VicRoads Centenary Timeline

1913 - 1915

CRB teams investigate Victoria’s roads.

1914 - 1918

WWI labour shortages mean the CRB are unable to improve roads.

1915 - 1930s

A time of technological advancement.

1917 - 1937

Click to see a graph displaying the increase in registered vehicles between 1918-1937.

1920 - 1930s

Building the Great Ocean Road.

1921

Establishment of the Motor Registration Branch.

1923

Bitumen spraying gangs established.

1925

Connecting isolated settler's.

1928

Prohibition of hoardings.

1928

William Calder dies, and is succeeded as Chairman by W.B. McCormack.

1929

The Hume Highway.

1932

Official number plates designed and enforced under legislation.

1936

Original McKillops Bridge washed away by floods.

1936 - 1946

Constructing the Sam Remo Bridge to Phillip Island.

1937 - 1938

Reduction of horse drawn vehicles on roads by 33%.

1939 - 1945

Outbreak of WWII.

1940

CRB Chairman Mr. F.W. Fricke retires.

1944

October 30th. Sir Louis Loder resigns from the CRB.

1945

Swan Street Bridge Ceremony.

1951

CRB laboratory becomes NATA accredited.

1960

CRB Head Office is built in Kew.

1961

Maltby Bypass sign and plaque.

1962

C.G. Roberts is appointed as the new CRB Chairman.

1963

C.G. Roberts retires. I.J. O'Donnell appointed as new CRB Chairman.

1967

Road Safety and Traffic Authority established.

1968 - 1988

Lower Yarra Crossing / West Gate Bridge.

1969

Opening of new Phillip Island bridge.

1970

Victoria became the first State in the world to introduce the compulsory wearing of seatbelts; the first of a series of radical measures that saw Victoria's road toll fall from more than 1000 fatalities per annum in 1970 to approximately 400 per annum since the early 1990's.

1970

Official opening of Tullamarine Freeway.

1972

Opening of six lane Calder Freeway at Niddrie.

1972

R.E.V. Donaldson appointed Chairman of the CRB.

1972

Opening of the Western Freeway at Bacchus Marsh.

1975

Introduction of 24 hour emergency phone services on metropolitan freeways.

1976

Snowy River Bridge is opened.

1976

Random roadside breath testing (RBT) introduced. This was another first for Australia. Records on driver/rider death found that 49% of all those killed had a blood alcohol concentration over .05%.