McIntyre Lecture delivered by Emeritus Professor Richard Broome AM on ‘The Power of Place – Melbourne’s Lanes’
2025-03-12 19:30 - 21:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Just Theatre, Kew Court House, 188 High Street, Kew, VIC, 3101, Australia
Join Kew Historical Society to hear Professor Richard Broome AM, FAHA, FRHSV discuss The Power of Place. The Story of Melbourne Lanes, the making of Melbourne’s lanes and books about the lanes.
Melbourne’s laneways have always been dynamic and great survivors, adding to the importance of the strong belief, in this age of waste, demolition and rebuilding, that preserving the characteristics of a city’s evolution is an essential part of remaining unique and refreshingly different from other cities.
Robin Boyd wrote in Victorian Modern in 1947 that, ‘The little lanes were the honest streets of Melbourne’.
About Professor Richard Broome
Professor Broome taught Australian and Indigenous History at La Trobe University for over three decades.
He is currently President of the RHSV and co-editor of the Victorian Historical Journal and was a former co-editor of Australian Historical Studies.
He is the author of 20 books. His latest co-authored book with the RHSV is The Story of Melbourne’s Lanes – Essential but Unplanned (2024). Copies of this book will be available to purchase for $50 and all proceeds will go to the RHSV. Cash is preferred.
Refreshments will be served.
We welcome your attendance at the Just Theatre, Kew Court House, 188 High Street, Kew, 7.30pm for 8pm. Tickets are priced at $20 and can be purchased at the door, by phone to 9278 4770 or via this link:
https://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/events/mcintyre-lecture-2025-power-place-story-melbourne-lanes
Refreshments will be served before and after the Lecture. This annual event is always a wonderful occasion and we are delighted that a speaker of Richard’s calibre and experience is available to present it this year.

THE WWI BATTLEFIELDS OF VERDUN
2025-03-16 14:00 - 16:00 | Ellis Cottage, 10 Nillumbik Square, Diamond Creek, VIC, 3089, Australia
Nillumbik Historical Society invites you to a presentation and talk, The WWI Battlefields of Verdun, by Terry Phillips at 2pm Sunday 16 March
Terry has visited the battlefields of France and Belgium for many years. He is a military history expert
who regularly gives talks and presentations to community groups and schools.
The presentation will be followed by a light afternoon tea
Tickets: $10pp
Venue: Ellis Cottage, Ellis Cottage Reserve, off Main Hurstbridge Road, Diamond Creek

RSVP: 14 March 2025
nillumbikhs.sec@gmail.com
Payment in advance to (Bendigo Bank 633-000 – 122948409 Nillumbik Historical Society) or in cash on the day
Photo caption: The former battlefield of Verdun still bears the scars of the terrible fighting that took place there in 1916

Feminists to felons: exhibiting women’s history
2025-03-18 17:30 - 19:00 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
Each year, to celebrate Women’s History Month, the RHSV offers our Women’s History lecture, part of our Distinguished Lecture series.
Museums 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?
Margaret 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.
Margaret 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’.

House-keeping
The 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).
As will all RHSV lectures, we will serve refreshments from 5:30pm until 6pm when the lecture will commence.

The World of Mab Grimwade
2025-03-18 18:30 | Prahran Mechanics Institute, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
Born into a genteel family of pastoralists and investors in colonial Victoria, Mabel Louise Kelly (1887–1973), or ‘Mab’ to those who knew her, would grow up to make an enormous contribution to Victoria and Australia. Most evidently, it was made through bequests to the University of Melbourne and through the donation to the university of a large, diverse and highly valuable collection of books and artworks. Mab Kelly married Russell Grimwade—chemist, botanist, industrialist and philanthropist—in 1909, and much of her life from that point was publicly defined by her husband’s narrative. While Russell Grimwade left a large private collection including autobiographical papers, letters, and miscellanea that could be accessed by his biographer, Mab preserved very little in the way of personal papers. How do we recover the lives of women who left little documentation? How do we piece together their stories and cultural impact? Using Mab Grimwade as a case study, this talk addresses some of the methodological problems faced by historians writing biographies of women.

