Royal Historical Society of Victoria

19/06/2026

Our Wednesday evening event, "Surveyors-General of 19th Century Victoria", drew an impressive crowd both in-person and online. Presented by current Surveyor-General Craig Sandy, the lecture took us on a fascinating journey that began with the role's origins in colonial New South Wales, before tracing its evolution through the establishment of the Port Phillip District and, eventually, Victoria itself.

The talk gave us information about each of the men who held this role but also touched on more than simple biography. Craig talked about the loneliness that some early surveyors experienced as they undertook their roles, often in isolation, away from familiar lands and loved ones. He spoke of the mental health consequences of this isolation – and of the impact the "great land grab", the frenzied and often ugly side of humanity that emerged in the scramble to claim a piece of the proverbial pie while the Surveyor-General struggled to keep up.

He talked about the relationship between 19th century surveyors and the Indigenous population, and the sophistication of Indigenous surveying. He also covered the 1850s gold rush that saw the office lose more than half of its employees to the lure of the gold fields, with the men left behind required to carry on in their roles despite the sudden absence of staff.

The role of Surveyor-General was never easy, but its legacy shaped the Victoria we live in today. A fascinating look at the people behind the maps.

16/06/2026

There is no greater joy for a historical society than being able to share our history and resources with the wider community – so we were delighted to be able to loan out this Jack Weatherly painting from our collection. It has been on display with the City of Casey for the last few weeks. If you're a local, there's still time to go and see it at Bunjil Place Library before it returns to us.

This portrait from more than 185 years ago offers a rare glimpse into the life of an Aboriginal leader who spent time on Country in what is now the City of Casey. Through Ginnin's story, visitors can learn about leadership, resilience, culture and the profound changes experienced by First Nations peoples during the early years of colonisation.
The painting shows Ginnin wearing a traditional possum skin cloak and bead necklace, and holding a wonguim (boomerang). His nephew, the renowned Wurundjeri leader and artist William Barak, later described him as a respected leader, a ngurungaeta, whose people listened to and followed him.
This significant work is on display at Bunjil Place Library for one more week only, until 4pm on Sunday 21 June.
Don't miss this rare opportunity to see an important piece of local and Aboriginal history and reflect on the stories that continue to shape our community today.
With thanks to the Royal Historical Society of Victoria for permission to display the portrait and the City of Casey for facilitating the loan.
Royal Historical Society of Victoria Connected Libraries City of Casey Bunjil Place

12/06/2026

Celebrated since 2005, today is Worldwide Knit in Public Day, a day to show the world that knitting (and crochet) is a fun and accessible activity that can be enjoyed by everybody, regardless of demographic.

It seems appropriate that annual Knit in Public Day falls in June. For us here in Victoria, June is when winter is settling upon us like soft snow and we’re in need of the extra warmth provided by woollen attire and accessories.

As we cast our yarn onto our needles, we cast our minds back in time to Coburg, 1922, to admire this promotional booklet from Lincoln Knitting Mills. Part pattern book, part history of the mill, part best practice guide to wool care, the full-colour cover is attention grabbing and enticing, reflecting the rainbow of the dyed skeins produced by the factory.

Lincoln Mills opened in Coburg in 1919, and was a major driver in the industrialisation of the area, predating competitors like the Moreland Knitting Mills and Belworth Hosiery, both of which were established later. As these factories sprung up, so too did residences to provide accommodation for the rapidly growing population of workers – workers’ houses for the working class, confirming Coburg’s working-class nature.

The Lincoln Mills made more than just yarn: it manufactured hosiery, sports coats, underwear, and sweaters. During the second world war, the factory produced cloth for coats, uniforms and blankets required by the armed services.

As Coburg’s biggest industrial operation, Lincoln Mills typically employed more than 1,000 at any one time, with more than two-thirds of the employees women. It operated for 61 years before closing in 1980, feeling the impact of economic recession and competition from imports. Though the Mill is no longer, many of the former employees are still in the area, and remember their time as Mill workers fondly.

