In 1837, the area known as the Hoddle Grid went under the auction hammer. 271 individuals made successful bids and became the first to buy land in Melbourne. 6% of them were former convicts. 5 of them were women.
Last Thursday, the RHSV gallery space was a hub of excitement, history and soft cheese as we opened our newest exhibition, “Hoddle Grid: The Great Land Grab”. The exhibition explores the identities and contributions of 29 of the original 271 buyers
Curator Liz Rushen spoke at the launch, sharing the stories she uncovered while researching this exhibition. Her presentation was followed by the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Nick Reece, who was in attendance to officially open the exhibition, which he called “a true gift to Melbourne”.
A huge thank you to the English-Speaking Union (Victorian Branch) — represented at the launch by president Robert Furlan and Margaret Birtley — whose generous support made this exhibition possible.
The exhibition will be open until November, so we invite you to come for a visit and meet some of the first individuals to purchase land in Melbourne in 1837 – including the first unmarried woman to own land in Melbourne.
239 A'Beckett Street Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 
03 9326 9288 
office@historyvictoria.org.au 
Office & Library: Weekdays 10am-4pm