The Power of Place: The Story of Melbourne's Lanes' - Richard Broome Talk at Malvern Historical Society
2025-03-19 19:30 - 20:30 | Malvern Town Hall, Corner High Street and Glenferrie Road Malvern, Melbourne, 3144, Australia
Join members of the Malvern Historical Society Committee for a lecture by author Professor Richard Broome at the Malvern Town Hall on Wednesday 19 March 2025 at 7:30pm.
Professor Richard Broome, AM FAHA FRHSV, will present a lecture on ‘The Power of Place. The Story of Melbourne Lanes’. He will discuss the making of Melbourne’s Lanes and books about the Lanes. Professor Richard Broome is an Emeritus Professor in History at La Trobe University and President of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.
Copies of Richard Broome’s Book The Story of Melbourne’s Lanes will be available for purchase, $50 on the night. All proceeds go towards the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. Cash sales onl.
Bookings are essential for seating allocation.
RSVP by Friday 14th March
Phone: Jonathan – 0420 986 884
Email: malvernhistorical@yahoo.com

Louise Lovely's Labassa
2025-03-21 18:00 - 21:30 | Labassa, 2 Manor Grove, Caulfield North, Victoria, 3161, Australia
Session 1: 6pm – 7.30pm
Session 2: 8pm – 9.30pm
Film pioneer Louise Lovely was Australia’s most successful actress in Hollywood’s early silent era and Labassa’s most celebrated resident of the 1930s. Delve into Miss Lovely’s extraordinary life story as a star of stage and screen and learn what her splash of glamour brought to Labassa and its community.
Beginning with light refreshments in Labassa’s opulent Drawing Room, guests will then attend a talk on the world of Louise Lovely and her cinematic achievements. A guided tour will take guests back to the 1930s, highlighting how the property appeared at that time.
Guests are invited to add to the ambience of the evening by dressing in 1930s style. Please note stiletto heels are not permitted to be worn inside Labassa.
Labassa mansion is a National Trust Property recognised for its opulent 19th-century interiors. Built between 1863 and 1890, the Mansion is in the French Renaissance style. The Mansion was converted into flats in 1920 and augmented in 1936 by the building of a block of Art Deco flats to the east.
Important Information:

Ticket includes: Refreshments, talk and guided tour.
Refreshments: Please advise any dietary requirements no later than 4pm Wednesday 19th March 2025 to bookings@nattrust.com.au.
Limited Capacity: 50 guests per session. Bookings essential. No refunds are possible after 4pm Thursday 20th March 2025.
Accessibility: Disability access is available by prior arrangement. Access to the first floor is by stairs only.
Parking: No parking available on Manor Grove.
Stilettos are not permitted to be worn inside of Labassa mansion.

Cost: $42.28 – $47.44

The Yallourn Briquette Works, 1925-1971: The Making & Marketing of Bernie's Heat Nuggets with Matthew Churchward
2025-03-25 17:30 - 19:00 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
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.
Complementing 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.
Our 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.

CATALOGUING CLINICS 2025
2025-03-27 11:00 - 12:00 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
Join Jillian Hiscock, the RHSV Collections Manager, each month in this informative and easy-going Zoom forum on all aspects of cataloguing collections for historical societies.
Jillian has a different topic each month and is happy to be guided by those who attend as to what they would like covered in upcoming clinics. Bring your questions (no matter the topic) – this is an interactive space where questions are encouraged. The RHSV does not endorse any particular cataloguing software – we believe it is horses for courses – and Jillian will talk about issues that impact on cataloguing whether you are using cataloguing cards or software.
The one-hour clinics are free and the Zoom log-in below is used every month in 2025, however, we do ask you to register each month as this enables Jillian to send you extra material / links etc after each session.
11am (AEDT) Thu 27 Mar 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 24 Apr 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 29 May 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 26 Jun 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 31 Jul 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 28 Aug 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 25 Sep 2025
11am (AEDT) Thu 30 Oct 2025
11am (AEDT) Thu 27 Nov 2025
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZ0pcOiuqjItH9JWUaZk1ZrdaP1uA9d1Yqc1/ics?icsToken=DESnOhi_USXAWOo5GQAALAAAAOsufSxu9e_o1VvEoUWUiVuOT3wUceY4gYwdUjlaNrGDW1VrT1KjyEhE0aD9QHm4eoEg_M9GmHYiFwIZujAwMDAwMQ&meetingMasterEventId=3FhVroEqTuiqU-ygov-0vg
Join Zoom Meeting
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The History of Georges of Collins Street
2025-04-03 19:30 - 21:30 | Phyllis Hore Room, Kew Library, Civic Drive, Kew, Victoria, 3101, Australia
Please join us on Thursday April 3rd for our next meeting and talk on GEORGES of Collins Street.
Our speaker Justin Maclean will be discussing the store history, and the merchandise they sold.
All welcome. Please register your interest in attending via email at antiquecollectorsclubvic@gmail.com or meet us at the Kew Library on meeting night.
Non-members/casual entry: $10

PMI Library Book Sale: April 2025
2025-04-05 10:30 - 15:30 | Prahran Mechanics Institute, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
After our success last year, we again have market stalls joining us for our bi-annual big book sale! We have 10+ stalls joining us, so you know it will be lively. Stall owners have jewellery, knitted toys, scrapbooking materials, soaps and more to offer you. Make sure to stop by and pick up a treasure or two.

