Royal Historical Society of Victoria

Soldier Settlement Schemes seminar via Zoom
2021-11-11 18:00 - 19:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
Soldier Settlement Schemes seminar via Zoom
A joint presentation with the Genealogical Society of Victoria and the RHSV.
We are delighted that Dr Charles Fahey has agreed to deliver this seminar on Soldier Settlement Schemes
The Soldier Settlement Schemes encompassed thousands of World War One returned soldiers who occupied farming land on conditional purchase leases across Victoria between 1919 and the 1960s. If you are researching family or Australian history this talk will help you understand the individual experience of a soldier settler, as well as the historical context of the Victorian Soldier Settlement Scheme. The talk will make special use of files from the parishes of Wagant and Kulwin to illustrate the information and stories to be found in vast archive left by the settlers.
Dr Charles Fahey joined Latrobe University in 1990 after briefly teaching history at the University of Tasmania in Launceston. He taught history at La Trobe University, in Bendigo, Melbourne and Shepparton until his retirement in 2018. His research explores Australian Labor, rural and mining history. He is the author of many Victorian rural histories and articles (a list of articles can be found here). Before becoming an academic, he was employed as a historian with the Victorian Government, where he worked on the conservation of historic sites on Crown land and the history of Victorian forestry. The unit Charles worked with was also responsible for transferring the vast archive of Solder Settler files to PROV.
This is a free Zoom presentation. Please register below and the Zoom log-in details will be sent to you 24 hours before the event.

(Photo courtesy of Public Record Office Victoria)

Out of the box: collectables & ephemera show & tell
2021-11-14 11:00 - 15:00 | Nagambie Golf Course, 12 Cemetery Lane, Ngambie, VIC, 3608, Australia
Out of the box: collectables & ephemera show & tell
Collectors, hoarders and memento keepers are encouraged to participate in this inaugural event by sharing stories about their displayed treasures. Filling fast please book by 31 October 2021. Everyone will be double vaxxed.
Grandfather’s pocket watch may have seen many adventures; tickets to theatre and stage shows prompt memories. We all have some things we treasure, tucked away.
Safe display space will be allocated for those with larger collections. Seating will be at your eventual lunch table, with room for smaller items.
Everyone will have a chance to tell their story or simply to enjoy those of others.
Some fascinating items have already been registered.
This fundraising day for the Society will build revenue towards renovation of interior plasterwork in the 1870s museum.
$30 includes lunch. Perpetual coffee and tea. The bar opens at lunchtime with drinks at bar prices.
The golf club offers full facilities, plenty of parking, and flat access.
For bookings and enquiries: Email: nagambiehistorical@outlook.com

NOVEMBER HISTORY FEST
2021-11-14 12:00 - 16:00 | Lancefield Mechanics Institute, High Street, Lancefield, VIC, 3435, Australia
Our first ‘HISTORY FEST’ will celebrate History Month. Enjoy talks and themed food: starting with Craig Sandy who will talk about Surveying through the ages.
A short break and burgers and bangers will be served before Peter Sanders talks about his Burke & Wills expedition paintings. We can also taste wines from the Burke & Wills Winery.
Finally, we will launch our new book, Discover Springfield by Brenda Sorragahn. A glass of champagne to celebrate her achievement!
For bookings, please visit https://www.trybooking.com/BTZKV
Sunday 14th November 2021
12pm – 4pm
Lancefield Mechanics Institute Annex
High St, Lancefield
For more information – https://www.romseylancefieldhistorical.org.au/upcoming-events/november-history-fest

TALKS ON CARLTON’S HISTORY
2021-11-16 19:30 - 20:30 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
Enjoy two illustrated presentations on aspects of the history of Carlton from the comfort of your own home. ZOOM PRESENTATIONS, TUESDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2021 AT 7.30pm

Old advertising signs in Carlton – Felice Rocca
Every picture tells a story: a garage in Carlton – Susan Crowe

To take part in these presentations you will need to register. Email Jeff at jeffann@bigpond.net.au and a link will be sent to you in the days before the presentation.

Needlework on the Diggings and Extravagance, Tradition and Power: Governor Latrobe's Uniform
2021-11-18 18:00 - 19:30 | Sovereign Hill Museums Association, 39 Magpie Street, Ballarat, VIC, Australia
Join Sovereign Hill Museums Association for a special Weston Bate Memorial Lecture on colonial fashion and needlework with researchers, Dr Lorinda Cramer and Megan Anderson

‘I find my sewing powers of great advantage here’: Needlework on the diggings
Guest speaker: Dr Lorinda Cramer
In 1856, Maggie Hoey wrote to her sister in Scotland: ‘I find my sewing powers of great advantage here’. By ‘here’, Maggie was referring to her new home on the Victorian goldfields. By her ‘sewing powers’, she meant her skills in needlework that ranged from making and mending clothing to furnishing her tent. This lecture will explore the ‘great advantage’ of women’s and men’s sewing on the diggings: how it made them comfortable by clothing and housing them, but how it also helped assert their place in the tumultuous gold-rush society. It will draw on diaries, letters and memoirs written on the diggings, on the illustrations and photographs that richly captured those experiences, and on the rare surviving examples of needlework now preserved in museum collections. It will show just how important sewing could be to transform daily life.
Dr Lorinda Cramer is a postdoctoral researcher at the Australian Catholic University, where she is currently working on the ARC Discovery project Men’s Dress in Twentieth-Century Australia: Masculinity, Fashion, Social Change. Her research into dress, fashion and textile history is underpinned by material culture and inspired by her work for more than a decade as a museum curator and collection manager. Her PhD, completed in 2015, explored the lives of Victoria’s female gold-rush migrants through their needlework: from the clothes they sewed for themselves and their families to the textile goods they made for their homes and the relentless demands of mending and darning.
This research was published by Bloomsbury in 2020 as Needlework and Women’s Identity in Colonial Australia and has recently been released in paperback.
Dr Cramer’s research will be presented alongside Sovereign Hill’s former Costume Production Assistant, Megan Anderson’s research on Lieutenant-Governor Charles LaTrobe.
Extravagance, Tradition and Power: Governor Latrobe’s Uniform
Guest speaker: Megan Anderson
Megan’s project will explore the significance, history, tradition and symbolism encompassed in the uniform of Lieutenant–Governor Charles La Trobe. Within the garment industry, tailoring is extensively revered as the highest standard of garment construction, with the highest quality achieved. Ceremonial uniforms, including that of Lieutenant-Governor, are from an even higher echelon – every element of this uniform was designed to impress, emphasise and enhance the wearer in both status and stature. As holder of the highest office in the new colony of Victoria, a distinguished uniform to solidify that position was absolutely necessary for La Trobe. The outcome of Megan’s research will include an impeccably tailored suit with accents of gold and silver.
This is a COVIDSafe event and will be held under the current government guidelines. Visitors 16 years of age and over must show their COVID-19 vaccination status as a condition of entry. This requirement will extend to visitors aged 12 and over once phase D of the roadmap is reached (indicatively 24 November).

