Royal Historical Society of Victoria

Cataloguing Clinics 2026
2026-06-25 11:00 - 22:00, 2026-08-27 11:00 - 12:00 (Australia/Melbourne) | 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 2026, however, we do ask you to register each month as this enables Jillian to send you extra material / links etc. after each session.
Sessions:
11am (AEDT) Thursday 26 February 2026
11am (AEDT) Thursday 26 March 2026
11am (AEST) Thursday 30 April 2026
11am (AEST) Thursday 28 May 2026
11am (AEST) Thursday 25 June 2026
11am (AEST) Thursday 30 July 2026
11am (AEST) Thursday 27 August 2026
11am (AEST) Thursday 24 September 2026
11am (AEDT) Thursday 29 October 2026
11am (AEDT) Thursday 26 November 2026

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
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Writing the Crocodile
2026-07-14 06:30 - 19:30 | 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC 3181, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
In this lively, engaging discussion Aaron and Michelle will discuss their co-written novel for middle grade readers, Spirit of the Crocodile. They’ll talk about why they wrote it, how they wrote it (given that they live 5000kms apart) and why stories like theirs are an important part of Australia’s reconciliation process.
A recent ABC Radio review of the book said: “This is technically a middle-grade novel but if you ask me I think Spirit of the Crocodile is a book for everyone. Kids will love it because it’s funny, relatable and full of adventure. But adults – like teachers, parents and policy-makers – need to read this too. This book is a wake-up call. It shows us what climate change looks like right now: not in graphs or reports but through the heartbreak of a child watching his island disappear. It’s also a celebration of Torres Strait Islander culture – of kinship, community and resilience. For readers unfamiliar with these stories it’s an invitation to listen, to learn and to stand in solidarity with them. And for readers who are from this community, it’s a mirror that says we see you and your stories matter.” Mara Mahoney, Yapese-Fijian Reviewer, Radio Australia (Review begins at 1:42:42)”
Aaron Fa’Aoso is a proud Torres Strait Islander film producer, director, screenwriter and actor. While well known for his roles in East West 101, The Straits and Black Comedy, and as the presenter of Strait to the Plate, young fans know him best as the voice of Old Dog, in Little J and Big Cuz.
In 2022 Aaron published his memoir, called So Far So Good. He is on the board of SBS and of Screen Queensland, and was the proud co-chair of Queensland’s Interim Truth and Treaty Body. Aaron is the founder of film and television production company, Lone Star, whose many outputs include the documentary series Blue Water Empire, about the history of the Torres Strait Islands.
Michelle Scott Tucker is the author of Elizabeth Macarthur: A Life at the Edge of the World – a biography of the woman who established the Australian wool industry (although her husband received all the credit). Elizabeth Macarthur was shortlisted for the 2019 NSW State Library Ashurst Business Literature Prize and the 2019 CHASS Australia Book Prize. Michelle is the co-writer of Aaron Fa’Aoso’s memoir So Far, So Good. She is currently working on a biography of Louisa Lawson, to be released in 2027.

Lives lived and clothes worn: reading Gwen Jones' gowns
2026-07-21 17:30 - 19:00 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
This lecture honours the life of Gwen Jones, a keen member and generous supporter of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria over many years until her death in 2021, aged 98. The lecture series will promote the vital role of The Jones Collection of the RHSV in documenting and supporting research on these themes.
The Jones Collection was donated to the RHSV by Gwen shortly before she died. Gwen’s creation, stewardship, and generosity surrounding the collection has ensured that future historians have an incredibly rich archive on which to draw.
Lives lived and clothes worn: reading Gwen Jones’ gowns
Clothing is a personal document that records experiences, reflects moments in time and captures aspects of its wearer. In this presentation, Lorinda Cramer delves into three gowns related to Gwen Jones in the collection of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria). As she reads these garments for the lives lived in and through them, she teases apart the social, cultural and fashion history in which these dresses were worn.
About Dr Lorinda Cramer
Dr Lorinda Cramer is a Lecturer in Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies at Deakin University. Her work as a dress historian sits at the intersections of social history, cultural history and material culture studies. She employs an innovative methodology that draws on the materiality of museum objects to deepen insights into clothing’s connections with gender, race and class, to explore consumer preference, and to interrogate fashion as a worn experience.
Housekeeping
This event will be hybrid so presented in person in our rooms and also via ZOOM. Those purchasing ZOOM tickets will be sent the log-in details 24hrs before the event.
An automatically generated confirmation of booking email is sent on booking – please check your Trash or Spam folders if this email does not turn up in your in-box.
As with most of our events, refreshments will be served from 5:30pm – 6pm when the lecture starts (the Zoom session also starts at 6pm). There will be Q&A at the end of the lecture.