Curator's talk: Yarra Birrarung Artists, Writers and the River exhibition
2025-04-15 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-06-10 11:00 - 12:00 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
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.
The 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.
Despite 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.
Judith 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.
Dr 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.
Judith 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.
Housekeeping
This free event is in person only (no Zoom). Morning tea is served before the event.

You 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.

AGL Shaw Lecture: La Trobe, Redcoats and the Mounted Police
2025-04-15 17:30 - 19:30 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
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.
Lonsdale, 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.
A Mounted Police detachment, although made up of soldiers on attachment from their regiments, did come under control of the Police Magistrate.
This 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.

Presented by Dr Andrew Kilsby.
Andrew 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’.

About AGL Shaw lectures
Alan 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.

House-keeping
You 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.
As 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.

How to Record a Painful History
2025-04-15 18:30 | Prahran Mechanics Institute, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
Join us for a not-to-be-missed discussion on recording and sharing the truths of a colonial past. Aunty Fay Stewart-Muir and Marguerita Stephens will share their experience of collaborating across cultures to create their ground-breaking work “Years of Terror: Banbu-deen: Kulin & Colonists at Port Phillip 1835-1851.”
Why did Billibellary and other Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung clansmen and women parley with Batman on the banks of the Merri Creek in June 1835?  And what befell the clans in the decade and a half that followed that fateful encounter with Britain’s Empire? Based primarily on the daily journal of Assistant Protector William Thomas, this work meticulously documents the lives, and deaths, of those who struggled to hold their Country.

CATALOGUING CLINICS 2025
2025-04-24 11:00 - 12:00 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
Join Jillian Hiscock, the RHSV Collections Manager, each month in this informative and easy-going Zoom forum on all aspects of cataloguing collections for historical societies.
Jillian has a different topic each month and is happy to be guided by those who attend as to what they would like covered in upcoming clinics. Bring your questions (no matter the topic) – this is an interactive space where questions are encouraged. The RHSV does not endorse any particular cataloguing software – we believe it is horses for courses – and Jillian will talk about issues that impact on cataloguing whether you are using cataloguing cards or software.
The one-hour clinics are free and the Zoom log-in below is used every month in 2025, however, we do ask you to register each month as this enables Jillian to send you extra material / links etc after each session.
11am (AEST) Thu 24 Apr 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 29 May 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 26 Jun 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 31 Jul 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 28 Aug 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 25 Sep 2025
11am (AEDT) Thu 30 Oct 2025
11am (AEDT) Thu 27 Nov 2025
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZ0pcOiuqjItH9JWUaZk1ZrdaP1uA9d1Yqc1/ics?icsToken=DESnOhi_USXAWOo5GQAALAAAAOsufSxu9e_o1VvEoUWUiVuOT3wUceY4gYwdUjlaNrGDW1VrT1KjyEhE0aD9QHm4eoEg_M9GmHYiFwIZujAwMDAwMQ&meetingMasterEventId=3FhVroEqTuiqU-ygov-0vg
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89471649756?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 894 7164 9756
Passcode: [REDACTED]
If joining by phone:
One tap mobile
+61871501149,,89471649756#,,,,*[REDACTED]# Australia
+61280156011,,89471649756#,,,,*[REDACTED]# Australia
—
Dial by your location
• +61 8 7150 1149 Australia
• +61 2 8015 6011 Australia
• +61 3 7018 2005 Australia
• +61 7 3185 3730 Australia
• +61 8 6119 3900 Australia
Meeting ID: 894 7164 9756
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdoUG5MWlO

Launch of restored 1890s map of the Shire of Karkarooc by Hopetoun and District Historical Society
2025-04-27 14:00 - 16:00 | Old Limestone School, Austin St, Hopetoun, Victoria, 3396, Australia
Join the Hopetoun and District Historical Society for their launch of a restored 1890s map of the Shire and Schools of Karakarooc on Sunday 13 April 2025.
Hopetoun is located 384km north-west of Melbourne via the Calder Highway (about 4.5 hours drive). For those not local to Hopetoun, this event is a great opportunity to make a weekend of it and explore the many historical delights the Wimmera has to offer, such as the Murtoa Stick Shed which is really worth the drive.
When: Sunday 13 April 2025
Where: Old Limestone School, Austin St, Hopetoun

