Join Dr Liz Rushen, curator of our new exhibition, “Hoddle Grid – The Great Land Grab”, for a special Curator’s Talk event at 2PM on Thusday 7 May in the gallery at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.

Enjoy some light refreshments as Dr Rushen’s takes us back to 1 June 1837 when Robert Hoddle stood on a log and began auctioning the first allotments of land in the newly-surveyed Hoddle Grid, now the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. The exhibition explores the identities and contributions of 29 of the original 271 buyers — from former convicts and publicans to merchants and investors whose fortunes were tied to global trade. They acquired land on Wurundjeri country for next to nothing, setting in motion changes that would shape the city for generations.

Please be aware that this is an in-person only event and will not be streamed online.