BOOK TICKETS HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/weston-bate-memorial-lecture-tickets-168363695345

Peter Brown: Off the Beaten Track
2021-11-23 - 2021-12-04 | Bridget McDonnell Gallery, 130 Faraday St, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
Photographs 1972-2021. For historians this photographic collection includes images of the Western Districts taken over the last 50 years.
Photographer, Peter Brown, only ever uses a fixed lens and composes the image before he takes the shot. He doesn’t like cropping or excessive editing. From 1972 to 2000 he used a Nikkorrmat camera he bought in Singapore in 1972. He switched to a Nikon FM2 with a 55 mm lens. In 2015 he changed to a Nikon D600.
They are all stamped and numbered 1/10 on reverse. The photographer will print additional images as required. Maximum 10.
Peter Brown adopts the philosophy that his art is a ‘journey of discovery’ taking him to all corners of the world from the village of Syvota in the remote Greek Island of Lefkada, to Far North Queensland where he worked as a dentist in the early 1970s. Then, as a keen hiker, to the hiking trails of Tasmania, Victoria and NSW as shown in this exhibition. Peter’s free-hand photography investigates the way light can transform ordinary objects into works of art. His particular interest in black and white film allows these prints to capture the atmosphere and mood of so many beautiful landscapes.
The gallery is open Mon – Fri 11-5pm, Sat 12- – 5pm until the 4th December

Bridget McDonnell Gallery
130 Faraday St.
Carlton Vic 3053
Australia
Phone (613) 9347 1700
sales@bridgetmcdonnellgallery.com.au

Image caption: Woolshed, South Mokanger 1985

The Largest Garage in Melbourne: Jas A Munro
2021-11-23 18:00 - 19:00 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
The Largest Garage in Melbourne: Jas A Munro

The RHSV is delighted to welcome Ian Berg to deliver a talk based on his wonderful book, shortlisted for the Victorian Community History Awards in 2021.
Jas Munro, a Scottish immigrant, established a series of successful businesses in Melbourne during the early part of the twentieth century. He was captivated by the emerging horseless carriage and became an influential figure in the motor trade. And he operated his businesses at the Munro site, immediately next to the Queen Victoria Market. After more than a century, the Munro site was purchased and is being redeveloped by the City of Melbourne. The Munro archives survived and have enabled Ian Berg to now tell the story. Jas A Munro & Co: The Largest Garage in Melbourne is testament to the life of an enterprising man in early twentieth-century Australia. It is also about early Melbourne, the development of the motor business in Australia and the impact on business of a globally disruptive event – The Great War.
Ian will outline how, by chance, he came across the previously unseen archives and why he wrote the Munro story………
Jas A Munro & Co: The Largest Garage in Melbourne can be purchased from the RHSV bookshop here
This book has just received a glowing review in The Automobile, the UK bible for early motoring enthusiasts – click on the bookshop link above to read the review.

Digging in to Family History How & Where with Peter Beer
2021-11-23 18:45 - 21:00 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
Tuesday 23 November 2021 at 6.45pm for a 7pm start
Please book – the link for the session will be sent after booking
To book please call George Fernando – 0448296258 or email – enquires@chs.org.au
Peter Beer worked in the IT industry for over 30 years, with almost 20 years living in Hong Kong and China. He speaks Mandarin. He held senior technical management roles leading teams across Asia and was always fascinated about leveraging data to assist sales, problem and management processes.
Over the past few years, Peter has leveraged his IT and data analysis skills to uncover remarkable facts about his family history, exploring what can be found online and through ‘networking’ to complement existing family history facts and folklore. 250+ days of lockdown certainly provided a lot of additional opportunity!
This presentation will cover some of these discoveries, with a particular emphasis on ‘how’ this is relevant for attendees – highlighting the many sources and methods that Peter found vital to making major family history breakthroughs. It will also highlight why and where the history is relevant to attendees – for example covering various Melbourne architectural landmarks, including the Spires of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Comedy Theatre, and numerous houses in Camberwell and Boroondara in general.

