In the 50 years since NASA's moon landing, technology has continued to radically define society.

On July 16, 1969 when Apollo 11 launched, the world's eyes were fixed to any television they could find. Whether it be their own, their neighbour's or on display in a store, everyone wanted to see whether Neil Armstrong, Edwin (Buzz) Alderin and Michael Collins would depart safely.

For four days, news from Houston dominated the headlines until finally, at 10.56pm, or at 12.56pm AEST, the Eagle had landed and Lieutenant Armstrong took a giant leap for man kind.

On July 22, 1969, the front page of The Standard read "Busy day on moon...the nap."

"Their momentous day on the moon almost over, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin snatched some sleep in their lunar module 'Eagle' before preparing to blast-off on the return journey," the story said.

"Mankind has earlier watched breathlessly as American astronaut Armstrong stepped down on to the moon. Armstrong, 38-year-old commander of Apollo 11, went down in history as the first man to speak to earth from the surface of the moon.

"Tranquillity base here, The Eagle has landed," Lieutenant Armstrong said.

Warrnambool and District Historical Society has been collecting stories about the moon landing and vice-president Janet Macdonald said most people were glued to their televisions.

"I was a year 10 student at Warrnambool High School but I was allowed to stay home that day," Ms Macdonald said.

"My parents assumed I'd just be watching television at school so they let me watch it from home instead.

"The students at Warrnambool High School all filed into the assembly hall to watch the moon landing and other people recalled bringing their own televisions into schools for their students or joining with neighbours and having 20 people in a small living room to watch it. There were probably people watching in the television retailers which used to be the case for a lot of important events."

The 50th anniversary has stirred a lot of memories.

Warrnambool and District Historical Society member Lorraine Wakefield said she was in Melbourne at her mother's house.

"I had a 24-day-old baby at the time," she said.

"I called him the other day and told him for the first time that he watched the moon landing."

Dorothy Rooney had fond memories.

"I was a teacher out at west Warrnambool (primary school)," she said.

"I was watching it with all my students in the classroom. We had a pet mouse for the class and at the exact time the men walked on the moon the mouse gave birth - it was chaotic," she recalled.

Former Warrnambool mayor Glenys Phillpot still marvels at the achievement.

"If I can recall correctly, I was standing in front of the television doing the ironing while my two small babies slept," she said.

"My big task at the time was working out how to nurture my babies and the moon landing was beyond my comprehension. When I think about it now, it's beyond belief, the moon landing is an amazing achievement of mankind."

Judy Walters posted on The Standard's Facebook page she had fond memories.

"I was five in grade one at Timboon P12," she said.

"l was in the cafeteria and remember we huddled around a black and white television in the corner of the room. l remember hearing those famous words as Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon like it was yesterday."

Judy O'Keefe was another who was at school at the time.

"I went to school in Terang and all the locals got to go home to watch the landing and us bus kids had to stay at school," she said.

"I was 15 and in form three. It was a big occasion and a very long day to wait for the bus - I will never forget it."

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