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
‘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
MORE RAHS COLLECTION PHOTOGRAPHS ACCESSIBLE ON FLICKR
We have a couple of new additions to the RAHS Flickr Channel this month, thanks to Catherine, one of our dedicated volunteers. The Woodley 1948 Album offers the opportunity to experience a roadtrip from Sydney to Adelaide and back, 1948 style. Recording Dave Woodley’s fourteen or so day Pioneer Coach Tour in April 1948, there are plenty of images of rural towns in NSW, Victoria and South Australia as well as of Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. This album was donated … 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
History is Hot: Postgraduate students present their research
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
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
‘SYDNEY CEMETERIES – A FIELD GUIDE’
A message from City of Sydney Historical Association: ‘SYDNEY CEMETERIES – A FIELD GUIDE’ It might seem like a strange thing to do but City of Sydney Historian Dr Lisa Murray compares a visit to a cemetery to visiting a sculpture park or museum and encourages everyone to visit cemeteries like they visit their local park. Lisa will talk about her new book and tell us some of the strange and interesting stories of many of Sydney’s cemeteries and the … Read More
WHEN TELLING A GOOD STORY IS NOT ENOUGH: THE ART OF CITING AND REFERENCING SOURCES
Have you ever come across information in a history that has no source? Or tried to trace a footnote only to find it either doesn’t exist, or makes no reference to the information? Or found a citation that was garbled or so abbreviated it was meaningless? Had trouble distinguishing between information and interpretation? In this age of ‘fake news’, this session will provide some clues to identifying or avoiding ‘fake history’ and help you remain sane and able to trust … Read More
HILL END GOLD and HILL END HEARSAY
RAHS Affiliate History Hill Museum’s Malcolm Drinkwater has published two books now in their third editions. ‘Hill End Gold’ and ‘Hill End Hearsay’ were first published in 1982 and are the result of fifty years of curiosity, hands on education and passion. As Malcolm says “personal encounters with history”. Both books complement each other – Hill End Gold covers geology, mining methods and more, while ‘Hearsay’ expands with a personal association and oral history to show how a gold town … Read More
2017 RAHS CONFERENCE WEBSITE LAUNCHED
‘Finding Lost Places, Lost People’ The website for the upcoming RAHS Conference in Cowra NSW is now online and bookings are open! Browse the conference program, choose your conference history tours, and start planning a fantastic weekend in Cowra in October. http://www.rahs.org.au/2017-rahs-conference/ The theme of the 2017 RAHS Conference is ‘Finding Lost Places, Lost People’. Uncovering hidden stories helps us better understand the past and can challenge our understanding of how the present came to be. Historical societies have an … Read More
RAHS/Society of Australian Genealogists Seminar: Introduction to Building your Research Skills
There’s more to a successful research project than meets the eye. This seminar will offer you advice and guidance on how to make the best use of the free online indexes and digitised records on the State Archives website plus the rich resources of the Lands Kiosks, located in the State Archives reading room. You will also learn about research ethics and the online environment and finally some advice on how best to organise your research results. Click here to … Read More
THE HUGUENOTS: FRENCH REFORMERS – THEIR FAITH & DIASPORA
A one-day conference and dinner hosted by the Huguenot Society of Australia. This year, 2017, marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, a major movement which changed the face of Western Christianity and European culture forever. The Huguenot Society of Australia is marking this significant anniversary with a historical conference about the French Protestants, the Huguenots, who were an important part of this movement. Speakers will consider aspects of the Huguenot story in France, in Britain and other parts of … Read More
STORIES BY THE FIRESIDE WITH PERRY MCINTYRE