GEHS Speaker Series – The story of the Yarra River in images 1850s to 2000s
2021-11-24 19:30 - 21:30 | Join via Zoom
During the COVID 19 period, Dr Judith Buckrich had been researching the history of the Yarra River toward the creation of a book and exhibition in late 2023. Paintings, drawings and photographs of the river are integral to her research and will be used specifically as part of a chapter on artists and writers, as well as to illustrate many of the other themes. This talk and slide show presents the work of some of the artists with discussion of their work and what it tells us about the river and our relationship to it.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86916914236?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 869 1691 4236
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Cataloguing Clinic via Zoom with Jillian Hiscock
2021-11-25 11:00 - 12:00 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
Cataloguing Clinic via Zoom with Jillian Hiscock
Jillian Hiscock, the RHSV Collections Manager, started these cataloguing clinics during the early days of COVID and they suit Zoom very well. The clinics run for an hour from 11am – 12noon on the 4th Thursday of each month. It is a relaxed gathering of people who are finding their way through the intricacies of cataloguing material in historical collections which, as we all know, fall between a library and a museum with sometimes a bit of art gallery thrown in. With our membership scattered across Australia please remember that this is Melbourne time – AEDT in summer and AEST in winter.
Jillian always prepares some material on some specific queries but questions are encouraged and, remember, a problem shared is a problem halved. The clinics are conversational in format rather than a seminar. If you are new to cataloguing or an old hand you will find plenty to interest you in these sessions. Jillian often has material which is emailed out to attendees after the clinic.
The last clinics for 2021 will be held (via Zoom) on:

Nov 25, 2021 11AM

Join Zoom Meeting (this is applicable to all 10 clinics during 2021)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86005954246?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 860 0595 4246
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Please remember to register otherwise we can’t send you material after the event.
And remember to keep an eye out for these clinics in 2022.

The Siege That Forged an Enduring Australian and Polish Friendship: The Rats of Tobruk
2021-11-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Online
At this very special event, hear how the friendships forged in a small, coastal town in northern Africa influenced Australia’s post-war migration and created lifelong bonds across cultures.

The Shrine of Remembrance, in partnership with the Institute of National Remembrance, Poland, presents a digital event on Saturday 27 November honouring the enduring legacy of the Australian and Polish Rats of Tobruk.
Join Dr Mark Johnston, Professor Marek Wierzbicki and Lucyna Artymiuk as they discuss the shared experiences of the Australians and Poles in Tobruk and the impact on Australia’s migration and connection to Poland.
Between April and November 1941, 14,000 Australians were besieged within the Libyan fortress of Tobruk by a powerful Italo-German army. Ordered to deny Tobruk to the enemy for eight weeks, the men held out for five months. Pro-Nazi propagandist and broadcaster Lord Haw Haw (William Joyce) described the defenders as ‘rats’—an insult which they adopted as a badge of honour.
Exhausted, the Australian troops were progressively withdrawn from Tobruk between August and November 1941. Other troops including the Carpathian Brigade, comprising soldiers who had escaped Poland after its conquest by the Nazis and Soviets in 1939, relieved them.
It was the Poles who finally ended the siege when they captured Acroma and linked up with the British 8th Army. In recognition of this feat, the Australians shared with the Poles their most venerated title. Henceforth, the Poles too would be ‘Rats of Tobruk’.
Between 1947 and 1948, Australian veterans of Tobruk helped sponsor the migration of 1,500 Polish soldiers to Australia when it became impossible for these men to return to their homeland, due to Soviet occupation.

This event will be live streamed on the Shrine’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

More on the Speakers:
Lucyna Artymiuk is a second generation Polish Australian, the daughter of a Polish airman who arrived on the third of five transports of Polish Immigrants after the Second World War. She Is currently a history PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne looking for the first time at Polish migrant soldier scheme to Australia in 1947–1948, which was a litmus test for the implementation of mass migration of non-British migrants from the displaced person camps of Western Europe to Australia during the post-war reconstruction era. Lucyna has been a prominent member of the Polish Australian community for the past 30 years and is currently the Acting President of the Polish Museum and Archives in Australia.
Recently she has authored her father’s biography From Poland to Where Ever in the World and in the process uncovered details of the post-war relationship between the Australian and Polish Rats of Tobruk that had not been documented or had been erased from the collective memory of the Polish and Australian veteran communities.
Dr Mark Johnston Mark is one of Australia’s leading authorities on the Second World War. He is the author of more than ten books, including The Magnificent 9th: An Illustrated History Of The 9th Division 1940–46 and An Australian Band of Brothers which concerns Don Company of the2/43rd Battalion. The battalion fought in Tobruk, El Alamein and New Guinea. Mark is the head of History, Politics and Philosophy at Melbourne’s Scotch College.
Professor Marek Wierzbicki is a Polish historian and political scientist, full professor, lecturer at the Catholic University of Lublin (Faculty of Social Sciences); since 2007, chief specialist (senior researcher) at the Institute of National Remembrance. His research interests include, inter alia, relations between the authorities and society in communist Poland, ethnic relations under the Soviet occupation of Poland and Eastern Europe(1939–1941), the history of Polish political emigration after 1945 including wartime- military and civilian – exiles, the social history of the 20th–21st centuries and the role and mentality of youth in both Eastern (communist) and Western (capitalist) Europe during the Cold War (1947–1991). One of his scholarly works is a biography of Zygmunt Szadkowski – one on the Polish Rats of Tobruk who became one of the leaders of the Polish political emigration after the Second World War.

Media Enquiries:
Interviews with the speakers available upon request

For more information
Anna Lensky
Pitch Projects
0425 766 780
anna@pitchprojects.com

Seymour Cottage and World Heritage Nomination with Professor Miles Lewis
2021-11-28 14:00 - 16:00 | Romsey Community Hub, 96 Main Street, Romsey, VIC, 3434, Australia
Presented as part of Romsey and Lancefield Districts Historical Society’s Talking History series, esteemed Melbourne architectural historian Professor Miles Lewis is coming to Romsey to discuss the 165 year old Seymour Cottage, timber portables imported into Australia between 1840 and 1880 and the current World Heritage Nomination.
He will be joined by World Heritage Taskforce members Andrew Muir and Tony Isaacson.
The Society was recently awarded a Living Heritage Grant to investigate restoration requirements for Seymour Cottage.
This is a special event for Romsey and the entire region not to be missed by anyone with an interest in architecture and history.

