Cleanliness is Next to Godliness

An archaeological perspective on the influences of Victorian values and city-wide health in Parramatta

For more than 30 years, archaeologists have recorded and studied the colonial past of Parramatta, the second-oldest European settlement in NSW. Archaeological investigations provide a wealth of information that contributes to the interpretation of the landscape, the history of the town’s development and our understanding of the people who lived there. Dr E. Jeanne Harris’ new book, Cleanliness is Next to Godliness, uses archaeological assemblages generated by these investigations as the basis for exploring what these mainly British settlers and their descendants held as societal beliefs, principles and norms (termed ‘Victorian values’), which emerged concerning cleanliness and health-related issues.

Synthesising the findings from eight residential archaeological sites, Dr E. Jeanne Harris will discuss the social reforms that promoted both public health initiatives and personal health practices, providing insight into the everyday lives of those who lived in Parramatta in the 19th century.

About the speaker

Dr E. Jeanne Harris has over 35 years’ experience in cultural heritage and resource management in the USA and Australia. She is the owner of UrbanAnalysts, a consultancy specialising in the analysis of historical artefacts.

Presentation Details

When: Monday, 20 October 2025 at 7.30 pm.
Where: Burnside Gardens Community Centre, 3 Blackwood Place, Oatlands NSW.
Admission: The lecture is free and is followed by Supper. Visitors are welcome.

The Film Heritage Academy presents:

A screening of silent era film, Snow White (1916)

Join the Film Heritage Academy at History House for a screening of the silent era adaptation, Snow White (1916). Run time: 65 minutes.

The film will be introduced by Ursula Dubosarsky, acclaimed Australian prize-winning author of over 60 books for children and young adults.

About the Film

Snow White (1916) is an early silent film adaptation of a successful play based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. The story here also draws from another European folktale with an odious stepmother as found in Cinderella.

The film stars two Australians in the leads: Dorothy Cumming and May Robson.

This romantic fantasy was seen by a 14-year-old Walt Disney 109 years ago, who was struck by its enchantment to such an extent that he chose the tale 21 years later as the theme of his hugely successful animated feature.

Let us together rediscover this charming, reclaimed chapter of film history.

When: Friday, 17 October 2025, from 10.00 to 11.30 am.
Where: Auditorium, History House, 133 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000.
Admission: Tickets $20 | Concession $15.

CLICK HERE TO BUY A TICKET

Acknowledgements: The Film Heritage Academy values the vital assistance of the RAHS. The positive support of Leslie May and the sublime skills and flair of Diana Wong are appreciated.

The Film Heritage Academy is a not-for-profit organisation and registered charity that promotes an appreciation of historic films and film history.

Love, Loss and Yearning: Women and Romance in the Life of Lachlan Macquarie

Lachlan Macquarie, ca. 1805 / attributed to John Opie (Mitchell Library)

Join the Parramatta and District Historical Society for its September 2025 Meeting. Robin Walsh will present on the women in Lachlan Macquarie’s life.

The dynamics of the love life of Lachlan Macquarie is not a topic that has attracted much scholarly attention. Biographers have tended to focus on his actions and achievements as the Governor of New South Wales between 1810 and 1821: what he did, where he went, and what he achieved. However, such an approach simplifies his life before his arrival in New South Wales in December 1809 and applies an unrealistic gloss to his legacy.

This presentation will explore the key women in Lachlan Macquarie’s life between c. 1781 and 1824, in Canada, the West Indies, India, China, Britain, and Australia, and reveal the emotional landscape that helped to shape him.

About the speaker

Robin Walsh worked as a reference librarian in the Mitchell Library (1976–1978) and Macquarie University Library (1980–2011). He is the author of In Her Own Words: The writings of Elizabeth Macquarie (2011). He is currently a Visiting Fellow at the State Library of New South Wales with a research project entitled: The Making of the Man: the private life and letters of Lachlan Macquarie.

