RAHS Latest News
Skippy’s Tragic Star
Ku-ring-gai Historical Society presents: Skippy's Tragic Star by Peter Hobbins What does a helicopter crash have to do with Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, filmed in Ku-ring-gai National Park? Find out on Saturday, 21 March 2026, when Peter Hobbins presents Skippy’s Tragic Star. Just days before Christmas in 1966, a helicopter plummeted into downtown Sydney, killing everyone on board. But what made this disaster truly chilling is that the ABC film crew inside recorded their own final moments, while...
History House Update: January 2026
History House Update: January 2026 Members and visitors may notice public signage relating to proposed basement works outside History House. These notices have been placed by the City of Sydney as part of the Development Application process. The application is now on public exhibition, with further details available online via the City of Sydney ePlanning website. Roof works The roof works are now almost complete, with a small amount of additional work scheduled to commence next week on the...
The Colleano Heart
Written by Zoe MacPherson, RAHS Volunteer The Colleano Heart is a new documentary that tells the story of Con Colleano and his world-famous family of travelling circus performers. Zoe McPherson reviewed the documentary for the RAHS. The Colleano Heart is a revelatory documentary on SBS/NITV that tells the story of the Colleano family and their international rise to fame as a circus act in the early twentieth century. The film follows the journey of their descendants as they retrace their...
Bathurst’s Nurses of the Great War 1914–1919
Bathurst's Nurses of the Great War 1914–1919 Bathurst’s Nurses of the Great War 1914–1919 details the contributions of 26 nurses born in the Bathurst District, offering insight into their backgrounds, training, wartime service, and post-war lives, and demonstrating their resilience and dedication. It includes sections on Australian nurses’ service, uniforms, equipment, hospitals, medals, and individual biographies. Key highlights include: The book profiles 26 nurses born in the Bathurst...
The Federation House Revealed: How it Really Came to Be
The Randwick District Historical Society presents: The Federation House Revealed: How it Really Came to Be Join Mark Sabolch for a free history talk exploring the origins of the Federation period house in Sydney. As Australia looks ahead to the 125th anniversary of Federation in 2026, this is the perfect time to rediscover the charm and significance of the Federation house – a defining feature of our national heritage. These much-loved homes are more than beautiful architecture; they are...
Intrepid British Explorer Matthew Flinders
Mosman Historical Society presents: Intrepid Explorer Matthew Flinders by Paul Brunton OAM The State Library of NSW recently acquired a very rare collection of letters and documents relating to the life of explorer and cartographer Captain Matthew Flinders (1774–1814). The collection came from Flinders’ descendants and includes original handwritten love letters as well as correspondence with family and friends, business documents, invoices from the HMS Investigator voyage around Australia...
2025 Christmas Close
RAHS Christmas Close 2025 The RAHS wishes all its members and friends a Happy Christmas and a safe holiday season. Thank you for your support throughout 2025. History House will be closed from 12:00 pm on Friday, 19 December 2025, and will reopen at 9:00 am on Monday, 5 January 2026. We look forward to seeing you in 2026!
Welcome to Our New Affiliated Societies Blog
Welcome to Our New Affiliated Societies Blog This new blog is part of a wider initiative to support conversation, shared learning, and collaboration across the RAHS affiliated societies network. The idea grew out of our recent Affiliated Societies Survey, which highlighted how valuable it is for societies to exchange practical advice and hear how others approach similar challenges. The strength of this network was evident during the Collections and Community: Trove and NSW Historical Societies...
2025 Membership Survey Results
2025 RAHS Membership Survey Results In November, we shared the results of our 2025 Affiliated Societies Survey, which captured the experiences of the many historical organisations within our network. This second survey focuses on a different part of our community: our individual members, including seniors, pensioners, households and students. This survey offers a complementary set of insights into how we can continue to support their interests, learning and research. Thank you to all our...
2025 Certificates of Achievement and Appreciation
2025 Certificates of Achievement RAHS Affiliated Societies are critical in promoting local and community history. The RAHS Certificates of Achievement honour the wide-ranging contributions made by their members. Nominated by Australian Catholic Historical Society Geoffrey Hogan For his dedication to the Society since 2006. Geoff has served as Vice President and Newsletter Editor, developed an email newsletter for the Society’s members, monitored the Society’s email account and queries, and...
2025 Affiliated Societies Survey Results
2025 RAHS Affiliated Societies Survey Results The results of the 2025 RAHS Affiliated Societies Survey are now available to read and download on our website. The report provides a detailed snapshot of the work our affiliated societies are doing, the challenges they face and the support they find most useful. We encourage you to explore the findings and share them with your committee members. DOWNLOAD SURVEY RESULTS Key Findings at a Glance Who our societies are: Most respondents are small,...
A History of the Greengate Hotel
Ku-ring-gai Historical Society presents: A History of the Greengate Hotel by Mark Dunn On Saturday, 21 February 2026, after the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society General Meeting, Mark Dunn will present A History of the Greengate Hotel. A true North Shore landmark, the Greengate Hotel is one of Sydney’s oldest continuously operating hotels. It brings together a rich history with enduring charm, making it a fitting focus for our February 2026 guest speaker at Ku-ring-gai Historical Society! In his...
RAHS Weekly News Round-Up