Sunday 28 November 2021 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

To Book – https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=803981&

A WALK WITH ROBYN ANNEAR
2021-11-30 10:00 - 12:00 | Royal Historical Society of Victoria, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
It is always exciting when Robyn Annear releases another of her captivating books into the wild and her latest book, which releases on the 30th of November, promises to be fabulous. Robyn has devised 7 historic walks around Melbourne and she will be leading a walking tour for RHSV members of one of those walks – around the Queen Victoria Markets and Flagstaff Gardens area.
The walk will be 90 minutes and finish with morning tea with Robyn. Because there is a limit of 15 for this walk we are limiting it to strictly just RHSV members. The walk will go ahead regardless of the weather so please be prepared for whatever Melbourne throws at us on the day. Wear comfortable shoes and carry some water. The starting point and ending point of the walk will be emailed to ticket-buyers.

Melbourne’s streets have always been marvellous—but the proud facades of the nineteenth-century boom aren’t the half of it.
What about the stories behind them?
The great corset scandal of Melbourne’s belle epoque;
The heritage-listed toilets out the back of the Rialto;
The exploits of the women who ran the brothels in Little Lonsdale Street;
The reason George Mallaby starred in Homicide wearing a hat two sizes too small.
This book contains a series of walks created by Robyn Annear to showcase the hidden histories we might scurry past every day, the buildings now gone and the extraordinary characters who inhabited them.
Charming, erudite and frankly gossipy, Annear’s highly entertaining guide to Melbourne past and present need not be experienced on the move. But whether you enjoy it from a tram stop or an armchair, Adrift in Melbourne will inspire you to unleash your inner flâneur on the lurking surprises of this great city.

The other good news is that Robyn will be doing a virtual walk for us in 2022 so, if you are not one of the lucky 15, you will be able to join Robyn at the RHSV when she takes you on an armchair ride through the streets and laneways of Melbourne. This event will be publicised in early 2022 so keep an eye out.

If you want to buy Adrift in Melbourne (great Christmas present for any Melburnian) click here.

Oral History Victoria Ideas and Skills Exchange
2021-11-30 17:30 - 18:30 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
Tuesday 30 November 2021, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Want to talk about your oral history project? Meet us online
Members and non-members are welcome to attend our next ‘Ideas and skills exchange‘ session which is being held online via Zoom on Tuesday 30 November 2021 from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
This is the latest – and last for the year – of our monthly informal gatherings for those who want to discuss their projects with other oral history practitioners and enthusiasts. It’s a relaxed atmosphere where all are welcome.
The event will be facilitated by our very experienced committee member and colleague Alistair Thomson, Professor of History, Monash University.
So prepare your favourite beverage, click the meeting link and meet us online!
How to join the meeting
Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84893624908?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 412 577 4422
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Please ensure your device has a dedicated microphone and webcam.

ONLINE OPEN DAY - GIPPSLAND
2021-12-06 10:00 - 16:30 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
ONLINE OPEN DAY – GIPPSLAND
The National Archives of Australia is coming to Gippsland, virtually – through a free, online open day for Gippsland residents. This event is presented with support from the Gippsland Association of Affiliated Historical Societies (GAAHS) and the Royal Historical Society of Victoria (RHSV).
Presented by staff from the National Archives’ Victoria State Office, the open day will feature seminars on key family history and local history resources available through the National Archives. Reference officers will also be available to answer questions you have about finding immigration and defence service records.
Four sessions will be presented online via Zoom:

10:00am – 11:30am Session 1. Finding Families in the National Archives
11:30am – 1:00pm Session 2. Q&A: immigration records
2pm – 3:30pm Session 3. Local History resources at the National Archives
3:30pm – 4:30pm Session 4. Q&A: Defence service records

You can attend all the sessions, or just those which interest you the most.
Register for each session below or for the full day – bookings are limited to the first 100 people per session. Please, as we have limited numbers for each session, only book for those that you know you will be able to attend as, otherwise, you are depriving someone else of a place.
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Session 1. Finding Families in the National Archives
Are you on the trail of an ancestor who served in the Australian military? Or migrated to Australia in the 1900s? Maybe there is someone lurking on a branch of your family tree who was a creative genius, a spendthrift or even a bit subversive? If so, then the National Archives of Australia may be able help!
The National Archives is a rich source of information for family historians. In this presentation, Darren Watson from the National Archives’ Victoria State Office will give an overview of key family history resources in their collection as well as tips and tricks for conducting your research.
Bookings required.
Session 2. Q&A: Immigration records
Are you having difficulties in finding the immigration records of a specific person? If so, why not join this interactive Q&A session with reference officers from the National Archives who will also provide some ‘tips and tricks’ to help you with your research.
Bookings required.
Session 3. Researching places: Heritage & Local History Resources at the National Archives
Did you know that the National Archives’ collection contains fascinating records relating to the history of local communities and historic sites? In this session, Patrick Ferry will provide an overview of key heritage and local history resources relating to Gippsland, including building plans, photographs, post office history files and lighthouse records.
Bookings required
Session 4. Q&A: Defence service records
Are you having difficulties in finding the defence service records records of a specific person? If so, why not join this interactive Q&A session with reference officers from the National Archives who will also provide some ‘tips and tricks’ to help you with your research.