Australia remains a leading supplier of wool on a global scale. Though many of the wool mills like Lincoln have closed, the industry has shaped Australian towns and cities in unmistakable ways. From the changing nature of work to consolidating populations and influencing housing, the wool industry is one of the pillars upon which our communities and prosperity were built.

As we proudly and publicly knit one, purl one today, we remember the legacy that gave us this moment. Think cosy thoughts, and knit on.



Note: This post was originally shared in 2025, but since we've gained many new followers and this is an annual event, we're sharing it again.

(Object: Lincoln Mills Knitting & Crochet Book, c. 1922; Object number: VF-00064566. The Royal Historical Society of Victoria has more than 100,000 licensable items in its archives. For a high resolution copy of these images or others, contact Royal Historical Society of Victoria)

09/06/2026

Today is International Archives Day, part of International Archives Week. This year's theme is one worth sitting with: : rights, memory and futures.

Archives aren't neutral because humans aren't neutral. People collect what they value, and what gets preserved (or doesn't) reflects the priorities, blind spots, and biases of those who came before us. An absence can be just as revealing as a presence. The gap where a community's story should be tells us something about how that community was regarded.

At RHSV, we care for hundreds of thousands of items relating to Melbourne and Victorian history - documents, manuscripts, photographs, books - donated by individuals over many decades. Our role is to ensure what we've been entrusted with is preserved accurately, honestly, and accessibly. That means regular audits, updating records as new information comes to light, and restoring names where they've been lost or removed.

It also means recognising that how we interpret an object can change. The same photograph might speak differently to an architect, a social historian, a descendant. Archives don't fix meaning. They hold objects open for future audiences to bring their own questions and interpretations.

When we make our collection available to students, writers, researchers, and communities, we're sharing more than old pieces of paper: we're offering the tools to understand it, challenge it – and maybe even build something better from it.



(Object: "A child rummaging through a bargain sales box c. 1970"; object number; PH-990021. The Royal Historical Society of Victoria has more than 100,000 licensable items in its archives. For a high-resolution copy of this image or others, contact Royal Historical Society of Victoria)

09/06/2026

We are delighted to share that our own Margaret Fleming was included in yesterday’s King’s Birthday Honours List!

Margaret received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division, with the citation revealing her decades of work spent researching, sharing and protecting the history of Victoria.

Margaret has been a member of the RHSV since 2004 and a volunteer with us since 2008, a stalwart of the organisation. She’s in every week like clockwork, known for her red hair, her sharp mind and her collection of impressive brooches (each with a historical tale behind them).

At the RHSV, she has presented seminars, curated exhibitions, coordinated our research volunteers, created the site search training program, and is currently our research specialist – if you contact us with a site search, chances are it’s Margaret who will be putting in the time to find what you need.

And this is only at the RHSV! Margaret also volunteers her time at multiple other historical organisations, including Genealogical Society of Victoria, the Brunswick Community History Group, Cobram Cemetery Trust, Yarroweyah, as well as contributing to numerous publications and community initiatives.

We’re thrilled to see Margaret be recognised for her incredible service and very proud to call her a friend and volunteer. Please join us in congratulating her for this well-deserved honour.

05/06/2026

This week we're reading the latest in the "Streets Beneath Our Feet" series by historians Professor Robert Pascoe (who you might also know as President of the RHSV) and Dr Chris McConville.

Part history book, part walking guide, each book in the series invites readers to view familiar neighbourhoods – in this case, Melbourne's formerly industrial suburb of Richmond - with fresh eyes.

Covering the origins of Richmond, its development and notable characters, the book is a gentle, easy read, one that captures a nostalgia for a version of Richmond that is rapidly fading as the suburb continues to change.

