Pansy Line Tour – Kurrajong-Comleroy Historical Society

Explore the remnants of the Richmond to Kurrajong Railway 1926-1952 with Kurrajong-Comleroy Historical Society on Sunday, 28 April 2019. With the railway gone for so long, it is getting difficult to find many remnants, but experienced local guides will show you what’s left – much of which is on private property and not normally accessible. DETAILS: When: Sunday, 28 April 2019, 10am Where: Coaches will depart from the park opposite Richmond Station at 10am. Tour will return to Richmond Station around … Read More

Resources from the RAHS/PHA Trove Workshop – Saturday 25 November 2017

The slides from the joint RAHS/PHA Trove Workshop on Saturday 25 November 2017 are being made publicly available for two weeks only on this blog post. Christine Yeats, RAHS Senior Vice President, archivist, historical researcher and PHA member presented a two-hour workshop on the intricacies of TROVE and how to make your searches efficient and fruitful. There was a particular focus on advance searching, lists and the most recent addition, Government Gazettes. Refresh your knowledge and polish your skills on … Read More

PARRAMATTA FEMALE FACTORY AND INSTITUTIONS PRECINCT: NATIONAL HERITAGE LISTING ANNOUNCED

The Parramatta Female Factory and Institutions Precinct was added to the National Heritage Listing on Tuesday 14th of November 2017: it is the 113th item to be classified as a national heritage place. Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg said that the precinct was “highly valued for its heritage importance by the local, state and national community and this National Heritage listing will allow the Australian community to stand witness to the lives and experiences of women and children who lived there”. … Read More

COLLINGWOOD: AN HISTORIC HOUSE IN LIVERPOOL

Dating back to 1810, the fourth oldest surviving house in Australia stands proud on the outskirts of Liverpool overlooking the Georges River. This presentation by RAHS President, Associate Professor Carol Liston AO, will explore the fascinating social history and immense significance of Collingwood House. Date: Saturday 11 November Time: 2pm – 3pm Venue: Liverpool Regional Museum – Cnr Congressional Drive and Hume Highway, Liverpool, NSW Cost: Free Click here to register.

‘What Sydney might have been: the city that could have been…’

CITY OF SYDNEY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION presents ‘What Sydney might have been: the city that could have been…’ There were many dreams in early colonial Sydney for a world standard city and many ambitious plans were made by the Governors and architects of the time, only to be dashed by interference from the old Country and the representatives who arrived out here. Ken Hall will tell you all about the buildings roads and other structures that might have been. Date and … Read More

LOST IN PHOTOGRAPHS

A two day program in November providing invaluable help with your photographs! Bookings at www.sag.org.au

HISTORY IS HOT

The ‘History is Hot’ series is an opportunity for RAHS members and friends to hear about recent research findings in Australian history and how they impact our understanding and interpretation of the past. You are invited to join postgraduate students who will discuss their research projects. Click here to book online or email history@rahs.org.au. Date and Time: Thursday November 2 @ 6pm – 7.30pm Venue: History House, 133 Macquarie Street, Sydney Cost: Free – Elicia Taylor, PhD candidate, University of … Read More

FAMILY FOOD HISTORY SERIES – CASTING NOW

Warner Bros., currently casting for a new social history show on the ABC, is looking for inquisitive families who enjoy history and learning. Each family will be given the chance to live through the decades of the last 60 years first hand, to see what life was like during these very different time periods. The search is on for charismatic families with at least two children between the ages of 9-15 that might enjoy this immersive experience, and being part … Read More

Kilmainham to Kalgoorlie: The Life and Times of Hugh Mahon

Join us on Wednesday 4th October for our next Day Lecture – ‘Kilmainham to Kalgoorlie: The Life and Times of Hugh Mahon’ with guest speaker Dr Jeff Kildea. One of Australia’s most controversial politicians in the early years of the Commonwealth, Irish-born Hugh Mahon has the distinction of being the only member expelled from the federal parliament. Imprisoned in Kilmainham with Parnell in 1881 for his political activism he fled to Australia where he became a newspaperman, MP and government … Read More

State Trustees CEO Craig Dent publishes his first book ‘The Creation of Trust’

State Trustees Chief Executive Officer, Craig Dent has published his first book, The Creation of Trust, in August 2017. The office of the Public Trustee has a long and curious past that stretches back to medieval times – the book tells the intriguing story of Public Trustees, revealing their rich heritage and casting a rarely-seen light on their often misunderstood purpose, services and contribution to society. Following his appointment as Chief Executive Officer at State Trustees, Dent began researching State … Read More