Images used to promote event are courtesy of the National Archives of Australia. Traralgon Hospital 1957 A1200 L22818; Gabo Island lighthouse NAA A9568 6-4-6

2021-12-07 17:00 - 19:00 | Stella Maris Seafarers Centre, 600 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Dr Jackie Watts OAM Chair, Melbourne Maritime Heritage Network invites you to …
MMHN’s 2021 Pre-Christmas Gathering & Conversation
At Stella Maris Seafarers Centre
600 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
(between Spencer & King Streets)
On Tuesday, 7 December, 5-7 pm
With Guest Speaker
Angela Skandarajah
Chief Executive Officer, Development Victoria
Appointed CEO of Development Victoria in February 2019, Angela will share with us Development Victoria’s interest in all matters maritime. Angela joined Development Victoria in 2017 with over 25 years’ experience in the real estate sector and broad-based expertise in property development, urban renewal and infrastructure projects.
We are delighted to be supporting Stella Maris this year and their excellent work globally to assist seafarers. Come along – join the fun and meet fellow maritime stakeholders and enthusiasts.
Due to Covid-19, numbers are limited. Bookings are essential
RSVP by 1 December admin@mmhn.org.au
IN LINE WITH COVID-19 GUIDELINES, YOU WILL NEED TO BE DOUBLE VACCINATED.
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This will be a COVID-19 safe event in line with health and government authority guidelines. Please observe the following:

Complete a symptom self-assessment prior to leaving home. Do not come to the event if you are unwell, even with very mild symptoms
Maintain a 1.5 metre distance from others during the event, where possible
Do not come to the launch if you are required to isolate or quarantine for any reason and/or you are waiting for results of a COVID-19 test
Follow directions for face coverings and hygiene during the launch
Let the organiser know immediately if you become unwell during the launch
Link to the Australian Government’s COVID Safe App.

Discover Your Military Ancestors
2021-12-08 11:00 - 12:00 | Online
Discover the huge range of military records you can search online, and find out what your ancestors did during the wars of the 20th century.
Recommended for beginners.

Freak Out How a Musical Revolution Rocked the World in the Sixties
2021-12-08 18:30 - 19:30 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
Freak Out How a Musical Revolution Rocked the World in the Sixties
Freak Out is Australia’s coming-of-age story, of how we as a nation were dragged into global culture by the unstoppable momentum of rock and pop music. The sixties was an era of extraordinary change and earth-shattering events. The music scene responded with popular anthems that reverberated across the planet. What’s more, the gun was fired on a period of unprecedented musical innovation and creativity, the likes of which have never been repeated.
Music spoke to young people in their own shared language, urging them to view themselves as decidedly separate from mainstream society – even suggesting they might ‘drop out’ altogether. For a brief time, millions of young people across western culture actually believed they could successfully reinvent society. Liberation for pacifists, women, people of colour, homosexuals, students and the oppressed seemed to be just a short revolution away.
There was no room for complacency or apathy in the face of the Cold War, Vietnam War, and the constant threat of nuclear annihilation. Australians may have been spared the fear of bomb blasts, assassinations and kidnappings; however, the ructions abroad invaded our national psyche, and the music that was generated in that milieu infiltrated Australian culture and transformed society forever.
In this event the author, Tony Wellington, will be interviewed by Sean Sennett, music-writer and musician.
Tony Wellington has worked in a broad range of creative arts fields and even dabbled in politics as the Mayor of Noosa Shire.
Tony is the author of Happy?: Exposing the Cultural Myths about Happiness, plus a history book, Noosa and Cooloola, and is co-author (with John Shand) of Don’t Shoot the Best Boy! The Film Crew at Work. He has also produced several photographic books, the most recent being Wild About Noosa. Over the years, Tony has provided articles, op eds and photographs for many newspapers, magazines and books.
Tony graduated from Macquarie University in 1976 majoring in Media and Communications, receiving a university prize for his media studies. For many years he worked on a freelance basis in the feature film and television industry as a scriptwriter, first assistant director, editor and director. He also lectured in media studies and film craft.
Sean Sennett is a Brisbane based music writer and musician. As the owner of Time Off magazine for two decades, Sean interviewed over a thousand artists – from local and unsigned bands to the likes of David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Bruce Springsteen. He has written about music for The Age, Rolling Stone (here and overseas), the Australian, the SMH and Word. Sean now hosts the podcast Sony Music Presents Time To Talk. Sean has written and recorded music with Rob Hirst, Kate Ceberano, Steve Kilbey, Ross Wilson, Kasey Chambers and more.
Please note that this event originates in Brisbane which is on AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time) wheras Melbourne is on AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight time) so, for Melbourne audiences it starts at 7:30pm.
If you are an RHSV member attending this event and you want to buy a copy of Freak Out please contact Avid Reader, the bookshop hosting the event. However you can also buy Freak Out from the RHSV bookshop here: https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/product/freak-out-how-a-musical-revolution-rocked-the-world-in-the-sixties-by-tony-wellington/

The Melbourne Socialite & The Turkish Diplomat
2021-12-09 10:30 - 12:00 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
The Melbourne Socialite & The Turkish Diplomat
Presented in partnership with the National Archives of Australia and the Genealogical Society of Victoria
Presented by Patrick Ferry and Janan Greer
London, 1913: A wealthy young woman from a stately country home falls in love with and secretly marries a handsome young diplomat from the Turkish Embassy. It sounds like a plot line from the hit British period drama Downton Abbey … but it is the real-life story of Melbourne socialite Florence Winter-Irving. Florence’s story is told through records held by the National Archives of Australia, contemporary newspapers and treasured family memorabilia and traditions. Her story is set against the backdrop of patriarchal nationality laws which stripped women of their own nationality when they married ‘aliens’ – i.e., foreign men who were not British subjects.
Florence came from one of Victoria’s wealthiest squatter families. Their country seat, Noorilim, near Murchison, is regarded as one of the finest mansions ever built in Victoria.
When Florence met and married Turkish aristocrat and diplomat Chefik Bey Muftyzade it created a sensation in the Australian press, which even speculated that Florence was about to enter a ‘harem’.
Patrick Ferry is the State Manager, Victoria for the National Archives of Australia. He is a professional archivist, local historian and author. Patrick’s most recent book Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: Remembering the Pakenham District’s WW2 service personnel, 1939 – 1945, won the 2020 Victorian Community History Award for Best Local History Project.
Janan Greer is the great-granddaughter of Florence Winter-Irving. Janan works in marketing and communications and has a passion for family history and storytelling. She is the custodian of many family photographs, letters and documents relating to her paternal family lineage.

