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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260317T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260317T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20251218T043416Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T053706Z
UID:10001112-1773768600-1773774000@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Women’s History Month: Who? Hester Hornbrook and her ladies: Melbourne's first social carers in the 1850s and 1860s
DESCRIPTION:Each year\, to celebrate Women’s History Month\, the RHSV offers our Women’s History lecture\, part of our Distinguished Lecture series. \nFor 2026\, we are delighted to have Roslyn Otzen presenting on Hester Hornbrook\, whose work in creating 1850s Melbourne’s first social supports saved thousands of people from lives and deaths in misery\, and formed the basis of future social support systems in Victoria. \nWho? Hester Hornbrook and her ladies: Melbourne’s first social carers in the 1850s and 1860s\nRoslyn Otzen completed her PhD on the 1854 origins of the Melbourne City Mission\, and its founders\, who included a woman named Hester Hornbrook. While researching Hester\, and the many other women who worked with her\, Roslyn uncovered a trove of unknown information\, not only about the women\, but the essential work they did in caring for gold-rushing newcomers to Melbourne who were entirely unsupported when they fell on hard times. Together\, the women created Melbourne’s first social services. No one has heard of any of them. History has ignored them. Roslyn had to find out why — and introduce them firmly into the story of Melbourne. \nAbout Roslyn Otzen\nRoslyn Otzen\, an educator and former Principal of Korowa AGS\, completed her PhD thesis on the early Melbourne City Mission\, and served a term on the MCM Board. She became the inaugural Chair of the Hester Hornbrook Academy Board\, and continues as a Director. She still studies the MCM’s early days\, and especially the work of its women\, whose own lives have been a closed book\, until on-line access to records of the past have enabled their recovery. She has published several histories\, including a biography of Dr John Singleton\, another founder of the MCM. Other publications include Grace and Strength: Calisthenics in Australia (2011) and To Begin The World Anew: How Particular Nobodies Made Australia (2022). \nHouse-keeping\nThe Zoom log-in details will be sent\, 24 hours before the event\, to all those who have booked – please check your Spam or Junk Mail folder if you cannot find the email in your in-box. The Zoom event will start at 6pm (30 mins later than the in-person event). \nRefreshments (non-alcoholic) will be available from 5:30pm until 6pm when the lecture will commence.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/womens-history-month-hester-hornbrook-and-her-ladies/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:Distinguished Lecturer Series,What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Hester-Hornbrook-event-Facebook-Instagram-Post-45-2.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260224T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260224T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20251203T040029Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260217T001029Z
UID:10001111-1771954200-1771959600@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:2026 Billibellary Indigenous History Lecture presented by Laureate Professor Marcia Langton AO
DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to invite our members and friends to join us for the 5th annual Billibellary Indigenous History Lecture to be delivered by Laureate Professor Marcia Langton AO. \n2026 Billibellary Indigenous History Lecture: The Yiman diaspora and frontier legacy\nReflecting on colonisation in the upper Dawson Valley in central Queensland\, Marcia Langton AO developed a historiographic scepticism. Gordon Stephen Reid wrote about her people in his 1981 book\, A Nest of Hornets: The Massacre of the Fraser Family at Hornet Bank Station\, Central Queensland\, 1857\, and related events\, in which he relied\, necessarily\, entirely on colonist records\, yet acknowledged of the Fraser family survivors\, ‘Their revenge against the Jiman\, without prosecution\, helped to set the pattern for white attitudes and colonial government policy towards the Aborigines of Queensland for 40 years.’ \nAs David Marr demonstrated in his 2023 account Killing for Country\, history has a way of both deceiving and enlightening us. In this lecture\, Langton examines the issues that have troubled her about the accounts of violence in her grandfather’s country. \nLaureate Professor Marcia Langton AO\, FASSA\, AFTSE\, a Yiman and Bidjara woman\, is the Associate Provost\, and Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies at The University of Melbourne. She is also the Director of the Indigenous Studies Unit in Onemda\, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. A prominent advocate for Indigenous rights\, her research spans Indigenous health\, family violence\, and data governance. Widely published\, her recent books include co-edited volumes with colleagues and include her chapter contributions: Dhoombak Goobgoowana: A History of Indigenous Australia and the University of Melbourne – Vol 1 Truth (coedited with Ross Jones and James Waghorne\, MUP 2024)\, and 65\,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art (co-edited with Judith Ryan AM\, Thames & Hudson\, 2024); Indigenous Knowledge. Australian Perspectives (co-edited with Aaron Corn and Sam Curkpatrick\, MUP\, 2023)\, Law. The Way of the Ancestors (co-authored with Aaron Corn\, Thames & Hudson\, 2022). \nHouse-keeping\nThe Zoom details will be sent 24 hours before the event to all those who have booked – please check your Spam or Junk Mail folder if you cannot find the email in your in-box. The Zoom event will start at 6pm (30 mins later than the in-person event). \nRefreshments will be available from 5:30pm until 6pm when the lecture will commence.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/2026-billibellary-indigenous-history-lecture-presented-by-distinguished-professor-marcia-langton-ao/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Professor-Marcia-Langton-AO-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251126T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251126T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250909T004931Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251030T035434Z
UID:10001090-1764178200-1764183600@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:The Hon Niel Black and his Butter Factory inheritors
DESCRIPTION:In 1840\, Niel Black ‘took up country’ in the rich lands along Mount Emu Creek at the heart of the Western District. Backed by prominent partners in Scotland\, this upstart Scottish farmer survived economic hardship in the 1840s and established a fine sheep and cattle run. During the 1850s\, in the partnership’s name\, he started buying sections of the vast ‘squatted’ acreage. \nIn 1858\, he won election to the Legislative Council thereby becoming ‘Honourable’\, and in 1867 he entertained Prince Alfred at ‘far-famed Glenormiston’\, the treasured homestead he built in 1860\, but had to leave in 1869 when the partnership’s assets were divided. In 1876 he moved back to the District\, into Mount Noorat House\, a mansion he described as ‘the crowning folly of my life’. But Black’s astonishing social rise never earned him the title of gentleman. It was his three sons’ destiny – a destiny their father secured with iron determination – to assume fully the role of Western District gentry alongside contemporaries from other pioneer families. Their firm\, Black Bros\, run by AJ (Ian) and SG (Steuart)\, set out to re-mould their inheritance\, including Glenormiston which they recovered. In 1899\, the celebrated beef herd was sold as they proceeded to improve and subdivide land for dairying. Thereafter they promoted rural industrialisation in the form of co-operative Butter Factories and Creameries with conspicuous success. Among the most potent symbols of their wealth was the creation of Dalvui\, a homestead of splendours and\, ultimately\, broken dreams. \nAbout the presenter\nMaggie Black is a researcher\, writer and editor\, whose career was primarily spent working for international United Nations and non-governmental organisations. Among many books and international reports she wrote or edited are histories of Oxfam and UNICEF: A Cause for Our Times: Oxfam the first 50 years\, (Oxford University Press\, 1992); Children First: The Story of UNICEF\, (OUP 1996); and The World Report on Violence Against Children\, (United Nations\, 2006). Since 2009\, she has turned her attention to her great-grandfather’s pioneering life in embryonic Victoria\, and his own and his sons’ involvement in the emergence of a new settler society. Her primary source is Niel Black’s voluminous archive in the State Library of Victoria\, which is unique in the light it sheds on the process of ‘squatting’\, Aboriginal exclusion\, the skulduggery required to gain proprietorship over vast acreages\, and many other themes of colonial activity in Victoria between 1837-1880. \nHousekeeping\nThis event will be offered both in person at the RHSV\, 239 A’Beckett St Melbourne 3000\, and online via Zoom. \nAt the RHSV refreshments are served from 5.30pm – 6:00pm and the Zoom session will start\, as will the lecture\, at 6.00pm. \nAn automatic confirmation of your booking will be sent to you – please check your Spam or Junk Mail folder as these automated emails are often viewed as Junk by your ISP. Don’t panic\, your name will be at the door if you can’t find your ticket.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/the-hon-niel-black-and-his-butter-factory-inheritors/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/the-hon-neil-black.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251112T180000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251112T200000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250814T003446Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251030T000929Z
UID:10001086-1762970400-1762977600@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Book Launch: Code of Silence by Diana Thorp
DESCRIPTION:Please join us to launch the publication of Code of Silence: How Australian Women Helped Win the War\, featuring author Diana Thorp in conversation with Professor Clare Wright\nEighty years after the end of World War II\, intriguing stories of the crucial contributions of women on the Australian home front are emerging. \nAs war climbed to a crescendo in the Asia-Pacific\, the Australian government called in a new weapon: women. Within this female arsenal was a group so significant that the women who bravely assumed these roles were sworn to secrecy – a vow that was to outlive the war. \nAs war inched closer to home\, they became a secret weapon\, intercepting enemy messages and passing intelligence between local networks and allies across the globe\, from Bletchley Park to the United States and across the Asia-Pacific. Some information was so sensitive it was burned to ensure its security. \nThey were among the thousands of women\, many still teenagers\, who stepped up to join the army\, the navy and the air force during the war\, taking on unprecedented roles during an international crisis. Victory attained\, they demobilised and returned home. Secret work or not\, their roles have remained largely untold. Until now. \nThis is not just an extraordinary war story\, but a coming-of-age tale for the nation and its women. It is time to write these remarkable women back into our history\, where they belong. \nAbout the author \nDiana Thorp has scaled a pyramid\, excavated a Bronze Age palace and been threatened by a deadly war spy. She also wrote a thesis on forgotten women that almost included a sealed section\, all in pursuit of a good story. A journalist\, historian and teacher\, Diana has worked for The Australian\, including its weekend magazine\, and The Times in London. She has studied Australian history\, with a focus on gender\, at Macquarie University\, and ancient Egyptian literature at Monash University. After lecturing in journalism for many years\, her passion for history inspired her to become a teacher\, and she works at a Melbourne girls’ school. Her work appears widely in Australia and beyond\, and her feature article on Australian World War II spy Nancy Wake\, whose wartime story was then little known\, inspired her interest in this covert field. \nHousekeeping\nRefreshments will be served from 6pm – 6.30pm when the speakers will commence. \nThis event can be attended in-person or online via Zoom. \nAn automated confirmation email is sent to your email address when you book. If this email doesn’t turn up in your inbox please check your Spam or Junk Mail folders. Don’t worry if you cannot find it – there will be a list of names at the door so you will be able to gain entry without your ticket. \nThe RHSV Gallery Downstairs is an accessible venue.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/book-launch-code-of-silence-by-diana-thorp/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251015T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251015T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250813T234625Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T234849Z
