Recent News

MELBOURNE MORGUE, PRINCES BRIDGE

Melbourne was growing fast in the 1850s. No longer a colonial outpost it had boomed into one of the leading...

EXTENDED CHRISTMAS BOOKSHOP HOURS AND MINI SECOND-HAND BOOK FAIR

Monday 25, Tuesday 26, Wednesday 27 November Open until 7pm For these three days we’ll extend our bookshop hours for...

RHSV SEEKS A NEW TREASURER

After 6+ years at the RHSV, our fabulous Treasurer Daniel Clements is standing down from the role. Daniel has moved...

REMEMBER A LOCAL – ‘NAME A PLACE’ NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN

Do you know an unsung hero who has left a lasting legacy in the local history of your community? You...

Spotlight

Practical Strategies for a Successful, Vibrant Historical Society

Friday 18 October @ the RHSV, Melbourne - in person or Zoom. $35 | $55 including lunch

Get ready for an inspiring professional learning event, hosted by RHSV's Historical Societies Support Committee! This bumper program promises a full day of engaging, practical sessions. We’ve curated a selection of popular presentations from recent years, each designed to tackle real-world challenges and offer actionable solutions for your organisation. Plus, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to ask questions, share experiences, and connect with others, making this a day rich in learning and collaboration.

Click here for more information or to book for this seminar

What's on at the RHSV

CURATOR’S TOUR OF MELBOURNE’S STORIED LANEWAYS WITH DAVID THOMPSON
October 9 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
David Thompson will take you behind the scenes of our current exhibition, Melbourne’s Storied Laneways which David curated. ...
Melbourne Maritime Heritage Network: Presentation on 2024 International Congress on Maritime Museums Conference
October 9 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Jackie Watts will deliver an informal presentation on her short paper, entitled: “Capturing the past to inform the future”, an...
MURDER IN PUNCH LANE: a conversation
October 10 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
We are delighted to host this conversation between author Jane Sullivan and historian/author Dr Andrew Lemon to mark the publicati...
GRAVE MATTERS: USING CEMETERIES AS A RESEARCH TOOL
October 12 @ 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
This full day seminar is co-presented by the Royal Historical Society of Victoria and the Genealogical Society of Victoria. Discov...

See More Events

MELBOURNE'S STORIED LANEWAYS

Curated by David Thompson FRHSV. Designed by Daisy Searls. From 11 April 2024 - end of October 2024 -

We all have our favourite Melbourne laneway and curator David Thompson has chosen a handful of lanes which reveal intriguing Melbourne stories. When we think of today’s gussied-up, tourist-friendly laneways like Guilford Lane and Hosier Lane, it is hard to imagine that a mere 50 years ago the laneways were workaday places full still of small factories and light industry.

Upcoming Victorian History Events

Submit your local history event

Como House of Discovery: Traces of Girlhood
August 23 - October 20
History has left only traces of the experience of girlhood. Yet traces do remain, poignant and important. They tell the stories of...
Stonnington Mansion Bus Tour
October 10 @ 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
🚐 Stonnington Mansion Bus Tour – An Seniors and History Month Event The 90-minute tour will allow you to peer over fences...
Malvern Heritage Walks
October 16 @ 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
🏛️ Malvern Heritage Walks – An Seniors and History Month Event Beginning at the base of the clock tower of the Malvern ...