Royal Australian Historical Society

10/06/2026

RAHS Special Lecture – Playtime: A History of Australian Childhood

We are pleased to welcome Emily Gallagher to History House and online for the RAHS Special Lecture on 17 June 2026 at 1:00 pm.

Emily Gallagher’s presentation will explore children’s play and imaginative lives in the half-century before the Second World War.

This lecture will discuss some of the creative and surprising ways that young people navigated their changing world. It is a story about young dreamers and aspiring journalists, old schoolrooms and backyard cubbies, war and modernity, and the enduring power of the imagination to defy the routine and powerlessness of everyday life.

📅 Wednesday, 17 June 2026, at 1:00 pm.
📍 History House, 133 Macquarie St, Sydney, and online for remote viewers.
🎟 Free. All welcome! Booking recommended.
👉 https://www.rahs.org.au/shop/tickets-playtime/

05/06/2026

The Mosman Historical Society presents:
Waltzing Mathilde by Rosalie Horner

Mosman Historical Society member Rosalie Horner Rosalie will tell the true story behind her well received historical novel, 'Waltzing Mathilde: Letters to a Little Girl'.

📅 Wednesday, 10 June at 7:00 pm. Please arrive promptly.
📍 Mosman Library, 605 Military Rd, Mosman NSW 2088.
🎟 Members Free | Visitors $5 donation.
🎫 RSVP: Email David Carment at [email protected] by 8 June 2026.

Waltzing Mathilde - Royal Australian Historical Society

04/06/2026

Maritime mayhem in early Botany Bay

A little-known chapter of Australia’s past is that the convict settlement at Port Jackson became the first British port in the Pacific. Following his 2025 lecture at the Library, maritime historian Chris Maxworthy returns to expand on his research.

From Sydney Cove, early whalers, privateers and adventurers launched daring voyages against Spain’s colonies in Mexico, Peru and Chile. During the turmoil of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars, Britain authorised private ships to strike at its enemies under the longstanding process of marque and reprisals.

Join Chris Maxworthy as he explores the colony’s earliest years and shows how voyages in search of whales and precious metals proved the strategic value of a British base in the Southwest Pacific. In just ten years, Sydney Cove grew into a bold and influential outpost.

Chris will also recount the first naval battle involving former residents of the colony who fought against Spanish warships on the Pacific coast of South America. One highlight is the remarkable 1801 capture of the Spanish warship Limeño near modern day Ecuador—achieved by thirty former convicts and a motley crew of English whalemen.

📅 Thursday, 11 June 2026 @ 6:00 - 7:00 pm.
📍 NLA, in-person and online.
🎟 Free entry, but registration is essential.

A little-known chapter of Australia’s past is that the convict settlement at Port Jackson became the first British port in the Pacific. Following his 2025 lecture at the Library, maritime historian Chris Maxworthy returns to expand on his research.

03/06/2026

A life in Archives: Honouring the legacy of Dr Peter Orlovich

Organised by the National Archives of Australia and presented by the Australian Society of Archivists, 'A Life in Archives' recognises the outstanding career and contributions of Dr Peter Orlovich, a pioneering figure in Australian archival education and practice.

The event will be held at the National Archives of Australia in Canberra, with options to attend either in person or online.

Dr Orlovich established Australia’s first graduate training course for archivists at the University of New South Wales and made significant contributions to archival training, community archives, and local history throughout his career.

Attendees are invited to share stories and reflections on Dr Orlovich’s lasting impact on archives, research, and professional practice across Australia.

The event will be held at the National Archives of Australia in Canberra, with options to attend either in person or online.

There is an in person limit of 40 people. Up to 400 online participants can be accommodated.

Registration is via Eventbrite. A link to join the online version of this event will be sent to registered attendees 1 hour before the event commences.

PLEASE NOTE that in person registrations (for catering reasons) close at 5pm on 2 June. Online registrations close at 5pm on 8 June.

Information Awareness Week unites industry practitioners across the globe. Notably, this event welcomes all professionals, irrespective of their association memberships, fostering a truly inclusive environment.

