Jackie Watts will deliver an informal presentation on her short paper, entitled: “Capturing the past to inform the future”, and a discussion on issues arising from the 2024 International Congress on Maritime Museums conference. Worldwide, it seems that, regardless of assets, infrastructure or funding, many museums are dealing with emerging issues and struggling for relevance. The 2024 Conference of the ICMM, held in Netherlands and Belgium, has just ended and Jackie Watts, inaugural Chair of the Melbourne Maritime Heritage Network Board, was a speaker at the conference, delivering  the above paper.

We are delighted to host this conversation between author Jane Sullivan and historian/author Dr Andrew Lemon to mark the publication of Jane's book, Murder in Punch Lane. Inspired by real events and people, Murder in Punch Lane is a dark and gripping crime novel that maps the sins and secrets of nineteenth-century Melbourne. Jane Sullivan is an author and literary journalist who loves books and has always written about them.

This full day seminar is co-presented by the Royal Historical Society of Victoria and the Genealogical Society of Victoria. Discover the hidden stories in Victoria’s cemetery records when you join us for this enlightening seminar where leading experts will reveal how cemetery records can be a treasure trove for local and family historians. Learn techniques to deepen your research and unearth fascinating stories about the past. Explore the past and enrich your research with insights gleaned from cemeteries. Whether you are a seasoned historian or just starting your journey, this seminar is an invaluable opportunity to enhance your research skills and connect with a community of history enthusiasts.

John Auchterlonie Creelman: a ship’s surgeon and colonial doctor, 1848 to 1889 presented by Lorraine Finlay.
An Edinburgh University graduate who arrived in Melbourne in January 1848, Creelman led an eventful career in regional towns as a doctor, a coroner and public vaccinator and was a medical witness in a notorious criminal case. Despite his government appointments and the income from his private practices life was a constant financial struggle during the pre and post gold rush era.

RHSV’s Historical Societies Support Committee (HSSC) is delighted to offer a bumper professional learning event for 2024 in-person at our home in the Drill Hall and by Zoom, globally. The program offers an exciting and practical selection of popular sessions from recent years. There will be time in every session and at day’s end for questions, answers and sharing of experiences and resources, with all focusing on solutions to challenges. Lunch and morning tea are included.

Every year the Professional Historians Association of Australia Vic & Tas, in partnership with the RHSV, ask three 'emerging' historians about their work. In 2024 we've asked these historians to reflect on how the spoken word has influenced their history. Andrew Lemon (RHSV) and Sophie Couchman (PHA) will be our MCs for the evening.

We look forward to hearing from our three historians at this event: Dr Hannay Viney, Dr Mia Martin Hobbs and Dr Aleksander Potocnik.