Event Details

When: Monday, 15 September 2025 at 7.30 pm.
Where: Burnside Gardens Community Centre, 3 Blackwood Place, Oatlands.
Admission: Free and will be followed by supper. Visitors Very Welcome.
Enquiries: Jeff Allen at jallen6@bigpond.net.au

The Military History Society of NSW presents

Sam Templeton: Kokoda Legend

If you have trekked Kokoda, then the campsite of Templeton’s Crossing will be familiar. This presentation will help you discover the story of the man behind the name.

Captain Sam Templeton of 39th Infantry Battalion was the first Australian officer to be captured by the Japanese in the 1942 Kokoda Campaign of World War II. After being interrogated by his captors, he was executed on the battlefield. Prior to facing his enemy, Templeton had predicted his fate, telling one of his platoon commanders that if ‘he went into action, he wouldn’t come back.’ Having resigned himself to his destiny, Templeton misled his captors on the numerical strength of the Australian forces waiting in Kokoda and Port Moresby.

Did the misinformation given by a militia officer slow the initial push by the Yokoyama Advance Force into the Owen Stanley Range, allowing the Australian Imperial Force to join the fight earlier? Did Templeton create doubt in the mind of the commander of the South Seas Force, influencing an operational change for the attack on Port Moresby?

A quiet and often aloof character originally from Belfast, Captain Sam Templeton is mentioned in just about every book written about Kokoda. Prior to fighting in New Guinea, Templeton is reputed to have helped quash the Irish rebellion, served in submarines with the Royal Navy during the First World War, and to have fought with the International Brigade during the Spanish Civil War.

Lecture Time and Venue

10:30 AM, Saturday, 2 August 2025 at The Auditorium, Anzac Memorial Hyde Park, Hyde Park South, corner Elizabeth and Liverpool Streets, Sydney CBD. Admission is free of charge, but a donation is appreciated. For information, email: president@militaryhistorynsw.com.au

About the speaker

David Howell is a Melbourne-based writer, tour guide, and historian specialising in the South West Pacific Area of Operations during the Second World War. He is also author of Kokoda Legend: Captain Sam Templeton (Big Sky Publishing, 2024). He has extensive experience as a guide with the Friends of Kokoda at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway in Concord and the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, educating visitors about the significance of the Kokoda Campaign. David created and was the editor of the Shrine’s magazine, Remembrance, and also created and ran the Friends of the Shrine program. David is a regular guest on radio and television history programs, including the award-winning SBS series Who Do You Think You Are?

RDHS History Talk: Resuming Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach from the south end looking towards Ben Buckler (Mort Family Collection 1879-89, Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)

Join the Randwick and District Historical Society for an engaging presentation that will explore the history of Bondi Beach. Did you know the world-famous Bondi Beach was privately owned for most of the nineteenth century? Public use was dependent on the landowners’ permission until the NSW Government resumed it in 1882. Achieving public access took time and advocacy.

About the speaker: Alice Paul is a local historian and member of the Waverley Historical Society. Alice contributes to the Society’s annual exhibitions and is an editorial member and contributor to the Society’s latest publication, Waverley.

This is a free event, but bookings are essential. This is a joint talk held by the Randwick and District Historical Society and Randwick City Library.

When: Saturday, 5 April at 1 pm.
Where: Lionel Bowen Library, 669-673 Anzac Parade, Maroubra.
Admission: Free, but bookings are essential.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK A TICKET

The Convict Valley by Mark Dunn

Parramatta Female Factory Friends Bi-monthly Speaker

Newcastle, at the mouth of the Hunter River, is largely a forgotten convict town, despite its foundation story being a convict story and its first twenty years being one of convict toil, punishment and endeavour. The talk will focus on the story of Newcastle in the years before 1830, including its foundation as a convict penal station, interactions with Aboriginal people and the exploitation of the area’s coal and timber resources. The talk will also touch on the establishment of the Newcastle Female Factory and the transportation of women from Parramatta.

Dr Mark Dunn is a professional historian with broad-based historical research over 25 years. He has a PhD in history from the University of New South Wales, focusing on the colonial interactions of Newcastle. He is the author of The Convict Valley: The Bloody Struggle for Australia’s Early Frontier (2020), which was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Award for Australian History in 2021. Mark is a member of ICOMOS Australia and sits on the editorial board for the Australian Dictionary of Biography.

