Royal Historical Society of Victoria

CURATOR'S TOUR OF MELBOURNE'S STORIED LANEWAYS WITH DAVID THOMPSON
2024-10-09 11:00 - 12:00 (Australia/Melbourne) | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
David Thompson will take you behind the scenes of our current exhibition, Melbourne’s Storied Laneways which David curated. The exhibition was prompted by the upcoming publication of The Story of Melbourne’s Lanes: Essential but Unplanned by Weston Bate, Richard Broome, Nicole Davis, Andrew J. May, Helen Stitt which will be launched on 3rd October 2024.
We all have our favourite Melbourne laneway and curator David Thompson has chosen a handful of lanes which reveal intriguing Melbourne stories. When we think of today’s gussied-up, tourist-friendly laneways like Guilford Lane and Hosier Lane, it is hard to imagine that a mere 50 years ago the laneways were workaday places full still of small factories and light industry.
This is a History Month event

Book Launch. The Story of Melbourne's Lanes: Essential but Unplanned.
2024-10-03 17:30 - 19:00 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
THIS EVENT IS BOOKED OUT.
Please join us for the launch of this re-imagined second edition of Weston Bate’s history
THE STORY OF MELBOURNE’S LANES: Essential but Unplanned
Weston Bate, Richard Broome, Nicole Davis, Andrew May, Helen Stitt
To be launched by Professor Robert Adams AM, multi award-winning architect and urban designer
Thursday 3 October 2024, 5:30pm – 7pm
Royal Historical Society of Victoria, 239 A’Beckett Street, Melbourne 3000
Published by RHSV and SLV
We are thrilled that Lee ‘Sonnyboy’ Morgan, a Gunditjmara/ Kirrae Whurrong man hailing from Framlingham in SW Victoria, will be performing at our book launch. Lee is a blues and country music guitarist and lyricist who has performed with and appeared on many albums with some of Australia’s legendary musical talents including Shane Howard, Archie Roach, the late great Ruby Hunter, Jessica Mauboy and Dean Geyer (Australian Idol fame), Jimmy Barnes and Paul Kelly. In 2023 he was appointed Indigenous Ambassador with Blues Music Victoria Inc.

Housekeeping
This event will be in-person only at the RHSV rooms. There will be no Zoom. Although it is a free event we do ask our members and friends to RSVP so we can get the catering right!
You will be sent an automatic email confirmation of your booking – if it doesn’t turn up in your in-box please check your spam mail or junk mail folders. Don’t panic – there will be a list at the door – you don’t need your ticket.
The book will be available for purchase at a special launch price.
This is a History Month event

THE DRIVE-IN LANDSCAPE OF THE LUCKY COUNTRY
2024-10-01 14:00 - 15:00 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
The National Archives of Australia (NAA) and RHSV are proud to co-present this event with eminent historian, Professor Graeme Davison.
Professor Davison, in response to the NAA’s current exhibition, Reception this way: motels – a sentimental journey with Tim Ross | naa.gov.au , will discuss the motel which was the most popular of a suite of American-inspired innovations that transformed Australia’s towns and suburbs in the 1950s and 60s: the drive-in cinema, the service station, the drive-in bottle shop and hotel, the carport and the drive-in shopping centre. In his book, The Australian Ugliness, architect Robin Boyd decried the excesses of what he dubbed ‘Austerica’ but also hoped to civilise the form. Meanwhile ordinary Australians simply enjoyed the new possibilities of travel, leisure and convenience that the car and the drive-in world offered.

The exhibition, Reception this way: motels – a sentimental journey with Tim Ross, which can be seen at the Victorian Archives Centre revisits your memories of the classic Aussie motel, from family holidays and long road trips to continental breakfasts and mid-century mod-cons. In a land where the car has provided us with the ultimate freedom to hit the road and explore, it is no surprise that Australians wholeheartedly embraced the American concept of the motel. When motels began springing up in the 1950s, they represented a new, stylish and sophisticated way to travel.

If you cannot get to the Victorian Archives Centre, you could visit the on-line curator’s tour: Curator-talk – Reception this way | naa.gov.au This is based on the exhibition when it was in the NAA’s Canberra office. The touring version of the exhibition in Melbourne is a slightly smaller version due to the size of the gallery.
Photo caption: ‘The California Motel, Hawthorn c. 1964. NAA: B942, HOTELS – MOTELS & RESTAURANTS [3] [id: 30766249]’
Housekeeping
This is a Zoom only event however you are more than welcome to visit the exhibition at the Victorian Archives Centre, 99 Shiel St, North Melbourne (home to both the NAA and PROV). The exhibition can be accessed Monday to Friday 10am to 4:30pm.
The ZOOM log-in details will be sent to all attendees 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.

This is a History Month event (click here for the full program)

CATALOGUING CLINICS 2024
2024-09-26 11:00 - 12:00, 2024-08-22 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.
In 2024’s first Cataloguing Clinic for the year, Jillian will talk about collection management, what you keep or don’t keep, when you catalogue material as an archive or a collection and any issues around the actual collection.
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 2024, however, we do ask you to register each month as this enables Jillian to send you extra material / links etc after each session.
The Cataloguing Clinics in 2024 will be held at

Thu 22 Feb 11am – 12noon (AEDT)
Thu 28 Mar 11am – 12noon (AEDT)
Thu 2 May 11am – 12noon (AEST) * this is a week later than normal because of Anzac Day
Thu 23 May 11am – 12noon (AEST)
Thu 27 Jun 11am – 12noon (AEST)
Thu 25 Jul 11am – 12noon (AEST)
Thu 22 Aug 11am – 12noon (AEST)
Thu 26 Sep 11am – 12noon (AEST)
Thu 24 Oct 11am – 12noon (AEDT)
Thu 28 Nov 11am – 12noon (AEDT)

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
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Meeting ID: 827 7696 4459
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Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdh0GPiJW

CURATOR'S TOUR OF MELBOURNE'S STORIED LANEWAYS WITH DAVID THOMPSON
2024-09-25 11:00 - 12:00 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
David Thompson will take you behind the scenes of our current exhibition, Melbourne’s Storied Laneways which David curated. The exhibition was prompted by the upcoming publication of The Story of Melbourne’s Lanes: Essential but Unplanned by Weston Bate, Richard Broome, Nicole Davis, Andrew J. May, Helen Stitt which will be launched on 3rd October 2024.
We all have our favourite Melbourne laneway and curator David Thompson has chosen a handful of lanes which reveal intriguing Melbourne stories. When we think of today’s gussied-up, tourist-friendly laneways like Guilford Lane and Hosier Lane, it is hard to imagine that a mere 50 years ago the laneways were workaday places full still of small factories and light industry.
Other dates available:
26 June
28 August
9 October

A Musical Ouroboros
2024-09-24 18:30 - 19:30 | 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC 3181, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
🎶 A Musical Ouroboros – how the Hottest 100 both reflects and encourages the empowerment of Australian youth.
For 30 years, triple j’s Hottest 100 has been Australia’s go-to countdown for the year’s top songs. Beyond mere entertainment, it’s a reflection of youth sentiment. In the past, it echoed Gen X rebellion with bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Today, it’s a diverse tapestry showcasing female artists, LGBTQ+ voices, and people of colour, mirroring a generational shift. This countdown isn’t just about music; it’s a space where young Aussies steer the conversation. Their votes drive the event’s success, inadvertently giving them a platform and a voice in shaping cultural dialogue.
Bookings are essential with a gold coin for entry.