Housing, Heritage, Density: Vibrant neighbourhoods or Hong Kong without the view?
2025-04-29 17:30 - 19:30 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
Join us at this timely seminar presented by the RHSV’s Heritage Committee.
In 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?
Speakers:
Chaired by Charles Sowerwine, RHSV Heritage Committee.
Christina 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.”
Michael Buxton, Emeritus Professor Environment and Planning RMIT University; Member Charter 29: “The Statewide Impact of Proposed Changes and Alternative Proposals”
James Lesh, Founding Director, Heritage Workshop: “Protecting Local Heritage: A Historian’s Perspective”
Mike Scott, Senior Town Planner; Member Charter 29: “Integrating Heritage into Planning: A Better Way”

Housekeeping:
Please be aware that this event is in-person only.
As with most RHSV events we serve refreshments from 5:30pm – 6pm when the seminar will commence
On 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.

Chapel Street Walk: Around Prahran's Iconic Buildings
2025-04-30 14:00 - 15:30 | Prahran Mechanics Institute, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
Meet at the PMI Victorian History Library then step into a charming adventure. Discover the tales of yesteryear’s department stores on Chapel Street, Prahran. An all-inclusive experience, perfect for everyone – families, individuals, and even your beloved pets!

Malvern Walk: Explore Stonnington's Rich History
2025-05-14 10:30 - 12:00 | Malvern Town Hall, Corner High Street and Glenferrie Road Malvern, Melbourne, 3144, Australia
Starting at the iconic clock tower of the Malvern Town Hall, you’ll embark on a captivating journey through the heart of Malvern. As you stroll through the streets, you’ll uncover fascinating stories behind the Town Hall, the nearby Police Station, and the former Court House. Marvel at St George’s Anglican Parish, explore Stonnington’s only bluestone house, and take in the beauty of Malvern Square and its sculptures.
But that’s just the beginning! You’ll also visit landmarks like the former Malvern Fire Station, De La Salle College, and the historic Malvern Tram Depot. Each stop reveals a piece of our rich heritage, culminating at the former ES&A Bank.

Labassa Open Day
2025-05-18 10:30 - 16:00 | Labassa, 2 Manor Grove, Caulfield North, Victoria, 3161, Australia
Although more than 700 people have lived at Labassa, it has miraculously survived with most of its opulent Victorian era decoration intact. Come and experience the complex richness of Labassa’s architectural and human history. Young visitors will have fun tracking down all those non-human “critters” who still live at the mansion.
Guided house tours and tower tours operate through out the day, and the tea room is open 10.30am to 3.30pm.
Join us for a guided tour or opt for a self-guided tour.
Guided Tour Times:

11am: Interior House Tour
12pm: ‘Who’s been living in this house?’ Tour (Note: this tour goes upstairs)
1pm: Exterior tour
2pm: Interior House Tour
3pm: Interior House Tour

Tower tours:

10:45am, 11.45am, 12.45pm, 1.45pm, 2.45pm & 3.45pm

The tower will be open with a limit of 12 people per tour group. Due to the tower’s narrow, steep steps visitors are advised to wear sensible shoes.
Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your intended guided tour time. Capacity will be monitored on the day.
Cost: $0 – $50
Labassa 2 Manor Grove, Caulfield North
Sunday 18th May 2025 – 10.30am – 4pm

Friends of La Trobe's Cottage Reception
2025-05-19 17:30 - 19:00 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
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.
Date: Monday 19 May 2025
Time: 5.30 – 7.00 pm
Venue: Royal Historical Society of Victoria, Cnr William and A’Beckett Streets, Melbourne
The ‘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.
Collette 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.
Collette 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.
Bookings
Online: https://www.eventbookings.com/b/event/friends-of-la-trobe-s-cottage-reception
For those unable to book online:
EFT 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
Or 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.
For information, phone 0412 517061.

The rise of public health engineering in Victoria 1925-1940
2025-05-20 17:30 - 19:00 | Vic
The rise of public health engineering in Victoria 1925-1940:
The Sewerage Districts’ Acts 1915, 1925 and 1928, and the consulting engineers who rose to the occasion
A century ago, the final 1914 report of the 1898 UK Royal Commission on Sewage Disposal provided an improved scientific knowledge of sewage treatment and an increased awareness of public health. This led to a greater desire to correctly treat sewage, rather than the previously recommended processes of ‘disposing’ of it by spreading it onto land or piping it into the sea.