Photo courtesy of the National Archives of Australia

Uncovering the Past with Sands Directories
2022-02-16 11:00 - 12:00 | Online
Before the internet, postal directories provided information on Melbourne’s properties, residents, businesses and streets.
Sands & McDougall online directories have changed recently. Learn how to use the new interface to discover everything from where your ancestors lived to when your house was built.
We’ll give you the tips and skills to easily navigate and search the updated directories.
Some computer skills recommended.

The Power of the Wind: Past, Present and Future
2022-02-16 17:30 - 19:30 | Magnet Gallery, SC G19 Wharf Street, The District,, Docklands, VICTORIA, 3008, Australia
Organised by Melbourne Maritime Heritage Network
Maritime winds have been harvested since history was first written. This event, with four outstanding presenters, outlines the past, present and future use of wind for commerce and recreation.
The Past: Bruce M. Gooley, researcher and writer
The Present: Dr Christiaan De Beukelaer,
Snr Lecturer in Cultural Policy, Melbourne University and George Shaw – Melbourne-Osaka Cup
The Future: Erin Coldham, Chief Development Officer, Star of the South Off-Shore Wind Farm
When: 16 February, 2022 Time: 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Face-to-face:
Magnet Gallery, SC G19 Wharf Street, The District, Docklands
Free Tram Zone, Stop D11 (last stop). Tram Nos 86, 70 and 35 and
City Circle tram. Car parking available in Waterfront Way and Pearl River Road
Due to Covid-19, numbers are limited. Bookings are essential
RSVP by 11 February info@mmhn.org.au
This will be a COVID-19 safe event in line with health and government authority guidelines.
Via Zoom: Email MMHN if you wish to receive a Zoom invitation, info@mmhn.org.au

Cataloguing Clinics 2022
2022-02-24 11:00 - 12:00 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
Jillian Hiscock, the RHSV Collections Manager, started these free cataloguing clinics during the early days of COVID and they suit Zoom very well. The clinics run for an hour from 11am – 12noon on the 4th Thursday of each month. It is a relaxed gathering of people who are finding their way through the intricacies of cataloguing material in historical collections which, as we all know, fall between a library and a museum with sometimes a bit of art gallery thrown in. With our membership scattered across Australia please remember that this is Melbourne time – AEDT in summer and AEST in winter.
Jillian always prepares some material on some specific queries but questions are encouraged and, remember, a problem shared is a problem halved. The clinics are conversational in format rather than a seminar. If you are new to cataloguing, or an old hand, you will find plenty to interest you in these sessions. Jillian often has material which is emailed out to attendees after the clinic.
The clinics in 2022 will be held (via Zoom) on:

Feb 24, 2022 11:00 AM (topic: cataloguing multi-media)
Mar 24, 2022 11:00 AM
Apr 28, 2022 11:00 AM
May 26, 2022 11:00 AM
Jun 23, 2022 11:00 AM
Jul 28, 2022 11:00 AM
Aug 25, 2022 11:00 AM
Sep 22, 2022 11:00 AM
Oct 27, 2022 11:00 AM
Nov 24, 2022 11:00 AM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85662066892?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 856 6206 6892
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Although, we provide the Zoom details above, please do remember to register otherwise we cannot email you material after the event.

The history of voting in Victoria by Professor Marilyn Lake AO
2022-03-03 16:30 - 18:00 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
Professor Marilyn Lake AO, has graciously agreed to speak about the history of voting in Victoria, when women were able to vote, when voting became compulsory and the part League of Women Voters Victoria (LWVV) played.
The National Council of Women Victoria (NCWV) will also celebrate the 100th + 1 Anniversary of the Australian Federation of Women Voters (AFWV) and the 75th+2 anniversary of the League of Women Voters Victoria (LWVV).
The AFWV’s first president in 1921 was Bessie Rischbieth, a national and international leader in women’s rights activities during the last century. Her financial legacy is administered by the League of Women Voters Victoria today and it assists with the funding of the NCWV’s annual event, My Vote My Voice.
This is a COVID safe event, with distancing and sanitising included. Please notify NCWV of your attendance on info@ncwvic.org.au or interest in receiving the ZOOM LINK
This is a Women’s History Month event

Heritage Excursion - Eltham Cemetery
2022-03-05 14:00 - 15:30 | Eltham Cemetery, Metery Road, Eltham, VIC, 3095, Australia
Stories connect us to our local heritage. March is Women’s History Month. During our first excursion of the year, we will recognise the contributions of some local women to our community. Nestled on high ground, once overlooking the village of Eltham we will tour the Eltham Cemetery and share stories of women now interred in these grounds. From pioneer women to the first woman in Eltham to attend University. From the silent film actress to the community spirited politician. From the post mistress to the World War One nurse.
This free excursion is open to the general public as well as members and friends of the Society. Dogs are not permitted. Enter the car park from Metery Road, Eltham, follow signs for parking
and note this walk is on uneven ground in places. Please meet at the rotunda near the lake, for 2.00 pm start on Saturday 5 March 2022, 2.00pm – 3.30pm. Bookings are not necessary and
any COVID requirements will be in place.
The Eltham District Historical Society appreciates the support we receive from the Eltham Cemetery Trust, including being able to undertake our heritage excursions within the well
maintained, attractive grounds of their cemetery.