When: Friday, 11 April at 1 pm.
Where: Parramatta Female Factory, Friends Rooms, the ‘Greenway’ Matron’s Quarters, 5 Fleet Street, North Parramatta.
Admission: $5 (plus booking surcharge). Places are limited, so please book early. The talk will be followed by afternoon tea and then the PFFF General Meeting at 2.15 pm.

CLICK HERE TO BUY A TICKET

Paterson Historical Society launch new book: Gresford to Carrabolla – People and Places

Paterson Historical Society’s new book, Gresford to Carrabolla – People and Places by Dr Brian Walsh, was recently launched by the Mayor of Dungog, Digby Rayward, at Gresford Bowling Club. It was published with support from Create NSW’s Cultural Grants Program.

The book reveals how European society emerged along the Paterson River from the 1820s, albeit at the expense of the dispossession of Aboriginal people. It provides information on the landowners, convicts, immigrants and colonial-born who worked on the estates or leased parts of them as tenant farmers. It also features the many ‘selectors’ who took up small blocks in the remote bushland, hills and mountains of the upper Paterson. Despite floods, poor roads and isolation, they made it their home. With hard work, bush skills and resilience, they raised their families there.

The book highlights the formation of the schools, churches and post offices that became a vital part of the social fabric of the upper Paterson. It also shows the impact on the many families that lost their farms when Lostock Dam was built. This was followed by the dramatic contraction of the dairy industry and the depopulation of the upper Paterson.

The book includes a chapter on the Lindeman family. Their inspiring story is a testament to the expertise and enterprise of Henry Lindeman and his descendants, who built what was probably the colony’s largest wine enterprise at Cawarra. Part of their success lay in the family’s ability to pass the business to the next generation.

The 168-page book includes a comprehensive index and is illustrated with many photos, maps and diagrams. It is available at Paterson Court House Museum on Sundays, Macdonalds Book Store in Maitland and several outlets in Paterson. It can also be purchased online from the Society at patersonhistory.square.site.

This project is supported by the Create NSW Cultural Grants Program, a devolved funding program administered by the RAHS on behalf of the NSW Government.

Kiama Historical Society to launch new book:

Rascals and Respectables: A social history of Kiama hotels

Published by Kiama Historical Society, Dr Tony Gilmour’s new book tells the exciting history of the hostelries of Kiama, Jamberoo and Gerringong on the NSW south coast. From the first local hotels licenced in 1837 to the present day, drinking venues have shaped local social life and character.

Kiama was once a place of ‘besotted and shameless drunkards’, nearby Bombo hosted an illegal ‘sly grog’ shop and Kiama’s 1899 great fire led to mass bingeing on stolen alcohol. Tony will share many of these stories.

The book will be officially launched by The Hon. Gareth Ward, MP for Kiama.

Speaker: Tony Gilmour.
When: Saturday, 22 March at 2 pm.
Where: Kiama Library Auditorium (downstairs), 7 Railway Parade, Kiama.
Admission: $5, includes afternoon tea.
Enquiries: kiamahistory@outlook.com

More local anecdotes will be shared at a second (free) event hosted by Tony in the upstairs bar of Kiama Inn, 50 Terralong Street, Kiama from 5 pm.

This project is supported by the Create NSW Cultural Grants Program, a devolved funding program administered by the RAHS on behalf of the NSW Government.

Mosman Story: The Community and Council Then and Now

Peter Abelson speaking after he unveiled a Mosman Council/Mosman Historical Society plaque at Mosman Bay in October 2016 (Photographer: David Carment)

Dr Peter Abelson will discuss his recently published book Mosman Story: The Council and Community Then and Now: A History and A Personal Memoir.

The book covers the period from Mosman’s Indigenous origins to the author’s retirement from its local government in 2017. Its key message is the enduring importance of the local community and council in Mosman residents’ lives.

Please join members of the Mosman Historical Society for refreshments and a chat following the talk. Copies of Mosman Story will be on sale following the talk.