History of the PMI Victorian History Library
2024-09-20 14:00 - 15:00 | 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC 3181, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
📜 Join our Collections Librarian Ellen Coates, on a journey through the fascinating history of Victoria’s second oldest library as they celebrate their 170th year. Beginning when the Library declared itself into existence in on the 1st of May 1854. The challenges of the early years, including how the Committee dealt with a squatting Secretary Librarian, then onto how the collection, at the time, came to be described by Aeneas Gunn as “without exception to be in a shockingly neglected and filthy condition.”
The 20th century saw the Library survive war, pandemic, and hostile takeover and to ultimately make the decision to specialize in Victorian History, which has seen it stay relevant.
The talk also includes a tour of the PMI’s 170th exhibition and the stories behind it.
Bookings are essential.

Rare Book Week: Noted Donations to the Melbourne Public Library
2024-09-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Tonic House, 386 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, 3000, Australia
From its beginning the Melbourne Public Library supplemented its book stock with donations. In 1873, the library published a catalogue of these gifts, listing an array of donors from emperors and kings to more humble colonists. In part a celebration, in part an appeal for more gifts, the catalogue provides an insight into the literary culture of the time. Historian Shane Carmody will discuss book culture in the early years of the Colony of Victoria, featuring eminent donors and their fascinating donations to the Melbourne Public Library collection.
Speaker: Shane Carmody
Thursday 18th July, 6-8pm
Presented by The C J LaTrobe Society at Tonic House
386 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Information: dmreilly@optusnet.com.au
Click here to register

This event is part of Rare Book Week.
You can access the full program here.

Tracing Madame Brussels: A public figure with an elusive background
2024-09-17 17:30 - 19:00 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
We are delighted that esteemed historian Barbara Minchinton will deliver our September lecture based on the research for her latest book.
Madame Brussels was Melbourne’s most vilified brothel-keeper of the nineteenth century, but little has been known about Caroline Hodgson, the woman who played the role. There were no Visitors’ Books to reveal her networks, and few letters written in her own hand. Family material that came to light in 2018 provided some clues, and a German genealogist found others, but for her biography the details of her life in Melbourne were largely sourced from newspapers and government records. The story that emerged was the story of Melbourne’s sex industry from 1871 to its criminalisation in 1908.
Barbara Minchinton is a historian and independent researcher who has worked extensively with the collections of the Public Record Office Victoria as a volunteer. Her first book The Women of Little Lon: Sex Workers in Nineteenth-Century Melbourne won the Victorian Community History Publication Award for 2022. Barbara’s latest book, published in July 2024 by La Trobe University Press, is Madame Brussels: The Life and Times of Melbourne’s Most Notorious Woman.
Barbara’s books will be available for purchase on the night and Barbara is happy to sign copies.
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.

Unsettling Legacies from Six Peaks
2024-09-10 18:30 - 19:30 | 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC 3181, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
⛰️ Barry Golding’s presentation delves into the question of how to help future generations confront the legacies of events surrounding mountains in our landscape. Focused on the peaks in southern Dja Dja Wurrung Country, his talk explores ideas for reconciling with these mountains and the communities residing on their slopes.
This presentation serves as a preview to the upcoming book, “Six Peaks Speak: Unsettling Legacies,” co-authored by Barry Golding and Clive Willman, scheduled for release in October 2024. It uncovers the unique stories of each peak, delving into geological origins, Dja Dja Wurrung management, and the exploitation and transformation of these landscapes since unsettlement.
Barry Golding acknowledges support for this project as part of a State Library Victoria Creative Fellowship in 2023.
Bookings are essential with a gold coin for entry.

Some History Lessons for Present-day Housing Campaigners
2024-09-03 18:30 - 21:30 | Yorkshire Stingo Hotel, 48 Hoddle Street, Abbotsford, Victoria, 3067, Australia
Collingwood Historical Society is pleased to announce that Janet McCalman AC will be our guest speaker at this year’s AGM. Her topic will range over slum clearances, the establishment of the Housing Commission of Victoria, and current housing issues.
The evening will start with dinner at a venerable Collingwood pub at 6:30, followed by (brief!) AGM business at 7:45, then Janet will talk from 8 pm.
Bookings are essential for both dinner and AGM. Please email collingwoodhs@yahoo.com and specify whether you will be attending for dinner as well as the AGM. Attendees will order and pay for their own meals and drinks on arrival.

Celebrating 100 Years of Frankston High School
2024-08-28 15:00 - 16:30 | Frankston High School Museum, Foot Street, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia
Frankston High School is turning 100 this year and to celebrate this important milestone a book has been written called “100 Years 100 Voices” which showcases 100 past students. It tells their stories but also documents the changes that occurred to Frankston from a small fishing village to the large multi cultural city that it is today.
Just some of these Alumni are:
Sir John Holland : Founder of John Holland Construction Group
Dr Neil Davey : Key person responsible for introduction of decimal currency into Australia in 1966
Paul A Bottomley : Co-inventor of MRI machine
Debbie Flintoff-King : Olympic hurdler, World record holder

CURATOR'S TOUR OF MELBOURNE'S STORIED LANEWAYS WITH DAVID THOMPSON
2024-08-28 11:00 - 12:00 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
David Thompson will take you behind the scenes of our current exhibition, Melbourne’s Storied Laneways which David curated. The exhibition was prompted by the upcoming publication of The Story of Melbourne’s Lanes: Essential but Unplanned by Weston Bate, Richard Broome, Nicole Davis, Andrew J. May, Helen Stitt which will be launched on 3rd October 2024.
We all have our favourite Melbourne laneway and curator David Thompson has chosen a handful of lanes which reveal intriguing Melbourne stories. When we think of today’s gussied-up, tourist-friendly laneways like Guilford Lane and Hosier Lane, it is hard to imagine that a mere 50 years ago the laneways were workaday places full still of small factories and light industry.
Other dates available:
26 June
25 September
9 October

Family History Workshops
2024-08-28 10:30 - 14:00 | 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC 3181, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
👩🏽‍👩🏽‍👦🏽‍👦🏽 Family History Workshops hosted by Wendy Eldridge from our Friends of the Library.
Do you want some guided help with your family history journey? We can help. Join a friendly and supportive environment while making use of the many resources available at the PMI Victorian History Library.
Our workshops will cover:
28 Feb – What you need to know what you Get Started
24 Apr – What Beginners should do
26 Jun – Special Guest – Heather Arnold
28 Aug – Doing your family history using Ancestry
30 Oct – Doing your family history using Ancestry / Understanding Military Records and Resources
Bookings are essential.