UID:10001085-1760549400-1760554800@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Book Launch: Victoria - Suffering to Statehood by Michael P. Rucker
DESCRIPTION:Join us to celebrate the publication of Victoria – Suffering to Statehood by Michael P. Rucker\nVictoria – Suffering to Statehood provides intriguing\, and occasionally poignant\, details of history not generally found in most Australian history books. Every detail of this fascinating book; political\, social and economic\, is carefully researched and annotated. The author delves into the actions of Victoria’s founders to determine their personalities and motives. Particular emphasis is placed on the pathos of Australia’s first occupants and their unfair\, and often brutal history\, at the hands of the settlers. \nMichael Rucker is a world traveller and historian who became captivated by Australian history while residing in Melbourne. His research into the colourful characters who founded Australia and\, in particular Victoria\, led to his detailed research for this thoughtful and informative volume. His narrative moves along at a dramatic and exciting pace. He applauds the characters accomplishments and chastises them as appropriate. \nHousekeeping \nAs with most RHSV events\, refreshments will be served from 5:30pm – 6pm when the speakers will commence. \nThis event is an in-person event only. \nAn automated confirmation email is sent to your email address when you book. If this email doesn’t turn up in your inbox please check your Spam or Junk Mail folders. Don’t worry if you cannot find it – there will be a list of names at the door so you will be able to gain entry without your ticket. \nThe RHSV Gallery Downstairs is an accessible venue.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/book-launch-victoria-suffering-to-statehood-by-michael-p-rucker/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/VICTORIA.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251014T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251014T193000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250918T050217Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250923T053547Z
UID:10001091-1760463000-1760470200@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:The Sound of Music at Port Phillip 1840 to 1842: featuring M. et Mme Gautrot\, French stars of the colonial music scene. 
DESCRIPTION:The La Trobe Society and freelance historian Susan Priestley FRHSV invite you to join them for the lecture\, “The Sound of Music at Port Phillip 1840 to 1842: featuring M. et Mme Gautrot\, French stars of the colonial music scene”. \nThis lecture promises to be a lively presentation based on Susan’s original research about music and musicians in Melbourne and beyond in the time of La Trobe. \nAll welcome to this C J La Trobe Society lecture\, hosted at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria \nIf you have any enquiries\, please call on 0427 925 616 or email at events@latrobesociety.org.au\n\nHousekeeping\nThis event will be in-person only. \nRefreshments will be served from 5.30pm. \nAn automatic confirmation of your RSVP will be sent to you – please check your Spam or Junk Mail folder as these automated emails are often viewed as Junk by your email provider. Don’t panic\, your name will be at the door if you can’t find your ticket.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/the-sound-of-music-at-port-phillip/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/The-Sound-of-Music-at-Port-Phillip-1840-to-1842.png
ORGANIZER;CN="C J La Trobe Society":MAILTO:treasurer@latrobesociety.org.au
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251003T183000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251003T203000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250813T043846Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T062723Z
UID:10001084-1759516200-1759523400@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Book Launch: Love\, Class and Empire
DESCRIPTION:Join us to celebrate the publication of Love\, Class and Empire by A. James Hammerton.\nEarly twentieth-century Persia and the Persian Gulf presented a largely blank slate to the British\, best known only as a vital conduit to India and a site of contest – the ‘great game’ – with the Russian Empire. \nAs oil discoveries and increasing trade brought new attention\, the expanding telegraph and river shipping industries attracted resourceful men into junior positions in remote outposts. Love\, Class and Empire explores the experiences of two of these men and their families. \nDrawing on a wealth of personal letters and diaries\, A. James Hammerton examines the complexities of expatriate life in Iran and Iraq\, in particular the impact of rapid social mobility on ordinary Britons and their families in the late imperial era. Uniquely\, the study blends histories of empire with histories of marriage and family\, closely exploring the nature of expatriate love and sexuality. In the process\, Hammerton discloses a tender expatriate love story and offers a moving account of transient life in a corner of the informal empire. \nHousekeeping\nThis event will be in-person only. \nAt the RHSV refreshments are served from 6.30pm. \nAn automatic confirmation of your RSVP will be sent to you – please check your Spam or Junk Mail folder as these automated emails are often viewed as Junk by your email provider. Don’t panic\, your name will be at the door if you can’t find your ticket.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/book-launch-love-class-and-empire-an-english/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Love-classic-and-Empire-A.-James-Hammerton.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250909T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250909T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250728T053510Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T013035Z
UID:10000606-1757439000-1757444400@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Rapprochement with China
DESCRIPTION:We are delighted that eminent historian Marilyn Lake AO will deliver the 2025 Hugh Anderson Lecture. \nIn National Life and Character: A Forecast (1893)\, Charles Pearson\, noting that China’s population had already surpassed 400 million\, wrote presciently that with ‘civilisation equally diffused… the preponderance of China over any rival – even over the United States of America – is likely to be overwhelming’. The future would see China take ‘its inevitable place as one of the great powers of the world’. \nPearson’s influential forecast shaped our foundational policy of White Australia: the ‘great white walls’ were erected to keep the Asiatic threat at bay. From the 1960s\, however\, Australians began to forge new ties with China\, forging wide-ranging cultural\, educational\, economic and trade relationships. Asian histories and languages began to be taught in universities. Future diplomats were trained in Asian languages. Under the Whitlam government full diplomatic relations were established with Beijing. \nBy the end of the 1970s\, Hugh and Dawn Anderson had embarked on the first of their numerous trips to China. Hosted by the Chinese Writers Association\, their deep cultural engagement with Chinese authors and literature was a key feature of Australian rapprochement with China. \n  \nMarilyn Lake   D.Litt\, FAHA\, FASSA\, AO \nMarilyn Lake is an Honorary Professorial Fellow in History at the University of Melbourne\, where as an ARC Professorial Fellow between 2013 and 2016 she directed  the ‘Australia in the World’ series of seminars\, lectures and symposia. Prior to this appointment she was Charles La Trobe Professor in History at La Trobe University. Professor Lake has held visiting appointments at ANU\, the University of Sydney\, Stockholm University\, the University of Maryland and between 2001-2 she held the Chair in Australian Studies at Harvard University. She has published locally and internationally\, in academic presses and daily newspapers. Her fifteen books include the prize winning Drawing the Global Colour Line: White Men’s Countries and the International Challenge of Racial Equality (Cambridge University Press\, 2008) and Progressive New World: How Settler Colonialism and TransPacific Exchange Shaped American Reform (Harvard University Press\, 2019). \n  \nHugh Anderson \n“Hugh Anderson (1927-2017) was a scholar of formidable breadth\, productivity and versatility. While it is as a folklorist that he is arguably best known both in Australia and abroad\, Anderson’s prolific output also included biography\, bibliography\, history\, school textbooks and documentary collections. His range of interests was very wide: Anderson seemed as comfortable in writing about John Pascoe Fawkner as Squizzy Taylor\, as at home with an Aboriginal gumleaf player and a Sydney street poet as with the exquisite verse of John Shaw Neilson or the stately poetry of Bernard O’Dowd. This lecture will consider Anderson specifically as a historian and biographer. While it should not be pigeon-holed\, Anderson’s historical and biographical writing incorporated many of the materials\, perspectives and insights derived from folklore studies\, and he treated literary creativity as central to telling the Melbourne\, Victorian and Australian stories. Anderson’s boundary-riding between history\, biography\, folklore and literature was remarkably productive for him\, and it was not unusual among writers with his radical-nationalist politics in the middle decades of the twentieth century. I argue in this lecture for the significance of Anderson as a historian and biographer working outside academia and across a diverse cultural domain\, at a time when universities were moving toward a sharper focus on specialised research\, theory and discipline-based knowledge – in ways that both deepened and limited understandings of Australian history and culture.” by Professor Frank Bongiorno AM \n  \nHousekeeping \nThis event will be offered both in person at the RHSV\, 239 A’Beckett St Melbourne 3000\, and on Zoom. At the RHSV refreshments are served from 5:30pm – 6pm and the Zoom session will start\, as will the lecture\, at 6pm. \nAn automatic confirmation of your booking will be sent to you – please check your Spam or Junk Mail folder as these automated emails are often viewed as Junk by your ISP. Don’t panic\, your name will be at the door if you can’t find your ticket. \n 
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/rapprochement-with-china/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-Hugh-Anderson-Lecture-Rapprochement-with-China-by-Marylin-Lake.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250904T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250904T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250814T090830Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250827T044357Z
