Victorian History Events
Calendar of Events
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1 event,
Gotcha! Concrete Prints from the McEwans Celebrity Pavement
Who remembers the McEwans celebrity pavement?
Between 1972 and 1994, scores of celebrities had their hand- and footprints immortalised in cement at the entrance of the McEwans hardware store in Bourke Street. Shopping for a hammer or a hair-dryer, you’d step in the prints of actors, musicians, sportspeople, writers, dancers, politicians, an astronaut, a racehorse – even an operatic dog.
Curated by Robyn Annear, 'Gotcha!' presents 40 of the surviving prints from the McEwans pavement, together with stories of the celebrities who made them and newspaper images that capture the mood of the times.
2 events,
Zoom lecture: Gardens and land management in Western Victoria
Zoom lecture: Gardens and land management in Western Victoria
Zoom lecture: Gardens and land management in Western Victoria Winter online zoom lecture by Dr Raymond Madden, Senior Lecturer, Anthropologist, in the School of Social Sciences, La Trobe University James Dawson, (1806-1900), was a prominent pastoralist in the colonial history of western Victoria. In 1881 he published, ‘ Australian Aborigines: The Languages and Customs of Several Tribes
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2 events,
Rare Book Week: ‘Good price, reliable recipes, great photos’
Rare Book Week: ‘Good price, reliable recipes, great photos’
Australian Women’s Weekly cookbooks and their influence on Australian food culture Speaker: Dr Lauren Samuelsson The Australian Women’s Weekly’scookbooks were (and still are) remarkably popular. The Weekly, Australia’s most popular women’s magazine, started publishing a range of cookbooks from the late 1930s, but it was during the 1970s when their cookbooks became incredibly popular. Many of the Weekly’s cookbooks, whether
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3 events,
Incinerator History Tours
Incinerator History Tours
Discover the captivating history of the Essendon incinerator on our monthly volunteer-led history tour. Strategically located near parkland and residences, this iconic structure emerged in 1929, revolutionising waste disposal was designed by the offices of visionary architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin. Join us as our knowledgeable guides unveil the ‘Destructor’s’ transformative journey,
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Rare Book Week: The Mysteries and Mayhem of Early Melbourne
Rare Book Week: The Mysteries and Mayhem of Early Melbourne
Speakers: Jane Sullivan and Lucy Sussex Melbourne has always had its underbelly of crime, inspiring crime fiction detectives from Mary Fortune and Fergus Hume to Peter Temple’s ‘Jack Irish’. Join Jane, whose latest novel Murder in Punch Lane, is a thriller inspired by real events and people in 1868 Melbourne, and Lucy, who in 2025 will publish Outrageous Fortunes, a
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2 events,
Labassa Open Day
Labassa Open Day
Experience the complex richness of Labassa’s architectural and human history. Although more than 700 people have lived at Labassa, it has miraculously survived with most of its opulent Victorian era decoration intact. 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
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2 events,
Rare Book Week: Olympic Treasures in the Melbourne Cricket Club Library
Rare Book Week: Olympic Treasures in the Melbourne Cricket Club Library
In September 2023, the MCC Library celebrated its 150th anniversary. To mark this milestone, 150 items were selected from the collection, to be rotated as part of a special display throughout the year. During Melbourne Rare Book Week, the chosen items will all feature the Olympic Games, to coincide with the 2024 Paris Games opening on
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3 events,
Some Rambles with the Campbells
Some Rambles with the Campbells
Some rambles with the Campbells – The life and times of Western District pastoralist politician, and Anglican vicar, Colin Campbell (1817-1903) and his family. This talk with Dr. Ian Clark will cover Colin Campbell and his wife Frances Campbell (née McWhirter) and their relationship with the Djabwurrung Aboriginal people of the Buangor district. Colin Campbell
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Rare Book Week: Sands and McDougall Directories for Use and Amusement
Rare Book Week: Sands and McDougall Directories for Use and Amusement
Speaker: Fiona Campbell What are the Sands and McDougall directories? These often-massive volumes were produced from 1857 to 1974 and are an invaluable resource for local and family history research. Find out how you can access and use them for your research, and enjoy some of their more entertaining aspects, with local history librarian, Fiona
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6 events,
Family History Workshops
Family History Workshops
👩🏽👩🏽👦🏽👦🏽 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 -
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Rare Book Week: E.W. Cole and his Book Arcade
Rare Book Week: E.W. Cole and his Book Arcade
Presented by Jodi Kok A look at the life and exploits of E.W. Cole, creator of Cole’s Funny Picture Book and owner of the famous Cole’s Book Arcade. Cole was a canny businessman, a visionary, and a true believer in everyone having the right to access books. We will take a look at some treasures from the Library’s
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Rare Book Week: North Melbourne Ghost Signs
Rare Book Week: North Melbourne Ghost Signs
Cultural archaeology in Haunted Hotham Speaker: Sean Reynolds You’ve likely stumbled upon them, roaming the winding streets of North Melbourne—ghost signs, those timeworn remnants of advertisements past, keepers of tales hidden in plain sight. Join Sean, the madcap maestro behind the Instagram cult-hit ‘Melbourne Ghost Signs’, for a night drenched in stories, histories and mysteries. Rendezvous
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2 events,
Rare Book Week: Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute
Rare Book Week: Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute
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
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2 events,
AGM and Speaker Series – City of Protest? Melbourne and its history of dissent
AGM and Speaker Series – City of Protest? Melbourne and its history of dissent
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
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239 A'Beckett Street Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 
03 9326 9288 
office@historyvictoria.org.au 
Office & Library: Weekdays 9am-5pm
