3000 before present
Beach of the Yalukit-William people formed by receeding waters of bay
1783
Prince Regent establishes court at Brighton, England, Sea bathing becomes fashionable
1822
Royal Pavillion, with fantasy dome, built at Brighton, England
1833
Daylight bathing ban, NSW
1835
Melbourne settled by Europeans
1840s
Tents,cottages and bathing boxes at St Kilda for 'bathing season'
1854
Captain Kenney's Bathing Ship moved to north of pier
1855
Kenney's Bathing Ship moved to north of pier
1857
Railway comes to St Kilda
1858
St Kilda Bathing Company House opens opposite the New Bath Hotel (now site of Esplanade Hotel)
1859
Swimming carnivals popular. Kenney presents silver cup to Charles Steedman
1860s
Several baths for men and women open along shores
1862
Kenney's Bathing Ship washes onto its side
1863
Storms destroy several baths
1867
Manual of Swimming, by Charles Steedman published in Melbourne and London
1873
26 000 baths reputed to have been taken at the St Kilda Ladies Baths
1878
The Esplanade Hotel opens
1884
Complaints about 'unnecessary nudity' at Men's baths
1888
Cable tram comes to St Kilda
1894
Melbourne Swimming Club forms
1901
Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Yor Island at St Kilda, on way to open the first parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, in Melbourne
1904
Tom (Teunis) Bakker begins work at baths as life-guard. Stays for 51 years
1905
Foreshore Commitee formed. Beautification of foreshore begins, to Carlo Catan's design
1906
St Kilda Propletary Baths open
1907
Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman arrested in Boston for design of her costume
1908
Heatwave in Melbourne. Open bathing in daylight hours permitted in Hobson's Bay. Frank Beaurepaire wins silver and bronze at London Olympic Games
1909
St Kilda Royal Life Saving Club forms. Lilian Beaurepaire club champion
1910
Frank Beaurapire wins 51 successuve races including every British title from the 100 yards to the 1 mile
1912
Removal of Kenney's Bathing Ship Baths. Opening of Luna Park. Open Sea Bathers' League challenges ban on Sunday bathing
1914
Council unsuccessfully imposes divided 'sex areas' on beach to control mixed bathing. Nell Kenney completes long distance swims in UK and America. 1000 bathers protest over restrictions on Sunday bathing
1915
Legendary Hawaiian swimmer Duke Kahanamoko swims at St Kilda Baths
1920
Beaurepaire returns to competitive swimming. Defeats American champion Norman Ross over half mile at the St Kilda Baths. Wins bronze 1500 yards at Antwerp Olympics
1922
Complaints about 'night-basking' and lewd behavior on St Kilday beach
1923
Bayside councils meet to codify beach regulations
1925
St Kilda Proprietary Baths burn down. Thomas Kenney manager at the time
1920s
Concerted campaign for new baths and better changing rooms
1928
Beaurepaire offers to donate a tiled 'still-water' pool to St Kilda. Offer declined. Various design proposaid for new baths but no action taken. Speedo begins manufacturing bathing costumes.
1929
Visiting Norwegian champion swimmer Arne Borg declares St Kilda Sea Baths 'a pile of junk'. Council begins new pool, designed by City Engineer. Beaurepaire begins Herald Learn-to-Swim campaign
1930
Young man taken by shark from Middle Brighton pier, before hundreds of spectators
1931
St Kilda City Baths open. Controversy over design.
1930s
Complaints about briefness of women's bathing costumes, men 'rolling down' their straps and people walking the streets in their beach-wear
1933
Elston, Queensland, renamed Surfer's Paradise
1934
King tides at St Kilda
1935
Young man dies after diving in the baths and breaking his spine. Two sisters drown. at Elwood
1936
Campaign to allow mixed bathing in women's section of St Kilda City Baths
1937
Thirteen bathers prosecuted by St Kilda Council for walking in their bathers and rolling down their straps. Surfers' Paradise Hotel opens.
1938
Men allowed to wear bathing trunks without straps. Mixed bathing permitted at baths
1940s
St Kilda Baths popular with American soldiers
1949
Boy caught on piling and drowned at baths
1952
Council reveals it spent £ 104,320 on baths over 21 years, and recieved £ 43,134 in rent.
1953
Council does not renew lease and baths revert to Crown
1955
Baths in disrepair
1956
South Pacific Health Club and Cabaret opens
1960s
St Kilda promoted as Gold Coast of the south
1969
Elwood marina opens. Whiskey au GoGo opens in cabaret rooms at baths
1970
Prince Charles swims at Elwood and declares it 'like swimming in diluted sewage'. Seaquarium takes over baths and evicts Melbourne Swimming Club from baths. Club's memorial honour board disappears
1972
Proposal for highrise development with casino for George Hotel
1978
Cyrstal Ballroom opens at Seaview (George) Hotel
1980
Redevelopment of St Kilda beach, Shark fence removed from baths. Through 1970s and 1980s nightclubs at baths proliferate
1987
St Kilda Council issues Planning Consent Order for future development of baths. Development must include hot sea baths and relate to beach activities and heritage for foreshore
1991
Government calls for tenderss to develop baths
1992
Zarawaters wins tender with design by Allan Powell. Baths to re-open, Spring 1993
1993
Baths close, despite vocal public campaign of opposition. St Kilda Council dissolved and replaced by Commissioners, as prelude to amalgamation.
1994
Little work on baths' site. Design modifications by Council under the Commissioners. High rise proposed for Esplanade Hotel site (again)
1995
Old baths demolished. Problems between developer and construction company. Public shocked and dismayed by the height, bulk and roofscape of building, not to Allan Powell's original design
1996
Newly elected council takes developer to Administrative Appeals Tribunal. AAT laments additions but finds most of them legal
1997
Proposals submitted to Council for completion of baths. Esplanade Alliance calls for sweeping design changes. Search for new developer. Public cynicism deepens.
1998
Esplanade Alliance holds public meetings and successfully calls for review committee for design of baths. Developer in recievership. Extensive roof demolitions negatiated with developers(and receivers)
1999
Owner Jannie Tay refinances project. Demolition completed but statemate over design persists. Planning permit extended. Underground carpark approved
2000
Slow progress as council and developer negotiate acceptable design details. Planning permit extended
2001
Planning permit extended Rapid completion for April opening of sea baths
2002
Melbourne's finest dining, bars, cafes, Internationally awarded Day Spa and Health Club and of course Australia's only indoor natural Seawater pool are the epicenter of Melbournee's affinity with Port Phillip Bay
2007
City of Port Phillip complete a major upgrade of the foreshore in front of the St Kilda Sea Baths.
2011
One of Melbourne's finest Function and Events centre, Encore St Kilda Opens to great acclaim.
2012
St Kilda Sea Baths hosts the first ever Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship that sells out in just over 5 minutes(1600 competitors)
2013
Indigenous Garden Trail built with Indiginous cooking and educational displays
2014
Sea Baths agrees with iFly Australia to build an indoor wind-tunnel in the Car Park – not approved by Authorities
2015
St Kilda Football Club official agreement with Sea Baths to train (along with most other AFL Clubs) and run Live Sites to watch the matches from Republica Courtyard.
2016
Sea Baths proposes new lightweight design for a rooftop area with seafood and drinks, along with public space – after initial approval, was not approved
2018
State of the art Solar system installed to provide power to the facility.
2020
Global Covid-19 Pandemic with lasting reprecussions into 2021 and beyond
