Recent News Archives - Page 9 of 12 - Royal Historical Society of Victoria

RHSV makes a submission to Juukan Gorge Inquiry

22 July 2020 - 22 July 2020 Steven Cooke

22 July 2020

Read our submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the destruction of the 46,000-year-old caves at the Juukan Gorge (link below). We argue that it demonstrates profound failings in the legislation to protect Australia’s heritage, not only in WA, but also in the Commonwealth, which was missing in action.

Commonwealth Environment Minister Sussan Ley justified doing nothing on the grounds that there was no application for protection, but it emerges today that when the traditional owners of the Shenhua Watermark site on the Liverpool Plains did apply for protections,

RHSV Protests Minister’s Short-Circuiting Heritage Listing of GMH Site

15 July 2020 - 15 July 2020 Steven Cooke

The iconic GMH site at Fishermans Bend, where Ben Chifley launched the first Holden, was on track to be listed on the Victorian Heritage Register until, in February, Planning Minister Richard Wynne called in the nomination. The Minister is short-circuiting the heritage and planning processes to facilitate a development that will destroy much of the historic fabric before the site is registered. We have written to the Minister to urge him to follow proper process.

We most strongly protest the misguided government policy and demand the penalty on studying the Humanities is removed

21 June 2020 - 21 June 2020 Steven Cooke

Friday 19 June 2020

The Royal Historical Society of Victoria, the peak body for local and community history in Victoria for over a century, is astonished that Humanities students in Australian universities are being burdened with an unprecedented rise of up to 113% in student fees. This is an impost on one of Australia’s most creative sectors at a time when creative solutions are needed to help Australia emerge from an economic shock of unparalleled dimensions.

What to do with our statues and monuments?

17 June 2020 - 24 June 2020 Steven Cooke

What to do with our statues and monuments?

A Policy Statement from the Royal Historical Society of Victoria

23 June 2020

The Black Lives Matter protests have highlighted the ways the past impacts heavily on us today. Our predecessors’ values were in many respects appalling. Attitudes we would describe as racist, misogynist or anti-Semitic were embedded in past cultures. We are beginning to question them but we have a long way to go.

Queens Birthday Honours Congratuations

8 June 2020 - 8 June 2020 Steven Cooke

Heartfelt congratulations to our affiliated society member Helen Gobbi, of History Monash, who was awarded an OAM for service to community history. Helen is a very worthy recipient and last year was awarded an RHSV Award of Merit. Her citation for the Award of Merit can be read on our website here.

And to Arthur and Lurline Knee who were both awarded OAMs for the service to the community of Tatura.

Scrapped newspapers were communities’ heart and soul, say historians

29 May 2020 - 29 May 2020 Steven Cooke

Caroline Webb had a great article in today’s The Age (Fri 29 May) about the demise of local newspapers and the loss to historians. Wonderful quotes (and photos) from Heidelberg Historical Society secretary Janine Rizzetti, Camberwell Historical Society president George Fernando and our own President, Richard Broome.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/scrapped-newspapers-were-communities-heart-and-soul-say-historians-20200528-p54xei.html

CONGRATULATIONS!

28 May 2020 - 28 May 2020 Steven Cooke

At our AGM on Tuesday 26 May 2020, the RHSV membership elected two new Fellows, Elisabeth Jackson and Dr Rosalie Triolo.

We also honoured some high-achieving volunteers who work for historical societies across Victoria – from Ouyen, Bendigo, Malmsbury, Knox, Richmond & Burnley, East Melbourne and Croydon – and from the RHSV itself.

The citations for all our 2020 awards can be read on our website (the menu is at the bottom of our Home Page) or use these links:

AND THERE SHE WAS JUST A-RIDIN’ DOWN THE STREET

28 May 2020 Steven Cooke

Before we all break into a chorus of Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do click on the link below to read Cheryl Griffin’s latest article in CBD News.

And there she was, just riding down the street …

Thinking of re-opening? Some advice for historical societies.

14 May 2020 - 1 June 2020 Steven Cooke

In Victoria, it is mooted that by 1 June galleries, museums and libraries will be able to re-open and we’ll be able to have small gatherings. This is conditional on there being no second wave of course – our future plans must remain flexible and contingent. The RHSV has pulled together some advice, using our own experience, for historical societies wanting to re-open their museums and research facilities. We are happy to modify and amend this advice if you have some good ideas to add.

MAKING WAY FOR THOROUGHLY MODERN MELBOURNE

24 April 2020 - 24 April 2020 Steven Cooke

The lastest CBD News has hit Melbourne streets and it contains another corker of an article from Cheryl Griffin. Inspired by a photograph, taken in about 1924, which represents a time capsule of Melbourne as it was just after World War One – and on the cusp of great change. The old Myer buildings in Lonsdale St just about to be demolished to make way for the Myer we know today. Read Cheryl’s article here.

SUCCESS: REJECTED BY VCAT!

6 April 2020 - 7 April 2020 Steven Cooke

Elisabeth Jackson, RHSV Vice President and member of the RHSV Heritage Committee reports on a successful heritage outcome opposing a development application which went before VCAT. The development site in question was on the corner of Sydney Rd and Park St, Brunswick.

Elisabeth says, “Heritage concerns were only one aspect of the objections to this proposal which involved a huge tower overshadowing Princes Park and building on a very contaminated site. The main heritage concern related to the proposed removal of a 1920s electrical substation.

ONE MORE STEP IN THE BATTLE TO PRESERVE THE CULTURE OF QVM

6 April 2020 - 6 April 2020 Steven Cooke

On Friday 3 April the RHSV submitted two objections to Heritage Victoria regarding the relentless push to destroy the culture of Queen Victoria Market. The two objections were for

Permit Application Number P30767 (Trader Shed)
Permit Application Number P32629 (Northern Shed)

The objections in full can be read here on our website.

Our thanks to Ian Wight and Judith Smart who prepared these two submissions.

HOLSWORTH LOCAL HERITAGE GRANTS NOW OPEN

26 March 2020 Steven Cooke

Closing date 31 July 2020

Grants of up to $2,000 are available for the publication of any specific or general local history or natural history in rural and regional Victoria. The Grant is intended for small organisations with an interest in publishing works of historical value, even where the organisation has little or no experience of self publishing work. Joint projects encompassing several groups or annual/special edited journals incorporating submitted historical articles from a wide community are encouraged.

VICTORIAN COMMUNITY HISTORY AWARDS ARE NOW OPEN

22 March 2020 Steven Cooke

The Victorian Community History Awards are proudly presented by the Royal Historical Society of Victoria and Public Record Office Victoria.

The Awards recognise excellence and originality in historical storytelling. The range of award categories reflects the variety of formats that can be used to enrich the lives of Victorians through history.

Please read the conditions of entry carefully before entering.

Entries close 5pm Wednesday 8 July 2020.

The Awards Ceremony will be held in October 2020 coinciding with History Month.

RHSV OPEN FOR BUSINESS, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

15 March 2020 - 26 March 2020 Steven Cooke

We have closed our doors to visitors however we are fully operational behind those closed doors and are answering research queries, selling books, accepting entries for the VCHA and Holsworth Trust grants, dealing with our Group Insurance Scheme, fighting heritage battles, publishing journals and newsletters and looking after our members.

Nearly all our planned events up to and including July have been cancelled or postponed. All ticket buyers will get a full refund when their event is cancelled.