The Antique Experience
2026-07-23 14:00 - 15:00 | 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC 3181, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
More than just furniture and fine china, every antique holds a story, and few people know that better than Peter Leaver. In 1970, Peter and his partner Ken opened Kenneth Lay Antiques and began a lifelong adventure that would take them far beyond Australian auction houses. Their search for rare and meaningful pieces became a global quest, exploring Sri Lanka and India for remnants of the Raj, wandering the old Dutch trading centres of Indonesia, finding French, English, and Dutch treasures in South Africa, and ultimately falling in love with Argentina’s hidden wealth of antiques. Along the way, they built one of Australia’s largest collections of Staffordshire pottery and shared their expertise through talks at The Johnson Collection.
At The Antique Experience, Peter is joined by collector Marcus Bunyan, whose thrill for op shop discoveries and online finds proves that valuable treasures are not always where you expect them. Together, they will share their passion for authenticity, value, and the enduring beauty of timeless objects. Audiences are even invited to bring along a small item of their own to be reviewed by the panel, because sometimes the most fascinating stories are the ones sitting quietly on your own shelf.

Cataloguing Clinics 2026
2026-07-30 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-09-24 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-10-29 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-11-26 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 2026, however, we do ask you to register each month as this enables Jillian to send you extra material / links etc. after each session.
Sessions:
11am (AEDT) Thursday 26 February 2026
11am (AEDT) Thursday 26 March 2026
11am (AEST) Thursday 30 April 2026
11am (AEST) Thursday 28 May 2026
11am (AEST) Thursday 25 June 2026
11am (AEST) Thursday 30 July 2026
11am (AEST) Thursday 27 August 2026
11am (AEST) Thursday 24 September 2026
11am (AEDT) Thursday 29 October 2026
11am (AEDT) Thursday 26 November 2026

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZAud-6tqzIoGNf-ekfqpiWBEHdAbuAa0G3b/ics?icsToken=DN5S8U6HvgmiIfnZeQAALAAAAN0_NDs1hJchwoY_zJTvmShIYBwfvHQ6cVVI1mr9JF731GvWHc8T-7wi3EH803NiEyODSEXX-QK5oMaaWTAwMDAwMQ&meetingMasterEventId=FY4VyCTcTh6FmDBdzDJrwg
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Beyond the Book: Redefining Rarity in a Digital Age
2026-07-30 18:30 - 19:30 | 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC 3181, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
In twenty years will the most valuable collection items still be printed on paper, or born in code? Join a cross-sector panel from the NFSA, ACMI, and the PMI Library to explore the future and evolution of collecting in a post-print world. Learn how born-digital materials are reshaping what institutions preserve, the challenges of obsolescence, and sourcing material in the first place, and how smaller cultural organisations, like the PMI Library, are navigating an increasingly digital heritage. Attendees will gain insight into how collectors and institutions alike can future-proof their work, ensuring today’s digital voices don’t become tomorrow’s lost history. Expect a lively conversation on technology, authenticity, and what “collecting rare” will mean in 20 years.
Panellists are Ellen Coates, Collections Librarian at the PMI Victorian History Library. Johanna McMahon, Assistant Curator, Industries Collection Acquisition Programs at NFSA and Taryn Ellis, Digital Preservation Archivist at ACMI.

Save the Date: HSSC metropolitan event
2026-08-14 08:00 - 17:00 | Drill Hall, Royal Historical Society Victoria, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Join the Historical Society Support Committee (HSSC) on Friday, August 14 at the RHSV Drill Hall.
This leadership seminar brings together historical society representatives from across the state to discuss emerging trends, shared challenges, and the future of our sector.
More details to follow — mark your calendar now.

Movies at the Mechanics' Institute
2026-08-20 18:30 - 19:30 | 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC 3181, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
Our Bruce Turner Lecture
In the early years of cinema, the Mechanics’ Institute played a surprising role in bringing movies to life. Travelling showmen used these halls to share the wonder of film with small towns and growing suburbs across Victoria.
Join Royce Harris, Archivist and President of the Cinema and Theatre Historical Society, as he uncovers how these early screenings grew into regular film events that entertained communities and supported the Institutes financially.
The talk includes rare and fascinating images from the CATHS archive, showing the many venues that once hosted picture shows, some of which are still standing today.
Royce Harris is the President and Archivist of the Cinema and Theatre Historical Society (CATHS), whose archive is housed in the PMI Victorian History Library’s building.
He grew up in a small country town, where local picture shows were a treasured part of community life. His lifelong interest in the history of cinema and Institutes has shaped much of his work. Royce contributed to the book These Walls Speak Volumes, compiling a detailed list of 172 Mechanics’ Institutes known to have shown films.
Through his research and CATHS’ remarkable archive, Royce brings to life the story of how Mechanics’ Institutes helped shape the early movie experience in Victoria.