Como House of Discovery: Traces of Girlhood
2024-08-23 - 2024-10-20 | Como House & Garden, Corner Williams Rd & Lechlade Ave, South Yarra, Victoria, 3141, Australia
History has left only traces of the experience of girlhood. Yet traces do remain, poignant and important. They tell the stories of girls and young women who grew up in 19th and early 20th-century Victoria and the central role they played in our society.
This exhibition at Como House in South Yarra will illuminate these traces, featuring handiwork, scrapbooks, writing, archaeological artefacts and photographs.
Exploring themes including opportunities and expectations, work and play, learning and connections, Traces of Girlhood brings together the diverse experiences of girls from our past through the things they have left behind.
Book tickets for the weekend Open House sessions to view the exhibition at your own pace, or join a house tour to learn more of the history and stories of Como House & Garden.
This exhibition is generously supported by The Hansen Little Public Humanities Grant, Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne, and presenting partner Heritage Victoria.

The Dressmakers of Auschwitz book talk
2024-08-21 18:00 - 19:00 | Shrine of Remembrance, Birdwood Ave, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
At the height of the Holocaust, twenty-five young inmates of the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp – mainly Jewish women and girls – were selected to design, cut, and sew beautiful fashions for elite Nazi women in a dedicated salon. It was work that they hoped would spare them from the gas chambers. Drawing on diverse sources including interviews with the last surviving seamstress, The Dressmakers of Auschwitz follows the fates of these brave women.
In this captivating event, author and historian Lucy Adlington will join us virtually from the United Kingdom to uncover these stories. In conversation with the Melbourne Holocaust Museum’s Dr Breann Fallon, Lucy will reveal the bonds of family and friendship that helped these women endure persecution.
Guests will have an opportunity to explore the Shrine’s exhibition Trenches to Runway: Military Influences on Modern Fashion before the talk commences. While the exhibition does not explore the themes in The Dressmakers of Auschwitz, it draws important parallels between the impact of military clothing design and wartime conditions on popular fashion, tracing these influences from the 1870s to the present day.

HUGH ANDERSON LECTURE DELIVERED BY DR ROSS JONES
2024-08-20 17:30 - 19:00 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
Renovation or Revision: (re)writing Indigenous and Institutional Histories
We are thrilled that Dr Ross L Jones will deliver the 3rd Hugh Anderson Lecture in the RHSV’s Distinguished Lecture series.
Eric Hobsbawm wrote that national histories comprise ‘anachronism, omission, decontextualization and, in extreme cases, lies.’ If we substitute ‘nation’ with ‘university’ does the truth hold, especially for foundational institutions in settler colonies, such as the University of Melbourne? In this lecture Dr Jones will take a number of case studies highlighted in his latest publication Dhoombak Goobgoowana and ask what this work has accomplished and whether it encourages a radical re-thinking of the role of institutional histories. Along the way he hopes to explain the strong connections between an eighteenth-century cockney pedestrian, a leading twentieth-century Australian psychologist, Indigenous knowledge and Hugh Anderson’s historical project.

Dr Ross L Jones BA (hons) Dip.Ed. (Melbourne) M.Ed.Stud. PhD (Monash), Senior Research Fellow in the Indigenous History of the University of Melbourne Project in the Centre for the Study of Higher Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne. The outcome of this project is the recent publication of, Dhoombak Goobgoowana: a History of Indigenous Australia and the University of Melbourne, volume one: Truth (eds Ross L. Jones, James Waghorne and Marcia Langton) Melbourne University Press: Carlton, 2024. Volume 2 ‘Voice’ will be published in 2025. A free e-book is available from the MUP website here.
Ross studied in the History School and Education Faculty at the University of Melbourne and then taught for two decades in secondary schools in Australia and the United Kingdom. He then completed a Master of Educational Studies and a PhD at Monash University, the latter on the eugenics movement in Victoria.
After teaching the histories of medicine and biology in the Department of the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Melbourne, he took up an ARC postdoctoral position in the History School at the University of Sydney which culminated in, amongst other publications, Anatomists of Empire: Race, Evolution and the Discovery of Human Biology (2020). In 2016 he was awarded the Redmond Barry Fellowship at the State Library of Victoria to write on the history of tuberculosis. He has held honorary positions at the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney and La Trobe University variously in Medicine, Law and History departments. Ross’s research interests and publications range across medical and educational eugenics in Australia and the US and UK; the history of human anatomy, anthropology and race theory; the development of public education; medical biography and public health policies. He was commissioned by the Melbourne Medical School to write Humanity’s Mirror: 150 years of Anatomy in Melbourne (2007). He has given numerous keynote and invited presentations at local and international conferences. Ross has also been regularly involved in all forms of media as a public historian, on screen and as a researcher, including for Who do you think you are? on SBS. He has 90,000 readers for articles in The Conversation and has been invited to talk for local and national radio on many occasions. He has also prepared and participated in documentaries for ABC Radio National.

Hugh Anderson (1927-2017) was a scholar of formidable breadth, productivity and versatility. While it is as a folklorist that he is arguably best known both in Australia and abroad, Anderson’s prolific output also included biography, bibliography, history, school textbooks and documentary collections. His range of interests was very wide: Anderson seemed as comfortable in writing about John Pascoe Fawkner as Squizzy Taylor, as at home with an Aboriginal gumleaf player and a Sydney street poet as with the exquisite verse of John Shaw Neilson or the stately poetry of Bernard O’Dowd. Anderson’s historical and biographical writing incorporated many of the materials, perspectives and insights derived from folklore studies, and he treated literary creativity as central to telling the Melbourne, Victorian and Australian stories. Anderson’s boundary-riding between history, biography, folklore and literature was remarkably productive for him, and it was not unusual among writers with his radical-nationalist politics in the middle decades of the twentieth century. (An edited version of material written by Professor Frank Bongiorno)

This event is offered both in person at the RHSV and also via ZOOM. Those who are attending by ZOOM will be sent their log-in details 24 hours prior to the event.
As with all RHSV events, we serve refreshments from 5:30pm until 6pm when the lecture will start. 6pm is also when the ZOOM broadcast will start.