Sewerage is a necessary consequence of water supply. Victorian towns had previously been given the powers to raise funds to develop reticulated water supply systems, but without the corresponding authority to develop reticulated sewerage schemes, public health was placed at risk. The Sewerage District’s Act 1915 was meant to enable this, but the dark shadows of the First World War and the post-war influenza pandemic slowed progress.

Furthermore, the young Commonwealth of Australia did not yet have a Department of Health to provide a national focus for Public Health, and there were few engineers in Victoria, and indeed across Australia, who were knowledgeable or skilled in the design and operation of sewage treatment systems.

This talk will provide a contextual history of the development of public health engineering overseas and in Australia; outline the social and economical constraints of the period; explain the legislation in Victoria that enabled the formation of Sewerage Authorities; and identify the key civil engineer leaders in Australia and Victoria who successfully guided the design, construction and operation of most of the town sewage treatment plants in Victoria from 1925 to 1940.

Many of the engineering practices they established then, still continue as the leading consulting engineering practices of today.

This session will be presented by Ken McInnes
Ken has been researching engineering history and heritage for five decades and has served on many related statutory, professional and community organisations including: Historic Buildings Council of Victoria; Engineering Heritage Victoria (past chair); Engineering Heritage Australia (past chair); and National Trust Timber Bridges Committee (chair). He has also helped steer many heritage studies. His professional career as a civil, environmental and computer software engineer has included senior roles in major consulting engineering practices, state Public Works Agencies, and convening and lecturing University subjects on internet and web technologies. He is currently an Adjunct Research Fellow, at Swinburne University of Technology, and his current research focus is on researching and adding biographies of engineers and works into the “Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation”.

Historical Society Network Leaders: Victoria-wide Conference and Networking Day 2025
2025-05-23 09:00 - 17:00 | RHSV, Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
There are some 350 historical societies across Melbourne and Victoria. Most of these historical societies, as well as being a member of the RHSV, belong to local networks of historical societies. These local networks are usually geographically based and are vitally important in sharing information, sharing challenges and providing key support. In our turn, the RHSV wants to support not just individual historical societies but also the networks that link them.
So, the RHSV is delighted to host our second Network Leaders day – an opportunity for leaders and representatives of these diverse historical society networks throughout Victoria to come together and connect.
Please note that this event will not be Zoomed as a key aim is for leaders to meet with their peers from across Victoria and then, when they return home, to share their findings with their member societies.
COST
All attendees receive full-day refreshments and lunch

FREE for qualifying attendees who are both:

a Network Leader (and up to additional 2 network members) who, on returning home, is willing to share their new knowledge with their network AND
is an RHSV member OR a member of an RHSV-affiliated historical society

$20 for network members who are neither an RHSV member nor a member of an RHSV-affiliated historical society.

TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT

Available for long-distance travellers who are both representing a historical society network AND are a member of the RHSV or of an affiliated member society of the RHSV. Please first speak to your network to see if they have funds available to support your trip.
Reimbursement amounts:

Up to $50 for attendees living 50-150km from Melbourne
Up to $150 for attendees living beyond 150km from Melbourne

To qualify for reimbursement, you must:

Represent a historical society network and
Be a member of the RHSV or an RHSV-affiliated historical society

Submit your expense claims via email to Oliver Sperlich, RHSV Operations Officer, at operations@historyvictoria.org.au

Event Program

Friday, May 23

Registration

9.00am

Program Start

9.45-10.00am

Emeritus Professor Richard Broome AM FRHSV

Presentation 1: No time, no money, no resources: Challenges for Historical Societies

Can historical societies as we know them survive? Why is it important that they do? We would generally agree that most societies are facing increasing challenges, from a dwindling volunteer workforce to limited funds, to the challenges and costs of technology, to changing expectations from our communities and dwindling membership numbers.Are historical societies more than collection depots for unwanted family heirlooms, and how do we ensure their survival?Why do we need to work together and what are the advantages and challenges of networking in this context?This presentation aims to challenge our current way of working and pose some questions on how we not only survive but move forward.

10.00-10.45am

Robyn Vincin

Presentation 2: Responses to challenges: what some Networks are doing and could do

Historical Society Networks have often existed for decades with leadership and membership changing constantly. Networks are in the position of understanding the challenges faced by their member groups; geography can provide a Network with common perspectives but also with additional challenges. This presentation considers some of the initiatives Networks have adopted over many years and others they might consider embracing in orderto value add to their member groups’ work and engagement with other potential stakeholders.

10.45-11.30am

Graham Goulding OAM,Craige Proctor

Short break

11.30-11.45pm

Short presentation: How the Federation of Australian Historical Societies can help Network Leaders

Few network leaders know about the Federation of Australian Historical Societies. Established in 1977, its constituents come from each state and territory, and it is a national body representing approximately 1,000 historical societies and 100,000 members. This brief presentation outlines its work and why Network leaders should become subscribers, ‘free’.

