Kate's Timeline By rcps Apr 15, 1839 john riddell and thomas hamilton arrived in port jackson arrived in port jackson Apr 20, 1839 john riddell and thomas hamilton arrived in port phillip Oct 9, 1839 thomas hamilton and john riddell arrived in the western district Jan 1, 1840 tom and john acquired land of riddells creek Jan 1, 1844 tom and riddell made their first house Jan 1, 1845 tom returned to scotland Jan 1, 1846 john got married Jan 1, 1850 tom returned to Australia Jan 1, 1851 tom got married Jan 1, 1851 gold first found in Bendigo Feb 6, 1851 black thursday fire near john's house Jan 1, 1859 church of england opened Jan 1, 1870 first road bridge built across Riddells Creek Jan 1, 1906 disastrous flood Jan 1, 1980 three new shops opened