CAFHOV Chinese Family History Day 2024
2024-08-18 11:00 - 15:30 | Chinese Museum, 22 Cohen Place, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
MORE THAN GOLD – An event hosted by the Chinese Australian Family Historians of Victoria (CAFHOV), supported by the Museum of Chinese Australian History.
Most people are familiar with the Chinese migration to Victoria in the pursuit of gold in the 1850s, but also many Chinese businesses were established during this period in support of the growing population.
Come along to this event to learn about the diverse occupations and businesses that the Chinese maintained and the impact they had on the future of the community.
GUEST SPEAKERS:
Chinese migration to Australia – Dr Sophie Couchman, Historian and Curator
Chinese restaurants of Melbourne – Dr Barbara Nichol, Historian
The history of the David Wang Emporium – Mark Wang, CEO Chinese Museum
CAFHOV member presentations:
Chinatown/Bendigo merchant – Anna Wolf
Chinese interpreter – Mark Hillyer
Chinatown Church minister – Derek Leong
Queen Victoria market stallholder/grocer – Linda Wong
Creswick Butcher and storekeeper – Ian Young
Cost: Normal Chinese Museum entry.
Payable on the day of event at the Museum venue.
Adult $12.50, Concession/Children 5 years and over $10.50
*Entry provides access to the event including all Museum exhibits/galleries.
Bookings via Trybooking.com/CTLDV

REGIONAL SEMINAR WEEKEND IN LEONGATHA: UTILISING YOUR HISTORICAL RESEARCH
2024-08-17 - 2024-08-18 | Leongatha Memorial Hall, 6-8 McCartin St, Leongatha, VIC, 3953, Australia
The RHSV thank the Leongatha Historical Society and the South Gippsland Historical Network who are hosting this weekend in Gippsland. This is our second HSSC* regional seminar for 2024. Drawing on the experience of local and visiting speakers, the seminar will explore how your local research and collections can lead to valuable publications and uncover wider themes and stories. The program is spread across Leongatha and Korumburra which are only about 15 mins drive apart. We love our weekends out of Melbourne and we encourage members of historical societies to ‘take a break’ and enjoy some great history in a breath-taking setting.
*HSSC is the RHSV’s Historical Societies Support Committee.
The destination
Leongatha is located 136 km south-east of Melbourne via the Monash Freeway and South Gippsland Highway (1 hour 43 mins drive) and 60 km (45 minutes) south-west of Morwell. The towns in South Gippsland Shire and adjacent Bass Coast Shire provide some unique heritage stories as well as reflecting trends similar to the story of Victoria.
Leongatha Historical Society
Located at 10 McCartin Street, Leongatha, in the former Mechanics institute, Leongatha Historical Society collects, records and preserves the history of the former Woorayl Shire.
The South Gippsland Historical Network
The organisation consists of Historical Societies and Genealogical Societies in the geographical region of South Gippsland. The network includes Korumburra, Wonthaggi, Inverloch, Leongatha , Mirboo and District, Meeniyan, Foster, the South Gippsland Genealogical Society and the Toora Family History group.
Wonthaggi Historical Society
Providing a significant contribution to the discussions, Wonthaggi and District Historical Society is the custodian of the town and district’s mining, social and cultural heritage. The historic, former Wonthaggi railway station building is both a museum and home to the society.
The Seminar
The seminar will be held within the Memorial Hall at 6-8 McCartin Street, Leongatha on Saturday 17 August. Commemorating those who served in World War One, the hall dates from 1926.
The Dinner
In the evening, after the seminar, an optional dinner will be held at the Leongatha RSL, corner Smith Street and Michael Place, Leongatha, commencing at 6.00pm. The RSL has a significant collection of memorabilia, and local historian, Lyn Skillern, will provide background on items on display as well as on significant local identities.
Coal Creek Community Park and Museum
A guide will provide background on some of the 53 significant heritage buildings on-site. Coal Creek was a Community, Local and State government funded project to preserve the cultural history of the area and was opened to the public in 1974. The first building relocated on site was the Korumburra Courthouse, followed by Krowera Church, Jeetho School House and the Mine Manager’s Cottage. These now form the heart of the of 53 building heritage village. As Gippsland’s largest open air heritage village, its vast collection of original buildings and objects tell the story of the coal mining, agricultural, transportation and social history of the southern Gippsland region.

2 DAY PROGRAM
DAY 1: SAT 17 AUG
Venue: Leongatha Memorial Hall, 6-8 McCartin St (enter off Michael Place)
Please note that in every session there is time for questions and answers and sharing of experiences.
9:00am REGISTRATION tea/coffee and networking
9:45am – 10am PROGRAM START: Acknowledgement of Country, welcome, housekeeping.
10am – 10:40am PRESENTATION 1: Rees Quilford. “Unity and Strength: the ongoing legacy of the Wonthaggi Miners’ Women’s Auxiliary”
10:40am – 11:15am PRESENTATION 2: Sam Gatto. “The development of the cooperative movement in Wonthaggi.”
11:15am – 11:30am MORNING TEA
11:30am – 12:30pm PRESENTATION 3: Rosalie Triolo. “Local and international historical sources and resources rarely used in local and family research”
12:30pm – 1pm PRESENTATION 4. Rosemary Cameron. “Impact of new tax laws on Historical Societies.”
1pm – 2pm LUNCH and mingling/networking
2pm – 2:45pm PRESENTATION 5: Craige Proctor. “Telling the stories of pioneer women.”
2:45pm – 3pm AFTERNOON TEA
2:45pm – 3:45pm PRESENTATION 6: Neil Breeden. “Tracking Down the Past: a rediscovery of the original road network into the Western Strzeleckis”.
6pm DINNER at the Leongatha RSL, Smith Street (Cnr Michael Place) Leongatha.
The RSL has a significant collection of memorabilia, and local historian, Lyn Skillern, will provide background on items on display as well as on significant local identities.