11.45-12.00pm

Dr Rosalie TrioloOAM FRHSV

Presentation 3: Attracting young people to local history, now and into the future

Many historical societies have primary school groups visit them, or have representatives take objects into schools. But there are approaches outside school hours for helping young people see and value the history around them. While some encounters might seem ‘fleeting’, today’s young historians will more likely care ‘long-term’ for their local history–and the society that hosts much of it.

12.00-12.30pm

Dr Rosalie Triolo OAM FRHSV

Lunch break

12.30-1.30pm

Presentation 4: Working 'good way' with First Nations stakeholders

Australian history is a highly contested space where the tensions between uncovering the truth and the discomfort this often brings are often experienced as points of contention. At the heart of this tension is the violence of the colonisation and genocide in Australia. One of the responses to this discomfort has been an effort to erase First Nations histories from the national narrative and in the 1960s this was described as the Great Australian Silence. One of the key strategies to uncover erased histories is being able to effectively engage with First Nations stakeholders. This presentation will focus on the importance of building relationships with First Nations stakeholders and how to navigate these complex spaces to maintain cultural responsiveness and safety for all partners.

1.30-2.15pm

Dr Aleryk Fricker

Forum: Cultivating hope: empowering historical societies for the future

Rosemary Cameron and Craige Proctor will lead this forum looking at strategies to make historical societies relevant and resilient. We will discuss the many ways in which the RHSV/HSSC can support societies and their networks. Share your success stories, knowledge of new technologies and examples of positive collaboration and community involvement – we want to discover what is common to all successful historical societies.

2:15-3.00pm

Rosemary Cameron, Craige Proctor

Close

3.00pm

Drill Hall Tour

Following

About the presenters
Robyn Vincin – Presentation 1: No time, no money, no resources: Challenges for Historical SocietiesRobyn has had a career in librarianship and town planning, including NSW Executive Officer for the Planning Institute of Australia.With a strong commitment to public engagement and communication, she continues to be a passionate advocate for networking and member engagement in both professional and volunteer organisations.She has a keen interest in genealogy and local history and the “stories of place.”After moving to Bayside in 2013, she volunteered at Brighton Historical Society, where she assisted with collection management, answered research inquiries and was Secretary for a couple of years. In May 2024 she began volunteering at Sandringham and District Historical Society where she is currently Secretary and continues to provide research assistance. Robyn is a member of the RHSV Historical Societies Support Committee.
Graham Goulding OAM – Presentation 2: Responses to challenges: what some Networks are doing and could doGraham is currently the President of the Moe and District Historical Society. He served as Secretary/Treasurer of the Gippsland Association of Affiliated Historical Societies between 2006 and 2013. He has authored seven publications on Moe’s and Gippsland’s history and for some twenty years edited Coach News newsletter for the Moe Society and wrote many of the articles published. Between 2009 and 2021 he was a member of the Walhalla Board of Management looking after heritage sites in Walhalla and for nineteen years has been Secretary for the Gippsland Immigration Park which built the Gippsland Immigration Wall of Recognition and the Gippsland Heritage Walk with 72 panels of information on Gippsland history. Graham is a member of the RHSV Historical Societies Support Committee.
Craige Proctor – Presentation 2: Responses to challenges: what some Networks are doing and could do, and Forum A member and office bearer of a broad range of historical societies and heritage groups in south-western Victoria and the Wimmera, Craige is both Chair of the RHSV’s Historical Societies Support Committee and President and Newsletter Editor of the Western Victorian Association of Historical Societies whose membership stretches from the coast to the Murray River. Craige has authored or co-authored nine books ranging from school and local histories to biographies of pioneer women, a rural fire brigade and a disability support provider. While researching and chronicling aspects of local history is a passion for Craige, he is also driven by the pleasure networking with other groups offers. In 2022 Craige was the recipient of an RHSV Award of Merit for services to local history.
Dr Rosalie Triolo OAM FRHSV – Short Presentation: How the Federation of Australian Historical Societies can help Network Leaders and Presentation 3: Attracting young people to local history, now and into the futureRosalie is FAHS President, a RHSV Councillor and a past-HSSC Chair. She has enjoyed over 40 years in professional and volunteer History contexts, including long-term, volunteer Victorian and national leadership, advocacy, presentation and publication roles. She believes that knowledge of the past can inform life into the future while being of profound interes tto individuals or whole communities. For 25 years at Monash University, she helped facilitate the development of specialist History teachers.
Dr Aleryk Fricker – Presentation 4: Working ‘good way’ with First Nation StakeholdersAssociate Professor Aleryk (Al) Fricker is a proud Dja Dja Wurrung academic at the NIKERI Institute at Deakin University. He is a former Primary and Secondary school teacher and focuses on how to decolonise Australia’s neo-colonial education system to support the outcomes of all students.
Rosemary Cameron – Forum: Cultivating hope: empowering historical societies for the futureRosemary has been the RHSV’s Executive Officer since 2017. Her entire career has been in not-for-profit membership-based arts management. Overseas she worked for London’s English National Opera and Royal Opera House and Oslo’s Early Music Festival. She is former director of the Melbourne Writers Festival (2005 – 2009) and the Brisbane Writers Festival (2003 – 2005). She was involved in Melbourne’s successful bid to become a UNESCO City of Literature.