UID:10001087-1757007000-1757012400@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Exhibition launch: The Burying of Melbourne
DESCRIPTION:Robert Pascoe\,\nDean Laureate and Professor Emeritus Victoria University\nPresident of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria\,\ntogether with RHSV Councillors\ninvites you to the launch of our exhibition\nThe Burying of Melbourne\ncurated by Dr David Thompson\ndesigned by Susan Fitzgerald\n \nto be launched by Steven Avery\,\nExecutive Director\, Heritage Victoria\nat 5:30pm on Thursday 4 September\, 2025\nRHSV Gallery\, 239 A’Beckett St\, Melbourne 3000\noffice@historyvictoria.org.au | 03 9326 9288\n  \n\n  \nIn the mid-1850s some areas of the Melbourne CBD were buried under a layer of clay at the direction of Melbourne City Council\, a rather extraordinary event that until recently had been largely forgotten. It is only in recent years that archaeologists carrying out the excavations required prior to developments in the city have uncovered evidence of the clay layer. \nA study commissioned by the Heritage Council of Victoria found that the burying was part of efforts by the City Council to control flooding\, caused largely by the original laying out of Melbourne’s street grid without due consideration of the flow of water over the underlying topography. \nThe depositing of the clay layer\, metres thick in some places\, had a significant effect on the lives and circumstances of those affected but did result in the sealing off of a layer of archaeology stemming from the earliest days of European settlement. \nThis exhibition\, The Burying of Melbourne\, describes events leading up to the burial and looks at some of the archaeology discovered beneath the clay.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/exhibition-launch-the-burying-of-melbourne/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/FINAL_Social_1080x1350.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250826T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250826T193000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250801T091229Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250804T040111Z
UID:10001083-1756229400-1756236600@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Heritage and the new Housing Zones: The Need to Reform the Reforms
DESCRIPTION:The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and the Royal Historical Society of Victoria will hold a public meeting at the Drill Hall\, 239 A’Beckett St Melbourne 3000: \nHeritage and the new Housing Zones: The Need to Reform the Reforms\n\nThree leading experts will discuss challenges to heritage in the new planning context and ways to address these challenges: \n\nMichael Buxton\, Emeritus Professor\, Planning and Environment\, RMIT University\nNigel Lewis\, Leading Melbourne heritage architect since 1976\nScott Walker\, Director Urban Living\, City of Boroondara\n\nCollette Brennan\, CEO of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria)\, will open the meeting\, followed by Charles Sowerwine\, Chair\, Heritage Committee\, Royal Historical Society of Victoria\, who will chair proceedings. \n  \nThe meeting follows on from the NTAV and RHSV joint statement “More Housing and Heritage Must Go Hand in Hand”  https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/blog/national-trust-of-australia-victoria-and-royal-historical-society-of-victoria-joint-statement/ and the Charter 29 Report\, “Reforming the Reforms” charter29.com \n  \nHousekeeping \n\nAs with most RHSV events\, refreshments will be served from 5:30pm – 6pm when the speakers will commence.\nThis event is an in person event only.\nAn automated confirmation email is sent to your email address when you book. If this email doesn’t turn up in your ‘in-box’ please check your Spam or Junk Mail folders. Don’t panic – there will be a list of names at the door so you will be able to gain entry without your ticket.\nThe RHSV Gallery Downstairs is an accessible venue.\n\n 
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/heritage-and-the-new-housing-zones-the-need-to-reform-the-reforms/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Highrise-v-heritage.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250729T123000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250729T133000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250423T064929Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250704T063732Z
UID:10001064-1753792200-1753795800@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:RARE BOOK WEEK: Scapegoats of the Empire
DESCRIPTION:Stories that divide us\nRecently\, the library of esteemed community historian Weston Bate was donated to the RHSV. Amongst the many gems was a rare book\, Scapegoats of the Empire\, written in Lancefield and published in 1907 about military crimes half a world away in South Africa. The author\, George Witton\, was the 3rd defendant in the military trial for murder brought against Breaker Morant and Peter Handcock. Morant and Handcock were executed by firing squad and Witton was jailed for life. Less than 3 years later he was released and returned home to Australia to write his dubious memoir. \nJoin distinguished historian Dr Andrew Lemon AM as he explores not just Scapegoats but looks to the rich literature that is spawned when the truth gets murky. \nAndrew Lemon is a multiple award-winning Australian historian\, best known for his three volume History of Australian Thoroughbred Racing (joint winner of the 2009 Australian Society for Sports History biennial book prize). He has written biographies\, local\, company and school histories\, and co-authored Poor Souls\, They Perished on Australia’s worst shipwreck (1986 FAW Wilke Prize). His book A Great Australian School: Wesley College Examined (2004) was shortlisted for the New South Wales state Premier’s History Award. In 2005 the University of Melbourne awarded him the degree of Doctor of Letters for his published work. In 2012 he was a John H. Daniels research fellow at the National Sporting Library and Museum\, in Virginia\, USA. Andrew is a former President of the RHSV. \nHousekeeping \nThis event is part of Rare Book Week and\, for those attending both the RHSV event at 12:30pm and the earlier Ephemera Society of Australia event at 11am in the same venue\, we will be serving refreshments between the two events. \nThese events are in person only – there is no Zoom and nor are the events recorded.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/rare-book-week-scapegoats-of-the-empire/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Scapegoats-of-the-Empire.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250729T110000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250729T120000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250604T050031Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250612T094027Z
UID:10001073-1753786800-1753790400@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:RARE BOOK WEEK: Hoarder or Historian?
DESCRIPTION:Is our history in a drawer\, a scrapbook\, or a curated collection?\nSpeaker: Mandy Bede \nThis talk will focus on a selection of ephemera collections\, teasing out the theme of how our history is preserved. Join Mandy Bede\, President of the Ephemera Society of Australia\, as she shows examples of printed Australian ephemeral material from the sublime to the mundane. Regardless of how these items have been collected and preserved\, or by whom\, or for whatever reason\, they form part of the remarkable commonwealth of documents that record our past. \nHousekeeping \nThis event is part of Rare Book Week and\, for those attending both the RHSV event at 12:30pm and the earlier Ephemera Society of Australia event at 11am in our venue\, we will be serving refreshments between the two events. \nThese events are in person only – there is no Zoom and nor are the events recorded. \nPresented by: Ephemera Society of Australia\nat Royal Historical Society of Victoria\, 328 A’Beckett Street\, Melbourne \nMorning tea will be served immediately following this event.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/rare-book-week-hoarder-or-historian/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/rare-book-week-1884-Ephemera-image.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250716T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250716T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250429T091916Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250709T022454Z
UID:10001065-1752687000-1752692400@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Squatters\, Snodgrass\, and the spoils of colonialism in Victoria - law\, land\, and corruption
DESCRIPTION:We are delighted that Professor Kate Auty will deliver the Society’s second Paul Mullaly History and Law Lecture. \nIn this lecture Professor Auty considers a fraction of the history of First People’s exposure to the ‘Port Phillip’ legal culture that stripped them of their country. She specifically examines the corruption that made colonial land theft\, occupation\, and ‘entitlement’ possible. She uses the activities of corrupt squatter – Peter Snodgrass – as her launching pad. He was one of many. He was involved in and led some of the earliest arbitrary reprisals in north-east Victoria. He was a highly significant proponent of the corruption associated with squatters’ opposition to the Nicholson Land Acts. More specifically he was corruptly and cynically instrumental in the machinations that led to the theft of Taungurung country at Acheron\, a place to the east of Euroa\, where Professor Auty lives. \nProfessor Auty lives and works on Taungurung country in north-east Victoria and she acknowledges the Taungurung people\, pays respect\, and dedicates this paper to their place on country. \nIt is because of the struggle and commitment of First Peoples and their allies that our jurisdiction has striven to be a leader in respect of justice initiatives. In relatively recent times (compared with First Nations time of occupation of country)\, building partnerships\, we established an ALS. We committed to on-country community consultation at the broadest scale during the RCIADIC. We established an Aboriginal Justice Agreement which has led to elders\, respected persons\, and Koori justice workers guiding Koori Courts across the state. Kooris also started the legal push for repatriation of cultural material\, and then remarkably Budj Bim was appropriately declared as a world heritage site\, it being a place that celebrates the oldest living culture and also that of the colonial squatting class. More recently the Yoorrook Justice Commission was established to listen\, confer\, and report on the truths that underpin our colonialist past and its present and continuing impacts. First Peoples are now leading the work of crafting a Treaty to recognise their entitlement to economic justice. These achievements have often involved the law. They all rest upon the robust bedrock of First Nations resilience and resourcefulness and they respond in various ways to the great inequity of the colonial and post-colonial culture of entitlement. \nToday the Taungurung and others are resuming control of their country. Treaty and truth-telling are making this possible. It is time. Professor Auty hopes this paper contributes to their just claims. \nHis Honour Paul Mullaly QC \nThe Royal Historical Society of Victoria was much saddened at the death of long-serving member\, His Honour Paul Mullaly QC\, in 2022 just shy of his 93rd birthday. Paul contributed substantially to the RHSV over many years and in many ways however his greatest contribution has been his transcription and annotation of Judge Willis’ Port Phillip Casebooks\, for which legal scholars will always be in his debt. Paul’s work can be found on a mini-website within the RHSV website here: The Judge Willis Casebooks . To honour Paul’s contribution we have established this biennial lecture