RAHS Latest News
What Do We Know About Convict Women?
Ku-ring-gai Historical Society presents: What Do We Know About Convict Women? Digital copies of historical records in Australia and the United Kingdom have opened new possibilities for research into convict Australia. Join Carol Liston AO at the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society on Saturday, 20 June 2026, to explore some of these newly available sources that help us to question traditional views of the 25,000 women convicts sent to Australia. Records of their crime and their circumstances in...
2026 Cowra Regional Seminar
Five Windows Into NSW History Explore new ways to uncover your local and family history with five types of historical records. When: Saturday, 13 June 2026 @ 10:00 am – 3:40 pm Where: Club Cowra, 101 Brisbane Street, Cowra NSW 2794 Overview of the program The Royal Australian Historical Society, in partnership with the Cowra Family History Group, present a full-day seminar that will show you how online historical records can help you uncover the stories of people, places, and communities...
Celebrating Grant Successes Across Our Affiliated Societies
RAHS Affiliated Societies continue to play an important role in preserving local history, caring for collections, supporting research, and creating opportunities for communities to connect with their past. The RAHS runs two grant programs on behalf of the NSW Government: the Create NSW Local History Grants Program, which is currently open for applications until 23 June 2026, and the Transport Heritage Grants Program. These programs support projects involving research, publications,...
2026 Local History Grants
The 2026 Local History Grants are now open! The Local History Grants Program is a Create NSW devolved funding program administered by the Royal Australian Historical Society on behalf of the NSW Government. It supports research and publication projects that explore local, community and regional history across New South Wales. Formerly known as the Cultural Grants, the program has been relaunched as the Local History Grants to better reflect its purpose and align with the goal of supporting...
2026 Kiama Regional Seminar & History Talk
Building research skills and exploring local history Explore online resources and see what you can learn about your family, home and local area. When: Saturday, 18 July 2026 @ 10.00 am – 3.30 pm Where: Kiama Library Auditorium (downstairs from the library), 7 Railway Parade, Kiama NSW 2533 Overview of the program The Royal Australian Historical Society, in partnership with the Kiama Historical Society, presents a full-day program combining practical research skills with local history. The day...
Investigating Dispossession with Dr Bruce Pennay
Albury District Historical Society presents: Investigating Dispossession with Dr Bruce Pennay OAM The Albury and District Historical Society invites you to join Dr Bruce Pennay OAM for an introduction to Investigating Dispossession: Conflict and Coexistence 1838–1844. Investigating Dispossession explores stories of the early interactions between colonists and First Nations people in the NSW-Victorian border region. It invites readers to delve into the investigations that followed violent...
2026 RAHS Affiliated Insurance Scheme
2026 RAHS Affiliated Insurance Scheme The Royal Australian Historical Society commenced the renewal process for the 2026 RAHS Affiliated Insurance Scheme on Thursday, 9 April 2026. The renewal/application forms and covering letter have been emailed to all affiliated societies. If you have not received this email, please contact us ASAP. We are pleased to confirm that premiums remain unchanged this year. While negotiations took longer than anticipated due to broader insurance market conditions,...
Walking Tour: South Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops
Guided Walking Tour of South Eveleigh This event is part of the Australian Heritage Festival The RAHS is hosting a walking tour of the former South Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops in celebration of the National Trust's Australian Heritage Festival. This easy walking tour introduces visitors to the history of the NSW Railways and the heritage adaptive re-use of the former Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops. First called the Australian Technology Park and now known as South Eveleigh, the place features...
What Lies Beneath: A Deeper Dig into the Archives
Research Workshop at History House in April This course is in partnership with WEA Sydney This course will offer practical guidance on how to unlock the rich resources of the NSW State Archives Collection, now part of Museums of History NSW, using a selection of case studies. The session will highlight strategies for navigating and interpreting archival records, with a focus on the stories of individuals, communities, and institutions. Participants will learn how to combine traditional...
The House of Blue Glass: A Life of Penelope Lucas
Parramatta Historical Society presents: The House of Blue Glass: A Life of Penelope Lucas Acclaimed historian Alan Atkinson, author of the award-winning Elizabeth and John: The Macarthurs of Elizabeth Farm, pieces together the life of Penelope Lucas and the pivotal role she played in building the Macarthur empire. While she is known as the family governess, Atkinson reveals that Penelope was primarily an accountant whose bookkeeping work made an important difference to the Macarthurs’ success....
Registers of the Forgotten: 19th Century asylums and mental health facilities
Parramatta Female Factory Friends presents: Registers of the Forgotten: 19th-Century Asylums and Mental Health Facilities This talk explores the records relating to nineteenth-century mental health facilities and asylums for the infirm and destitute in NSW. It will draw on government reports, admission registers, employment records and other material in the NSW State Archives Collection. Particular attention will be given to the layered history of the Parramatta Female Factory site and its...
Slippery Symbols of Australia
Mosman Historical Society presents: Slippery Symbols of Australia by Richard White Associate Professor Richard White will discuss symbols that shape how Australians see themselves as a nation. From Uluru to the Australian flag, the rainbow serpent to the FJ Holden, the southern cross to the democracy sausage, the Akubra to the Great Barrier Reef, these symbols are often inspiring, occasionally embarrassing, always revealing. Yet while we often think of them as fixed, it is surprising how much...
RAHS Weekly News Round-Up