Dr Peter Abelson is a former Professor of Economics at Macquarie University. Currently an Honorary Professor there, he is also a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University’s Crawford School. He served on Mosman Council from 1979 to 1987 and was Mayor between 1983 and 1985. He was the first popularly elected Mayor between 2012 and 2017. During that period, he successfully led the fight against council amalgamation.

When: Wednesday, 12 March at 7 pm (please arrive promptly).
Where: Mosman Library, 605 Military Rd, Mosman.
Admission: Members Free. Visitors $5.
RSVP: Contact David Carment davidcarment@me.com before Monday, 10 March.

For more information, visit the Mosman Historical Society website.

Mothers, Matrons and Lady Superintendents:

Women Working in NSW Prisons, 1788-1969

Darlinghurst Gaol, 1891 / watercolour by H. L. Bertrand (Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)

By the end of the 19th century, female staff were thought to be more appropriate to manage institutions housing women and children. However, the status, everyday experience and career prospects for women in these senior appointments was often difficult and within the NSW prison service remained discomforting for male colleagues and problematic for the authorities.

Noeline Kyle says she wanted to find the details, the stories and the complexity which surely must have been part of their lives, their character, and their careers. In this talk for the City of Sydney Historical Association, Noeline Kyle AM will discuss the result of her research into the lost and largely forgotten stories of senior women working in NSW prisons.

Speaker: Noeline Kyle AM.
When: Saturday, 8 March at 2 pm.
Where: Henry Carmichael Theatre, Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt St, Sydney.
Admission: Members $5. Visitors $10. No bookings required.

For more information, visit the City of Sydney Historical Association website.

PHA-OHA Event: Working as a freelance historian and/or oral historian in NSW

Image courtesy State Library of NSW

The Professional Historians Association of NSW-ACT and Oral History Association of NSW have partnered to bring you an informative discussion about working as a freelance historian and/or oral historian. You are invited to hear from three experienced freelancers, who will hopefully answer many of your questions, such as:

• How do I set myself up to work as a freelance/consultant historian?
• Can you provide some advice on those boring practicalities such as tax, insurance, and an ABN?
• How do I get work and clients?
• Should I be promoting myself on social media such as LinkedIn?
• What are some of the pros and cons of being a freelancer?

The session will be chaired by the PHA NSW-ACT President Dr Naomi Parry Duncan, who currently works as a freelance historian.

Panel members:

Dr Martina Mueller – Storialines

Dr Martina Muller is a professional historian who has worked in Sydney’s heritage sector for over a decade. After her employment at heritage consultancies such as GBA and NBRS, she set out on her own four years ago and now works as a freelance historian in NSW and adjacent states. Her main areas of expertise are research and writing for heritage and developing content for interpretive media. Martina has been actively involved in the PHA NSW & ACT, recently serving four years as treasurer, which has proved invaluable for her career.

Dr Paul Irish – Coast History and Heritage

Paul Irish is a historian and director of consultancy Coast History and Heritage. He started working about 25 years ago as an archaeological consultant specialising in Aboriginal heritage, working for other consultancies and also running his own projects as a ‘sole trader’ business. After training as a historian, he set up Coast History and Heritage as a company employing both historians and archaeologists to undertake both heritage and history projects. Since 2024, Paul has hung up his trowel to focus fully on working as an Aboriginal history consultant, working collaboratively with Aboriginal community members, particularly in the Sydney area.

Dr Margaret Leask – Oral History Association of NSW

Formerly an arts administrator in London and Sydney, Margaret has worked as a freelance oral historian and performing arts historian since 2004. Her first project included 80 interviews for the 50th anniversary of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). She researches and records oral history interviews for the National Library of Australia, State Library of NSW, National Film and Sound Archive, Sydney Theatre Company and Sydney Opera House. She has also recorded interviews for the Australian Theatre for Young People, Parramatta City Council and for the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, which resulted in the 2021 publication of Warwick Ross: Making Music, based on a 36-hour oral history interview.

This event is free for all PHA and OHA members (including those outside of NSW and the ACT).

When: 3 March 2025 at 5.30 – 7.15 pm
Where: History House, 133 Macquarie Street, Sydney AND online
Registration: https://www.phansw.org.au/upcoming-events/
Cost: Members Free. Non-members $10.