on history and law in our Distinguished Lecturer series. \nSpeaker: Professor Kate Auty \nBarrister\, historian\, environmentalist\, active community member in regional Victoria\, and author\, Professor Kate Auty is passionate about diversity and inclusive community development. She is involved in a number of community-based intermediary organisations in respect of environment\, climate change\, energy and Indigenous matters. She is a member of the Australian Accountability Roundtable; co-chair of the Australian Open Government Partnership Multi-Stakeholder Forum; chair of the governing board of the Victorian Environmental Protection Authority; Professorial Fellow School of Law University of Melbourne and Senior Research Fellow with Melbourne Energy Futures. \nShe was the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability in Victoria from 2009 to 2014. She has formerly held appointments as a magistrate in Victoria and in the goldfields and western desert of Western Australia\, in both positions establishing Aboriginal sentencing courts in consultation with Aboriginal people. \nKate holds tertiary qualifications in environmental science\, law and history\, having graduated from University of Melbourne (Arts Hons/Law)\, Monash University (Masters in Environmental Science)\, and La Trobe University (PhD in Law and Legal Studies). She also holds a Diploma of International Environmental Law from UNITAR. Kate is member of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand and is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Kate continues as a barrister in Victoria (1992 – ). \n  \nHousekeeping \n\n\n\n\nFrom 5:30pm – 6pm the RHSV serves refreshments before the lecture commences at 6pm. Zoom audiences will join at 6pm. Zoom log-in details will be sent to attendees 24 hours prior to the lecture.\n\n\n\n\n\nSpeaker photo by Janet Fogarty
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/squatters-snodgrass-and-the-spoils-of-colonialism-in-victoria-law-land-and-corruption/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:Distinguished Lecturer Series,What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Paul-Mullaly-lecture-Squatters-Snodgrass-Spoils.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250610T110000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250610T120000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250116T101452Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250521T231917Z
UID:10000570-1749553200-1749556800@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Curator's talk: Yarra Birrarung Artists\, Writers and the River exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Join the curator\, Dr Judith Buckrich\, of our current exhibition Yarra Birrarung: Artists\, Writers and the River in a behind-the-scenes talk about the exhibition. \nThe exhibition is an illustrated history of life on the Yarra. Through the lens of artists and writers\, the exhibition explores how life has flourished on the river\, including recreation\, industry and land use\, as well as infrastructure\, natural history and social history. \nDespite much despoiling\, our river remains the vital artery of the city and beyond to the Yarra Ranges. Just as it was the fulcrum of Wurundjeri life\, it continues to inspire and fulfil our lives. From the Heidelberg School to the MCG\, the river has been a centre of Australian arts and culture for decades. \nJudith Buckrich has published a book\, of the same name\, which is the first comprehensive illustrated history of the Yarra Birrarung from before European settlement to the present day\, a 200 year story\, examined through the lives of its creatives. \nDr Judith Buckrich was born in Budapest\, Hungary in 1950 and emigrated to Melbourne in 1958. She has several entries in the Encyclopedia of Melbourne and Remembering Melbourne 1850–1960. Her book The Village of Ripponlea won a Victorian Community History Award in 2016 and Acland Street: the Grand Lady of St Kilda won the 2018 Fellowship of Australian Writers (VIC) Award for non-fiction. She has also published with Melbourne Books before\, releasing The Long and Perilous Journey: A History of Port Melbourne in 2002. At present\, she is working on an illustrated history of Fitzroy North. \nJudith has written her own one-woman shows\, short stories\, feature articles and essays and worked as a curator\, editor and translator. She was Chair of the PEN International Women Writers’ Committee from 2003 to 2009 and President of the Melbourne PEN Centre from 1993 to 2005. She is a past President of the Prahran Mechanics Institute Victorian History Library. \nHousekeeping \nThis free event is in person only (no Zoom). Morning tea is served before the event. \n\n\n\n\n\nYou will be sent a confirmation email on booking. Please check your Spam or Junk Mail folder if you cannot find the automatically-generated email in your in-box.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/curators-talk-yarra-birrarung-artists-writers-and-the-river-exhibition-2025-04-15/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Yarra-Birrarung-Curators-Talk-Dr-Judith-Buckrich-June-10.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Royal Historical Society of Victoria":MAILTO:office@historyvictoria.org.au
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250527T170000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250527T193000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250410T031125Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250521T010006Z
UID:10001062-1748365200-1748374200@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:RHSV AGM + 2025 Weston Bate Oration: Professor Emeritus Graeme Davison
DESCRIPTION:Melbourne from the Air\nFrom the balloon to the drone\, and from the Exhibition Building viewing platform to Skydeck\, Melburnians have thrilled to the spectacle of their city from the sky. They were fascinated by the exploits of hot-air balloonists like the accident-prone Henry L’Estrange. \nWhen they could not actually fly above the city\, artists like Albert Cooke reconstructed it from the ground in the black and white ‘bird’s eye views’ published in popular newspapers. In the twentieth century aerial photographers like Airspy’s Charles Pratt shot the city and suburbs in fine detail\, producing the most comprehensive photographic record of the city’s changing topography. In this lecture Graeme Davison reviews the aerial history of Melbourne and asks: Why does the view of the city from the air so enchant us? And what is the value of the Melbourne’s rich archive of aerial views to the social and local historian? \nGraeme Davison AO is Professor Emeritus at Monash University and one of Australia’s leading historians. He has written widely on Australian urban and cultural history and on the public uses of history. His books include The Rise and Fall of Marvellous Melbourne\, which won the Ernest Scott Prize\, My Grandfather’s Clock\, The Unforgiving Minute: How Australia Learned to Tell the Time\, The Use and Abuse of Australian History\, Car Wars: How the Car Won Our Hearts and Conquered Our Cities\, which won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Non-fiction\, University Unlimited: The Monash Story (with Kate Murphy)\, Lost Relations: Fortunes of My Family in Australia’s Golden Age and\, as co-editor\, The Oxford Companion to Australian History. \nThe Weston Bate Oration is one of the RHSV’s Distinguished Lecture Series. \nHousekeeping \nAGM: 5pm – 6.10pm\nBreak: 6.10pm – 6.30pm\nWeston Bate Oration: 6.30pm – 7.30pm \nThe Weston Bate Oration follows the RHSV’s Annual General Meeting. The AGM runs from 5pm until about 6:10pm when we have a short break before resuming for the Oration at 6:30pm. Refreshments will be served in that break. \nIf you wish to attend the Oration only then there is no need to arrive at the Drill Hall until\, say\, 6:15pm for 6:30pm. \nBoth the AGM and the Oration are hybrid and will be available on ZOOM for those who cannot attend in person at the Drill Hall. The same ZOOM log-in will apply to both the AGM and the Oration and those log-in details will be sent to those who RSVP 24 hours before the event. You just need to log-in when you are able to join the meeting/oration. \nThere is the opportunity below to record your apologies if you cannot attend the AGM in person or via ZOOM. \nMembers will be sent the papers for the AGM 14 days prior to the AGM. A digital version can be found here. \nNon-members are more than welcome to attend the AGM – we just ask members to identify themselves when RSVPing as it makes it easier for us to count votes\, etc.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/rhsv-agm-2025-weston-bate-oration-graeme-davison/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:Distinguished Lecturer Series,What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AGM-and-West-Bate-Oration-2025-Graeme-Davison.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250519T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250519T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250506T235108Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250506T235108Z
UID:10001067-1747675800-1747681200@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Friends of La Trobe's Cottage Reception
DESCRIPTION:La Trobe Society Members and Friends are invited to attend the Friends of La Trobe’s Cottage Reception to meet the recently appointed Chief Executive Officer of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria)\, Collette Brennan. \nDate: Monday 19 May 2025\nTime: 5.30 – 7.00 pm\nVenue: Royal Historical Society of Victoria\, Cnr William and A’Beckett Streets\, Melbourne \nThe ‘Friends of La Trobe’s Cottage’ was formed in 2009 under the umbrella of the C J La Trobe Society. Its aims are to promote information about La Trobe and his family\, and especially to support the National Trust in its efforts to maintain the Cottage through fund-raising\, improved visitor experience with regular public opening times\, enhanced interpretation\, and improved interior and exterior appearance. \nCollette Brennan was formerly CEO and Artistic Director of the Abbotsford Convent\, and has worked across arts\, culture\, education and heritage in a diversity of organisations. She is currently a member of the International Society for Performing Arts and National Institute of Circus Arts Boards. \nCollette will share an update about the vital work being undertaken by National Trust\, including at La Trobe’s Cottage\, and she is very much looking forward to meeting everyone. The National Trust is the community-based\, non-government organisation committed to promoting and conserving Australia’s Indigenous\, natural and historic heritage places of cultural significance in Victoria\, including the Trust’s responsibility for La Trobe’s Cottage. \nBookings\nOnline: https://www.eventbookings.com/b/event/friends-of-la-trobe-s-cottage-reception \nFor those unable to book online: \nEFT to C J La Trobe Society Inc: BSB 033-018 Account 149584. Please ensure your name is on the EFT\, and email: secretary@latrobesociety.org.au with names of those attending\nOr send a cheque for $………… at $25.00 per person\, payable to C J La Trobe Society Inc with this form to P.O. Box 65\, Port Melbourne\, 3207. Please add the names of those attending. \nFor information\, phone 0412 517061. \n 
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/friends-of-la-trobes-cottage-reception/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:Victorian History Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Meet-and-greet-with-new-CEO.png
ORGANIZER;CN="La Trobe's Cottage":MAILTO:info09@latrobesociety.org.au
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250429T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250429T193000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250206T205143Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250428T015426Z
UID:10000577-1745947800-1745955000@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Housing\, Heritage\, Density: Vibrant neighbourhoods or Hong Kong without the view?
