We can do research for you about your family and what they left behind.
School Registers, Cemetery Names, Homesteads and Geographical Maps.
For any enquires please contact: Glenyce McDowell, glen.ian@bigpond.com.au
Accredited museum and archives. Monthly general meetings and committee meetings.
The society was formed in 1963 as a centre for local research into the early history of the town and it’s pioneer families. From modest beginnings, the organisation has grown to a membership of more than 120, with a much wider range of interests.
In 1992 the society was able to negotiate the lease of the historic Courthouse building in Gipps Street, Port Fairy, which was renamed The History Centre.
The Courthouse is one of over fifty buildings in Port Fairy classified by the National Trust as essential to the heritage of Australia and which must be preserved. It was built in 1859, with the portico added in 1869, and a further three rooms at the rear in 1874, to make the building as it is today. At the time of construction, it was the only Courthouse in the Western District of Victoria, and housed sittings of the Supreme Court and County Courts as well as General Sessions. It remained in use until 1988, when its last function, as a Licensing Court, was transferred to Warrnambool.
Much of the work of the society involves the development of the Courthouse as a museum and archives, and includes participation in the Museum Accreditation Program with which we have been accredited since 1998. The main courtroom houses a display of the original court furniture, with figures in costume. Five other rooms contain both permanent and temporary exhibitions on themes such as the early pioneers of the district, the whaling era in Port Fairy, local shipping and wrecks along the coast.
Profile Photograph: Port Fairy Historical Society Museum and Archives building by Peter Grenfell (2018)
MDHS Inc seeks to collect and preserve documentary material relating to the heritage of Mortlake and district. The Society’s research collection is housed at The Ark Heritage Centre, opened in April 2004.
Our organisation’s aim or purpose is collecting and preserving items of local history, including schools, dairy and sheep industries, war memorabilia, etc. We call it “preserving the old and present for the future.” We were established in 1985 at the request of many locals and were helped in this by Heytesbury and Camperdown societies.
Cobden and District Historical Society are also now doing more family research for families from the area. If you are interested please contact them via the email address listed.
Local history society and museum and shop open daily in summer and four days during the rest of the year.
Macarthur and District Historical Society occupies the former Court House, 31 High Street, Macarthur. Research $10. Archives – minute books, cemetery burial ledgers, photos, maps, some births and marriage records, newspapers, clubs, school and family histories.
Collect items related to Penshurst’s history, and research family history queries.
Volunteer based, non-profit organisation dedicated to Camperdown & district history in the south west of Victoria, Australia.
Postal Address – PO Box 243 Camperdown, VIC 3260
Portland Historical Society, founded in 1964, operates a museum in the Curator’s Cottage in the Portland Botanic Gardens; has exhibits in the Shire’s History House Museum and installs plaques on historic buidings and sites in Portland. Portland is ‘The Cradle of Victoria’.
Local records, visiting local sites of interest & significance.
Preservation and Display of historical photos; research as required.
Social history museum of Dunkeld & District, from Major Mitchell to present day. Includes aboriginal artefacts, history of the wool industry, and a large photographic colleciton of the district.
We have a large holding of family biographies, photographs, early history of local hotels, district properties as well as facilities for research. There are also rate records for various shires and we have just completed a project of businesses within the city.
Our history centre contains memorabilia pertaining to Glenthompson and district, including photographs, newspaper items and cemetery records, etc. Open at the former Glenthompson Railway Station every 3rd Sunday from 12pm-2pm and at other times by calling: Sylvia Wilson on (03) 5577 4352 or Tracey Potatau-Wright on (03) 5577 4215
Founding Date: 4th February 1992
General Information: We will showcase people and places from Glenthompson since the town was established in the mid 1800’s. People are welcome to contribute photos and stories to our page by submitting them to the Secretary via our email address.
Products: We can provide family history searches for a fee.
As at Jan 1 2019 the fees are as follows for all new requests:
search fee: $15 per hr
copy fees for records or information: 20c per A4 pa (20+ pgs 15c per copy).
Please note: We only have a couple of researchers at this time so there may be a delay in attending to your individual request. Thank you
The Colac and District Historical Society was established in 1950, making Colac one of the first regional townships in the state to have such an organisation. A primary aim from the inauguration of the Society was to obtain a home where the various components of the district history could be preserved, and be made available to the public.
We are a community organization who help the public in researching their family history in the Colac District.
We can do research for you about your family and what they left behind.