The Mysterious Dr David Hailperin: Kabbalah, Black Magic and Jewish Life in 1850's Victoria
2026-08-25 17:30 - 19:00 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
The Lamm Jewish Library of Australia, Australian Jewish Historical Society and the Royal Historical Society of Victoria present
The Mysterious Dr David Hailperin: Kabbalah, Black Magic and Jewish Life in 1850’s Victoria
This lecture will explore the remarkable and little-known story of Dr David Hailperin — rabbi, physician, collector of rare Jewish books, and reputed practitioner of black magic. Hailperin arrived in Melbourne from England in 1855 and died just five years later in Englewood, Victoria. Yet despite his short time in Australia, he left behind a rich documentary trail that reveals an eccentric and complex personality.
Join us for an intriguing journey into colonial Victoria, Jewish mysticism, and the life of a man who brought Black Magic and controversy to the streets of Melbourne and to the goldfields.
About the presenter
Dr Merav Carmeli holds a PhD in Jewish Studies and specialises in Jewish mysticism. She has taught at universities and academic institutions in Israel, the United States and Australia. She served as an advisor to the State Library of Victoria for the exhibition Luminous: A Thousand Years of Hebrew Manuscripts and contributed to the cataloguing of SLV Halperin’s Hebrew manuscript collection. Dr Carmeli is currently the Director of the Lamm Jewish Library of Australia.
Housekeeping
This event will be hybrid so presented in person in our rooms and also via ZOOM. Those purchasing ZOOM tickets will be sent the log-in details 24hrs before the event.
An automatically generated confirmation of booking email is sent on booking – please check your Trash or Spam folders if this email does not turn up in your inbox.
As with most of our events, refreshments will be served from 5:30pm – 6pm when the lecture starts (the Zoom session also starts at 6pm). There will be Q&A at the end of the lecture.

Balwyn Heritage Walk
2026-10-07 10:15 - 12:00 | Balwyn Baptist Church, 517 Whitehorse Road, Surrey Hills, VIC,, 3103, Australia
Reimagine Balwyn of the past
Join us for an Senior and History Month event!
Explore a guided walk through Balwyn’s fascinating past, starting at the Balwyn Baptist Church and winding our way to the Palace Cinema. Along the way, you’ll trace the suburb’s journey from open paddocks and grazing land to one of Melbourne’s most sought-after neighbourhoods.
Hear how trams changed everything in 1916, how a simple land tax in 1921 spurred rapid development, and how a humble vet who once tended horses and cows adapted to care for beloved pets. We’ll stop at every street to uncover stories that shaped this community — from bonfire nights in Beckett Park to the thrill of billy cart races flying down Balwyn Road.
It’s more than a walk — it’s a stroll through living history.
Come curious. Leave inspired.
Tour starts at Balwyn Baptist Church – corner of Parring and Whitehorse Roads.
Please remember to wear sensible shoes, weather appropriate clothing and to take care through out the walk as there are uneven surfaces.

Glenferrie Heritage Trail
2026-10-29 14:00 - 16:00 | Central Gardens
Join PMI Victorian History Library and the Hawthorn Historical Society for a special Seniors and History Month stroll along Glenferrie Road, a place where quiet woodland retreats once stood, now transformed into vibrant city life.
As we wander the streets together, you’ll uncover the stories that shaped this beloved precinct, from runaway hearses to forgotten brick pits, and even a misplaced Brownlow medal or two. It’s a walk full of surprises, laughter and plenty of “I never knew that” moments.
So lace up your walking shoes and step into the past. It’s history told right where it happened.
Tour starts at Central Gardens, Hawthorn – on William Street
Please remember to wear sensible shoes, weather appropriate clothing and to take care through out the walk as there are uneven surfaces.
About your Guide Elizabeth Love, who has deep family roots in Hawthorn and a passion for preserving its stories, the walk will explore the geography, gardens, remarkable homes, and local legends that shaped Hawthorn.