Launch of Andrew Lemon's historical novel, The Pebbled Beach at Pentecost
2022-03-06 14:00 - 15:30 | Edendale Farm, 30 Gastons Road, Eltham, VIC, 3095, Australia
Andrew Lemon AM has published widely in Australian history, winning literary and historical awards and commendations. He is best known known for his epic three volume ‘The History of Australian Thoroughbred Racing’. His co-authored ‘Poor Souls, They Perished’ won the Fellowship of Australian Writers’ Wilke Award, and ‘The Master Gardener’ was long-listed for the 2018 Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award. In 2012 he was a John Daniels Research Fellow at the National Sporting Library and Museum at Middleburg, Virginia USA. A past president of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, Andrew holds the degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor of Letters from the University of Melbourne. This is his first novel.
Vernon Lee Walker, a young Englishman from industrial Wolverhampton, meets his death on a beach on Pentecost Island in the South Pacific on the eve of Christmas 1887.
Why did Vernon die, in what circumstances, and who was responsible? Was he, as once branded, simply a ‘bad colonist’? Or was he a candide, an innocent abroad, mixing invisibly with the rich and famous, manipulated by a calculating brother, unable to change the world around him?
An historian finds Vernon’s letters home to England, spanning a dozen years. With decreasing frequency, these follow his trajectory, first in Melbourne and Sydney, then as he yields to the spell of the Pacific. But what happens between the lines? Does he fall in love with his brother’s wife? What does a boy not tell his mother?
The novelist steps in. This is a unique fusion of authentic history and informed invention – a tragic story of colonialism in Australia and the Pacific, told with compassion, humour and a deep understanding of time and place.
‘Original, authentic, beautifully written, a page turner. One of the best books we’ve read in ages. A prize winner – quite different, a standout performance.’ – Vicki Steggall, writer, historian, author of The Goannas of No.1 Martin Place
‘A rich, generous book and its scholarly underpinning is impressive.’ – Dr Brenda Niall AO, FAHA, Australian biographer, literary critic and journalist

Venue: Edendale Farm, 30 Gastons Road, Eltham (There is ample free car parking).
Proof of double vaccination for everyone over 18 is required before entry to Edendale Farm.
Time: SUNDAY 6 MARCH 2.00pm until 3.30pm
Entry: $35 PER PERSON (or $40 for couples)
Price includes one signed copy of the book or a $30 book voucher for Eltham Bookshop redeemable any time (stall available at the event) and light refreshments.
If you are not attending this event and would like to buy a copy of Andrew’s book, the RHSV bookshop have stock
The Pebbled Beach at Pentecost: A novel by Andrew Lemon

PREPAID BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL: ELTHAM bookshop 970 Main Road Eltham.
Book here: https://elthambookshop.com.au/p/kalynn-bayron-event?barcode=CIR1644019360&selected_category=98463
Tel: (03) 9439 8700. Email books@elthambookshop.com.au

The Plight of St Kilda’s 19th Century Servants
2022-03-06 16:00 - 18:00 | St Kilda Army & Navy Club, 88 Acland Street, St Kilda, Victoria, 3182, Australia
In this fascinating and insightful presentation – St Kilda Historical Society’s first public event of 2022 – Carmel McKenzie will examine the living conditions and power dynamics of servants in nineteenth century St Kilda, drawing on numerous case studies gleaned from primary sources. The research forms part of her soon to be published book: St Kilda 1841-1900: Movers and Shakers and Money-makers.
Reflecting its wealth, St Kilda boasted the highest number of resident servants of any Melbourne suburb for much of the nineteenth century. Most were indentured under contracts that bound them to their employer for several years and those who left before completing their term committed a crime and risked forfeiting their wages. Female servants were expected to remain childless, a stricture that led to the highest rate of infanticide in St Kilda outside of central Melbourne.
Kindly note: We will be maintaining the mask requirement for this event.
Cost $10 – Booking Essential. Limited places.
Bookings: Plights of St Kilda’s 19th Century servants – public Tickets, St Kilda Army and Navy Club, St Kilda | TryBooking Australia

ADRIFT IN AN ARMCHAIR WITH ROBYN ANNEAR
2022-03-09 17:30 - 19:00 | RHSV, Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Melbourne’s streets have always been marvellous—but the proud facades of the nineteenth-century boom aren’t the half of it.
What about the stories behind them?
The great corset scandal of Melbourne’s belle epoque;
The heritage-listed toilets out the back of the Rialto;
The exploits of the women who ran the brothels in Little Lonsdale Street;
The reason George Mallaby starred in Homicide wearing a hat two sizes too small.
Robyn Annear has devised 7 historic walks around Melbourne and, in this event, she will be taking us on one of those 7 walks, albeit whilst we are seated comfortably at the RHSV with a glass of wine in hand. The walks showcase the hidden histories we might scurry past every day, the buildings now gone and the extraordinary characters who inhabited them. Robyn, as always, will be charming, erudite and frankly gossipy.

All seven walks appear in Robyn’s latest book, Adrift in Melbourne, her highly entertaining guide to Melbourne past and present. Whether you enjoy it on the hoof or from an armchair, Adrift in Melbourne will inspire you to unleash your inner flâneur to uncover the historical surprises of this great city.

If you want to buy Adrift in Melbourne (great present for any Melburnian) click here.
As with all RHSV events held on-site, we will serve drinks from 5:30pm until 6pm when Robyn’s talk will begin.
In 2022 we will be attempting to offer both on-site events and Zoom access too. The talk will be available as a download after the event for the same $10 cost as a ticket.
This is an RHSV Women’s History Month event

