Explore the early 1900’s craze for postcard sending and collecting at the 162 year-old Williamstown Botanic Gardens

Absorb at your own pace between 12 noon and 4 pm the marvels of maritime construction - tools, skills and material wood, canvas - to be found at the C.Blunt's Boatyard, five generations of shipwrights have been making and repairing wooden boats at this location since 1858.

Explore hidden alleyways, Victoria's oldest morgue, a forgotten burial ground and Australia's Timeball Tower in Victoria's oldest seaport.

Unlock the secrets of the historic Williamstown waterfront and seaport. One hour in duration and catering to all abilities, explore the historic seaport of waterfront Williamstown, as well as its hidden lanes, monuments and buildings.

An exhibition of historical maritime paintings and photos depicting recreational yachting on Hobsons Bay from the 1850s to 1930 will be displayed at Royal Yacht Club of Victoria and Seaworks Maritime Museum

A B&W episode of Homicide ‘Peter’s Party’ (1970) featuring the Point Gellibrand Pile Light and ‘The Don of Trugo’, a VCA student short, which centres on the unique game of Trugo.

A rare opportunity to explore the Alfred Graving Dock within the old Naval Dockyard in Williamstown with guided tours during the festival.

The story of 1903 tall ship Alma Doepel service during WW2 in the Australian Army as part of the Army Water Transport (AWT) division of the Royal Australian Engineers (RAE).

A walk along the the heritage listed Upfield Railway line looking at the unique railway infrastructure and talking about the people who operated the level crossing gates until the late 1990s.

Are you curious to discover what's inside the heritage-listed Mission to Seafarers in Melbourne's Docklands?
Explore this architecturally significant building in a free hour-long tour led by our experienced and knowledgeable volunteers.

Join members of the Furniture History Society as they discuss the renovation of the Mission's Arts and Crafts dining suite, in it's original setting and open to the public for the first time.

In our first co-presentation for 2023 with Engineering Heritage Victoria, Ken McInnes will speak about the controversies surrounding the electrification of Melbourne’s suburban railway system in the early years of the twentieth century.

What do the Shrine of Remembrance forecourt, the Film and Sound Archive and the Kensington RSL all have in common? They were all built by the pioneering building company, Simmie & Co (1924-1978). A photography exhibition about this prominent building company in Melbourne and Canberra.

Join expert tour guides from the Royal Historical Society of Victoria on a guided walk through the beautiful Flagstaff Gardens – the historic heart of the City, every Monday at 11.00am and 2.00pm.

The Hon Chris Maxwell will deliver the Society’s inaugural Paul Mullaly History and Law Lecture during Law Week 2023. He has been a highly respected Justice especially known for his advocacy for individual rights.

Dr Green’s fellowship topic is very interesting and, until her current work, little researched. Dr Green has investigated the planning and construction of the first purpose-built penal and psychiatric institutions in the Port Phillip District and Colony of Victoria during the La Trobe administration

Explore Princes Hill and hear tales both true and tall. Will you find secrets in the gravestones? Hear the roar of the crowd as your team kicks a goal? Wish you had bought that property in the seventies? Come on an urban walking adventure and share your stories.

Curious about the interred occupants of the Melbourne General Cemetery? You will be amazed at some of the stories our local historian has to share on this incredible tour.

The Italian Carlton Self-Guided Tour, compiled by well-known historian and author Dr Celestina Sagazio, highlights Carlton’s rich Italian built and cultural heritage and is available to download from the CO.AS.IT., Melbourne website or as a hardcopy at the CO.AS.IT. Museo Italiano.

Join a Free guided tour led by Elizabeth Triarico, Manager CO.AS.IT. Italian Historical Society & Museo Italiano, in celebration of International Museums Day. Gain a special insight into the Italian Australian immigration experience, with unique stories and objects, like the Sputnik coffee machine.

Princes Hill Community Centre and The Carlton Community History Group under the guidance of the Trades Hall Council Staff, present a tour of Victoria’s Trades Hall in Lygon Street, Carlton. Come and hear the unique stories behind the famous campaigns and victories.

Offering two events focused on South Melbourne during the 1850 Victorian Gold Rush, which reshaped South Melbourne’s population and architecture. South Melbourne was the site for Canvas Town which provided temporary accommodation for the influx of immigrants heading the Victorian Gold Fileds.

