Past Events
February 2021
Trove for Beginners
Trove is a National Library of Australia website which provides access to historic newspapers, photographs, and much more. Come along to this session to learn what’s available on Trove, and some tips and tricks to find what you’re looking for. Recommended for beginners.
March 2021
Discover Your Military Ancestors
Want to learn more about your family's military history? Discover the huge range of military records you can search online, and find out what your ancestors did during the wars of the 20th century. Recommended for beginners with basic computer skills. Bookings required as places are limited to allow for social distancing. Image from the Argus Newspaper Collection of Photographs, State Library of Victoria. 'Soldiers striking camp at Williamstown, WWII.'
BRAZEN HUSSIES: Film Screening and Q&A
BRAZEN HUSSIES reveals a revolutionary chapter in Australian history, the Women's Liberation Movement (1965 -1975). Interweaving freshly uncovered archival footage, personal photographs, memorabilia and lively personal accounts from activists, BRAZEN HUSSIES shows us how a daring and diverse group of women joined forces to defy the status quo, demand equality and create profound social change - contributing to one of the greatest social movements of the 20th Century. Join us in celebrating International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month with…
April 2021
Finding Families
Hobsons Bay Libraries' experienced heritage staff will demonstrate how to search for your ancestors across a variety of online platforms, including Victorian Births Deaths and Marriages records, Ancestry, historic newspapers, and immigration records. Find out important family dates, where your ancestors worked, and what they did for a living. Recommended for beginners. Basic computer skills recommended. Bookings are essential and spaces are limited. This event is part of the Australian Heritage Festival.
May 2021
Discover Our Collections: Heritage @ Williamstown Library
Williamstown Library is the home base for Hobsons Bay Libraries Heritage Collection, dedicated to preserving the history of Hobsons Bay from historic maps and photographs to newspaper and local books. The Library’s Heritage Room houses microform readers, a high-res scanner, interactive touch table, and a regularly changing array of local history exhibitions. Come along for an introduction to what’s on offer, and learn how we can help you out with your local and family history research. Bookings are essential and…
July 2021
Trove for Beginners
Trove is a National Library of Australia website which provides access to historic newspapers, photographs, and much more. Come along to this session to learn what’s available on Trove, and some tips and tricks to find what you’re looking for. Some computer skills recommended.
Book Club: Benevolence
To acknowledge and celebrate the 2021 NAIDOC Week theme Heal Country!, Lenka Vanderboom is running a special Book Club event exploring Benevolence by Julie Janson. Benevolence is set around the Hawkesbury River area, the home of the Darug people, in Parramatta and Sydney, 1816–35. The intensely visual prose interweaves historical events with detailed characterisation to shatter stereotypes and gives voice to an Aboriginal experience of early settlement. Author Julie Janson is a Burruberongal woman of Darug Aboriginal Nation. Lenka Vanderboom…
September 2021
‘The Lucas Girls’: 100 Years of Women’s Footy
Join historian-filmmaker Bel Ensor and sport historian Dr Rob Hess for a screening of the short film 'Lucas Girls' and a discussion about the 1918 Lucas Girls football team and the history of women in Aussie Rules.
May 2022
Getting started with using DNA for family history research
DNA testing has become a more affordable and increasingly popular way for people to explore their family history. This session will cover the types of DNA relevant to genealogy, where to buy a DNA test for genealogy purposes, and how to get additional tests for free. The session will also include a discussion on why 'ethnicity' estimates are not the most effective way to trace your family history. This session is the first of three DNA genealogy sessions running consecutively…
Who are these people? Understanding your DNA match list
This session will cover estimating your relationship to your DNA matches to potentially place them in your family tree. The session will also highlight some important considerations when deciding to take a DNA test for genealogy purposes. This session is the second of three DNA genealogy sessions running consecutively at Williamstown Library on this day. Sessions will build on each other but you can choose to attend one, two or all three sessions. Walk ins welcome.
Case studies – practical examples of using DNA for family history research
This session will present case studies that demonstrate how DNA testing can be used to solve mysteries and breakdown brick walls in your family history research. This session is the third of three DNA genealogy sessions running consecutively at Williamstown Library on this day. Sessions will build on each other but you can choose to attend one, two or all three sessions. Walk ins welcome.
May 2023
Back From the Dead: resuscitation and defibrillation
In the lead-up to National Volunteer Week join us for an afternoon tea with Dr Allan Mawdsley, from St John Ambulance Historical Society, as we launch the latest exhibition at Williamstown Library: Back from the Dead. From early equipment to the latest technology, see firsthand the progress that has been made in bringing people Back from the Dead through resuscitation and defibrillation. The launch will include a special presentation on the contribution of St John Ambulance to the local community…
239 A'Beckett Street Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 
03 9326 9288 
office@historyvictoria.org.au 
Office & Library: Weekdays 9am-5pm
