RAHS Latest News
History Week 2025: Water Stories
Celebrate History Week with the RAHS! Celebrate History Week with the Royal Australian Historical Society! The RAHS is hosting two special events during History Week. This year’s History Week theme is Water Stories. RAHS Special Lecture – Dangerous Passage: A Maritime History of the Torres Strait On Wednesday, 10 September, we’ll be joined at History House by Ian Burnett. Ian will discuss the history of the reef-strewn passage between Australia and Papua New Guinea, which remains the most...
Love, Loss and Yearning: Women and Romance in the Life of Lachlan Macquarie
Love, Loss and Yearning: Women and Romance in the Life of Lachlan Macquarie 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...
Yurulbin Park and Foreshore join ‘Green Necklace’ on State Heritage Register
Written by Zoe McPherson, RAHS Volunteer We are pleased to share the news that the Yurulbin Park and Foreshore has been added to the State Heritage Register. The RAHS supported the proposed listing in a letter to the NSW Heritage Council in February 2025. Located in Birchgrove, the Yurulbin Park and Foreshore is a parkland recognised for its cultural significance, its past as an industrial site, and its current role as a public open space. The park is part of what is known as the ‘Green...
Help Shape the Future of the RAHS: 2025 Membership Survey
Help Shape the Future of the RAHS Take Part in the 2025 Membership Survey We're conducting Membership and Affiliate surveys, and we want to hear from you! A lot has changed since our last membership survey. We’ve introduced hybrid events, expanded our digital resources, and developed a long-term plan for History House and the Library. Through all this change, our core commitment remains: to promote a deeper understanding of Australian history through critical thinking, quality research, and...
Victory in the Pacific: 80 Years
Commemorate 80 years since Victory in the Pacific at the Anzac Memorial at Hyde Park In the lead-up to Victory in the Pacific Day on Friday, 15 August, the Anzac Memorial is holding a week of special commemorative activities honouring the service and sacrifice of Australians on the front lines and the home front. Watch as Sydney’s sky is lit with the beam of an original Second World War searchlight from the Memorial’s northern forecourt on the evening of Victory in the Pacific Day. Experience...
Call for Papers: JRAHS 2026 Issues
Call for Papers: Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society The Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society (JRAHS) invites members, historians, and researchers to submit original research articles for consideration in our 2026 issues. We welcome contributions that engage with all aspects of Australia’s history, including its people, places, communities and events. Themes for Submission We encourage papers that explore a broad range of topics, including but not limited to: Local...
Explore the New RAHS Online Library Catalogue (Test Version)
Explore the New RAHS Online Library Catalogue (Test Version) We’re excited to launch the test version of the new RAHS online library catalogue, offering researchers, members, and history enthusiasts a fresh, user-friendly way to explore our collections. The catalogue features over 25,000 searchable catalogue records, representing around 40% of the RAHS Library’s total holdings. These records provide information about books and other publications; articles from the Journal of the Royal...
Sam Templeton: Kokoda Legend
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...
2025 FAHS Awards of Merit
Guidelines for the FAHS Awards of Merit The Federation of Australian Historical Societies (FAHS) annually calls for nominations for its Awards of Merit. Up to five Awards of Merit are awarded to individuals. These awards take the form of a Certificate of Merit. Awards of Merit are recognition of a meritorious contribution to the community history and heritage movement across a region, at State/Territory level or across more than one State/Territory. Any individual is eligible for this award...
Irish Bigamy with Damian Gleeson
Learn more about Irish bigamy in colonial NSW at the Liverpool City Library This Family History Month, join Damian Gleeson at the Liverpool City Library for a fascinating talk exploring love, marriage and bigamy among Irish convicts in early New South Wales. Historian and genealogist Dr Damian John Gleeson will share insights from his new book, Irish Bigamy: New Insights into Colonial New South Wales. Based on over 100 real cases, Dr Gleeson reveals how convicts — regardless of religion —...
The Historical Land Records Viewer: Searching for Individuals
Historical Land Records Viewer workshop at History House Join Christine Yeats for a course on using the Historical Land Records Viewer (HLRV) to research individuals and properties. This course will guide participants through the process of accessing and interpreting historical land records, parish maps, and other key documents. Ideal for family historians, local researchers, and anyone interested in land ownership and settlement patterns, the course offers step-by-step instruction, research...
Challenging Narratives: Introducing the June 2025 JRAHS
Challenging Narratives: Introducing the June 2025 Volume of the JRAHS The June 2025 issue of the Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society (Vol. 111, Part I) explores new perspectives on colonial authority, identity, and Australia's contested past. As Editor Dr Samuel White outlines in his foreword, this issue reflects the Journal’s original intent: to challenge dominant narratives and recover overlooked voices from across Australia’s history. Dr Keith Amos revisits the 1790 spearing...
RAHS Weekly News Round-Up