DESCRIPTION:Join us at this timely seminar presented by the RHSV’s Heritage Committee. \nIn the context of a major revamp of the Victorian planning system\, currently the subject of a major parliamentary inquiry\, this seminar asks how we can make positive use of heritage as we plan to house more people. How can we modify the Plan for Victoria to make full use of heritage as anchor and focus for new neighbourhoods? \nSpeakers:\nChaired by Charles Sowerwine\, RHSV Heritage Committee. \nChristina Branagan\, Boroondara Heritage Group for Advocacy and Protection: “Effects of New Activity Centre planning controls and medium density catchment zones on local Heritage in Victoria.” \nMichael Buxton\, Emeritus Professor Environment and Planning RMIT University; Member Charter 29: “The Statewide Impact of Proposed Changes and Alternative Proposals” \nJames Lesh\, Founding Director\, Heritage Workshop: “Protecting Local Heritage: A Historian’s Perspective” \nMike Scott\, Senior Town Planner; Member Charter 29: “Integrating Heritage into Planning: A Better Way” \n  \n  \n  \nHousekeeping: \nPlease be aware that this event is in-person only. \nAs with most RHSV events we serve refreshments from 5:30pm – 6pm when the seminar will commence \nOn booking\, you will be sent a confirmation email. If this doesn’t appear in your in-box please check your Spam or Junk Mail inbox as automatically generated emails often fall foul of your ISP’s spam filters. \n 
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/housing-heritage-density-vibrant-neighbourhoods-or-hong-kong-without-the-view/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Housing-Heritage-Density.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250415T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250415T193000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250314T031455Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250409T043120Z
UID:10000587-1744738200-1744745400@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:AGL Shaw Lecture: La Trobe\, Redcoats and the Mounted Police
DESCRIPTION:On 1st October 1839\, the newly appointed Superintendent of the Port Phillip District\, Charles La Trobe\, came ashore in Melbourne for the first time. He was greeted by William Lonsdale\, who had been sent to the district as de facto superintendent\, and Police Magistrate in late 1836. \nLonsdale\, a recently retired officer of the 4th Regiment (King’s Own) had come to Port Phillip with a small ‘garrison’ of an Ensign and 30 men from the same regiment. He forged a close relationship with La Trobe over the coming years even though La Trobe was distinctly non-military. While neither had direct command of the ‘garrison’\, which reported to HQ in Sydney\, the soldiers had an important role in providing the ultimate\, mostly symbolic\, Imperial underpinning of La Trobe’s authority. \nA Mounted Police detachment\, although made up of soldiers on attachment from their regiments\, did come under control of the Police Magistrate. \nThis presentation will describe the life and times of the Redcoats and the Mounted Police\, and provide (good\, bad and ugly) context to their presence in the District of Port Phillip until Separation in 1850. \n  \nPresented by Dr Andrew Kilsby.\nAndrew is a professional historian and published author. His focus is military\, business and biographical history. A graduate of RMC Duntroon he holds a PhD from UNSW at ADFA. A founder of Military History and Heritage Victoria Inc. in 2010\, Andrew has also written numerous articles\, convened and presented in military history conferences and arranged exhibitions\, including two at the RHSV. His business publications have also achieved two RHSV Community History Award commendations. As the 2024-25 Fellow of the La Trobe Society\, Andrew is investigating ‘La Trobe\, Law and Order 1839-1854’. \n  \nAbout AGL Shaw lectures\nAlan George Lewers Shaw AO\, FAHA\, FASSA\, FRAHS\, FRHSV (1916 – 2012) was an RHSV Councillor from 1965 to 1971 and President from 1987 to 1991. He is also a Benefactor of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. He was President of the C J La Trobe Society as well and the two organisations\, the C J La Trobe Society and the RHSV\, have jointly presented the annual A G L Shaw lecture since 2002 as a tribute to a great historian. A list of previous lecturers can be viewed here. \n  \nHouse-keeping\nYou will be sent an automatic email confirmation once you book – if this email doesn’t appear in your in-box\, please check your Spam or Junk Mail folder as these automatically generated emails can go astray. \nAs at most RHSV events\, we will be serving refreshments from 5:30pm to 6pm when the lecture starts. For the AGL Shaw lecture\, we also serve refreshments after the event and we encourage our members and the members of the C J La Trobe Society to stay a little longer and share our hospitality.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/agl-shaw-lecture-la-trobe-redcoats-and-the-mounted-police/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/AGL-Shaw-lecture.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Royal Historical Society of Victoria":MAILTO:office@historyvictoria.org.au
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250415T110000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250415T120000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250116T101452Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250521T231336Z
UID:10001051-1744714800-1744718400@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Curator's talk: Yarra Birrarung Artists\, Writers and the River exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Join the curator\, Dr Judith Buckrich\, of our current exhibition Yarra Birrarung: Artists\, Writers and the River in a behind-the-scenes talk about the exhibition. \nThe exhibition is an illustrated history of life on the Yarra. Through the lens of artists and writers\, the exhibition explores how life has flourished on the river\, including recreation\, industry and land use\, as well as infrastructure\, natural history and social history. \nDespite much despoiling\, our river remains the vital artery of the city and beyond to the Yarra Ranges. Just as it was the fulcrum of Wurundjeri life\, it continues to inspire and fulfil our lives. From the Heidelberg School to the MCG\, the river has been a centre of Australian arts and culture for decades. \nJudith Buckrich has published a book\, of the same name\, which is the first comprehensive illustrated history of the Yarra Birrarung from before European settlement to the present day\, a 200 year story\, examined through the lives of its creatives. \nDr Judith Buckrich was born in Budapest\, Hungary in 1950 and emigrated to Melbourne in 1958. She has several entries in the Encyclopedia of Melbourne and Remembering Melbourne 1850–1960. Her book The Village of Ripponlea won a Victorian Community History Award in 2016 and Acland Street: the Grand Lady of St Kilda won the 2018 Fellowship of Australian Writers (VIC) Award for non-fiction. She has also published with Melbourne Books before\, releasing The Long and Perilous Journey: A History of Port Melbourne in 2002. At present\, she is working on an illustrated history of Fitzroy North. \nJudith has written her own one-woman shows\, short stories\, feature articles and essays and worked as a curator\, editor and translator. She was Chair of the PEN International Women Writers’ Committee from 2003 to 2009 and President of the Melbourne PEN Centre from 1993 to 2005. She is a past President of the Prahran Mechanics Institute Victorian History Library. \nHousekeeping \nThis free event is in person only (no Zoom). Morning tea is served before the event. \n\n\n\n\n\nYou will be sent a confirmation email on booking. Please check your Spam or Junk Mail folder if you cannot find the automatically-generated email in your in-box. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/curators-talk-yarra-birrarung-artists-writers-and-the-river-exhibition/2025-04-15/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Yarra-Birrarung-Curators-Talk.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Royal Historical Society of Victoria":MAILTO:office@historyvictoria.org.au
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250325T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250325T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250209T070606Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250319T215744Z
UID:10001060-1742923800-1742929200@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:The Yallourn Briquette Works\, 1925-1971: The Making & Marketing of Bernie's Heat Nuggets with Matthew Churchward
DESCRIPTION:Join Engineering Heritage Victoria and the RHSV at an illustrated talk to mark the centenary of the Yallourn Briquette Works. Achieving its first commercial production in February 1925\, the Yallourn Briquette Works was the third key element of the ambitious state-owned enterprise to harness the immense brown coal resources of the Latrobe Valley. Championed by the Victorian geologist and engineer Hyman Herman\, later remembered as the ‘father of Yallourn’\, and constructed under the leadership of Sir John Monash\, the Yallourn Briquette Works consumed at times up to half the output of the Yallourn Open Cut\, transforming the damp crumbly raw brown coal into hard shiny nuggets of energy that could be readily transported\, stored and burnt. \nComplementing the electricity flowing from the Yallourn Power Station\, the train loads of briquettes dispatched daily from Yallourn filled a thriving demand for industrial and domestic fuel\, helping Victoria to become independent of the vicissitudes of imported black coal supplies. Over half a century the Yallourn Briquette Works played a key role underpinning the State’s industrial and social development. \nOur speaker Matthew Churchward is Senior Curator of Engineering & Transport at Museums Victoria\, which holds examples of the first and last briquettes made at Yallourn and an extensive photographic collection documenting the construction of the Briquette Works. Over the past three decades Matthew Churchward has worked extensively on collections and database development\, public programs\, exhibitions and the creation of websites and online content. His research interests encompass Victoria’s mining\, engineering and transport history including shipping\, railways\, roads\, bridges\, ports\, sewerage\, water and electricity supply.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/engineering-heritage-victoria-matthew-churchward/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/YallournBriquetteWorksTalkGraphic.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250318T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250318T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250116T092448Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250314T050518Z
UID:10001048-1742319000-1742324400@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Feminists to felons: exhibiting women’s history