RHSV AGM + 2025 Weston Bate Oration: Professor Emeritus Graeme Davison
2025-05-27 17:00 - 19:30 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
Melbourne from the Air
From 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.
When 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?
Graeme 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.
The Weston Bate Oration is one of the RHSV’s Distinguished Lecture Series.
Housekeeping
AGM: 5pm – 6.10pm
Break: 6.10pm – 6.30pm
Weston Bate Oration: 6.30pm – 7.30pm
The 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.
If 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.
Both 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.
There is the opportunity below to record your apologies if you cannot attend the AGM in person or via ZOOM.
Members will be sent the papers for the AGM 14 days prior to the AGM. A digital version can be found here.
Non-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.

CATALOGUING CLINICS 2025
2025-05-29 11:00 - 12:00 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
Join Jillian Hiscock, the RHSV Collections Manager, each month in this informative and easy-going Zoom forum on all aspects of cataloguing collections for historical societies.
Jillian has a different topic each month and is happy to be guided by those who attend as to what they would like covered in upcoming clinics. Bring your questions (no matter the topic) – this is an interactive space where questions are encouraged. The RHSV does not endorse any particular cataloguing software – we believe it is horses for courses – and Jillian will talk about issues that impact on cataloguing whether you are using cataloguing cards or software.
The one-hour clinics are free and the Zoom log-in below is used every month in 2025, however, we do ask you to register each month as this enables Jillian to send you extra material / links etc after each session.
11am (AEST) Thu 29 May 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 26 Jun 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 31 Jul 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 28 Aug 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 25 Sep 2025
11am (AEDT) Thu 30 Oct 2025
11am (AEDT) Thu 27 Nov 2025
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZ0pcOiuqjItH9JWUaZk1ZrdaP1uA9d1Yqc1/ics?icsToken=DESnOhi_USXAWOo5GQAALAAAAOsufSxu9e_o1VvEoUWUiVuOT3wUceY4gYwdUjlaNrGDW1VrT1KjyEhE0aD9QHm4eoEg_M9GmHYiFwIZujAwMDAwMQ&meetingMasterEventId=3FhVroEqTuiqU-ygov-0vg
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89471649756?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 894 7164 9756
Passcode: [REDACTED]
If joining by phone:
One tap mobile
+61871501149,,89471649756#,,,,*[REDACTED]# Australia
+61280156011,,89471649756#,,,,*[REDACTED]# Australia
—
Dial by your location
• +61 8 7150 1149 Australia
• +61 2 8015 6011 Australia
• +61 3 7018 2005 Australia
• +61 7 3185 3730 Australia
• +61 8 6119 3900 Australia
Meeting ID: 894 7164 9756
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdoUG5MWlO

Labassa Open Day
2025-06-15 10:30 - 16:00 | Labassa, 2 Manor Grove, Caulfield North, Victoria, 3161, Australia
Although more than 700 people have lived at Labassa, it has miraculously survived with most of its opulent Victorian era decoration intact. Come and experience the complex richness of Labassa’s architectural and human history. Young visitors will have fun tracking down all those non-human “critters” who still live at the mansion.
Guided house tours and tower tours operate through out the day, and the tea room is open 10.30am to 3.30pm.
Join us for a guided tour or opt for a self-guided tour.
Guided Tour Times:

11am: Interior House Tour
12pm: ‘Who’s been living in this house?’ Tour (Note: this tour goes upstairs)
1pm: Exterior tour
2pm: Interior House Tour
3pm: Interior House Tour

Tower tours:

10:45am, 11.45am, 12.45pm, 1.45pm, 2.45pm & 3.45pm

The tower will be open with a limit of 12 people per tour group. Due to the tower’s narrow, steep steps visitors are advised to wear sensible shoes.
Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your intended guided tour time. Capacity will be monitored on the day.
Cost: $0 – $50
Photograph by Jon Rendell.