This event aims to highlight the contribution of the veteran community to Melbourne’s built environment through the range of public art by veterans.

The works include 3D sculptures and 2D murals as well as buildings designed or sponsored by veterans as artists, architects and arts patrons.

During the Australian Heritage Festival 2023, the ATW invites you to join us in a series of special guided tours that explores the stories of how this historical craft and contemporary art have been woven together since our establishment in 1976.

Playing a key role in Melbourne's cultural and artistic life since 1939, the Melbourne Athenaeum has a wealth of archives and stories. Join archivist Susie Shears while she uses key pieces from our archival collection to illustrate our historic and ongoing theatrical and literary contribution.

Offering two events focused on South Melbourne during the 1850 Victorian Gold Rush. The See Yup Society began in 1854 to look after the arrival of immigrants from Southern China heading for the goldfields. The Temple in Raglan Street, built in 1856, continues to serve its community today.

Venture through the columns into the world of the surgeons.
You may imagine this place is all about surgical instruments but there is so much more to discover.

Experience Victoria's Fire Service history.

Be inspired on a visit to the Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre, where you can learn about Australia’s first and only Saint! Explore the museum with one of our guides or with our new audio tour, take time to relax in our contemplative spaces, and enjoy a cuppa with a Sister of Saint Joseph.

Learn about the La Trobe Family's life in early Melbourne, in their simple yet elegant prefabricated cottage surrounded by a delightful garden

Do you have family photos and videotapes gathering dust at home? Through the magic of digitisation technologies, you can quickly and easily preserve these precious memories for the future.

Since the 1980s, thousands of veterans have returned to Việt Nam. Why have they done so? What do their stories mean? And how do their journeys connect to the ANZAC legend?

Loretta Smith brings Australia's first all-girl garage to life in her book, 'Spanner in the Works'. Come along and find out more about the extraordinary life of Alice Anderson.

Join acclaimed author Amanda Hampson to discuss her recently released murder-mystery novel, 'The Tea Ladies'.

Come and hear the fascinating stories of those who walked our streets before us. Take a tour of Melton Cemetery, guided by the experts of the Melton Family History Society.

View the beauty of the first church built south of the Yarra. Hear the story of the citizens who built it and it’s early school.

Meet at the PMI for a guided walk to discover the former department stores of Chapel Street, Prahran, during an accessible, family-friendly walk.

The Romance and Development of the Australian Wool Industry in the Nineteenth Century: Some Trends in the Growth of Time.

In a foreign climate and environment, how did women adapt to living in rural Victoria and the emerging suburbs of Melbourne. Explore and delight in the opulent tastes and styles adopted by women through the extraordinary collection of 19th century gowns in the Kew Historical Society collection.

Shoes - Footsteps in the House of Discovery, a house tour featuring selected shoes from the National Trust collection of historical fashion, as well as footwear-related decorative arts and idiosyncratic curios.

Richmond's Industrial Heritage saw the development of a wide range of industries. These industries changed the shape of manufacturing, innovation and growth in producing goods for local and global markets. The companies provided a wide range of employment opportunities for men and women.

This event will introduce participants to gardeners who designed many of Melbourne's famous gardens

In January 1856, Christian Ziebell returned from ten-month trip to Germany with, potentially, plants in a Wardian Case. This invention by Dr. Ward changed the world and the world of plants. Enjoy a performance of The Amazing Case of Doctor Ward and entry to Ziebell's Farmhouse Museum and Garden.

Join us at Rippon Lea with author, the National Trust's very own Matt Chester, as he reads from the sweetest teddy bear book going around; Elm & Willow's Adventures at Rippon Lea: Teddy Bears' Picnic.

Rippon Lea’s kitchens are a rare example of a 19th century kitchen complex. The original kitchens were enlarged in 1882 and remained in use for fifty years. Abandoned when a new kitchen was installed on the ground floor, they now offer a glimpse into the lives of those who lived “below stairs”.

Are you a jam maker? Enter a jar (or two) of your best home-made jam in Rippon Lea Estate’s Stone fruit Jam Making Competition. Show off your jam making skills and share the story that inspires your love of jam making.

The trees at Rippon Lea play an important part in the Estate’s history, with some dating back to the 1880s. This walking tour will provide a fascinating insight into the work required to manage and nurture this magnificent collection for the enjoyment of both today’s visitors and future generations.