DESCRIPTION:Each year\, to celebrate Women’s History Month\, the RHSV offers our Women’s History lecture\, part of our Distinguished Lecture series. \nMuseums in the 1970s were largely masculine preserves\, staffed almost exclusively by men in white coats. Women were thin on the ground. Their stories were equally rare. Those few women who did appear in museum exhibitions were mostly royal women\, or in the Australian context\, governors’ wives. But as feminist historians recast the discipline\, museums followed in their wake. From feminists to felons\, matriarchs to monsters\, women’s stories began to be presented in exhibitions. This lecture explores some of the challenges encountered in exhibiting women’s history\, especially where the stories themselves might be described as ‘difficult history’. Are there ‘no-go’ areas in history exhibitions\, and what happens if we challenge them? \nMargaret Anderson is a public historian and museum administrator who is director of the Old Treasury Building. Before taking up this position she was CEO of the History Trust of South Australia. In a long career she held senior museum posts in Western Australia and South Australia and in the 1980s was foundation director of the Migration Museum in Adelaide. In between she taught history and material culture studies at Monash University. \nMargaret is a feminist historian with research interests in women’s history\, the history of the family\, and material history. She is especially interested in debates about conflicted views of the past and the capacity of museums to present inclusive content\, including ‘difficult histories’. \n  \nHouse-keeping \nThe Zoom log-in details will be sent\, 24 hours before the event\, to all those who have booked – please check your Spam or Junk Mail folder if you cannot find the email in your in-box. The Zoom event will start at 6pm (30 mins later than the in-person event). \nAs will all RHSV lectures\, we will serve refreshments from 5:30pm until 6pm when the lecture will commence.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/feminists-to-felons-exhibiting-womens-history/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:Distinguished Lecturer Series,What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/From-Feminist-to-Felon.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250225T110000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250225T120000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250116T101452Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250521T231336Z
UID:10001050-1740481200-1740484800@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Curator's talk: Yarra Birrarung Artists\, Writers and the River exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Join the curator\, Dr Judith Buckrich\, of our current exhibition Yarra Birrarung: Artists\, Writers and the River in a behind-the-scenes talk about the exhibition. \nThe exhibition is an illustrated history of life on the Yarra. Through the lens of artists and writers\, the exhibition explores how life has flourished on the river\, including recreation\, industry and land use\, as well as infrastructure\, natural history and social history. \nDespite much despoiling\, our river remains the vital artery of the city and beyond to the Yarra Ranges. Just as it was the fulcrum of Wurundjeri life\, it continues to inspire and fulfil our lives. From the Heidelberg School to the MCG\, the river has been a centre of Australian arts and culture for decades. \nJudith Buckrich has published a book\, of the same name\, which is the first comprehensive illustrated history of the Yarra Birrarung from before European settlement to the present day\, a 200 year story\, examined through the lives of its creatives. \nDr Judith Buckrich was born in Budapest\, Hungary in 1950 and emigrated to Melbourne in 1958. She has several entries in the Encyclopedia of Melbourne and Remembering Melbourne 1850–1960. Her book The Village of Ripponlea won a Victorian Community History Award in 2016 and Acland Street: the Grand Lady of St Kilda won the 2018 Fellowship of Australian Writers (VIC) Award for non-fiction. She has also published with Melbourne Books before\, releasing The Long and Perilous Journey: A History of Port Melbourne in 2002. At present\, she is working on an illustrated history of Fitzroy North. \nJudith has written her own one-woman shows\, short stories\, feature articles and essays and worked as a curator\, editor and translator. She was Chair of the PEN International Women Writers’ Committee from 2003 to 2009 and President of the Melbourne PEN Centre from 1993 to 2005. She is a past President of the Prahran Mechanics Institute Victorian History Library. \nHousekeeping \nThis free event is in person only (no Zoom). Morning tea is served before the event. \n\n\n\n\n\nYou will be sent a confirmation email on booking. Please check your Spam or Junk Mail folder if you cannot find the automatically-generated email in your in-box. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/curators-talk-yarra-birrarung-artists-writers-and-the-river-exhibition/2025-02-25/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Yarra-Birrarung-Curators-Talk.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Royal Historical Society of Victoria":MAILTO:office@historyvictoria.org.au
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250222T123000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250222T143000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250122T061642Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250122T205437Z
UID:10000571-1740227400-1740234600@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:AUTOMOTIVE HISTORIANS AUSTRALIA INC HONORS REG HUNT
DESCRIPTION:WITH AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID ZEUNERT\nReg Hunt\, motor dealer\, racing driver\, collector and property investor was one of Melbourne’s best known and successful automobilists during his working life. Maserati historian\, enthusiast and long-time friend\, David Zeunert\, will discuss with Mark Bissett Reg’s life exploits following a light lunch at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. \nReg Hunt built one of Australia’s largest motor dealer operations and was known for his “Golden Mile” along the Nepean Highway\, Elsternwick that included a 12-acre used car lot that held up to 2\,000 vehicles and later Holden’s top selling dealership\, Reg Hunt Rhodes.\nLesser known is Reg Hunt’s success in motor racing\, particularly in his Maserati 250F Formula 1 car in which he competed against Stirling Moss\, Jack Brabham\, Stan Jones and others\, earning the Australian Driver’s Championship in 1956. He is also remembered for his collection of Rolls Royce and WO Bentleys. Reg Hunt retired after 45 years in the motor industry\, amassing some $95 million in property and a business that turned over $300 million per annum. \nDavid Zeunert is a Melbourne based enthusiast/historian\, a strong generalist with a particular passion for Maserati. It was via his ownership of Maseratis and the Maserati Club that David met Reg Hunt 40 years ago. Zeunert has a significant archive of Australian motor racing photographs\, magazines and memorabilia. He has contributed his research knowledge to many authors. In addition\, he has written for both club magazines and professional journals such as Benzina. Knowing Hunt as a friend\, and many of those associated with Maserati in Australia places David uniquely to speak with authority about the late Reg Hunt’s racing and commercial achievements.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/automotive-historians-australia-inc-honors-reg-hunt/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Reg-Hunt.png
ORGANIZER;CN="AUTOMOTIVE HISTORIANS AUSTRALIA INC":MAILTO:INFO@AUTOHISTORIANSAUSTRALIA.ORG
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250220T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250220T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20250116T100057Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250205T211532Z
UID:10001049-1740072600-1740078000@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:2025 Billibellary Indigenous History Lecture: Breaking Australian Rules in Sport and History
DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to invite our members and friends to join us for the 4th annual Billibellary Indigenous History Lecture to be delivered by distinguished academic Professor Barry Judd. \n\nThe Indigenous sport of Australian (Rules) Football is widely regarded as the national game at least in Melbourne and the State of Victoria. First codified in 1858 as the Melbourne Rules\, today Australian Football as it is officially known is the most spectated sport nationally and the controlling body of the sport the Australian Football League (AFL) is one of the wealthiest most influential Australian institutions. The history of Australian Football and its origins in goldrush era Melbourne provides an exemplary example of why the rules that govern the discipline of Australian history need to be broken. By referencing the orthodox methodological approaches and research practices in the writing of Australian Rules Football histories this lecture shows how Indigenous peoples\, knowledges and cultural practices can be eliminated from the Australian past. By referencing Australian football histories this lecture also shows how as productive settler-colonial relationships with Indigenous peoples can be made marginal and of insignificant importance. \nDrawing on recent scholarly collaborations with Professor Kat Ellinghaus a trained academic historian\, this lecture concludes by suggesting alternate approaches to the writing of Australian history that are inclusive of Indigenous Australian understanding of the past and therefore more capable of reconstructing more truthful understandings of the past. To do so the lecture concludes that an approach to historical research encapsulated by the ARC funding project Ngura Ninti is required. \n\nProfessor Barry Judd is a distinguished academic and accomplished leader\, currently holding the positions of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous) and Professor of Indigenous Studies in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne. As the DVC (Indigenous)\, he plays a crucial role in shaping institutional policy\, strategy\, and guidance on all aspects of Indigenous higher education. \nIn addition to these duties\, Professor Judd provides academic leadership to the Indigenous Studies Program through undergraduate teaching\, Higher Degree Research supervisions\, and research activity\, all of which support the development of this emerging field of studies. He is a member of the esteemed Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) and was a foundation Chief Investigator of the National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network (NIRAKN). \nProfessor Judd’s expertise is widely recognised\, and he serves as a Board member of the Museums and Galleries of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) and the Life Again Foundation. He is also a member of the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) committee of the Richmond Football Club. \nProfessor Judd’s academic background is extensive\, with an MA in Public Policy and a PhD in Australian Indigenous Studies\, as well as postgraduate qualifications in higher education teaching and learning. His research expertise lies in Australian race relations in Australian sports and interdisciplinary research methods in Indigenous Studies and Australian history. \nWith over 30 years of experience in supporting Indigenous activity in Australian higher education\, Professor Judd is widely published and holds several current Australian Research Council research grants. His invaluable contributions to the field of Indigenous Studies are a testament to his exceptional work\, inspiring and leading the way for future Indigenous leaders. \n\nHouse-keeping \nThe Zoom log-in details will be sent\, 24 hours before the event\, to all those who have booked – please check your Spam or Junk Mail folder if you cannot find the email in your in-box. The Zoom event will start at 6pm (30 mins later than the in-person event). \nAs will all RHSV lectures\, we will serve refreshments from 5:30pm until 6pm when the lecture will commence.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/2025-billibellary-indigenous-history-lecture-professor-barry-judd/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:Distinguished Lecturer Series,What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Barry-Judd.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20241203T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20241203T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20240911T103004Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241114T231041Z
