings on Mt Majura. |
1909 | First survey of Canberra City completed. |
1911 | Federal Capital Territory formed with NSW ceding 2,360 square kilometres, including the seaport of Jervis Bay. |
1912 | Walter Burley Griffin announced as winner of the design competition for the national capital. |
March 1913 | Foundation stone laid on Capital Hill and Canberra announced as the name. |
1913 | Construction began on infrastructure for the city. |
1920 | Soldier Settlement Scheme allocates blocks in the Gungahlin district:
– Percival Robertson – blocks 98J & 99 – Ewan Cameron – blocks 98G & 98H Hackett would later be built on the land covered by these leases |
1928 | Suburbs of Ainslie, Reid, Braddon, Turner, O’Connor and Lyneham gazetted under the National Memorials Ordinance 1928-1953. |
1920-30s | An avenue of eucalypts and pines planted on east side of what would be the future Hackett oval. |
1957 | National Capital Development Commission established with the task of planning and developing Canberra. |
1959 January | First group of Defence personnel arrive in Canberra from Melbourne. |
1959 August | Second group of Defence personnel arrive. |
19 March 1960 | Suburbs of Hackett, Watson and Downer gazetted under the National Memorials Ordinance 1928-1953. |
21 September 1961 | Hackett’s street names gazetted (see list in Appendices). |
1962 | First infrastructure work in Hackett commences on sections 1-18 (area bound by Antill Street, Phillip Avenue and Madigan Streets). |
September 1962 | NCDC calls for tenders to build the first houses in Hackett (in sections 1-18). |
December 1962 | First blocks of land in Hackett offered for auction. |
15 December 1962 | First advertisement for homes for sale in Hackett appears in the Canberra Times. |
6 March 1963 | Monaro Mall opens. |
1963 | Population of Hackett – 156 |
May 1963 | Hackett reservoir goes into service. |
30 July 1963 | Contract let to J. Fletcher Co P/L for £159,848 pounds for construction of Hackett Primary School. |
October 1963 | Mt Majura District Girl Guides formed. |
1 January 1964 | New Presbyterian Parish for Northern Canberra Suburbs instituted – later called St Margaret’s. |
10 April 1964 | First Presbyterian Minister Rev. Donald Erickson ordained and inducted. |
April 1964 | Lake Burley Griffin reaches peak water level. |
May 1964 | First classrooms in Hackett Primary School used from May 1964. Other sections were handed over later that year and in 1965. Other stages were completed in 1968 and 1969. |
17 October 1964 | Lake Burley Griffin inaugurated by Prime Minister Robert Menzies. |
1964 | Dickson Shops built. |
1964 | Population of Hackett – 2,067. |
January 1965 | Dickson Pool opens. |
1965 | Hackett Preschool opens. |
June 1965 | Tender for the Infants Department issued in June 1965 and handed over in 1966. |
1965 | Haddon Court ‘Handed Over’. |
April 1966 | Ainslie rubbish tip opens. |
9 June 1966 | First shop opens – JB Youngs. |
1966 | Population of Hackett – 4,018. |
1967 | Canberra population reaches 100,000. |
16 December 1967 | Dedication of St Margaret’s/Holy Cross Church Building. |
1968 | Mr Fluffy begins selling asbestos insulation for Canberra’s homes. |
1972 | Canberra Revival Centre opens premises at corner of Maitland and Madigan Streets. |
1974 | Ainslie landfill tip closes. |
1976 | Dickson Secondary College opens. |
1976 | Hackett Art and Craft Exhibition began. |
September 1976 | Canberra Revival Centre moves. |
December 1977 | Knights of the Southern Cross purchase former Canberra Revival Centre and use it as headquarters. |
1977 | Hackett Primary School has enrolment of 429 students. |
1982 | Montessori Children’s House opens in part of Hackett Primary School. |
1988- 1993 | Inspection and removal of Mr Fluffy asbestos insulation from homes across Canberra. |
September 1989 | Shell service station closes. |
October 1989 | Knights of the Southern Cross move to new headquarters in Turner. |
April 1990 | Ainslie rubbish transfer station closes. |
December 1990 | Hackett Primary School closes. |
December 1991 | Montessori Children’s House closes. |
1991 | Meg’s Toy Library opens at St Margaret’s Uniting Church. |
1993 | Mount Majura Reserve gazetted as part of the Canberra Nature Park. |
1995 | Samaritan House opens. |
1996 | Girl Guides move out of hall at Holtze Close. |
July 1999 | Folk Dance Canberra holds ‘Hall Warming Party’ at former primary school hall. |
April 2002 | Hackett Community Association formed. |
2005 | Blue Gum Community School opened. |
2006 | Hackett Art and Craft Exhibition ends. |
2009 | ACT Government asks National Capital Authority to remove Monash Drive from National Capital Plan. |
2013 | 50th birthday of Hackett. |
2014 | NCA advises it was still waiting for ACT Government to provide information to enable process to removed Monash Drive from Plan. |
2014 | The ACT Government establishes the Loose Fill Asbestos Eradication Scheme to remove asbestos from over 1,000 homes in Canberra, including 29 in Hackett. |
Source – Hackett Community Association (2019) Hackett – 50 years plus: Story of a North Canberra suburb.