EXHIBITION LAUNCH: MELBOURNE’S STORIED LANEWAYS
RHSV Gallery Downstairs 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaPLEASE JOIN US FOR THE LAUNCH OF MELBOURNE'S STORIED LANEWAYS Launched by Julian O'Shea Curated by David Thompson Designed by Daisy Searls Thursday 11 April, 5:30pm - 7pm We all have our favourite Melbourne laneway and curator, David Thompson, has chosen his favourites which reveal some intriguing Melbourne stories. When we think of today's gussied-up
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A G L Shaw Lecture. Anti-Slavery and Protection in Port Phillip and NSW: the Curious Colonial Afterlife of the 1837 Select Committee Report on Aborigines
RHSV Gallery Downstairs 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaThe AGL Shaw lecture has been presented in partnership with the C J La Trobe Society for many years. It is one of the RHSV's Distinguished Lectures and we are thrilled that, in 2024, Professor Penny Edmonds from the Flinders University will be delivering the lecture. In 1838 Quaker James Backhouse posted the 1837 Report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Aboriginal Tribes (British Settlements) ‘hot off the press’ from Cape Town to key figures he had met in the Australian colonies, including missionary George Langhorne, with instructions for it to be sent to Police Magistrate Foster Fyans and Captain William Lonsdale in Port Phillip. The much-studied 1837 report is often described as the ‘blueprint’ for imperial reform and the protection of Aboriginal peoples in the colonies. Backhouse sent the report to New South Wales including to three men of influence whom he had met in Sydney – the Colonial Secretary Alexander McLeay, police magistrate Archibald Innes and Reverend John Saunders. These three men would be central to the formation of the Sydney branch of the Aborigines’ Protection Society or the ‘Australian APS’, suggesting that the report’s distribution was part of a transimperial moment of humanitarian activism.
Gotcha! Concrete Prints from the McEwans Celebrity Pavement
City Gallery 110 Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaWho 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.
South Yarra Water Works Company (1854 – 1863)
RHSV Gallery Downstairs 239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaOur first co-presentation with Engineering Heritage Victoria in 2024 will be by Ken McInnes who will explore the history, the entrepreneurs, the engineers, the operations, the expansion and the demise of the short lived South Yarra Water Works Company (1854 – 1863). In 1854, 170 years ago, Yan Yean Reservoir was completed. Over the following ten years water was progressively reticulated to the houses and businesses of Melbourne and its suburbs.
Family History Workshops
39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC 3181 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, 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 -
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Leongatha Historical Society Annual ANZAC lunch
The Society’s annual Anzac lunch will be at the Leongatha RSL at 12 noon on 24 April. The speaker will be Jillian Durance of Mojarra who will talk on the Kongwak Avenue of Honour. Please join us for lunch or come along and hear Jillian speak. Jillian has carried out much research on soldiers from
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Chapel Street Walks – An Australian Heritage Festival Event
39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC 3181 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, Australia🏛️ Chapel Street Walks - An Australian Heritage Festival Event Meet at the PMI Victorian History Library then step into a charming adventure. Discover the tales of yesteryear's department stores on Chapel Street, Prahran. An all-inclusive experience, perfect for everyone – families, individuals, and even your beloved pets! The tour will be led by Steve
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ANZACs of Coburg Cemetery
The Friends of Coburg Cemetery have something special lined up, and would love for you to join them! They're holding a special ANZAC Day tour that's all about exploring the history and experiences of Australians during wartime. ANZACs of Coburg Cemetery Date: ANZAC Day - 25 April 2024 Time: 1:30 Location: Coburg Cemetery, Bell/Elizabeth Street,
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Trivia Night: Celebrating 170 years of the PMI Victorian History Library
39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC 3181 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, VIC, Australia📚 Trivia Night: Celebrating 170 years of the PMI Victorian History Library We're absolutely thrilled to share the news that our beloved library is turning a remarkable 170 years old this year. And to celebrate we are hosting a trivia night! With questions covering our library history, and elements of Victoria's history like, nature, sport,
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CATALOGUING CLINICS 2024
ZOOM Join from anywhere in the worldJoin 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.
239 A'Beckett Street Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 
03 9326 9288 
office@historyvictoria.org.au 
Office & Library: Weekdays 9am-5pm
