RHSV REOPENS ON FRIDAY 22nd OCTOBER

17th October 2021

With our Premier, Dan Andrews, announcing today that Victoria will be leaving lockdown on Friday 22nd October 2021, earlier than expected, we all breathed a huge sigh of relief. The RHSV will be staggering our opening to ensure that we meet government health directives. On Friday the bookshop and exhibition gallery will be open however it will be a few days before researchers are able to return – please contact Jillian Hiscock (collections@historyvictoria.org.au)  if you want to come to the RHSV for research purposes.

We do have some new conditions of entry to the RHSV premises which are:

  • we are open only to people who are fully-vaccinated for COVID. This applies to everyone: all staff, volunteers, members, contractors and members of the public.
  • wearing face masks indoors is mandatory
  • that all people entering the RHSV premises check-in with the Victorian Government QR Code Service

Our full plan for re-opening can be read here.

If you have a legal exemption from being vaccinated or from wearing a mask unfortunately we still cannot allow you to enter the premises as we have a duty of care to maintain a safe workplace, however, we have put in place many alternatives to physically entering the building.

If you are confused by the conflicting legal obligations you are not alone – there is a great explanation on the ABC Fact Checker website which goes through all the different arguments very well

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-06/morrison-businesses-refusing-unvaccinated-customers/100512488

These include:

  • All our council and committee meetings will continue to be offered on Zoom (they will most likely be hybrid meetings).
  • The RHSV will continue to deliver only online or digital events during 2021. When we reopen in 2022, on-site events will start again in February. However, wherever possible, we will continue to offer hybrid events with delivery both on-site and through video-conferencing. There will be price parity for both delivery methods.
  • Our bricks & mortar bookshop will continue to have a strong web-presence and is 100% available to those who are not vaccinated but wish to buy books. Book collection can be via Australia Post or click-and-collect to preserve price parity.
  • Our collections staff will continue to assist research for those with a disability who are prevented from entering the RHSV premises under our current conditions of entry.

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me: executive.officer@historyvictoria.org.au

Warmest regards

Rosemary Cameron

Executive Officer