The book includes walking itineraries for Richmond Hill, Cremorne, and Burnley. A fun option for those in the area, the routes are designed for easy walking and encourage readers to explore further.

I really enjoyed this book – my biggest complaint about it would be that it isn't longer, as it felt like a taster rather than a full meal and has whet my appetite for something bigger.

Available now in the RHSV bookshop. Come in and grab a copy or order online at https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/product/richmond-streets-beneath-our-feet-by-robert-pascoe-and-chris-mcconville/

04/06/2026

The fingerprints of Victoria's first Surveyor-Generals still linger on the fabric of our lives today. If you've ever consulted a property boundary, enjoyed a quiet moment in a Melbourne park, or caught a train between regional towns, you've been affected by decisions made by these men more than 150 years ago.

Join us for a fascinating lecture tracing the lives and work of Victoria's earliest Surveyors-General. Through gold rush, rapid settlement, and the expansion of the railways, these men shaped Melbourne's CBD grid, established our property system, built our transport networks — and formalised the dispossession of First Nations peoples from their land.

Wednesday 17 June 2026 | 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
239 A'Beckett St, Melbourne OR online via Zoom
Tickets at https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/event/surveyors-general-of-19th-century-victoria/

Their decisions were political, practical, and permanent. Come and meet the people whose hands drew our maps.

02/06/2026

The RHSV accepted this telephone book cover a couple of years ago when collecting material for our "Living in the 70s " exhibition.

This wonderful and joyful cover was produced for Telecom Australia when they shifted from the Postmaster-General's Department's utilitarian solid-colour Post Office covers. The new covers featured vibrant, mod patterns and psychedelic or pop-art illustrations. They were coloured in bright orange, mustard yellow, avocado green, and brown which reflected the period's interior design and fashion trends.



(Object: "Plastic telephone book cover; c.1970s"; object number OBJ-0178. The Royal Historical Society of Victoria has more than 100,000 licensable items in its archives. For a high-resolution copy of this image or others, contact Royal Historical Society of Victoria)

29/05/2026

The Victorian Community History Awards 2026 are now open!

If you've produced a community history project – or know someone who has – now is the time to put in a submission. There are nine categories covering a wide range of history work:
- The Collaborative Community History Award
- The Community Diversity Award
- The Local History Project Award
- The Oral History Award
- The History Publication Award
- The History Interpretation Award
- The Digital Storytelling Award
- The History Article Award
- The Small History Publication Award

Submissions close Tuesday 30 June, and this year's awards cover work completed between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2026 – so there's plenty to celebrate.

Head to https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/victorian-community-history-awards-2026/ for the submission form and full terms and conditions. Good luck to everyone entering! 🏆



(Image: "Two ladies dressed in long gowns on beach, Brighton.; c.1890"; object number PH-980268. The Royal Historical Society of Victoria has more than 100,000 licensable items in its archives. For a high-resolution copy of this image or others, contact Royal Historical Society of Victoria)

28/05/2026

What a wonderful evening! On Tuesday 26 May we held our 2026 AGM followed by the Weston Bate Oration, which was well attended by members, friends and supporters.

At the AGM we welcomed new office bearers, elected council members, and celebrated some outstanding contributions to the RHSV and Victorian history. Highlights included the induction of four new members into the Victorian History Hall of Fame: Professor Weston Bate OAM, Tommy McRae (Yakaduna), Andrew Lemon AM, and Dr Dianne Reilly AM — as well as a Fellowship awarded to Margaret Anderson and a Barbara Nixon Volunteer Award to Vicki McNamara, among many others.

The evening concluded with the Weston Bate Oration, delivered by Professor Richard Broome AM. Speaking on National Sorry Day, Richard reflected on his journey into Aboriginal history since the 1970s and how the field has evolved — towards respect, consent, and centring traditional story-holders in the telling of these histories. A fitting and moving note to end on.

See full event recap and more photos on the RHSV website: https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/2026-agm-and-weston-bate-oration/