Explore the newly restored areas of the architectural wonder that is Mandeville Hall, and discover the magnificent features, exquisite interiors and opulent rooms of this internationally significant Toorak mansion. End the tour with a glass of sparkling wine.

Come on an elevated bus ride through the City of Stonnington and discover the architectural wonders in Armadale, Malvern and Toorak, with architectural historian and former Mayor of the City of Stonnington, Steve Stefanopoulos OAM.

A self guided tour around the St Andrew's Brighton Historic Graveyard - a rare example of a suburban churchyard burial ground which is also of state significance. The first Christian burial was conducted in 1844 and the last burial in 1948. (Fee includes complimentary history book.)

Organ Fireworks - Dr Calvin Bowman plays a selection of organ favourites including Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Trumpet Voluntary and the Widor Toccata on the War Memorial Grand Organ at St Andrew's Brighton

Discover the wide range of resources available on the National Library of Australia's TROVE database, and how it can be used for your own historical research.

Starting at the former Khyat’s Hotel in Wilson Street, we will wend our way to the Marine Hotel in New Street while revealing Brighton’s interesting history and development through significant buildings and landmarks with entertaining stories about personalities and related events.

Imagine a world without engineers and architects. They have done all the heavy lifting which makes our world amazing. Boroondara (Kew) Cemetery has many such magicians whose achievements will make you give thanks for their contribution to Marvellous Melbourne.

Every house has a story. Would you like to find out the story of your house, but don’t know where to start? Are you interested to know when it was built, or who lived there before you? Join us for an introduction to researching the history of your house.

This year marks 100 years since Bundoora Homestead was home to the Bundoora Repatriation Mental Hospital. Join this unique guided experience to hear the stories that shaped the site, hosted by ex-hospital staff members Rosemary Barnes and Arnold Wheeler.

Take a step back in time

From all Walks of Life they came.

This talk will explore the Art Deco movement within the City of Boroondara, looking at buildings past and present within the municipality that are significant of this architectural style.

Hear the many amazing stories of the family including their escape from World War II Vienna, to Singapore and an internment camp in Tatura in rural Victoria. How did all their possessions and artworks survive the turbulent war period to be seen in Melbourne?

Some museum objects seem to be asleep in our storage rooms. They are like secret agents.
From the extensive array of objects collected over the past 55 years, this exhibition presents more than 150 secret agents. Their undercover identities slept in our store, preserved by our Society.

This talk and workshop presented by Way Back When Historians explores the process of researching the history of your house, demonstrating what documents to use with practical case studies.

Visit Historic Black Rock House and learn the history of its owners and visitors of yesteryear. Learn about past original owner Charles Hotson Ebden and his work as a pastoralist. Visits from Governor La Trobe, William Wills, past owner Sir Peter MacCallum plus many other interesting characters.

The Scout Heritage Victoria Museum and Archives is the premiere repository and display of Scouting memorabilia and records in Victoria with items presented in themes from the inception of Scouting in Victoria in 1908. We celebrate 50 years of Scout Heritage Victoria.

Reimagining Mid-Century Homes in Beaumaris is a panel discussion between architects and homeowners on the possibilities of mid-century architecture in Melbourne's suburbs. In celebration of the release of Beaumaris Modern 2, we feature author Fiona Austin, Peter Madison and two local homeowners.

Bear's Castle lies locked away in the catchment of the Yan Yean Reservoir. Access to this unique building is only granted on special occasions, and this is one of them.

Take this rare opportunity to visit the only known building of cob construction in Victoria.

On this guided tour of Schwerkolt Cottage - one of the few remaining 19th century stone settlers’ cottages in metropolitan Melbourne - hear the story of the Schwerkolt family. The Cottage features a garden, barn, smithy, wine cellar, smokehouse and museum in a bushland setting.

Join us for the Official Opening of the new Interpretive Panels in the Schwerkolt Cottage Museum that share the stories of the Whitehorse area. There will also be an opportunity for you to explore the museum and complex and enjoy afternoon tea.

'Optimism, Opportunities and Achievement': A reflection on the Centenary of Local Government in Dandenong in 1973

A storytelling afternoon over a delicious afternoon tea, listening to and sharing stories from local community members of their family experiences in City of Greater Dandenong over the centuries.

Our community objects: exploring 150 years of Local Government through objects and stories from the City of Greater Dandenong collection