DAY 2: SUN 18 AUG
This is an optional program.
9am – 9:40am LEONGATHA MECHANICS INSTITUTE (Leongatha Historical Society Rooms) Lyn Skillern will guide us as we inspect the Leongatha Historical Society rooms at the 1912 Mechanics Institute building as well as the adjacent Memorial Hall. (10 McCartin St, Leongatha)
9:40am – 10:30am Join local historian Lyn Skillern for a GUIDED TOUR OF THE LEONGATHA MEMORIAL HALL . (6-8 McCartin St, Leongatha)
10:30am Depart for Coal Creek (time for morning tea, if you wish)
11am COAL CREEK TOUR. Meet the local guide who will show the participants over the park. Coal Creek Community Park and Museum is a recreated coal mining village that depicts the history of Korumburra; from everyday life, to the coalfields and the early agricultural development of the area. Come immerse yourself in 1870s – 1920s rural life. (12 Silkstone Road, Korumburra)
Lunch: Buy own lunch in Korumburra

SPEAKERS & ABSTRACTS
NEIL BREEDEN
Born at Dandenong in 1948, Neil attended the Dandenong State School No. 1403. His father was an electrical contractor and in 1955 bought a share-farm at Mirboo North. The share-farm proved unsuccessful and in 1961 at the age of 13 Neil moved with family to Mirboo North where he was introduced to the joys of Dairy Farming including a large piggery. Neil matriculated from Mirboo North High School in 1966 and then went on to obtain a Diploma of Civil Engineering from the Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education later to become Monash Gippsland. After graduating in 1971 he had a short stint working for the then Country Roads Board and in 1972 was appointed as a junior engineer with the former Woorayl Shire. After a succession of promotions he was appointed as Deputy Shire Engineer in 1984 a position held until 1992. It was during this latter part of his engineering career that he had the privilege of working with the late John Murphy in providing information and maps for his Local Government histories , “No Parallel” the history of the former Woorayl Shire in 1988 and “On the Ridge” the history of the former Shire of Mirboo in 1994.
It became apparent to Neil while working on these local histories with John Murphy that much of the history surrounding the settlement of the Western Strzelecki’s was determined by the original tracks into what was a somewhat forbidding region. Of particular note were McDonald’s Track, Liddiard’s Track and Whitelaws Track. While being mentioned frequently in the early records of settlement in South Gippsland their locations and extent seemed to have disappeared over time yet they seemed to him a key element in the proper understanding of the history and development of the region. It was with this in mind that he set out to re-discover these and other overland routes into the dense rain-forest of South Gippsland. This research has culminated in the production of “Tracking Down the Past” a rediscovery of the original road network into the Western Strzelecki Ranges
ROSEMARY CAMERON 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). Rosemary is a judge of the 2023 Victorian Premier’s Prize for non-fiction. She was involved in Melbourne’s successful bid to become a UNESCO City of Literature.
“Impact of new tax laws on Historical Societies.” The new laws regarding not-for-profits and income tax came into effect on 1 July. This is a complicated issue with many spin-offs (applying to become a charity / updating constitutions etc). If your society is NOT a registered charity with the ACNC then this new law will have an impact and your society may may have to pay income tax.
SAM GATTO
Born in Southern Italy, Sam came to Australia at the age of 9, in 1951. After matriculating from Wonthaggi Higher Elementary School, he studied to become a teacher at the University of Melbourne. He taught mainly History in Victorian secondary schools for five years. From 1971 to 2000, he taught English and Drama in upper secondary schools in the Italian part of Switzerland. Since his return to Australia in September 2000, he has dedicated much time researching the History of Wonthaggi. He has written six books on the subject, exploring different aspects of the town’s unique history.
His talk on The Cooperative Movement in Wonthaggi describes how, shortly after the establishment of the State Coal Mine in November 1909, the mining community set out to build a social welfare system based on solidarity and cooperation. Although the Union played a leading part in this process, the institutions were created also with the cooperation of non-union sections of the community and with the support of the State government. The talk will outline the development of this social system from 1909 to 1927, well before anything similar was created anywhere else in Australia.
CRAIGE PROCTOR a recently retired teacher and university program manager, is a fifth generation Mortlake resident who joined the first incarnation of the Mortlake and District Historical Society in the 1980s and the re-floated Society in 2000. His passion for storytelling came from listening to his grandparents’ tales and has evolved over more than fifty years, resulting in town and cemetery tours and co-authoring or authoring five books on the district’s history but managing the Society’s Facebook page since 2011 has taken storytelling in many new and rewarding directions. Beyond Mortlake, Craige is a committee member of the Western Victorian Association of Historical Societies and the Association’s Newsletter Editor, a committee member of the Pebble Church Heritage Association at St Arnaud, Secretary of the Wimmera Mallee Pioneer Museum at Jeparit where he also lives and is a member of the RHSV’s Historical Societies Support Committee. In 2022 Craige received an RHSV Award of Merit, one of his proudest moments.
As a local historian and genealogist, Craige appreciates the challenges of researching, chronicling and sharing the stories of pioneer women. Some were prominent in their communities and so their stories can be woven together more easily than the stories of the majority who have not made it into conventional historical narratives. In this presentation Craige will provide a framework for telling the stories of women from the past either in writing local or family histories or in verbal presentations.
REES QUILFORD
Rees Quilford is a writer, a maker of short films, multimedia narratives and physical artworks and PhD candidate at RMIT University based in Cape Paterson. His project-based research examines the intimate and sometimes contradictory nature of place-based historical storytelling. He has been published in newspapers, literary magazines, and academic journals. His mixed-media essay ’92 days of winter’ was named as the winner of the 2021 Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction.
Rees presents a lively talk on the nationally significant legacy of Wonthaggi Miners’ Women’s Auxiliary. Those trailblazing women delivered an amazing array of social, cultural and community legacies for Wonthaggi and the district. More than that, they played a prominent role in Australia’s union and strike movements, in improving women’s rights, as well as in demonstrating the political influence women could have on public sentiment and policy.
LYN SKILLERN
Lyn has been involved with telling the history of Gippsland since the early 1980s. She is the Secretary of Leongatha Historical Society and has written books and articles on many subjects relating to the history of the region. Her books relate to State secondary education in Leongatha and the men of Gippsland who served in Lark Force 1941-42.
Lyn has researched the local service men and women especially those who lost their lives in conflict. She is also interested in the development of Leongatha’s Memorial Hall and RSL.
Dr ROSALIE TRIOLO FRHSV is the Chair of RHSV’s Historical Societies Support Committee. She has enjoyed over 40 years in History education, including multiple, long-term, volunteer Victorian and national leadership, presentation and advocacy roles; teaching Australian history in diverse Victorian rural and city government schools; publishing for general public, as well as tertiary, secondary and primary education audiences; and facilitating the development of specialist teachers of History for 25 years at Monash University.
Rosalie’s workshop prompts the sharing of historical sources and resources that attendees regularly use in their work. It then recommends a variety of less commonly considered Victorian, Australian and international historical organisations that support and inspire creative thinking in research, writing and non-traditional methods of presenting family, local and wider Australian histories.
ACCOMMODATION
Leongatha is about 110 minutes by car from the centre of Melbourne.

Opal Motel, 155 South Gippsland Hwy, Leongatha VIC 3953
Leongatha Motel, 18 Turner St, Leongatha VIC 3953
McCartin’s Hotel, 4/2 Bair St Leongatha VIC 3953 (some rooms have shared facilities).