02/06/2026

Historical Implications of the Life of Sir Gerard Brennan

We are pleased to welcome Jeff FitzGerald to History House, and online, for the RAHS Day Lecture on 3 June 2026, at 1:00 pm.

Jeff FitzGerald’s presentation will be on the subject of his biography, High Court Justice Sir Gerard Brennan.

The talk focuses on three landmark cases: the Mabo judgment, which rewrote the nation’s relationship with its own past; Marion’s case, in which Brennan enunciated a compelling and profound legal approach to the protection of the dignity of people with disabilities; and the Constitution’s implied protection of political communication – a doctrine that continues to shape Australian public life.

📅 Wednesday, 3 June 2026, at 1:00 pm.
📍 History House, 133 Macquarie St, Sydney, and online for remote viewers.
🎟 Free. All welcome! Bookings recommended.

RAHS Day Lecture – Historical Implications of the Life of Sir Gerard Brennan - Royal Australian Historical Society

01/06/2026

Cowra Regional Seminar - Five Windows in NSW History

Bookings must close this Friday at midday.

The RAHS and the Cowra Family History Group present a full-day history research skills seminar on five sources that you can use to explore local and family history.

The seminar will feature presentations on:

• The Registers of Assignments and Other Legal Instruments (The Old Register)
• Apprenticeship Records
• World War I Soldier Settlement Records
• Land and Property Records
• NSW Railways

Cost including morning tea and lunch: $25 RAHS, CFHG and RAHS affiliated society members | $30 non-members

📅 Saturday, 13 June @ 10:00 am to 3:40 pm.
📍 Club Cowra, 101 Brisbane St, Cowra NSW
👉 Book your tickets on our website.

2026 Cowra Regional Seminar - Royal Australian Historical Society

29/05/2026

Book Launch - Andrew Fisher: So much more than a Prime Minister

Join Professor David Headon AM and guests at the Whitlam Institute for the launch of the latest addition to the ‘First Eight’ series, on Australia’s fifth Prime Minister, Andrew Fisher.

Speakers & Proceedings:
- Welcome - Professor John Juriansz
- Introduction to Book & Series - Professor David Headon, Australian National University
- "In Conversation" - Professor Headon & Steven Fox, Parliamentary Librarian
- Vote of thanks - The Hon John Faulkner, Chair, Whitlam Institute
- Book signing and refreshments

📅 Friday, 12 June 2026, 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm.
📍Whitlam Institute, West Wing Conference Room, WSU Parramatta Campus.
🎟 Register online. Seats strictly limited.

Meet Author Professor David Headon, a Canberra based historian/cultural consultant and commentator on cultural, political and social issues on ABC Radio.

28/05/2026

The ‘Old Register’: Illuminating Early Colonial NSW

The Registers of Assignments and Other Legal Instruments, otherwise known as the ‘Old Register’, are an invaluable resource.

In the very early years of the colony, there was no authorised place to register land transfers and transactions after an initial grant of land. This quickly led to a large number of land disputes. In response, Governor King ordered in 1802 that no assignment would be legal unless it was drawn up and registered at the Judge Advocate’s Office, and the first volume of the ‘Old Register’ was created.

Watch this webinar led by Carol Liston AO to explore the ‘Old Register’ and what it can tell us about early colonial NSW.

This webinar led by Dr Carol Liston AO, Adjunct Associate Professor in History at Western Sydney University explores the ‘Old Register’ and what it can tell us about early colonial NSW.

28/05/2026

We're coming to Gosford in July for the 2026 Central Coast Regional Seminar, held in partnership with Central Coast Family History Society, and supported by Create NSW.

26/05/2026

The Canberra Region Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History invites honours and postgraduate students to apply for a $1,000 grant to conduct research at the Noel Butlin Archives Centre based at the ANU in Canberra.

Applications close 30 June 2026.

Image via Canberra Museum and Gallery: Noel Butlin Archives (behind the scenes)The Canberra Region Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History (ASSLH) and the ANU Australian Studies Institute (AuSI) are co-sponsors of the Eric Fry Labour History Research Grant. We invite stude...