2005
On 1 October, Fine Wine Partners began a new chapter in the Australian wine market. Established as a joint venture between fine wine distributors Distinguished Vineyards and Tucker Seabrook, Fine Wine Partners creates an extraordinary portfolio representing distinctive wines from renowned regions around Australia and the world.

2004
Heineken and Lion Nathan establish a joint venture to make and sell Heineken in Australia

2004
Following a competitive sale process, Lion Nathan sells the Chinese beer business to China Resources Breweries

2003
Bacardi-Martini and Lion Nathan establish a joint venture to market, sell and distribute a range of ready-to-drink and spirit brands in Australia

2002
Lion Nathan adds to its premium wine business by acquiring New Zealand wine company Wither Hills

2001
Lion Nathan purchases a controlling interest in premium Australian wine companies Petaluma and Banksia. Their brands include Petaluma, Stonier, Croser, Mitchelton, Smithbrook, Knappstein, Tatachilla, St Hallett and Oregon based Argyle Wines

2000
Lion Nathan shifts its domicile and primary stock exchange listing to Australia

1999
Lion Nathan acquires the rights to brew, market and distribute Mac’s in New Zealand

1999
The Hahn Brewery is renamed the Malt Shovel Brewery in honour of Australia’s first commercial brewer. James Squire Original Amber Ale is born

1998
Lion Nathan expands interests in China with the opening of a brewery at Suzhou

1998
Douglas Myers sells most of his 16 percent share in Lion Nathan to Kirin Brewery Company of Japan. Kirin goes on to acquire a 45 percent interest in the company, creating the fourth largest brewing alliance in the world

1998
Hahn Premium Light is born

1997
The remainder of New Zealand Breweries takes on the name Lion Breweries

1997
After 15 years as either Managing Director or Chief Executive Officer, Douglas Myers is appointed Chairman of the Lion Nathan Board

1995
Lion Nathan enters the Chinese beer market through the purchase of a controlling interest in the Taihushui brewery in Wuxi

1994
Brent Marris establishes the Wither Hills wine label. In 1999 Brent merges the label with his father John’s vineyard holdings to establish the Wither Hills Vineyard in Marlborough, New Zealand

1994
Tooheys Extra Dry is born

1993
Lion Nathan acquires New South Wales boutique brewer, Hahn Brewing, and the South Australian Brewing Company

1992
Tooheys is established in Victoria to cater for the needs of Victorian drinkers

1992
Lion Nathan acquires the remaining 50 percent of Natbrew Holdings. Tooheys, Castlemaine Perkins and the Swan Brewing Company begin operating as independent breweries under the Lion Nathan umbrella

1990
Lion Nathan buys a 50 percent share in Natbrew Holdings which owned Alan Bond’s brewing assets in Australia including Castlemaine Tooheys and Swan Brewing

1988
Lion Nathan is formed when New Zealand's largest retailer, LD Nathan & Co, merges with brewer, wine and spirit manufacturer and hotel operator, Lion Breweries

1987
Building starts on the Hahn Brewery in a converted furniture factory at Camperdown in Sydney. Hahn Premium is born

1985
Castlemaine Tooheys is bought by Bond Corporation

1985
Castlemaine Tooheys is bought by Bond Corporation

1982
The Swan Brewery becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Alan Bond’s Bond Corporation

1981
McCashins Brewery is established by Terry McCashin in Nelson, New Zealand. Mac’s Real Ale is born

1981
Campbell & Ehrenfried sells shares in New Zealand Wines and Spirits and purchase a 20 percent share in Lion Breweries

1980
Tooheys and Castlemaine Perkins merge to form Castlemaine Tooheys

1979
XXXX Lite (relaunched as XXXX Gold in 1991) is born

1978
The Swan Brewery moves from Sherwood Court to a large modern brewery constructed at Canning Vale in Perth

1978
The Standard Brewery closes and all Tooheys operations relocate to Auburn

1977
The northern division of New Zealand Breweries takes on the name Lion Breweries

1976
Brian Croser establishes Petaluma in South Australia and makes the first Petaluma wine, a Riesling from a Goulburn Valley vineyard

