About the RAHS

The Royal Australian Historical Society is a voluntary organisation founded in Sydney in 1901 to encourage Australians to understand more about their history. It has a membership throughout Australia and all its activities and facilities are funded by contributions from its members and benefactors.

The Royal Australian Historical Society is a cultural organisation which works for the benefit of its members and the broader community to:

• promote interest in Australian history

• advance the study of Australian history, and

• broaden opportunities for participation in historical research.

Individuals, historical societies and libraries are all welcome to join the Royal Australian Historical Society. This website includes information on our home, History House, and how to hire its reception rooms and auditorium. There are also lists of our Presidents, Fellows and Councillors, information on our motto, articles about the Society's own history and a list of current Councillors and staff.

The Royal Australian Historical Society

• organises lectures and workshops, functions, walks, talks and visits on a wide variety of topics in Australian history
• stages an annual conference which addresses current historical issues, particularly in the area of local history and heritage
• publishes four issues of History magazine each year and two issues of the Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society.
• maintains a research library with an extensive collection of resources, including pictorial resources, on all aspects of Australian history
• provides a computerised database for easy access to our collections, particularly in the area of local history and heritage
• offers a research service to members, affiliated societies and members of the public on a fee for service basis
• provides an information referral centre for Society members and members of the public who contact the Society on a range of topics relating to history
• offers education prizes to students of history in NSW schools
• administers grants on behalf of the New South Wales government for the promotion of heritage (Heritage Office of New South Wales) and the writing and publication of local history (NSW Ministry for the Arts)
• works closely with local historical societies, community history and heritage societies and special interest groups involved in the field of Australian history
• provides Public Liability and Personal Accident voluntary Workers insurance schemes for community history and heritage societies affiliated with the Royal Australian Historical Society

The Society also extends its facilities to local and regional historical, heritage and special interest societies. Over 360 such organisations throughout NSW are affiliated with the Royal Australian Historical Society.