The National Archives of Australia (NAA) and RHSV are proud to co-present this event with eminent historian, Professor Graeme Davison. Professor Davison, in response to the NAA's current exhibition, Reception this way: motels – a sentimental journey with Tim Ross | naa.gov.au , will discuss the motel which was the most popular of a suite of American-inspired innovations that transformed Australia’s towns and suburbs in the 1950s and 60s: the drive-in cinema, the service station, the drive-in bottle shop and hotel, the carport and the drive-in shopping centre. In his book, The Australian Ugliness, architect Robin Boyd decried the excesses of what he dubbed ‘Austerica’ but also hoped to civilise the form. Meanwhile ordinary Australians simply enjoyed the new possibilities of travel, leisure and convenience that the car and the drive-in world offered.

Please join us for the launch of this re-imagined second edition of Weston Bate's history
THE STORY OF MELBOURNE'S LANES: Essential but Unplanned
Weston Bate, Richard Broome, Nicole Davis, Andrew May, Helen Stitt

David Thompson will take you behind the scenes of our current exhibition, Melbourne's Storied Laneways which David curated. The exhibition was prompted by the upcoming publication of  The Story of
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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.