Recent News Archives - Royal Historical Society of Victoria

Latest articles in CBD News & Docklands News

October 1, 2021 Rosemary Cameron

Every month Cheryl Griffin and Ashley Smith write fabulous history articles for CBD News and Docklands News respectively. The articles are based on photographs from the RHSV collection.

This month Cheryl has been inspired by another Pierre Robin photo taken in 1959 from Hardware Lane, looking east down Lonsdale Street towards ICI house, Melbourne’s first skyscraper. You can read the full story here: Taking a walk through Melbourne streets with Pierre Robin –

The 2021 Victorian Community History Awards shortlist

September 17, 2021 - September 17, 2021 rhsvadmin

The 2021 nominees tell stories ranging from war and industry, to pandemics, sport and murder, and include biographies, articles, feature-length documentaries and interactive digital experiences.

Click Here to view the shortlist

RICHARD BROOME PODCAST ON ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIANS FOR BBC

September 14, 2021 - September 14, 2021 Rosemary Cameron

RHSV President and historian Richard Broome, author of Aboriginal Australians, in this BBC interview discusses the experiences of Australia’s indigenous peoples after the arrival of white settlers, uncovering stories of exploitation and oppression, but also of agency and cultural independence. Click on this link or the image below to listen to the podcast: https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/aboriginal-australians-modern-history-podcast-richard-broome/

To buy a copy of Aboriginal Australians click on the book’s title to take you to our bookshop.

A SHEEP OR TWO & A KANGAROO

August 29, 2021 Rosemary Cameron

Cheryl Griffin’s latest CBD News article, a delightful story about St Francis Church, on the corner of Lonsdale and Elizabeth streets, can be read here: https://cbdnews.com.au/st-francis-a-church-among-the-gum-trees/

Today in The Age: A new start for Australian history

July 19, 2021 - July 19, 2021 Rosemary Cameron

The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald newspapers (17 July 2021) published Richard Broome’s plea for Australian History to be given a ‘fair go’ but was unable to fit in this important paragraph:

“Fifteen teachers, academics and Cambridge University Press mounted a rescue mission, creating a four volume series, Analysing Australian History (2021), to provide texts for the new Year 12 Victorian Study Design in 2022. Some proceeds go to the Indigenous Reading Project.”

You can read Richard’s article below or by clicking on this link to The Age.

LOCKDOWN #6

July 15, 2021 - August 26, 2021 Rosemary Cameron

Our current lockdown which we hoped would just be a week or two now seems to be indefinite.

Meanwhile our work continues apace, if from our homes rather than the Drill Hall.

Our History Victoria bookshop continues to send out on-line book orders around the world – check out the bookshop here. Our phones are switched through to our Administrator, Rebecca Toohey, and she will pass messages on to other staff.

Vera Deakin podcast available

July 7, 2021 Rosemary Cameron

Soon after the launch of Vera Deakin and the Red Cross by the Governor of Victoria, the Shrine of Remembrance recorded this wonderful podcast with author, Carole Woods.

We also have links to the podcast on our bookshop Vera Deakin page and in our listing of lecture podcasts.

Listen into Geraldine Doogue when she interviews Carole on Saturday 17th July between 7:30am and 9am on Saturday Extra,

HEAL THE COUNTRY: NAIDOC WEEK

July 5, 2021 Rosemary Cameron

The RHSV acknowledges the importance of NAIDOC week 2021 and its theme of ‘Heal the Country’. First Nations peoples have been caring for country for over 60,000 years, but their custodianship has been made difficult at best, and almost impossible at worse, when access was hindered or denied by colonisation.

We urge all our affiliates and members across many traditional lands of Victoria to remember the importance of healing country recently ravaged by fire,

Houses and sailing ships from a long-gone Melbourne

July 5, 2021 - July 5, 2021 Rosemary Cameron

Cheryl Griffin’s latest history article in CBD News examines a photo of a dilapidated house just about to be demolished. The photo was taken in 1915 when the house was already 74 years old. Located in Bourke St west not far from the corner of William St, it was one of the few buildings left standing from the CBD’s earliest days. Built in 1841 by Dr Farquhar MacCrae, brother-in-law of the diarist and artist Georgiana MacCrae,

SUCCESS! NAA CAMPAIGN SECURES MORE FUNDING

July 1, 2021 - July 1, 2021 Rosemary Cameron

The RHSV and the whole community history movement welcomes the federal government’s decision in response to intense lobbying to end its inaction on NAA funding. It will provide $67 million of addition funding over 4 years to redress the deterioration of vital records and cut waiting times for users as recommended in the Tune review of January 2020.

Special thanks to author Gideon Haigh, Professor Graeme Davison (RHSV member), the 150 signatories of the open letter and to all our members and friends who responded added their voices to the campaign.

Want to submit an entry in the VCHA? Here’s how:

June 3, 2021 - June 3, 2021 Jessica Scott

Every year, we host the Victorian Community History Awards, a chance for local community history to shine! But, like any award process, there are lots of questions about how to submit your entry, what category does my piece fit into, and again, how do I actually submit my entry? So our VCHA project officer has set out to answer some of the most pressing FAQ’s she gets.

We hope these help, and if you have any other queries about your submission,

SORRY DAY

May 26, 2021 - May 26, 2021 Rosemary Cameron

The Royal Historical Society of Victoria acknowledges that today is Sorry Day. We need as a community to remember the pain and trauma experienced by Indigenous families across the nation caused by the removal of over ten per cent of children in many jurisdictions across Australia during the twentieth century. We need to also acknowledge that inappropriate removals of children from First Nations families and communities still occurs in some jurisdictions and urge that this matter be solved urgently.

The National Archives of Australia Struggles to Protect our Heritage

May 14, 2021 Rosemary Cameron

The National Archives of Australia Struggles to Protect our Heritage

14th May 2021

Politicians of all hues like to appeal to history, but few want to pay for it. History has been at the centre of the culture wars for the past 30 years, and each politician has a view of the past. However, History is not valued when it comes to paying to protect the archives. Yet without archives,

Gateway to the Docks

April 30, 2021 Rosemary Cameron

Ashley Smith’s latest monthly story for Docklands News has been published. Based on photo of some impressive gates built in 1927 into Victoria Dock, Ashley’s story looks at the unpalatable truth behind the gates.

“For as long as there have been ports, wharves or docks, there have been opportunistic thieves who have taken advantage of unwatched cargo, and Melbourne was no exception. The Argus in 1918 (August 21) identified that stolen items ranged from beer,

The Parade that Nearly Didn’t Happen

April 30, 2021 - April 30, 2021 Rosemary Cameron

Cheryl Griffin’s latest story in CBD News has hit the streets. To tie in with our current exhibition, Tales from the MacRobertson International Air Races, Cheryl has looked at the adulation piled high on these daring young men in their flying machines (only one woman made it from England to Australia and despite being a pilot herself she travelled as a passenger, knitting all the way). Her story focuses on marvellous photo of the winners being mobbed as their vehicles move from Bourke Street into Swanston Street.