‘Coalfaces’ by Darian Zam

“My first week living in Mount Kembla, I met an 85-year-old man at the pub. He said to me, ‘Why don’t you paint my portrait, then?’ I thought to myself, ‘You cheeky bugger, who do you think you are?’ Then I went home to that cold, rattling old house I had rented and realized, ‘Actually, that’s a great idea.’ Thus, a project was born.” When artist and writer Darian Zam left Sydney in 2008, he assumed it would be a … Read More

Congratulations to Emeritus Professor David Carment AM

The Royal Australian Historical Society warmly congratulates former RAHS President Emeritus Professor David Carment AM on being awarded the 2017 Annual History Citation this week “in recognition of his outstanding contributions to historical scholarship, and his generosity and unwavering commitment to supporting the history community, including mentoring its emerging professionals.” For more information on David Carment’s contributions and on recipients of the 2017 History Council of NSW Awards see the History Council of NSW website.

JOHN MACARTHUR – “Visionary or Villain”

City of Sydney Historical Association September Lecture JOHN MACARTHUR – ‘Visionary or Villain’ Guest Speaker – Patrick Dodd Saturday 9th September at 2.00pm Macarthur is remembered by most people for laying the foundations of the great Australian wool industry. In fact he spent so much time away from home fighting Governors and facing a court martial in England, his practical achievements owe a very great deal to the persistence and loyalty of his wife and sons. He was a complex … Read More

‘After the Griffins – stories from the Castlecrag of the thirties, forties and fifties’

To celebrate History Week and its 2017 theme of ‘Australian popular culture’, the Walter Burley Griffin Society is organising a panel of former residents to discuss living in Castlecrag in the early years of the Griffin-inspired community, covering aspects such as entertainment, fashion, the motor car and public transport, play and toys. The sons and daughters of people whose parents lived and worked with the Griffins at Castlecrag will share some of their stories in a panel facilitated by heritage … Read More

History is Hot: Postgraduate students present their research

History House

The ‘History is Hot’ series is an opportunity for RAHS members and friends to hear about recent research findings in Australian history and how they impact our understanding and interpretation of the past. You are invited to join postgraduate students who will discuss their research projects. Click here to book online or email history@rahs.org.au. Date and Time: Thursday November 2 @ 6pm – 7.30pm Venue: History House, 133 Macquarie Street, Sydney Cost: Free – Elicia Taylor, PhD candidate, University of Newcastle ‘Unspeakably … Read More

Congratulations to RAHS Councillor Dr Peter Hobbins

Congratulations to all recipients of the NSW Premier’s History Awards and in particular RAHS Councillor Dr Peter Hobbins on being awarded the NSW Community and Regional History Prize for ‘Stories from the Sandstone: Quarantine Inscriptions from Australia’s Immigrant Past’ which he co-authored with Ursula K. Frederick and Anne Clarke. The book is the culmination of a three-year project run by the Department of Archaeology at the University of Sydney, which integrated the work of archaeologists, historians and heritage practitioners to … Read More

Hidden In Plain View: The Aboriginal People of Coastal Sydney

  Our next Day Lecture – Wednesday 6th September @ 1pm-2pm Dr Paul Irish will discuss his new book Hidden In Plain View: The Aboriginal People of Coastal Sydney, which shows that Aboriginal people never disappeared from Sydney in the nineteenth century as is often assumed. Instead they lived across colonial Sydney and interacted with its residents and economy, often in unexpected ways. Paul Irish is a historian and archaeologist with heritage consultancy MDCA. For over ten years he has … Read More

RAHS Excursion to Camden Park House

Camden Park, conceived by John Macarthur and built by John Verge, is open one weekend a year for public viewing. This excursion by bus includes tours of the house and garden. There will be stalls for food and plant sales giving the lawns a festive air. We will also see a little of Camden itself and hear of the development of the area. This tour will be lead by RAHS Councillor Judith Dunn. Date: Saturday 16th September Cost: $25 Numbers … Read More

THE POPULAR IS POLITICAL: STRUGGLES OVER NATIONAL CULTURE IN 1970s AUSTRALIA

How did popular culture make sense of the social change of the 1970s? Was the popularity of the ocker a reaction to the women’s movement? And how did popular histories on film and television contribute to this cultural contest? The History Council NSW is proud to announce its popular Annual History Lecture will be delivered by Associate Professor Michelle Arrow, Macquarie University, as part of History Week 2017. Find out more: http://bit.ly/AHL2017 When: Tuesday 5 September 2017, 6:00-9:00pm Where: The … Read More