1971
New Zealand Wines & Spirits is formed through a 50/50 joint venture by Campbell & Ehrenfried and New Zealand Breweries

1965
Douglas Myers becomes CEO of Campbell & Ehrenfried

1961
LD Nathan acquires Waikato Breweries from CL Innes

1960
Speight’s taken off the market but reintroduced after public outcry

1958
Steinecker (renamed Steinlager in 1962) is born

1944
The Lindner Family establish St Hallett in Australia’s best known wine region, the Barossa Valley

1931
Tooheys New is born

1928
The Castlemaine Brewery buys out major rival Perkins & Co which owned the City Brewery, the Toowoomba Brewery, the Toowoomba Maltings and a number of hotels. The new company is known as Castlemaine Perkins

1928
Swan acquires major competitor, the Emu Brewery

1924
The first caricature of Mr Fourex appears in an advertisement. XXXX Bitter is born

1923
Lion is one of 10 leading brewing companies that amalgamate to form New Zealand Breweries. The merger creates a united force against prohibitionist sentiments of the time

1923
Emu Bitter is born

1914
The Great Northern Brewery becomes officially known as the Lion Brewery when the company merges with Campbell & Ehrenfried

1908
Previously known as Stanley Co-operative Brewery and the Albion Brewery, the Emu Brewery is established in Perth

1907
Lion Beer (relabelled Lion Red in 1986) is born

1902
With the family owned Tooheys business being transferred to a limited company, the Stag is chosen as the Tooheys trademark. The symbol is derived from John Toohey’s favourite hotel, the Bald Faced Stag Hotel in Leichhardt, Sydney

1898
The Albert Brewery and Hobson Bridge Brewery amalgamate to create Campbell & Ehrenfried. Having no offspring, the Ehrenfried brothers invite Arthur Myers, the grandfather of Douglas Myers, to join and manage the family business

1888
The South Australian Brewing Company is formed through a merger of the West End Brewery, the Kent Town Brewery and Wine & Spirit merchant Rounsevell & Simms

1878
The first brew is produced in the Castlemaine Milton Brewery

1878
The Ehrenfried brothers buy the Albert Brewery in Auckland

1877
The Fitzgerald brothers form a partnership with Kate Quinlan, George Gray and Robert Prendergast with the intent to build a brewery in Brisbane. They purchase the failing Milton Distillery and much of the surrounding land

1876
James Speight, Charles Greenslade and William Dawson establish the City Brewery (now the Speight’s Brewery) in Dunedin. Speight’s is born, two months before its makers obtain a licence

1875
The Standard Brewery opens near Sydney’s Central Station and Tooheys prospers

1872
John Thomas Toohey and his younger brother, James Matthew, join forces and buy the Darling Brewery in Sydney. The brothers begin trading as JT & J Toohey and give Australia its first taste of Tooheys Old

1869
John Thomas Toohey obtains his brewer's licence

1861
Pioneer brewer Richard Seccombe founds the Great Northern Brewery at Khyber Pass. He uses the Lion from his family crest as its logo

1859
The West End Brewery is established by William Clark in Hindley Street, Adelaide. West End Draught is born

1857
Early West Australian settler Frederick Sherwood establishes the original Swan Brewery in what is now the suburb of Sherwood Court in Perth. Swan Draught is born

1840
LD Nathan established as a trading Company in Russell, New Zealand and moved to Auckland soon after

1840
Under the name Brown Campbell & Co, liquor wholesalers John Logan Campbell and William Brown establish the Hobson Bridge Brewery in Auckland, the antecedent of Lion Breweries

1795
James Squire, convicted highway robber and publican, produces the first commercial ale to become Australia’s first brewer. The spirit of his brews is later honoured by Lion Nathan’s Malt Shovel Brewery which adopts the James Squire name for its unique range of handcrafted flavoursome beers