School Registers, Cemetery Names, Homesteads and Geographical Maps.
For any enquires please contact: Glenyce McDowell, glen.ian@bigpond.com.au
Accredited museum and archives. Monthly general meetings and committee meetings.
The society was formed in 1963 as a centre for local research into the early history of the town and it’s pioneer families. From modest beginnings, the organisation has grown to a membership of more than 120, with a much wider range of interests.
In 1992 the society was able to negotiate the lease of the historic Courthouse building in Gipps Street, Port Fairy, which was renamed The History Centre.
The Courthouse is one of over fifty buildings in Port Fairy classified by the National Trust as essential to the heritage of Australia and which must be preserved. It was built in 1859, with the portico added in 1869, and a further three rooms at the rear in 1874, to make the building as it is today. At the time of construction, it was the only Courthouse in the Western District of Victoria, and housed sittings of the Supreme Court and County Courts as well as General Sessions. It remained in use until 1988, when its last function, as a Licensing Court, was transferred to Warrnambool.
Much of the work of the society involves the development of the Courthouse as a museum and archives, and includes participation in the Museum Accreditation Program with which we have been accredited since 1998. The main courtroom houses a display of the original court furniture, with figures in costume. Five other rooms contain both permanent and temporary exhibitions on themes such as the early pioneers of the district, the whaling era in Port Fairy, local shipping and wrecks along the coast.
Profile Photograph: Port Fairy Historical Society Museum and Archives building by Peter Grenfell (2018)
MDHS Inc seeks to collect and preserve documentary material relating to the heritage of Mortlake and district. The Society’s research collection is housed at The Ark Heritage Centre, opened in April 2004.
Our organisation’s aim or purpose is collecting and preserving items of local history, including schools, dairy and sheep industries, war memorabilia, etc. We call it “preserving the old and present for the future.” We were established in 1985 at the request of many locals and were helped in this by Heytesbury and Camperdown societies.
Cobden and District Historical Society are also now doing more family research for families from the area. If you are interested please contact them via the email address listed.
Local history society and museum and shop open daily in summer and four days during the rest of the year.
Macarthur and District Historical Society occupies the former Court House, 31 High Street, Macarthur. Research $10. Archives – minute books, cemetery burial ledgers, photos, maps, some births and marriage records, newspapers, clubs, school and family histories.
Collect items related to Penshurst’s history, and research family history queries.
Volunteer based, non-profit organisation dedicated to Camperdown & district history in the south west of Victoria, Australia.
Postal Address – PO Box 243 Camperdown, VIC 3260
Portland Historical Society, founded in 1964, operates a museum in the Curator’s Cottage in the Portland Botanic Gardens; has exhibits in the Shire’s History House Museum and installs plaques on historic buidings and sites in Portland. Portland is ‘The Cradle of Victoria’.
Local records, visiting local sites of interest & significance.
Preservation and Display of historical photos; research as required.
Social history museum of Dunkeld & District, from Major Mitchell to present day. Includes aboriginal artefacts, history of the wool industry, and a large photographic colleciton of the district.
We have a large holding of family biographies, photographs, early history of local hotels, district properties as well as facilities for research. There are also rate records for various shires and we have just completed a project of businesses within the city.
Our history centre contains memorabilia pertaining to Glenthompson and district, including photographs, newspaper items and cemetery records, etc. Open at the former Glenthompson Railway Station every 3rd Sunday from 12pm-2pm and at other times by calling: Sylvia Wilson on (03) 5577 4352 or Tracey Potatau-Wright on (03) 5577 4215
Founding Date: 4th February 1992
General Information: We will showcase people and places from Glenthompson since the town was established in the mid 1800’s. People are welcome to contribute photos and stories to our page by submitting them to the Secretary via our email address.
Products: We can provide family history searches for a fee.
As at Jan 1 2019 the fees are as follows for all new requests:
search fee: $15 per hr
copy fees for records or information: 20c per A4 pa (20+ pgs 15c per copy).
Please note: We only have a couple of researchers at this time so there may be a delay in attending to your individual request. Thank you
The Colac and District Historical Society was established in 1950, making Colac one of the first regional townships in the state to have such an organisation. A primary aim from the inauguration of the Society was to obtain a home where the various components of the district history could be preserved, and be made available to the public.
We are a community organization who help the public in researching their family history in the Colac District.
239 A'Beckett Street Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 
03 9326 9288 
office@historyvictoria.org.au 
Office & Library: Weekdays 9am-5pm
