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 seminar, our recent hybrid seminar at History House, which brought together more than 60 people from historical societies across NSW. The discussion and examples shared on the day helped us update the Session B handouts to reflect real situations faced by our affiliated societies.

DOWNLOAD SESSION HANDOUT

The Session B handout includes contributions from:

• Leonie Bell, Botany Bay Family History Society – YouTube for History Societies
• Suzanne Holohan, RAHS – Discussion on RAHS Affiliated Societies Survey Results
• Phillip Jaworski, RAHS – Advertising with the RAHS
• Lorraine Neate, Illawarra Historical Society – Setting Up Tap-and-Pay Systems
• Discussion Summary – Choosing a Mobile Phone for Your Society

Each section offers practical guidance on topics many societies are navigating, from creating simple videos and promoting events to understanding insurance, using a tap-and-pay system, and deciding whether your group needs a dedicated phone. These resources are designed to support committees in a changing environment, including the move toward cashless payments and increased reliance on digital communication.

Between events, this blog will be a place to share ideas, ask questions and highlight issues that matter to your society. We also welcome suggestions for a better blog name. If you have a title that captures the spirit of conversation and collaboration across our network, we would be pleased to hear it.

We look forward to building this space with you.

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 book, The Greengate Hotel: A Social and Development History (BBS Holdings, 2024), Mark Dunn has crafted a compelling and thoroughly researched account of Greengate’s history, exploring its beginnings in 1832 and the many changes that have resulted in the hotel we know and love today.

About the speaker

Dr Mark Dunn is a public historian with more than 30 years of experience in Sydney’s history, heritage and archaeology. He has completed a Master’s in Applied History and a PhD in the history of colonial race and class relations in the NSW convict colony. His book, The Convict Valley (Allen & Unwin, 2020), was shortlisted for the Australian Prime Minister’s Literary Awards for Australian History. He is an Executive Member of the RAHS Council, was the chair of the Professional Historians Association (NSW & ACT), a member of the NSW Heritage Council, and a previous president of the History Council of NSW. He has also acted as a consultant for the TV program Who Do You Think You Are? Australia.

Event details

Join us in Gordon Library Meeting Room 1 at 2:00 pm on Saturday, 21 February 2026.

The meeting room is in the Old Gordon Public School, adjoining the library, 799 Pacific Hwy, Gordon (corner Pacific Hwy and Park Ave).

It’s just a 5-minute walk from Gordon Station. For a map and parking information, see www.khs.org.au/contact-us

There is no charge to attend. Finishing time is approximately 3:30 pm, and you are welcome to stay for refreshments and a chat following the presentation.

In case of any last-minute changes, and for more information on our forthcoming talks, please check our website, www.khs.org.au/events

Kiama Historical Society presents:

Celebrating History, Defending Heritage by Tony Gilmour

The Kiama and District Historical Society was established in 1975, so come along and celebrate at our 50th birthday party!

Tony Gilmour will launch his new book Celebrating History, Defending Heritage: fifty years of Kiama Historical Society. The book brings to life why the Society was established and how it fought hard to win control of the Pilot’s Cottage which was threatened with demolition or being turned into a fast-food takeaway.

The Society has long fought to protect the heritage of Kiama and surrounding areas, defending our built and natural environment. We have had many successes, sometimes by working behind the scenes and other times protesting loudly.

Hear how the Society has brought history to life, from fashion parades to costumed re-enactments. And after 50 years, we remain one of the largest and most vibrant voluntary organisations on the NSW south coast.

Event Details

When: Saturday, 22 November 2025 at 2.00 pm.

Where: Kiama Library Auditorium, 11 Railway Parade, Kiama NSW.

Admission: Members $3 | Non-members $5. Includes afternoon tea and a celebratory glass of wine.

RSVP: kiamahistory@outlook.com

About the book

Celebrating History, Defending Heritage tells the story of the Kiama Historical Society and how it has brought to life fascinating stories from the area’s past over the last fifty years. It has battled to preserve valuable local heritage against demolition and insensitive development. Read all about Kiama’s legendary figures the Society has helped rediscover, such as progressive writer and colourful character Charmian Clift and legendary Hollywood multi-Oscar winner Orry-Kelly. The book is available from the Kiama Historical Society for $25 + delivery. All profits go to the Kiama Historical Society.

Parramatta and District Historical Society presents:

The Last Outlaws by Katherine Biber

In the winter of 1900, Wiradjuri man Jimmy Governor and his brother Joe murdered nine people across New South Wales, in a rampage that caused panic in the colony on the cusp of nationhood. Triggered, it seems, by a racist incident, they killed men, women and children, evading a vast manhunt until they were eventually captured. Joe was shot in the open; Jimmy survived to be put on trial. Thus, the last man to be outlawed in the colony was hanged in the new nation, meeting his end in Darlinghurst Gaol as the Federation decorations were taken down. The brothers’ names still resonate, partly due to Thomas Keneally’s novel The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith and Fred Schepisi’s subsequent film.

Katherine Biber’s compelling reconstruction of events – from the murders themselves to Jimmy’s eventual execution – brings this extraordinary story back to life. In doing so, it sheds fresh, vivid light on the country that inspired and reacted to the murders.

About the speaker

Katherine Biber is a historian, criminologist, legal scholar, and Professor of Law at the University of Technology Sydney. Her podcast trilogy, The Last Outlaws, won numerous awards, including the NSW Premier’s History Award and Podcast of the Year at the Australian Podcast Awards. Her book, also titled The Last Outlaws, was published in July 2025.

Event Details

When: Monday, 17 November at 7.30 pm.

Where: Burnside Gardens Community Centre, 3 Blackwood Place, Oatlands NSW.

Admission: The presentation is free and will be followed by supper. Visitors are very welcome.

Enquiries: Email Jeff Allen at jallen6@bigpond.net.au

Mosman Historical Society presents:

Sydney Whale Tales by Nancy Cushing

Nancy Cushing will explain that while whales literally have only a passing association with Sydney, they have captured the attention of residents for millennia, as can be seen in the rock carvings of whales along the coast. Her talk will focus on the interest in whales both before and after Federation and how it was driven by scientific enquiry, economic motives and curiosity about these ‘monster fish’.

H. Grant Lloyd (attributed), Whaling Station, Mosmans Bay, n.d. (State Library of NSW).

About the speaker

Nancy Cushing is Associate Professor of History at the University of Newcastle. An environmental historian whose interests range from coal mining to statues, she is the 2024–25 Coral Thomas Fellow at the State Library of NSW, where she is working on the entwined histories of humans and other animals in Sydney.

Event Details

When: Wednesday, 12 November 2025 at 7.00 pm. Please arrive promptly.

Where: Mosman Library, 605 Military Rd, Mosman NSW.

Admission: Members Free | Visitors $5 donation.

RSVP: Email David Carment davidcarment@me.com by Monday, 10 November.

Please join members of the Mosman Historical Society for refreshments and a chat following the talk.

Parramatta Historical Society presents:

The 37th James Jervis Memorial Lecture

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.

Event 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 2025 at 1 pm.
Where: Lionel Bowen Library, 669-673 Anzac Parade, Maroubra.
Admission: Free, but bookings are essential.