CATALOGUING CLINICS 2025
2025-06-26 11:00 - 12:00 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
Join Jillian Hiscock, the RHSV Collections Manager, each month in this informative and easy-going Zoom forum on all aspects of cataloguing collections for historical societies.
Jillian has a different topic each month and is happy to be guided by those who attend as to what they would like covered in upcoming clinics. Bring your questions (no matter the topic) – this is an interactive space where questions are encouraged. The RHSV does not endorse any particular cataloguing software – we believe it is horses for courses – and Jillian will talk about issues that impact on cataloguing whether you are using cataloguing cards or software.
The one-hour clinics are free and the Zoom log-in below is used every month in 2025, however, we do ask you to register each month as this enables Jillian to send you extra material / links etc after each session.
11am (AEDT) Thu 27 Feb 2025
11am (AEDT) Thu 27 Mar 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 24 Apr 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 29 May 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 26 Jun 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 31 Jul 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 28 Aug 2025
11am (AEST) Thu 25 Sep 2025
11am (AEDT) Thu 30 Oct 2025
11am (AEDT) Thu 27 Nov 2025
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZ0pcOiuqjItH9JWUaZk1ZrdaP1uA9d1Yqc1/ics?icsToken=DESnOhi_USXAWOo5GQAALAAAAOsufSxu9e_o1VvEoUWUiVuOT3wUceY4gYwdUjlaNrGDW1VrT1KjyEhE0aD9QHm4eoEg_M9GmHYiFwIZujAwMDAwMQ&meetingMasterEventId=3FhVroEqTuiqU-ygov-0vg
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89471649756?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 894 7164 9756
Passcode: [REDACTED]
If joining by phone:
One tap mobile
+61871501149,,89471649756#,,,,*[REDACTED]# Australia
+61280156011,,89471649756#,,,,*[REDACTED]# Australia
—
Dial by your location
• +61 8 7150 1149 Australia
• +61 2 8015 6011 Australia
• +61 3 7018 2005 Australia
• +61 7 3185 3730 Australia
• +61 8 6119 3900 Australia
Meeting ID: 894 7164 9756
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdoUG5MWlO

Protesting the Vietnam War and National Service Talk
2025-06-26 18:00 - 19:00 | Library at the Dock, 107 Victoria Harbour Promenade, Docklands, Victoria, 3005, Australia
During the Vietnam War, a huge national protest movement grew around the conscription of young Australians ordered to fight in the contentious war. In Victoria, many women were at the forefront of the historic protest movement. These brave women are the focus of the award-winning podcast Women, Conscription, War.
Discover this pivotal moment in Australian history in a talk by historian and podcaster Alexandra Pierce.

📍 Library at the Dock
📆 26 June, 6pm

Book here: https://bit.ly/43jVjYV

Duneira Estate Winter House Tours with morning tea in the stables
2025-07-09 10:00 - 11:30 | Duneira Estate, 1 Officer Lane, Mount Macedon, VIC, 3440, Australia
Duneira is running guided Winter House tours showcasing Stuart Stoneman’s extensive Art Collection. Stoneman was Duneira’s last owner who, upon his death in 2002, bequeathed his estate and his collections to the care of the S.R.Stoneman Foundation.
Duneira is considered to be the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the few remaining grand hill stations left intact on Mt Macedon after the devastating bushfires of 1983. Along with the Stoneman Art Collection, the house features an extensive library, Persian rugs, grand pianos and interesting period furniture.
During this tour our knowledgeable guide will provide fascinating insights into the story of Duneira and its six owners. This tour includes morning tea in the newly stables.
Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/duneira-winter-house-tours-with-morning-tea-2025

Echoes of the 19th Century
2025-07-15 18:30 | Prahran Mechanics Institute, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
Step back in time and immerse yourself in the enchanting sounds of the 19th century with the Four Seasons String Quartet at the PMI Victorian History Library. Led by internationally acclaimed cellist Nora Brownrigg, this talented ensemble will bring history to life through a captivating program of period music.
Experience the elegance and charm of a bygone era as the quartet performs timeless pieces that once graced grand halls and intimate gatherings of the 1800s. Whether you’re a lover of classical music, a history enthusiast, or simply seeking a unique cultural experience, this magical evening promises to transport you to another time.
Join us for this unforgettable journey through historical arts accompanied by delicious snacks, made possible by a generous grant from Stonnington Council.