There are also further accommodation options in Leongatha and in nearby centres – Korumburra, Inverloch, Wonthaggi etc – and accommodation can be booked through a variety of websites. Try booking.com, Stayz, Airbnb, or LastMinute.

Located in Gippsland’s famous dairy country and in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges, Leongatha is the key commercial centre for South Gippsland. When travelling in Leongatha, you will be visiting the lands of the Bunurong People. Leongatha was originally known as Koorooman and was first settled in 1845 on a cleared area of land on the western edge of the Strzelecki Ranges. The countryside supported rich dairy farms from the 1870s onwards. The opening of the South Gippsland Railway in 1892 boosted development as more forests were cleared to make way for cattle grazing. The area was renamed Leongatha in 1891 when a township was established on the arrival of the railway. The town’s historic railway station can be seen from the trail at Horticultural Park. The original Mechanics Institute (1912) serves as a local history museum while the Memorial Hall (1925) houses a gallery showcasing local art and craft. It also hosts several renowned floral events each year including the Leongatha Horticultural Society’s Daffodil Show and Rose Spectacular. Leongatha is a starting point of the Great Southern Rail Trail. This 87 kilometre walking, cycling and horse riding trail extends south-east to Port Welshpool, passing through a number of small towns which offer visitors refreshments and attractions such as wineries, galleries and antique shops. Scenic views of Wilsons Promontory National Park can be enjoyed from the trail around the Foster area.

Photos. From top : Coal Creek, the Leongatha Mechanics Institute and home of the Leongatha Historical Society, Leongatha Memorial Hall and the gorgeous Strzelecki Ranges.

AGHS Vic Branch AGM + Lecture
2024-08-15 17:30 - 19:30 | Victoria
AGHS Vic Branch AGM with lecture to follow
‘Rescuing Our Botanical Heritage’ 10 years of Camperdown Botanic Gardens and Arboretum Trust
By Janet O’Hehir
Janet O’Hehir leads a community group in its campaign to rejuvenate and protect the Camperdown Botanic Gardens, and to reclaim and redevelop its surrounding Arboretum. Victoria’s botanic gardens are a special part of the heritage of many of our large and small towns. Janet is particularly interested in the challenge of conserving those gardens as places of beauty for their local communities and visitors, and as places that can enthuse and educate the public about plants. Janet will share the challenges and achievements that have transformed the Camperdown Botanic Gardens and Arboretum over the past 12 years.

Date: Thursday 15 August 2024
Time: 5.30pm refreshments, AGM 6:00 pm, Lecture: 6:15 pm
Location: Phyllis Hoare hall, Kew Library
Cost: Free admission for members and a guest.
Registration: Registration is requested for catering purposes
Book: trybooking.com/CSRTE

Hugh Ralston Crawford: Innovator or Imitator?
2024-08-15 17:30 - 19:00 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
Engineering Heritage Victoria and the RHSV present this event in partnership.
Hugh Ralston Crawford (1876 – 1954) consulting engineer, was a pioneer in reinforced concrete work in Australia. He was granted a provisional patent for monolithic reinforced concrete cavity wall construction in 1907, and he later used the system to erect several concrete houses in Melbourne. In 1910, he designed and built, the heritage listed Sniders and Abraham’s cigarette factory at 7 Dewery Lane Melbourne, it was the first wholly reinforced concrete building erected in Melbourne, challenging Monash’s virtual monopoly of reinforced concrete construction in Victoria. It was also the first building in Australia to utilise the C.A.P. Turner ‘Mushroom System’ of flat slab construction. But was he an innovator or an imitator?
During the First World War Crawford was employed by the Metcalfe Company of Montreal, Canada in connection with construction and installation of grain elevators and concrete wheat silos for the bulk storage of wheat for the Federal and State governments. After the war, he was appointed reinforced concrete consultant to the Federal Government and was associated with many of their new concrete framed Commonwealth office, bank and telephone exchange buildings across Australia. In 1926 Crawford proposed a transporter bridge over the Yarra River at Spencer St and in 1927 proposed a similar bridge for the crossing of the Yarra at Williamstown.

Speaker:
David Beauchamp MICE, MIEAust, CPEng(Ret.)
David Beauchamp has been a significant advocate for the preservation and restoration of heritage buildings and an engineering consultant in the field for over 40 years. He became the first president of the Carlton Association in 1969 to fight for the preservation of a large group of 19th Century terrace houses at risk of being demolished by the Housing Commission of Victoria. In that same year he established a consulting practice to give advice on the repair and restoration of historic buildings. His consultancy developed and expanded to produce conservation management plans for many bridges for VicRoads and other bodies, and to carry out inspections, heritage assessments and reporting on historic bridges and other buildings.
David was appointed a member of the Heritage Council of Victoria in 1995, served on the Council for 6 years, and on Heritage Victoria’s Technical Advisory Committee until 2013. He has been a longstanding member of Engineering Heritage Victoria, the National Trust Bridges Committee, and actively participated in the activities of Australia ICOMOS, and the Association of Preservation Technology in the USA.

Housekeeping
When you book tickets you will be sent an automatic, system-generated confirmation email with your tickets. If this can’t be found in your in-box please check your Spam folder or Junk Mail folder as these system-generated emails often go astray. If you can’t find your tickets, don’t panic, we always have a list at the door.
As with most RHSV events, we will serve refreshments from 5:30pm – 6pm when the lecture starts.
The Zoom-cast will begin at 6pm.

All at Sea: Books with a Maritime Flavour
2024-08-13 18:30 - 19:30 | The Melbourne Athenaeum Library, Level 1, 118 Collins Street, Melbourne
Speaker: Professor Chris Browne
Tuesday 13th August
6.30pm – 7.30pm at The Melbourne Athenaeum Library
Level 1, 118 Collins Street, Melbourne
Presented by The Melbourne Maritime Heritage Network, Rare Books Melbourne and The Melbourne Athenaeum Library
All at Sea is an exploration of literature with a strong maritime setting, chosen and presented by Melbourne book collector Chris Browne from his extensive library. From the beginnings of the novel in the seventeenth century until the present day, the sea has provided a compelling backdrop for storytelling from tales of adventure and daring do through romance and philosophy to historical, political and geographical drama.
Follow life from The Water Babies to The Old Man and the Sea. Explore the exploits of well-known heroes such as Hornblower, Aubrey, and Kydd and forgotten heroes like Frank Mildmay, Jack Saunders and Peter Simple, and the unforgettable villains Hook, Queeg and Long John Silver. Join us in the world of Night Plunderers and Game Lumpers, Lightermen and Scuffle-Hunters. So, raise the Blue Peter and let’s cast off.
The event is free to all.
Please reserve a place by booking at: https://www.trybooking.com/CTMZH

Melbourne's Art Deco cinemas of the late 1930s
2024-08-13 18:30 - 19:30 | 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC 3181, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
🍿Melbourne’s Art Deco cinemas of the late 1930s
As Melbourne emerged from the Depression in 1935 its citizens could again afford a night out at the pictures. The suburbs saw many new cinemas built, until it was curtailed by wartime building restrictions in 1941. Join Royce Harris of the Cinema and Theatre Historical Society (CATHS) as we explore the cinema experience of the 30s as well as take a look at the buildings themselves, which were moderne variations of the Art Deco architecture of the time.
Several of these cinemas, including the Rivoli in Camberwell and the Yarraville Sun, are still screening but you will also discover many long forgotten gems.
Bookings are essential with a gold coin for entry.

