The Royal Historical Society of Victoria (RHSV) was formed in 1909 and is a community-based organisation committed to collecting, researching and sharing an understanding of the history of Victoria.
With the support of a large number of volunteers, the RHSV provides a full program of activities such as lectures, seminars, excursions and exhibitions for the benefit of members and the general public.
Regular events each year include History Month (October), Women’s History Month (March), the Emerging Historians event in partnership with Professional Historians Australia, participation in Rare Book Week and the Victorian Community History Awards. We organise a biennial conference and have the key note speaker deliver the Augustus Wolskel lecture. We also have a series of Distinguished Lectures each year including the Weston Bate Oration, Hugh Anderson Lecture, Women’s History Month Lecture, Indigenous History Lecture, Paul Mullaly Law + History lecture, Gwenda D. M. Jones Memorial lecture and AGL Shaw lecture (in partnership with the C J La Trobe Society) .
Publications
The RHSV publishes six newsletters per year (History News), a reviewed journal (Victorian Historical Journal) and books of historical interest. Our activities are open to all Victorians.
Membership
Today, the Society has over 900 individual members, as well as functioning as the umbrella organisation for more than 350 local and specialist historical societies throughout Victoria. RHSV membership is open to those who have an interest in history and who wish to join.
The Collection
The RHSV’s collection is used extensively by local history and family researchers, post-graduate students, authors and commercial enterprises. We offer personal advice and assistance to individual researchers and a research service to business organisations and government agencies. We host visits to our collections and exhibitions from the public, community groups and schools, and maintain links with State and local government through membership of advisory committees and boards.
The Royal Historical Society of Victoria is a member of the Federation of Australian Historical Societies.
RHSV Heritage Committee
The RHSV Heritage Committee conducts robust campaigns to preserve Victoria’s built and cultural heritage.
Read the RHSV Heritage Committee’s submissions.
239 A'Beckett Street Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 
03 9326 9288 
office@historyvictoria.org.au 
Office & Library: Weekdays 9am-5pm
