Steiglitz Historical Society

The Footscray Historical Society Inc was formed at a public meeting in 1968. The Society actively records, preserves and researches the history of the suburbs within the City of Maribyrnong – Braybrook, Footscray, Kingsville, Maidstone, Maribyrnong, Seddon, West Footscray, Tottenham and Yarraville.

The purposes of the Footscray Historical Society are to advance Australian culture by recording and cataloguing the history of the Footscray district. And by collecting, preserving, and exhibiting items of historical significance to the Footscray district for the benefit of the community, advocating for the conservation, restoration and maintenance of buildings and sites of historical significance to the Footscray district for the benefit of the community and fostering public awareness of and interest in, the history of the Footscray district.

The Newport Railway Museum hosts an extraordinary collection of steam, diesel and electric trains as well as a host of other railway exhibits. We are open to the general public every Saturday from 12 noon to 5pm. During school holidays it is open both Saturdays AND Sundays from 12 noon to 5pm. The Museum can also open outside of these hours by special appointment for group bookings. It is a popular destination for school excursions, car clubs, photography clubs, RSL and Probus clubs, just to name a few.

Postal Address – PO Box 748 Williamstown, VIC 3016

Established in 1956, the Williamstown Historical Society was established to highlight the diverse activities of the inhabitants of this historic seaport. The collection includes photographs, paintings, artefacts, models and sporting memorabilia.

The purpose of the Williamstown Historical Society and Museum is to preserve the history of Williamstown, Newport and Spotswood for future generations through the collection, discovery, identification, study, understanding, classification, documentation, preservation, exhibition and interpretation of objects and documents of historical significance relating to Williamstown, Newport and Spotswood.

Discover the rich history of St John Ambulance in Victoria from the perspective of the many generous volunteers who are the backbone of the organisation. View displays from 1900 to today of First Aid equipment, uniforms, photographs and more. Visit the St John Museum, open to public across from Williamstown Beach.

The Hotham History Project is a community group with an interest in the history of North and West Melbourne. North Melbourne was known as Hotham from the 1850s to 1887.

Activities Include: Researching, writing and publishing the history of North and West Melbourne, and organising history related activities such as walks and talks.

Visit Hotham History Project Bookstore for publications 

The History Council of Victoria Incorporated (HCV) is the peak body for history in the Australian state of Victoria. Its vision is to connect Victorians with history and to inspire engagement with the past, their identity and the world today.

The HCV was formed as an advisory body in 2001 and incorporated in 2003. It comprises representatives from cultural institutions and heritage bodies; history teachers and curriculum advisors; academic and professional historians; and local, Indigenous, community and specialist history organisations.

The HCV delivers a number of accessible and well-received history-focused initiatives. These include:

• • History Roadshow
    This program delivers curriculum enrichment sessions for VCE history students and teachers in regional Victoria . The program is funded by the Strategic Partnership Program of the state government’s Department of Education and Training.

• • Making Public Histories
    This seminar series explores issues and approaches in making public histories. The program  is being offered jointly by HCV, Monash University and the Old Treasury Building, with sponsorship from the School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies at Monash University and also from Monash University Publishing.

• • Annual Lecture
    Since 2004, the lecture has been delivered by eminent and respected authorities.

• Projects such as Drought Stories (a spoken and visual history of recent drought in Victoria, recording the experience of drought-affected communities up to 2010) and One Place, Many Stories (a free online resource designed for teachers and middle to upper primary students as a way of engaging children in the history of Victoria).
• Since 2015, the HCV has been pleased to sponsor the Years 9 and 10 category of the Historical Fiction Competition organised by the History Teachers’ Association of Victoria.

The ASM is a vibrant and modern organisation, boasting a grand tradition. Founded in 1907, it is the oldest Magical Society in the Southern Hemisphere and the fourth oldest in the world. It is the largest club in Melbourne, currently numbering 120 professional, part-time professional and amateur magicians.

The Altona Historical Society was formed in 1961, incorporated in 1996 and in 2000 amalgamated with the Laverton Historical Society to form the Altona-Laverton Historical Society Inc.

Its aim is to encourage the study of the history of Altona and Laverton area through the acquisition of relevant objects, photographs, information and archive material, making these available to members and the community for their research.

The society also hosts a number of events at the Altona homestead and in the park including ghost tours organised by Lantern Ghost Tours and visits by many clubs and schools. Information about these events can be found by visiting the Altona-Laverton Historical Society website.

Homested Opening Times

Tuesdays 11-2pm
Saturday 10-12pm
First Sunday of the month – 10.30-2.30pm

Essendon Historical Society is a non-profit organisation committed to documenting, preserving and promoting the history of the City of Moonee Valley which consists of Airport West, Ascot Vale, Avondale Heights, Essendon, Essendon North, Keilor East, Kensington, Moonee Ponds, Niddrie, Strathmore, Strathmore Heights as well as parts of Keilor and Flemington.

The Society was formed in 1970 by a group of residents who recognised the importance of preserving all aspects of local history for the benefit of present and future generations.

Early meetings were held in private homes and, later, in the Moonee Ponds Town Hall. In 1981, after a long battle, the Society obtained the use of the old Moonee Ponds Courthouse as its headquarters.

Essendon Historical Society has retained the use of the 1890 building since that time. With somewhere to display and store items of local historical interest, the community was encouraged to assist in building up various collections of local significance.

*Image Source: Essendon Historical Society Collection

The ‘Friends of La Trobe’s Cottage’ was formed in 2009 under the umbrella of the C J La Trobe Society to support the National Trust in its efforts to maintain the Cottage, and, through fund-raising, improve the visitor experience at the Cottage through regular public opening times, enhanced interpretation, and improved interior and exterior appearance.

The Friends aim to promote education programs for schools, and foster a better understanding among the citizens of Melbourne and beyond of the important role La Trobe played in setting up our early university, hospital, library and other institutions, and in establishing the parks and gardens which are such a feature of our city today.