Nature and Culture: Eugene von Guérard and the landscape of Victoria’s Camperdown region
2024-08-12 18:00 - 20:00 | ZOOM, Join from anywhere in the world
SPECIAL GUEST LECTURE by Dr Ruth Pullin
in preparation for our Spring Bus Tour
DATE: Thursday 12 September 2024
TIME: 6.00 pm start
LOCATION A Zoom link will be sent with a reminder before the session.
COST: $15 members AGHS, $15 Friends RBG, $20 non-members
BOOKINGS: Via TryBooking link below
ENQUIRIES: LYNDA ENTWISLE – Mobile: 0466 925 370

AGM and Speaker Series - City of Protest? Melbourne and its history of dissent
2024-07-31 19:30 - 21:30 | Murrumbeena Bowls Club, 10 Blackwood Street, Carnegie, VIC, 3163, Australia
We invite members and friends of Glen Eira Historical Society to join us at our AGM followed by a presentation from Margaret Anderson FFAHS, Director Old Treasury Building, on our city’s history of protest.
Melbourne’s history of protest reaches back to the very first decade after Europeans first made their homes here. It has continued unabated ever since. In this presentation Margaret Anderson will reflect on some of the issues that have stirred Melburnians to take to the streets. From the 1840s to the present, protest has formed a part of our robust democracy.
Gold coin donation – Supper provided – Drinks purchased from the bar
Bookings – https://www.trybooking.com/CTCKU
Enquiries to: gehs@optusnet.com.au

Rare Book Week: Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute
2024-07-26 13:00 - 15:00 | Ballaarat Mechanics Institute, 117-119 Sturt St, Ballarat Central, VIC, 3350, Australia
An introduction to the Collection
Speaker: Ellen Becker
Established in central Ballarat in 1859, the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Collection is of historical significance as the largest and most intact repository of material relating to Mechanics’ Institutes in Victoria, with its rare and valuable items demonstrating the tastes and interests of the inhabitants of a major Victorian regional centre. Staff from the Institute and State Library Victoria will showcase unique items from the Collection with stories to match.
Friday 26th July, 1-3pm
Presented by Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute in partnership with State Library Victoria
Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute, 117-119 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central

Click here to register
This event is part of Rare Book Week.
You can access the full program here.

Historical Society Network Leaders: Victoria-wide Conference and Networking Day, 2024
2024-07-26 09:00 - 15:15 | RHSV Gallery Downstairs, 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
The RHSV wants to bring together the leaders of the many networks of historical societies which exist across Victoria. This event will not be Zoomed as a key aim is for leaders to meet with peers from across Victoria and then to share their findings with their member societies.
COST:
The event is FREE to each leader + one-two other network members who are prepared to share their experiences and knowledge with their network afterwards AND as long as they or their historical society is a member of the RHSV. We understand that not all organisations which are members of these networks are members of the RHSV however, because we are a member-supported organisation we can only extend the free tickets and travel reimbursement to those attending who are both representing a historical society network AND that they are a member of the RHSV or of an affiliated member society of the RHSV.
For those who aren’t members there is a small fee ($20) to cover catering.
Includes all-day refreshments and lunch.TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT:
For long-distance travel and the accompanying accommodation some reimbursement by the RHSV will be available if your network cannot help support you.
Reimbursement can be up to $50 in total if the attendee resides 50-150kms from Melbourne and up to $150 in total if the attendee resides beyond 150kms.
An expense claim can be completed below. Please submit your reimbursement request AFTER the event. Once again, we can only financially assist those attendees who are both representing a historical society network AND that they are a member of the RHSV or of an affiliated member society of the RHSV.

ENQUIRIES
Bookings close on Friday 19 July.
Enquiries: HSSC Chair, Dr Rosalie Triolo FRHSV hssc@historyvictoria.org.au
BOOKINGS
below on this website page.
For emergencies on day: 03 9326 9288 or office@historyvictoria.org.au

FRIDAY 26 JULY PROGRAM

Each session invites questions and sharing of success stories, especially solutions to shared challenges
9:00am REGISTRATION tea/coffee and ‘introducing yourself to others’ activity on arrival
9:45–10.00am PROGRAM STARTAcknowledgement of Country and welcome: RHSV PresidentEmeritus Professor Richard Broome, AM, FAHA, FRHSV, FFAHSWelcome, aims of the day and housekeeping: HSSC Chair Rosalie Triolo
10.00–10:45am PRESENTATION 1: Helen Laffin and Rosalie Triolo, ‘Building capacity: Attracting and keeping community interest’
10:45–11:30am PRESENTATION 2: Graham Goulding OAM, ‘Going for grants: Helpful hints’
11:30am–11:45am MORNING TEA

11:45am–12:30pm PRESENTATION 3: Craige Proctor, ‘Requiem for the Newsletter?Does the newsletter still have a role for historical societies in the social media world?’
12:30–1:30pm LUNCH and mingling/networking
1:30–2:15pm PRESENTATION 4: Rosemary Cameron, ‘Creating engaging events’
2:15–3.00pm FORUM DISCUSSION: Participants and speakers take earlier discussions further or raise new topics for discussion by all
3.00-3.15pm ROUND UP AND CLOSE: Rosalie Triolo