Kew Historical Society annual McIntyre Lecture
2022-03-09 19:30 - 22:00 | Just Theatre, Kew Court House, 188 High Street, Kew, VIC, 3101, Australia
The Society’s annual McIntyre Lecture is planned for the 9th March and will be held in the Just Theatre at the Kew Courthouse, 188 High Street, Kew. We will be serving refreshments from 7.30pm with the Lecture commencing at 8pm. The Lecture will also be available via Zoom meetings.
Katherine Sheedy from Way Back When Consulting Historians will be speaking about the 70 year history of the Kew Elder Citizens Association.
Please see the below for booking details for both the in-person Lecture and on Zoom.
Both links are safe to click on, the ‘tinyurl’ link will take you directly to the Boroondara Arts ticket booking page.
It is advisable to book tickets in advance, but there may be some available at the box office on the night. If booking a Zoom link, payment must be received into the Society’s Bendigo Bank account 633-000 171300288 by 8th March. Following receipt of payment, the Zoom link will be forwarded.
We look forward to welcoming you to this Lecture which will focus on the history of the community organization set up to support Kew’s senior citizens and its subsequent activities.
TICKETS
In person lecture, with refreshments $20
Boroondara Arts – 9278 4770 or
tinyurl.com/2p964dub
Virtual lecture via Zoom Meetings $10
Contact KHS Secretary –
secretary@kewhistoricalsociety.org.au

Unprotected: Aboriginal, Convict and Poor women in Colonial Victoria: or how everything bad was made worse by being female
2022-03-10 17:30 - 19:00 | RHSV, Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Protection of body and soul in colonial Victoria came in many forms. At the most fundamental level it meant an entitlement, usually by birth or marriage, to an income that sustained you and your children; to a moral status as a woman of virtue that made sexual assault or abuse an egregious version of a crime; to the presence in your household of a capable male to embody that protection. The law provided some protection, but in fact remarkably little against assault, battery and rape if those offences were perpetrated by your husband and did not protect your rights of access to your children after divorce or access to your own wealth after marriage. A woman without a reliable, effective and respectable male protector as breadwinner—a father, a husband or a blood relative—would die younger; lose more of her children; have smaller babies at birth; suffer more infertility; risk or suffer destitution; be afflicted by addiction; commit suicide or be murdered than women who enjoyed respectable male protection. There was a hierarchy of entitlement to safety, with convicted women on the second bottom rung along with non-British women such as Chinese, while at the bottom, utterly vulnerable were Aboriginal women and girls. These were the penalties of gender rather than the wages of sin.
We are honoured that Professor Janet McCalman has accepted our invitation to deliver the third RHSV Women’s History Month Lecture in 2022.

Emeritus Redmond Barry Professor Janet McCalman AC has made a significant contribution to Australian history, especially medical history, historical population health, social health and demography.
She commenced teaching at the University of Melbourne in 1998, in the cross-faculty Centre for the Study of Health & Society. She has taught in both the Arts Faculty and the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, specialising since 2008 in the teaching of interdisciplinary breadth subjects.
Since that time she has also pioneered the building of historical life course datasets for demographic and health analysis. She is the author of three multi-award winning books: Struggletown (1984, 1998 and 2021), Journeying (1993), Sex and Suffering (1998). In 2020 she co-edited with Emma Dawson What Happens Next? Reconstructing Australia after COVID 19 and in 2021 Vandemonians: the repressed history of colonial Victoria. All her books have been published by Melbourne University Press. She retired at the end of 2020.
In 1993 McCalman was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia in 2005. She is a former member of the Australian Historical Association Advisory Committee to the National Archives of Australia and the Editorial Board of the Australian Dictionary of Biography.

As at most RHSV events, drinks will be served from 5:30pm and the lecture will run from 6pm to 7pm including Q&A. The Zoom lecture will commence at 6pm.
The RHSV offers ticket buyers to this event a $10 discount on buying Janet McCalman’s Vandemonians or Struggletown both of which can be found in our bookshop. A voucher code will be sent to you on booking and you apply this voucher code when checking out of the bookshop on line.
Dr Judith Smart will chair this lecture.
This is a Women’s History Month Lecture

MILESTONES IN ABORIGINAL WOMEN’S ACTIVISM, MELBOURNE 1930-1970
2022-03-16 17:30 - 19:00 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
This, our inaugural Indigenous History lecture, is a stellar addition to our annual program of Distinguished Lecturers. The lecture has been generously sponsored so we can make it free-of-charge and as accessible as possible. Welcome to Country will be performed by respected Elder, Aunty Zeta Thomson. Our President, Richard Broome, will chair this event.
We are thrilled that Dr Julie Andrews has agreed to be deliver the inaugural Indigenous History lecture. Julie is descended from the Woiwurrung people of Melbourne and the Yorta Yorta tribe near the borders of Victoria and NSW along the Murray River. She is a member of the Dhulanyagan family clan of the Ulupna people.
Julie is committed to empowering young Aboriginal people through education and mentoring. She is involved in community development and is an anthropologist with a long connection as a scholar in Aboriginal Studies at Latrobe University. She is Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Studies and Indigenous Strategy Committee for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University.

​For over thirty years Julie has been instrumental in developing Aboriginal higher education at La Trobe University’s Bundoora and regional campuses across Victoria. Among her many roles, Julie lectures and researches on Aboriginal community, cultural knowledge, families, identity and self- determination. She is a working party member for the Indigenous Australian Dictionary of Biography project and is a Melbourne Museum Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Advisory Council Member, and is involved in the Aurora Education Foundation Internship Program, and has been involved in the North Balwyn Rotary Indigenous higher education scholarships as a mentor.

Julie is also a trustee of the Opening the Doors Foundation which supports the extra costs associated with schooling for Aboriginal students around Victoria. These costs not otherwise funded from government or other educational funding sources, such as school uniforms, books, school camps and other school associated costs. The Foundation is Aboriginal led and listens to the diverse needs of Victorian Aboriginal families. To learn more or donate click here.

You can choose to attend this lecture in person or via Zoom. If you join us at the RHSV, drinks are served from 5:30pm and the lecture will commence at 6pm. For those joining us via Zoom, the event will commence at 6pm.
As soon as you book, whether to attend in person or via Zoom, you will be sent an e-ticket confirming your booking. Please check your Junk Mail in-box as sometimes these emails fall foul of your ISP’s spam filters. Zoom log-in details will be sent to Zoom participants 24 hours before the event. Once again, please check your Junk Mail in-box.
This is a Women’s History Month event
