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.

A beguiling photographic collection of the faded signs and half-hidden logos of Melbourne, revealing the historic tales — big and small — of this ever-changing city. From the gold-rush years to the Swinging Sixties, from Robur Tea to Tarax soft drinks, this city can never settle. In a process of continual renewal, old buildings are incorporated into new, both uncovering and obscuring snippets of history. Ghost signs provide hints to our common heritage, ready to be picked up by the keen eye and quick shutter.