Anthony George Maldon (AGM) Michell was undoubtedly one of the greatest Australian engineers. A prolific inventor, he is best known for his tilting pad thrust bearing. It remains one of the greatest inventions in lubrication science, and revolutionised ship propulsion – without it, modern shipping would not be possible. Michell made significant contributions to Australia’s proud engineering heritage, and is truly one of our unsung heroes.

Her sumptuous book, In the Name of Theatre, is a kind of encyclopaedia of the Victorian stage. From the early colonial settlement when entertainment included the viewing of executions or dissections of bodies of the executed, amateur theatre has come a long way. This book is a celebration of and for theatre lovers across Victoria. It is lit by an inner passion which all of us share.

The History Writers' Group which is led by Dr Cheryl Griffin meets monthly on the 4th Tuesday of each month from 11:30am - 1pm and these events are hybrid - some people choose to meet at the RHSV and others will Zoom in. This is a very interactive group which shares information and assists each other with problems they have encountered in their history writing.

Every year the RHSV hosts a fabulous second-hand history book fair where we sell history books of every imaginable genre. Victorian and Australian history dominate but you'll find biographies, war history, art history, natural history, classics, children's books, political and social history etc