The Quilmes were a native tribe who lived in the surroundings of Tucumán. In the 17th century, after repeated attempts by the invading Spaniards to control their lands, the Quilmes were defeated and were forced to settle in a restricted colony (reducción) near Buenos Aires, where the authorities could control them. The settlement was thus established in 1666 as Exaltación de la Santa Cruz de los Kilme. The 1,000 km (621 mi) journey from Tucumán was made on foot, causing hundreds of Quilmes to die in the process. By 1810 the colony had been abandoned and become a ghost town. The land was divided in parcels and the town of Quilmes was established in 1818. During the first British invasion, the British arrived from Montevideo through Quilmes and went to Buenos Aires from there.
Quilmes is the home of two football teams: Quilmes Atlético Club and Club Atlético Argentino de Quilmes. The first was founded in the 19th century by Cannon J. T. Stevenson, and the second one was founded later, by Argentines who were not allowed to play for the QAC. They are two of the oldest Argentine football teams.
The town's development accelerated during the wave of immigration in Argentina during the late 19th century, and Quilmes was considered as the location for a new provincial capital during the Federalization of Buenos Aires of 1880. Quilmes proper consists of two main parts, east and west, which are divided by the tracks of the Metropolitano passenger train line. East Quilmes has several relatively wealthy areas and a large shopping district. As one travels east toward the Río de la Plata, neighborhoods become increasingly poor, and two large villas miseria (slums) are found close to the river. These areas often experience severe flooding.
The city also gives its name to Cerveza Quilmes beer company, as this is where it was first brewed in 1888 by the brewery started by Otto Bemberg. The establishment remains a leading employer in the
