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The Benalla Costume and Pioneer Museum houses an enormous collection of documents, photographs, and artifacts of historical interest related to Benalla and District. The Historical Society also has a 'Research Room' now located in the Museum building in Mair Street, Benalla, in which early Benalla newspapers, books, documents, and pictures are stored. The Research Room is open to the public for research purposes on Wednesdays from 1.00 to 3.00pm throughout the year for those who may wish to explore the annals of Benalla's History.
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| SOME LANDMARKS IN BENALLA'S HISTORY | |
| 1824 | Hamilton Hume and William Hovell discovered good pastures south-east of the present City of Benalla and named the river 'Swampy'. |
| 1836 | Major Thomas Mitchell's expedition camped on the east bank of the river on an aboriginal meeting place. |
| 1838 | The Faithful Massacre occurred when aborigines attacked the camp of George and William Faithful who were overlanding sheep and cattle. Eight Europeans were killed. The river was renamed the 'Broken River'. |
| 1839 | A police outpost was established where the Benalla Museum now stands. |
| 1847 | The first white male child, Willis Little, was born in the district. The first bridge was constructed across the river. |
| 1848 | The town was first surveyed by Thomas Wedge. |
| 1849 | In June the first sale of town lots was held in Melbourne. |
| 1850 | Benalla National School opened in Arundel Street. It became a Common School in 1851 and State School No. 31 in 1872. |
| 1857 | A telegraph station, which later included the Post Office was built on the south-east corner of Bridge and Arundel Streets where the former Army Drill Hall now stands. |
| 1860 | Gold mining began in the Reef Hills near Benalla but little was produced. |
| 1868 | The first edition of the North East Ensign (now the Benalla Ensign) was published. The Benalla Road Board was formed. |
| 1869 | The Benalla Road Board became the Shire Council. Ned Kelly aged 14 years, was charged in the Benalla Courthouse with assaulting and robbing a chinaman. He was found not guilty. |
| 1870 | A new wooden toll bridge replaced the 1847 bridge. |
| 1873 | The Melbourne to Wodonga railway reached Benalla and was soon extended to Wodonga. The Benalla Recreation Reserve was gazetted - it is now the Benalla Botanical Gardens. |
| 1874 | A new bridge to replace the 1870 bridge, badly damaged by floods, was built and tolls ceased. |
| 1883 | Benalla Town Hall built. |
| 1886 | The Benalla to Yarrawonga railway line was completed. |
| 1900 | The first car to travel through Benalla was a steam driven vehicle. |
| 1908 | Cars began to be purchased in Benalla. |
| 1910 | The 1874 wooden bridge over the Broken River was replaced by a concrete bridge. |
| 1914 | Benalla to Tatong railway line was opened. |
| 1922 | An electric generator was installed in the town by the Town Council. |
| 1928 | Local members of the Port Melbourne Flying Club established a small aerodrome on part of the site of the present aerodrome. |
| 1940 | The main Broken River bridge was widened by the Country Roads Board and a footway added. |
| 1965 | The City of Benalla was proclaimed. |
| 1973 | Lake Benalla was created on the Broken River. |
| 1975 | The Regional Art Gallery was established adjacent to Lake Benalla. |
| 1987 | The Hume Freeway bypassed Benalla. |
| 1993 | In October Benalla experienced its most disastrous flood in recorded history. |
| 1994 | 24 November - Benalla City, Benalla Shire and Mansfield Shire amalgamated to form Shire of Delatite. |
| 2002 | 28 October - Delatite Shire de-amalgamated and Benalla Rural City was established. |
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Benalla Town Hall built 1883 |
"Monash" Bridge over Broken River, Benalla |
Moira House built 1878 |
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