UID:10000545-1733247000-1733252400@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:WHEN AUSTRALIA WAS ALMOST FRENCH
DESCRIPTION:EVENT CANCELLED: Our deepest apologies but this event has been cancelled. Refunds have been sent to those who have already bought tickets. We apologise for the disappointment and inconvenience. \n  \nThe RHSV is thrilled to host this lecture\, the only one in Melbourne\, presented by the Institut de recherche Nicolas Baudin. \nFor more than two centuries\, France and Australia have forged strong links. Between 1772 and 1827\, no fewer than nine French scientific expeditions explored the Australian coastline. French scientists drew maps\, studied flora and fauna\, and opened up to the Aborigines. In the century that followed\, Australians and French shed their blood side by side in two world wars. \nAs recently as December 2023\, the governments of our two nations solemnly renewed their cooperation through a multi-year agenda covering areas as broad and fundamental as rare metals\, defence\, culture\, history\, Antarctica\, oceans\, space and sport. \nIt’s these connections that the Institut de recherche Nicolas Baudin wants to highlight in their 2024 lecture tour. The Institut is presenting 12 events in 6 Australian cities as well as in New Caledonia. \nFrom Saint-Aloüarn\, who took possession of Australia for Louis XV at Shark Bay (Western Australia) in 1772\, to the scientists of the Baudin expedition who drew up a plan for Napoleon’s invasion of Sydney\, to Dumont d’Urville\, who explored King George Sound (now Albany) to make Western Australia a French colony\, France and England have always competed for possession of the island continent. Starting with the famous painting of Lapérouse unfolding the map of his expedition in front of Louis XVI\, with his hand pointing to Australia\, this lecture tells the long story of this race with its many twists and turns. \n \nPatrick Llewellyn is French and has a degree in humanities. For almost twelve years\, he has specialised in the history of the great scientific maritime expeditions of the 18th century\, in particular that of Nicolas Baudin\, the battle of the longitudes and marine chronometers. He was involved in organising the Art of Science exhibition in Australia in 2016\, dedicated to Captain Baudin’s expedition\, and facilitated the loan to Australia from the Musée National de la Marine in Paris of one of only two surviving marine chronometers from the Baudin expedition\, and the large copper plate used to engrave the first complete map of the Australian coastline in Paris in 1811. Patrick gave numerous lectures in Australia in 2015 and 2016. \n \nThe speaking tour is made possible by the support of the Institut’s partners: \n\nBausele is an Australian watchmaker founded by a Frenchman\, Christophe Hoppé.\nThe Accor group is the worldwide leader in hospitality.\nThe Silentworld Foundation and The Powerhouse Museum\n\n   \nAnd our event is sponsored by Dominique Portet Wines \n 
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/when-australia-was-almost-french/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Louis_XVI_et_La_Perouse-low-res.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20241128T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20241128T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20240924T103318Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241110T222228Z
UID:10000549-1732815000-1732820400@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:LAUNCH: YARRA BIRRARUNG ARTISTS\, WRITERS AND THE RIVER
DESCRIPTION:Yarra Birrarung: Artists\, Writers and the River is an illustrated history of life on the Yarra. Through the lens of artists and writers\, the book explores how life has flourished on the river\, including recreation\, industry and land use\, as well as infrastructure\, natural history and social history. \nDespite much despoiling\, our river remains the vital artery of the city and beyond to the Yarra Ranges. Just as it was the fulcrum of Wurundjeri life\, it continues to inspire and fulfil our lives. From the Heidelberg School to the MCG\, the river has been a centre of Australian arts and culture for decades. \nAt this event we will be launching both the exhibition and Judith’s latest book\, Yarra Birrarung: Artists\, Writers and the River\, which is the first comprehensive illustrated history of the Yarra Birrarung from before European settlement to the present day\, a 200 year story\, examined through the lives of its creatives. \nDr Judith Buckrich was born in Budapest\, Hungary in 1950 and emigrated to Melbourne in 1958. She has several entries in the Encyclopedia of Melbourne and Remembering Melbourne 1850–1960. Her book The Village of Ripponlea won a Victorian Community History Award in 2016 and Acland Street: the Grand Lady of St Kilda won the 2018 Fellowship of Australian Writers (VIC) Award for non-fiction. She has also published with Melbourne Books before\, releasing The Long and Perilous Journey: A History of Port Melbourne in 2002. At present\, she is working on an illustrated history of Fitzroy North. \nJudith has written her own one-woman shows\, short stories\, feature articles and essays and worked as a curator\, editor and translator. She was Chair of the PEN International Women Writers’ Committee from 2003 to 2009 and President of the Melbourne PEN Centre from 1993 to 2005. She is a past President of the Prahran Mechanics Institute Victorian History Library. \nJanet Bolitho is the President of the Yarra Riverkeeper Association. She is also a long standing and devoted member of the Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society. She is a former Councillor and Mayor of the City of Port Phillip. \nJanet curates the Port Places project\, documenting\, observing and exploring Port Places – where the Yarra River meets Port Phillip Bay.  She enjoys introducing students\, local history enthusiasts and visitors to the places shaped by the Yarra Birrarung and the Port.  \nHolding a Master of Social Science in Policy and Planning\, she has a passionate interest in people centred urban planning.  She was a member of the Fishermans Bend Development Board until 2023. She is also a Board member of Westgate Biodiversity: Bili Nursery and Landcare\, the group caring for Westgate Park on the banks of the Birrarung.  \nHousekeeping \nThis event is in-person only – it will not be recorded nor available via Zoom. \nAs with most RHSV events refreshments will be served. \nYou will be sent an automatically-generated confirmation email of your booking – if it doesn’t appear in your in-box please check your Spam or Junk Mail folder.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/launch-yarra-birrarung-artists-writers-and-the-river/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Yarra-Ex-Instagram-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20241119T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20241119T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20240912T002305Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240915T231538Z
UID:10000548-1732037400-1732042800@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:INAUGURAL GWENDA D. M. JONES MEMORIAL LECTURE
DESCRIPTION:We are thrilled to launch the inaugural biennial Gwenda D. M. Jones Memorial lecture as part of our Distinguished Lecture series. \nThis lecture honours the life of Gwen Jones\, a keen member and generous supporter of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria over many years until her death in 2021\, aged 98. The lecture series will promote the vital role of The Jones Collection of the RHSV in documenting and supporting research on these themes. \nThe Jones Collection was donated to the RHSV by Gwen shortly before she died. Gwen’s creation\, stewardship\, and generosity surrounding the collection has ensured that future historians have an incredibly rich archive on which to draw. \nEminent historian\, Richard Aitken will deliver the inaugural lecture\, Orontes’ adventure: introducing The Jones Collection of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.  Richard is a Melbourne-based historian\, curator\, and writer specialising in the history of gardens and homemaking. Richard’s work is recognised nationally and internationally\, and his books have become essential reading for anyone with an interest in Australian history and domestic design. He spent three years sorting\, listing and annotating The Jones Collection\, resulting in the recent donation of approximately 200 archive boxes of documents and realia to the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. Richard’s work which combines his deep knowledge of and love for Gwen and her family combined with his historian’s rigour have added immeasurably to the value of the collection. \nRichard’s lecture will introduce The Jones Collection by focussing on the 1953–54 study tour of Britain and Europe undertaken by Gwen Jones. This is a particularly comprehensive holding within the collection and will act as a catalyst for narrating a significant part of Gwen’s life story as well as highlighting the richness of The Jones Collection for historical research and provide an assessment of its overall archival significance. \nGwenda Dagmar Marie Jones graduated from the University of Melbourne with BA (1947)\, BEd (1953)\, and MA (1983) degrees. She was the only child of Ebenezer and Meda Jones and immensely proud of her Welsh and Danish ancestry. The family were exceptionally close and shared a love of travel and music\, instilling confidence and independence in Gwen as she progressed through a culturally rich life. Apart from several years studying\, teaching\, and lecturing in Castlemaine\, London\, and Geelong\, Gwen lived in the family home in Coburg. She embraced her humble local origins of miners and seamstresses but also forged global friendships and interests. \nGwen was educated in local state schools\, progressing from University High School to training at Melbourne Teachers’ College. Following her BEd thesis on the early career of pioneering Victorian educationalist Frank Tate\, she embarked on year-long study at the University of London School of Education. Funded partially by the University of Melbourne’s Smyth Travelling Scholarship in Education she studied British drama education and its applicability to Victoria. The scholarship and ensuring experiences living in London were a high-point of her personal and professional life. \nApart from stints teaching in high schools\, Gwen’s main career was as a lecturer at Geelong and Coburg Teachers’ Colleges. Gwen introduced an elective in Australian history at Geelong in the late 1950s with a focus on local and regional history\, was local co-ordinator of the New Education Fellowship\, a fine accompanist\, madrigalist\, and cello player\, and produced Salad Days with her students to universal acclaim. \nGwen returned to Melbourne in 1964. She undertook long-term research into the history of Coburg’s Holy Trinity Anglican Church\, was a book reviewer and occasional author of articles in professional journals\, and wrote many plays for children’s theatre. She took a keen interest in local history and in 1973 commenced postgraduate research under the supervision of Pat Grimshaw\, studying governesses in Australian colonial society. \nFollowing retirement in 1986\, Gwen spent an engrossing sixteen years with The History Institute of Victoria as a member of its Executive Council and acting as membership secretary and in other roles. \nThe Jones Collection at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria holds Gwen’s personal and professional papers and an extensive family archive. Whether it was playing piano for Arthur Rubinstein on his 1937 Australian tour\, watching Wilson Hall burn in 1952\, meeting Yehudi Menuhin at the stage door\, or observing artist Arthur Boyd and his family on board her 1972 cruise to England\, Gwen seemed to have a ringside seat for history. \n Gwen’s passport which used one of her graduation photos. \nHousekeeping \nThis event will be hybrid so presented in person in our rooms and also via ZOOM. Those purchasing ZOOM tickets will be sent the log-in details 24hrs before the event. \nAn automatically generated confirmation of booking email is sent on booking – please check your Trash or Spam folders if this email does not turn up in your in-box. \nAs with most of our events\, refreshments will be served from 5:30pm – 6pm when the lecture starts (the Zoom session also starts at 6pm). There will be Q&A at the end of the lecture.