The Royal Australian Historical Society offers members a calendar of activities.
These include:
This page was last updated on 22 May 2009.
Tuesday 26 May, 2 & 9 June 2009
Lecture Series : WEA Lectures in conjunction with the RAHS
Writing and recording family history
You are a beginning or an advanced researcher and you have some ideas already about the kind of family history you want to write and publish but still you hesitate to write. You would like some help in sorting out writing formats and historical approaches. Come along to this course and learn more about styles of writing, e.g. biography, oral history, family history and memoir, and how these might be incorporated into your plan for the family history. Learn how to include references, other histories, documents, oral stories, anecdote, questions, ideas and facts more skillfully and creatively into your family history. Come along and develop the practical skills, confidence and motivation to write that book!
Week 1: Writing history requires passion, compassion and a sense of humour! Bring all of this along to learn how to connect your research to your writing, how NOT to write a history of everything and how to begin that first important draft.
Week 2: Did you know that writing family history is mostly about asking questions? The first question might be: who are you writing for? And, what format will you choose for your family history? Have you studied all of the options? The range of formats can vary from simple compilations to memoir and even fiction. Use this week to choose a format, ask questions and begin planning for your family history.
Week 3: Are you too sentimental, too romantic, too ready to overstate? Learn how to use nostalgia and passion to write your stories well. We'll look at referencing, the more critical use of documents, and how to incorporate oral stories, other histories, anecdotes, questions, ideas and facts more skillfully and creatively into your family history.
Presenter: Dr Noeline Kyle who has published widely in the fields of women's history, biography, education and family history who is currently an honorary Professor at the University of Sydney.
Time: 10.30am to 12.30pm
Cost: $60.00 for three lectures over three weeks
Venue: History House Auditorium, 133 Macquarie St. Sydney
Bookings essential through the WEA on (02) 9264 2781
Wednesday 27 May 2009
Seminar
Maltese Immigration and Settlement in NSW
This seminar examines the immigration of Maltese to NSW and their subsequent settlement. We will look at Maltese history and culture, the holdings of State Records and National Archives to see how these immigrants arrived, settled, got jobs, started businesses and became Australians. Keynote Speaker: John Petersen, Director of the Migration Heritage Centre. Presenters: Mark Caruana, Migration historian and researcher; Fabian Lo Schiavo from State Records & Fiona Burn from NAA. Hosted by State Records and the RAHS and held in Information Awareness Month.
Time: 10.00am to 3pm
Cost: $17.00 [includes lunch]
Venue: History House Auditorium
Bookings on (02) 9247 8001 or history@rahs.org.au
Saturday 30 May 2009
Walk
Bradleys Head
A walk led by RAHS Councillor, David Carment. The landscape at Bradleys Head, much the same as it was before Sydney's establishment, is home for many native animals and birds, some endangered. The Aborigines of the area either belonged to the Cameraigal or the Borogegal groups and they called Bradleys Head "Borogegy". At the safe deepwater anchorage of Athol Bay is Athol Hall, built in 1908 from the ruins of a hotel. Its surrounding lawns comprised a well known "pleasure garden". Fortifications were built at Bradleys Head from 1839 onwards and many of the gun emplacements and rifle ports are still in place. In contrast, between 1890 & 1912, Curlew Camp was the home of famous Australian artists such as Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton, lived in tents along the foreshore and painted the beautiful harbour scenery.
Time: 2.00pm to 4.00pm
Cost: $12.00 Members $17.00 Non-Members
Meeting place: Walk begins and ends at the Athol Hall parking area, just off Bradleys Head Road, Mosman. The parking area turn-off is on the left as one drives towards the zoo [Athol] Wharf.
Special requirements: Participants should be at least moderately fit. Wear good walking shoes and hats, and carry some water.
Caution: The walk cannot take place in wet weather as the bush tracks get slippery very quickly and in places, they are poorly drained. Participants should ring David on 0418857182 to check if the weather is doubtful.
Wednesday 3 June 2009
Day Lecture
Commemorating Australia's World War I Soldiers
Using pictures of Gallipoli and the Western Front, this illustrated talk presented by Dr Lesley Muir will show the battlefield landscapes and the monuments and memorials built in the immediate post-war period, as well as many of the recent buildings and reconstructions that have appeared in the last twenty years as a result of the huge surge in battlefields tourism.
Time: 1pm
Cost: $5.00 members, $7.00 non-members
Venue: History House Auditorium
Thursday 11 June 2009
Talk and Book Launch
Captain John Hunter : the difficulties of governing NSW
Robert Barnes will talk on 'The difficulties of governing NSW' in the context of his new book An unlikely leader: the life and times of Captain John Hunter, who was the 2nd governor of New South Wales. Robert Barnes is a principal of a consultancy who completed his PhD on John Hunter at the University of Melbourne in 2005. After the talk, Shirley Fitzgerald, former City Historian of the City of Sydney will launch the book which is published by Sydney University Press.
