History of Navigators

From Three Times Blest. Peter M Griffiths.

The Government called for tenders, Evens, Merry & Co were the successful contractors to build a rail link between Geelong and Ballarat on 26 August 1858.

After many strikes and a lack of progress of the work, Evans, Merry & Co were now in such financial difficulty that early in 1860 they transferred their contract for the line to Williams, Little & Co.

By March 1860, work was progressing on the deep cutting north of Navigators, where there were about 400 men engaged. The Star reported that:

“This precise locality is called Navigator’s Village, and can boast of two stores, a butcher’ shop and 12 or 13 houses, besides an almost countless number of white tents and shanties”.

Official opening day, 10 April 1862 a special train carrying Councillors and passengers left Ballarat at 7.30am to bring the Governor and guest from Melbourne and Geelong to Ballarat, where the Governor was to officially declare the line open. The train was held up for half an hour at the Caledonian Bridge as it found difficulty in climbing the steep gradient to Warrenheip. By the time the train reached Meredith, the firewood supply was exhausted – so there was another delay while the crew stopped to cut wood to replenish the stock. Eventually the train continued on the phenomenal speed of 15mph arriving in Geelong at 11.45am. The Governor boarded, and the train had returned to Ballarat by 2.45pm. Then came the Official opening, complete with a Banquet and grand ball.

The bluestone bridge at Navigators is classified by the National Trust.

Our ‘Little Ireland’ stretched out beyond Millbrook to Gordon and Wallace, and southerly from Warrenheip and Dunnstown through the Navigator’s village to Lal Lal and Clarendon.

The St. Augustine’s Catholic school was in existence at Navigators in 1867 and continued for many years. The state school was opened in 1877 only to be closed in 1900, and in 1903 the education department was informed that the building was “demolished by a storm on Saturday last, and not likely to be erected again owing to being closed for such a time for want of pupils”.

A state school reopened at Navigators in 1926. It eventually closed again in 1966 and the building was removed.

St. Annes Catholic church was a land mark at Navigators until about 1988.

The Navigators Post Office operated until about 1972.