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/gwenda-d-m-jones-memorial-lecture/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:Distinguished Lecturer Series,What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Gwenda-Jones-lecture-image.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20241030T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20241030T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20240911T111833Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240924T114635Z
UID:10000546-1730309400-1730314800@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF THE VICTORIAN HERITAGE REGISTER
DESCRIPTION:The RHSV\, in partnership with the Heritage Council Victoria\, celebrates 50 years of the Victorian Heritage Register. The event will offer insight into the history and functioning of the Register\, which should be of interest to all concerned with preserving our heritage. \n2024 marks the 50th Anniversary of Victorian state government heritage legislation. In 1974\, after years of campaigning by Victorian heritage conservation activists\, the first buildings were included in the Victorian Historic Buildings Register to protect them for current and future generations. The Historic Buildings Register eventually became what we know today as the Victorian Heritage Register. \nThis event will be chaired by Professor Charles Sowerwine\, Chair of the RHSV’s Heritage Committee. Charles will open with a few words about the 50th anniversary of the Historic Buildings Act 1974 and the beginning of the Victorian Heritage Register. \nProfessor Graeme Davison will speak on The Victorian Heritage Register: The Founding Years. Graeme Davison\, well-known to RHSV members as a scintillating historian\, is also someone with extensive experience of the Heritage Council and of the creation and evolution of the Register. \nWhat’s in the VHR in 2024? Dr Marina Jansen\, a historian with Heritage Victoria\, will provide an overview of the Register and share insights from the VHR Analysis Project 2023-24. She will explain the registration process and describe the VHR Enrichment Project which aims to increase the diversity of heritage types\, historical themes and social groups in the Register. \nAnd finally we will hear from Dr Steve Campbell-Wright Heritage Council member. Steve Campbell-Wright is a cultural historian with particular interest in the influence of place on the culture of organisations and communities. He is a respected researcher and author on subjects ranging from built heritage and military culture to automotive history. Steve will bust some myths surrounding heritage and discuss Council’s role with regards to the Register. \nHousekeeping \nThis event will be hybrid so presented in person in our rooms and also via ZOOM. Those purchasing Zoom tickets will be sent the log-in details 24hrs before the event. \nAn automatically generated confirmation of booking email is sent on booking – please check your Trash or Spam folders if this email does not turn up in your In Box. \nAs with most of our events\, refreshments will be served from 5:30pm – 6pm when the lecture starts (the Zoom session also starts at 6pm). There will be Q&A at the end of the lecture. \n  \n This is a History Month event. Click on the logo for the full program \n 
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/celebrating-50-years-of-the-victorian-heritage-register/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20241029T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20241029T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20240924T105655Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241028T003927Z
UID:10000550-1730223000-1730228400@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:Book Launch: Melbourne Ghost Signs
DESCRIPTION:You’re invited to join RHSV Councilors\, staff\, volunteers\, members and friends as we celebrate the launch of Melbourne Ghost Signs\, a fascinating new book by Sean Reynolds\, our very own Marketing Officer at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.\nThis mesmerising photographic collection captures Melbourne’s faded signs and forgotten logos\, offering glimpses into the city’s rich and ever-evolving history. From the gold rush era to the Swinging Sixties\, from brands like Robur Tea and Tarax soft drinks to hidden gems like ‘Miss Watson’s Motor Garage’ and the ‘St Kilda Coffee Palace\,’ these ghost signs preserve a piece of Melbourne’s past amidst the modern skyline. \nSean Reynolds\, originally from Illinois\, was first drawn to these phantom relics while exploring Yarraville and Footscray with his daughter during their daily lockdown outings. His keen eye unearthed a treasure trove of historical remnants\, and his passion for uncovering Melbourne’s unique past shines through in each image and accompanying story. \nAn Emmy-nominated marketing expert for shows like Ellen and TMZ\, Sean has made Melbourne his home since 2015. In his spare time\, he has embraced documenting the city’s hidden history\, one sign at a time. You can follow his journey on Instagram at @melbourne_ghostsigns. \nHousekeeping \nJoin us for an evening of nostalgia and discovery as Sean shares the stories behind these forgotten signs – some charming\, others heroic\, and a few tinged with tragedy. \nRefreshments will be served\, and as this event is in-person only– it will not be recorded or available via Zoom– we look forward to seeing you there. \nDon’t miss this chance to uncover the Melbourne you never knew\, one ghost sign at a time! \n\nThe book can be purchased and signed on the night of the event\, or you you can purchase it here. \n\n This is a History Month event. Please click on the logo for the full program.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/launch-melbournes-ghost-signs/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Melbourne-Ghost-Signs-front-cover.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20241022T173000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20241022T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T115906
CREATED:20240911T230413Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241006T084938Z
UID:10000547-1729618200-1729623600@www.historyvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY:A WORD IN TIME: Emerging Historians on their influences
DESCRIPTION:Every year the Professional Historians Association of Australia Vic & Tas\, in partnership with the RHSV\, ask three ’emerging’ historians about their work. In 2024 we’ve asked these historians to reflect on how the spoken word has influenced their history. Andrew Lemon (RHSV) and Sophie Couchman (PHA) will be our MCs for the evening. \nWe look forward to hearing from our three historians at this event: Dr Hannah Viney\, Dr Mia Martin Hobbs and Dr Aleksander Potocnik. \n 1. Telling a Story: Word Choice\, Tone\, and Intent in Oral Histories \nThis talk by Hannah Viney considers how voice and tone can completely change the meaning of the words in an oral history interview\, in ways that often do not come across in written analysis. With reference to my own experience interviewing and presenting\, this paper asks how we can convey such an ephemeral concept as vocal tone in written formats. \nHannah Viney is a history consultant and museum professional who is passionate about making history accessible to a wide audience. Her recent research explores women’s anti-nuclear activism between 1945 and 1965 to both investigate women’s political history between WWII and the Women’s Liberation Movement and to understand more about women’s experiences of the Cold War in Australia. \n3. Little Stories Everywhere \nMia Hobbs writes\, ‘Each of my research projects have begun with a single story that hints at a bigger history\, waiting to be uncovered. In this talk I will explore how hearing these stories inspired my different research projects\, taking me to Vietnam and the US\, into the national security state\, and to uncover hidden soldiers’ stories here in Australia. While what I find in historical research always complicates and deepens our understanding of a topic\, the first story continues to resonate\, gaining layers of meaning as I uncover more about the bigger history.’ \nMia is an oral historian of war and conflict with research interests in memory\, trauma\, gender\, race\, and peace. Her PhD was an oral history with American and Australian Vietnam veterans who returned to Vietnam after the War\, and her current project explores the experiences of women and minority veterans from the US\, UK\, and Australian militaries in the War on Terror. She is presently a Deakin University Postdoctoral Research Fellow. \n  3. A remark made way back then … \nDr Alexander J. Potočnik writes\, ‘As a teenager\, I spent a night in a barn of a mountain farm at the Petrovo Brdo Pass [Slovenia]. A young man from the farm claimed that\, during the First World War\, German officer Erwin Rommel spent a week at this farm. The remark sparked my curiosity and three decades later I tried to find that young man in order to interview him for the book I was writing about Rommel and his role in the 12th Soča/Isonzo Battle\, better known as ‘The Battle of Caporetto’. \nAlexander J. Potočnik completed a degree in architecture at the University of Ljubljana in 1984 and in 1993 a Graduate Diploma course in Animation and Interactive Multimedia at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. Alexander has also worked as an illustrator. In 2006\, he became an Associate Partner of the Ad Pirum Institute\, a Slovenian organisation devoted to heritage protection and architectural conservation. His main field of research was Central European fortification heritage. In 2023\, he completed a doctorate in history at Monash University. \n  \nHousekeeping \nThis event will not be recorded however it is a hybrid event – both in person at the RHSV 239 A’Beckett St and via Zoom. The Zoom log-in details will be sent to ticket-holders 24 hours before the event. \nAs at most RHSV events\, refreshments will be served from 5:30pm – 6pm. \n This is a History Month event. The full History Month program can be seen here.
URL:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/a-word-in-time-emerging-historians-on-their-influences/
LOCATION:RHSV Gallery Downstairs\, 239 A'Beckett St\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:What's On
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