Time: 6.00 PM
Cost: Free
Venue: History House Reception Rooms
Wednesday 24 June 2009
Evening Lecture
Charles Darwin's visit to Australia
This year we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin in 1809, and the 150th anniversary of publication of his greatest work On the origin of species in 1859. In 1831 Darwin accepted the offer of a place, self-funded, on HMS Beagle, under Captain Robert FitzRoy, which was to survey the coast of South America. During the voyage, which lasted nearly five years, the Beagle visited Australia in 1836, providing Darwin with the opportunity to observe its geology and unique wildlife over two months. Emeritus Professor Frank Nicholas, who will present this lecture, is co-author of the book Charles Darwin in Australia, first published in 1989, and recently republished in an Anniversary Edition. A joint RAHS and ASHET activity. The publishers, Cambridge University Press, offer the book at a special 20% discount price of $40 to people attending the lecture. Email orders direct to ckirova@cambridge.edu.au and pick up your book at History House at the lecture.
Time: 5.30 for 6pm
Cost: $8 [includes light refreshemnts on arrival]
History House, 133 Macquarie St Sydney
Wednesday 1 July 2009
Day Lecture
How trams spurred suburban settlement in Sydney
With a well advertised exhibition on Sydney's once extensive tram system drawing crowds at the Museum of Sydney, this is an opportune time for us to present a speaker from The Sydney Tramway Museum, which has assisted the MOS in providing many of the items on display. Sydney once boasted one of the largest fleets of trams in the world, over 1,400, operating over 180 miles (290 kms) of routes. Peter McCallum will deliver an illustrated talk on how trams spurred suburban settlement in Sydney. While Peter will focus on examples of this in his eastern suburbs, it will be in the context of the wider Sydney network.
Peter is Education Officer for the Sydney Tramway Museum and a Vice-President of the Waverley Historical Society. He regularly writes on historical topics for a Bondi newspaper.
Time: 1pm
Cost: $5 members, $7.00 non-members
Venue: History House Auditorium
Sunday 12 July 2009
Weekend Interlude
A history of Sydney's Darling Harbour
Dr Wayne Johnson, co-author of the recently published book "A History of Sydney's Darling Harbour" will talk about Darling Harbour from pre-1788 up to its redevelopment in the 1988s. John Dickson commenced operation of his steam engine in 1815, and in doing so also set the wheels in motion for the development of engineering works, foundries, railways and wharves which were to be the dominant feature of the area in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Along with the industries came social developments such as workers' housing and trade unions. Darling Harbour was the scene for many industrial "firsts", including the development of refrigeration at Thomas Mort's works and the construction of iron warships in the 1860s. Today the important industrial and transport hub that was Darling Harbour is virtually forgotten. To celebrate this important part of Australia's history the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority commissioned "A History of Sydney's Darling Harbour" to coincide with the 21st anniversary of the Harbour's redevelopment. Wayne is an archaeologist currently employed by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, Sydney.
Time: 12 noon to approx. 4.30pm
Cost: $25.00 members, $29.00 non-members
Venue: Reception Rooms, History House for a soup and damper lunch before the talk
There is a limit on numbers, so please book early
Wednesday 15 July
Excursion
Sydney Tramway Museum visit
For a century, trams were an important part of everyday life in Sydney, transporting people to work and to play. As they were gradually phased out of Sydney's transport system, tram enthusiasts fought to ensure that future generations would be able to experience tram travel and established their museum at Loftus. The Sydney Tramway Museum opened in the early 1950s in a large corrugated iron shed alongside what is now today the Parklink tramline, on the opposite side of the Princes Highway from the current site. In 1988, the Museum moved to its current premises next to Loftus railway station. Relive your days of tram travel and join other RAHS members on this special excursion to Loftus. You will ride on a Bondi toast-rack tram, or a corridor tram from the 1930s and see the unique prison tram used for transport between Long Bay Gaol and Darlinghurst Court House for more than 40 years which was featured on the back cover of the last HISTORY Magazine. Your guide will be Peter McCallum, presenter of the July Day Lecture.
Time: Meet at the museum gate at 10.30am for the RAHS guided tour.
Cost: Adults $16.00,Pensioners/Seniors $11.00 [includes unlimited tram rides and museum entry]
Getting there: By train [at own cost] - travel to Sutherland Station then toLoftus Station, the first station on the Waterfall Line. By car - street parking available but please read the signage.
Meeting place: Sydney Tramway Museum, Pitt Street, Loftus, on the east side of the Loftus Railway Station.
