Historian Dr Liz Rushen will take you behind the scenes of our current exhibition, Garryowen's Melbourne which Liz curated. The exhibition grew out of the research Liz had done for her book, Garryowen Unmasked: The Life of Edmund Finn, which was launched earlier this year and was aided by her deep knowledge of the RHSV collection and its treasures.

The tour will be followed by afternoon tea.

In 2023 we organised a tour of Trades Hall and everyone on the tour said it was exceptional and that Antony Moore, the guide, was worth bottling. So, in 2024, we'll be hosting another tour with Antony but with a great addition.  From 2pm - 3:30pm you'll be touring Trades Hall with Antony and then we'll skip over the road to the Curtin Hotel where so much Labor history has played out and, over a drink, David Cragg, will enlighten us with more Labor history.

Two world wars, a global depression and the Cold War transformed the social fabric of Australia. For many teachers with a desire to make a better world for women and children, this meant action beyond the classroom. Presented by Dr Cheryl Griffin, this presentation looks at how prominent Victorian teacher and activist Doris McRae addressed social, industrial and political issues such as equal pay and employment opportunities for women.

What better defines a city than its street corners? A corner gives you a starting point, a destination and a place to turn. It’s furnished with pillar boxes, newsstands and tram stops, and lamp-posts for light and lounging. Where would you be likeliest to find a pub? At the corner, of course. And who better than Robyn Annear to usher you around the corners of Melbourne, and reveal their bizarre, baroque and mostly forgotten stories?