An invitation from The Great Irish Famine Commemoration Committee (GIFCC): The Great Irish Famine Commemoration Committee are delighted to invite its supporters to a fundraising event in support of The Great Irish Famine Memorial Refugee Scholarship. Join the GIFCC by the fireside at History House and hear readings from historian, Dr Perry McIntyre. Raffle tickets will be available – visit the GIFCC Facebook page for prize information: Click here to book online. Light refreshments will be provided. Places are limited, so secure … Read More
LENNOX HEAD HERITAGE COMMITTEE – ‘SURFING LENNOX’
To coincide with the 10-year anniversary of the Lennox National Surfing Reserve in February 2018, a ‘Surfing Lennox’ crew are compiling a book documenting the history of surfing around the Lennox region. Robyn Hargrave, Convenor, Lennox Head Heritage Committee explained, “In 2008 the Surfing Reserve was recognised as a site of environmental, cultural and historical significance to the Australian surfing culture. We have assembled an experienced volunteer ‘surf-crew’ working with the Lennox Head Heritage Committee to preserve our surfing history.” … Read More
Armidale Family History Group 2017 ANNUAL SEMINAR
Saturday, 21 October 2017 @ 9.15am – 4.00pm Research Centre, Kentucky Street, Armidale NSW ‘AN AMAZING RESOURCE – OUR FEMALE ANCESTORS’ Dr Catherine Bishop ‘Not Just Pin Money: Colonial Women in Business’ Graham Wilson OAM ‘Go Bush Young Lady or Get Out’ Jillian Oppenheimer, OAM ‘Difficult times for our Pioneer Women’ Dr Catherine Bishop ‘Challenging Women? Living Alone on the early 20th Century Australian Frontier’ Click here for more information.
ORAL HISTORY NSW SEMINAR AND AGM 2017
Oral History NSW is pleased to present a lecture by historian Dr Tanya Evans. The event will be followed by the Oral History NSW Annual General Meeting. Swimming with the Spit: Feminist oral sport history and the process of ‘sharing authority’ with 20th Century Female swimming champions in Sydney Dr Evans’ last book Swimming with the Spit, 100 years of the Spit Amateur Swimming Club was a community history written to encourage readers and swimmers, young and old, to think about their ambles down to … Read More
A new addition to the RAHS Flickr Page – Woodley – 1936 Album
Our latest addition to the RAHS Flickr page is a fascinating album of photographs donated to The Royal Australian Historical Society by Ray Woodley of Palmerston North, New Zealand in 2015. The album records a 1936 trip to Australia made by Ray’s uncle, Dave who lived in Wellington, New Zealand. Click here: www.flickr.com/photos/royalaustralianhistoricalsociety/albums Like a Facebook page today, the photos in this album show us the curated version of Dave’s trip as it was presented to friends and family. But … Read More
Indigenous Oral Histories – An RAHS/Oral History NSW joint seminar
From community-driven and university-based projects, to the collecting initiatives of libraries, archives and museums, the oral history work being undertaken with Indigenous communities across Australia is extensive. In this seminar, you’ll hear from Associate Professor Heidi Norman, who has expertise in conducting research about Aboriginal land rights, Dr. Dino Hodge, an activist and academic renowned for his explorations of Indigenous Australian queer histories, and archivist Kirsten Thorpe, who leads the Indigenous Services team at the State Library of NSW. The … Read More
LIVERPOOL TO HOLDSWORTHY RAILWAY
Moorebank Heritage Group has shared with us the upcoming exhibition and events on the historically significant LIVERPOOL TO HOLDSWORTHY RAILWAY, the only railway constructed during WWI by the Commonwealth for military purposes. Exhibition from Saturday 8 July to Saturday 2 September 2017 at Liverpool Regional Museum – 462 Hume Highway, Liverpool Bookings required at mylibrary.liverpool.nsw.gov.au/whats-on
MOREE REGIONAL SEMINAR – SATURDAY 8TH JULY
The RAHS in conjunction with Gwydir Family History Society Inc. presents the Moree Regional Seminar. Bookings are open for the RAHS’ next regional seminar, funded by Create NSW, this time in Moree NSW. Learn about accessing and using Land Title Records with RAHS President Carol Liston. RAHS Senior Vice President Christine Yeats will discuss the resources available for researchers wanting to discover how houses were furnished by our ancestors, and the wealth of Government Gazettes which are now available online … Read More