Refreshments: Bring your own or purchase snacks from the kiosk
Special requirements: Wear walking shoes and hats
Thursday 16 July 2009
Evening lecture
The Edgeworth David family : the burdens of love and duty
T. W. Edgeworth David's life and heroic achievements have been well documented. As a pioneering geologist he opened up the Hunter Valley coal seams; he was a widely respected and prestigious Professor of Geology at the University of Sydney; as a fifty year old he led a hazardous four-month trip to reach the vicinity of he South Magnetic Pole; and in World War 1 he was awarded the DSO for his three years of service on the Western Front, pioneering the role of military geology. This talk will look at the way David's full and adventurous life both inspired and deeply affected his wife and three children. The speaker, Jenny Horsfield, is currently writing a biography, 'The David Women', about David's wife, Cara, and her two daughters, Margaret and Molly David.
A joint RAHS and ASHET activity
Time: 5.30 for 6pm
Cost: $8 [includes light refreshments on arrival]
Venue: History House,133 Macquarie St, Sydney
Saturday 1 August 2009
Workshop
Born Digital Records : what next?
This workshop deal with the "born digital" records which now are such a large part of our life rather than the digitising of items which were "born" on paper. Most historical societies now use their computers to record minutes of meetings, to deal with correspondence and to maintain their memberships lists or database. Short of printing out onto paper all these digital files, how can we be sure that these "born digital" records will be accessible and usable in years to come. Katharine Stuart, Project Officer, Digital Strategy at State Records NSW will talk about State Records' digital records strategy - know as the "Future Proof" strategy. This overarching strategy covers the creation and management of digital records and also State Records’ preservation approach. Kylie Rees, archivist with The History Company and the RAHS Hon. Archivist will deal with digital images as the product of digital cameras and the protocols for the storage, indexing and identifying these images. Mari Metzke will look at ways historical societies can establish protocols to ensure membership lists, minutes and accounts are backed up so that if the computer fails, these important society resources are not lost.
Time: 10.00am to 3.00pm
Cost: $17.00 [includes lunch]
Venue: History House Auditorium
Wednesday 5 August 2009
Day Lecture
Australia's War Brides
In 2000 Carol Fallows began research the topic of war brides who came to Australia in following the wars of the 20th century. Her mother was a war bride from England who married an Australian pilot from the RAAF after WWII and came to live first in Melbourne and later in Sydney. Their love story led her to research the whole story, little realising that thousands of women had migrated to Australia in this way. Though there are no official figures, the WWI historian C.E.W. Bean estimated that over 15,000 wives, fiancees and children arrived after this war. After WWII it is estimated that Australia received at least 25,000 war brides and there were a few hundred each from the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Generally these women have been ignored by history. Carol's book, Love & War. Stories of War Brides from the Great War to Vietnam was published in 2002. Since then she has written articles on the subject for the National Archives and wrote a chapter for their recent book Family Journeys. Carol has also set up a website www.warbrides.com.au which offers others researching the war bride in their family a chance to find out more.
Time: 1pm
Cost: $5.00 members, $7.00 non-members
Venue: History House Auditorium
Tuesday 11 August 2009
Excursion
Catch a 'Fish and Ships' Cruise
Join RAHS members on a visit to the Sydney Heritage Fleet. The tour begins at the Fleet's establishment at Wharf 7, Pyrmont. After morning tea aboard the 1874 barque James Craig at 9.30am there will be a guided tour of the vessel, and a visit to the ship model workshop and maritime art room. We then take a short cruise aboard the ex-navy launch Harman and disembark at the Rozelle Bay Shipyard to see the restored steam vessels Lady Hopetoun and Waratah. Then, aboard the Harman again, we cruise to the famous Sydney Fish Markets at Blackwattle Bay, arriving at about 1.00pm. The tour ends here and members are encouraged to buy your own lunch at the Markets before catching the Light Rail back to the city.
Time: 9.15 am for a 9.30am start
Cost: $25.00 per person
Meeting place: Meet at the Sydney Heritage Fleet, Wharf 7, Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont. Look at the Fleet's website for full details [http://www.shf.org.au/Where/Where.html]
Special requirements: Wear flat non-slip shoes and a hat
Thursday13 August 2009
Evening Lecture
Braille: two hundred years and going strong
Since it is 200 years since the birth of Louis Braille who brought the written word to people who are blind, it is an opportunity to see how technologies have changed. David Woodbridge is an Technology Consultant at Vision Australia where he has worked since 1990. David lost his sight when he was 8 years old and had to learn Braille. Since then, he completed high school and went to Sydney University receiving a Social Work degree. During his talk he will explain how Braille works and demonstrate the mechanical and electronic means of reading and writing Braille using computers. David is involved in evaluating technology for use by people who are blind or vision impaired and as a person who is blind, he believes that he is well situated to look at the strengths and short comings of the assistive technology that he comes across in both his professional and personal life. A joint RAHS and ASHET activity.
Time: 5.30 for 6pm
Cost: $8 [includes light refreshments on arrival]
Venue: History House, 133 Macquarie St, Sydney