ABSTRACTS and SPEAKERS
Building capacity: Attracting and keeping community interest – Helen Laffin & Rosalie TrioloHelen will share practical knowledge from her experiences in the heritage sector in relation to generating and keeping the interest of community members. Volunteers are crucial to successful operations but planning and a positive attitude are essential.
Rosalie will offer further strategies for attracting visitors, members, volunteers and leaders of diverse skillsets and cultural backgrounds. ‘Bigger picture’ thinking is necessary; only then will the stories of peoples past and present in our communities have greater chance of being understood and cared for into the future.
Helen holds a Master of Cultural Heritage, Deakin University, and is currently Heritage Collections Co-ordinator at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. She is also part of the City of Whitehorse Arts and Culture team which oversees Schwerkolt Cottage Museum Complex and the Whitehorse Artspace. She has a strong interest in local history and collection management and has worked as staff or volunteer at many small and large collections in Melbourne including Melbourne’s Living Museum of the West, CERES Community Environment Park archives, and Coburg Historical Society.
Rosalie has enjoyed over 40 years in History education, including multiple, long-term, volunteer Victorian and national association leadership, advocacy, presentation and publication roles for which she has received many awards; has worked in general public, as well as tertiary, secondary and primary education History contexts; has taught Australian history in diverse Victorian government schools; and facilitated the development of specialist teachers of History for 25 years at Monash University.
Going for Grants: Helpful Hints – Graham Goulding
Preparing grant applications can be daunting and difficult but those few words should not deter anyone from making applications. This session will provide the helpful hints that can make a difference and will focus on what has been learnt in over forty years of writing grant applications for many organisations.
Graham is a retired teacher who has been applying for grants since the 1980s, beginning with grants to support his work in education. In retirement, he has been writing for Gippsland Immigration Park in Morwell (since 2005), the Walhalla Board of Management which looks after government properties in Walhalla (2009-21) and the Moe & District Historical Society (since 2001). The total funds obtained exceeds $250,000.
‘Requiem for the Newsletter? Does the newsletter still have a role for historical societies in the social media world?’ – Craige ProctorMany societies continue to produce regular newsletters as well as maintain an online presence to engage with members; other groups have retired the newsletter. How do and should these media differ? This presentation considers the relative merits of each and asks if the traditional newsletter still has a role. Do the digital natives among our communities expect something different these days? In migrating to online engagement, are we at risk of losing something?
Craige produced the Mortlake & District Historical Society’s newsletter for 14 years. Since 2022, he has produced the Western Victorian Association of Historical Societies newsletter, receiving and reading a great many newsletters from western Victorian societies. Craige made his first foray into managing Facebook pages for historical bodies in 2011 and presented for RHSV, 2014-17, on how societies might engage with their communities via social media. He supported several groups in developing their online presence.
Creating Engaging Events – Rosemary Cameron
Rosemary will give a very practical talk with templates of timelines, simple budgets and to-do lists. She will take participants through workshopping ideas to keep events fresh and engaging with advice on how to ramp up events from a simple talk to a conference. She will cover value-adding and making sure organisers always work within their own resources.
Rosemary has spent most of her career in theatre and literary festival management which is effectively event management. For several years she ran Tour Guides Australia, so she also understands how to create good tours. She organises a variety of RHSV events. She is the former director of the Melbourne Writers Festival which had some 400+ events over 10 days (2005–09) and the Brisbane Writers Festival (2003-05).

NETWORKS OF HISTORICAL SOCIETIES
This is a list of the networks of historical societies which we know exist across Victoria. There may be more. And there may be people interested in setting up networks for areas not currently covered. Please contact the RHSV if your society is part of a network NOT listed below or your society is interested in forming a new network to cover currently unrepresented areas. (office@historyvictoria.org.au | 9326 9288)

Western Victorian Association of Historical Societies Midlands Zone
Western Victorian Association of Historical Societies Southern Zone
Western Victorian Association of Historical Societies Wimmera Zone
Eastern Regional Association of Historical Societies (eastern suburbs of Melbourne including Shires of Nillumbik, Yarra Ranges and Murrundindi, Cities of Monash, Whitehorse, Boroondara, Maroondah, Knox, Greater Dandenong & Banyule)
Heritage Network East Gippsland
South Gippsland Historical Network
Wellington Shire Heritage Network
Gippsland Association of Affiliated Historical Societies (GAAHS)
Gippsland Cataloguing Network
Golden Plains History and Heritage Network
Latrobe Combined History Groups
Australian Alpine and Snowsports Historical Societies (Falls Creek & Mt Buller)
Mornington Peninsula Local History Network (Shire of Mornington Peninsula, City of Frankston)
South Eastern Historical Association (SE Melbourne: Cities of Greater Dandenong, Casey, Bayside, Kingston and Frankston; Shires of Mornington Peninsula, Bass Coast and Cardinia)
South Metro Network (Cities of Stonnington, Bayside, Glen Eira, Port Phillip, Monash and Kingston)
Central Highlands Historical Association (City of Ballarat, Rural City of Ararat, Shires of Pyrenees, Heburn, Moorabool, Golden Plains, Central Goldfields and Mount Alexander)
Geelong & District Historical Association
Boroondara Historical Societies Association
Yarra Plenty Heritage Group (Cities of Banyule and Whittlesea, Shire of Nillumbik)
Yarra Ranges History and Heritage Group (Shires of Yarra Ranges and Cardinia, Cities of Greater Dandenong and Banyule)
Western Metropolitan Group of Historical Societies (Cities of Wyndham, Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, Brimbank, Melton, Whittlesea, Moonee Valley and Hume)
Surf Coast Shire Heritage Committee

Expense Reimbursement form
This form is for claiming reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses for the Network Meeting on 26 July 2024

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Description of reimbursement. Please be as detailed as possible "petrol for Bairnsdale - Melbourne return 280km" or "Accommodation Melbourne Radisson Hotel 1 night $120"Total reimbursement $ amountBank account name for reimbursementBank Account BSB Number (branch number)Bank Account NumberReceipt/s attached

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CATALOGUING CLINICS 2024
2024-07-25 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 2024, however, we do ask you to register each month as this enables Jillian to send you extra material / links etc after each session.
The remaining Cataloguing Clinics in 2024 will be held at

Thu 25 Jul 11am – 12noon (AEST)
Thu 22 Aug 11am – 12noon (AEST)
Thu 26 Sep 11am – 12noon (AEST)
Thu 24 Oct 11am – 12noon (AEDT)
Thu 28 Nov 11am – 12noon (AEDT)

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZYqcO-hqD8uH92SLyLFy8RywYTvMs4EraaZ/ics?icsToken=[REDACTED]
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82776964459?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 827 7696 4459
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Rare Book Week: Rare Book and Materials Collecting in Libraries
2024-07-24 18:30 - 19:30 | Prahran Mechanics Institute, 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia
Past, present and future
Facilitator: Judith Elllis. Panelists: Ellen Coates, Jillian Hiscock and Anne Holloway
Join experts from PMI Victorian History Library, Royal Historical Society of Victoria and Monash University in a panel discussion of how libraries collect rare books, what we do with them, how we make them accessible and collecting rare materials into the future. See behind the scenes and uncover the stories and treasures that go into shaping our rare book collections today and into the future. The event concludes with a Q&A session.
Wednesday 24th July, 6.30-7.30pm
Presented by PMI Victorian History Library
39 St. Edmonds Road, Prahran
Click here to register
This event is part of Rare Book Week.
You can access the full program here.
