This is a summary of some of the articles taken from the newsletters and other correspondence sent to the Secretary from SEHA Groups and Societies. Compiled by Heather Arnold.

Bass Valley Historical Society
• At the meeting held on March 2, 2025 Libby Skidmore read a paper by Ken Morris, The Fortunes of Captain Thomas Whyte. The AGM was also held.

Brighton Cemetorians https://www.brightoncemetorians.org.au/
• The Cemetorian newsletter has many interesting articles on the people buried at the Brighton Cemetery. The March 2025 edition includes profiles of Major Raymond Tovell, D.S.O. and Bar, C.B.E., M.L.A (1890-1966), David Dickenson Wheeler (1832-1912), chief of Hansard staff at Victorian Parliament; Thomas Jollie Smith (1858-1927), Presbyterian Minister; Eliza Weber (nee Head, 1846-1919), mother of nine; and Rebecca Benjamin (nee Smith, 1883-1985), died at the age of 101 and whose father was at the Eureka Stockade.
• The Cemetorians are holding a walk at the Brighton Cemetery on Sunday, May 25, to celebrate Law Week with the theme Mishap or Murder. Details here – http://seha.org.au/event/brighton-general-cemetery-walk-law-week-mishap-or-murder

Chelsea and District Historical Society
• The April 2025 newsletter reported on their AGM. Clarrie Inchley was actively involved in the City of Chelsea and wrote his recollections of the area for the Society, and these are published in the newsletter. Clarrie was born in Richmond in 1901 and his family holidayed in the Chelsea area from 1910 to 1923. Clarrie conducted an electrical business in the area from 1923 and the business continued for around 80 years. After Clarrie’s retirement his son, Tom, took over the business.
• The Society is opening the historic Chelsea Court House as part of the Australian Heritage Festival on May 17 and 18. Details here – https://seha.org.au/event/historic-chelsea-courthouse-opening

City of Greater Dandenong Heritage
• Heritage Hill House & Garden Tours – free tours of the museum and historic gardens with expert heritage staff, will be held on the first Thursday of the month during 2025. More details here https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1388901

Dandenong & District Historical Society
2025 events
• April 13, 2025 – combined meeting of Dandenong Historical Society and Springvale Historical Society held at Benga, 66 McCrae Street, Dandenong. Guest Speaker was Michael Mackay – “Mr Dandenong, Remembering Alan Lind.” Michael spoke on the life and achievements of his grandfather. Alan Lind was the State member for Dandenong and for Mildura.
• Saturday, July 19, 2025 at 12.30pm – Annual Lunch at Dandenong Club. Guest Speaker: Stan Ciuchak – History of Australian bush songs, including Waltzing Matilda, and Click Goes the Shears. More details to follow.
• Sunday, October 19, 2025 at 2.00pm – Annual General Meeting to be held at Benga, 66 McCrae Street, Dandenong. Guest Speaker: Ross Dawson – Old Sale Road: our Gippsland history. Ross has written a book on the Old Sale Road and Dandenong Historical Society helped with his research. The stage coach travelled from Melbourne through to Sale from 1850 until about 1879.

Friends of Cheltenham & Regional Cemeteries https://www.focrc.org/
• Raves from the Graves April 2025 has an article, written by Heather Arnold, on the whirlwind which hit Cheltenham in January 1909. Based on the report in the Brighton Southern Cross, Heather looks at the lives of all the people mentioned in the report – Messrs Stanyer, Williams, Allan, Brough, Davie and Phillips.
• There is also an article on Alfred Dowley Tootal (1822-1874), the source of the name of Tootal Road. There is the final instalment of Mr William Bruton (1854-1930) memories of Carrum through to Chelsea.
• The FOCRC will conduct a Military tour of the Cheltenham Pioneer Cemetery, where you will hear about some of the moving sacrifices that were made by ordinary people and insights into the lives of some of the soldiers. When: Sunday, May 25, 2025 at 1.30pm. Details here – https://seha.org.au/event/cheltenham-pioneer-cemetery-military-tour

Hastings – Western Port Historical Society https://www.hwphs.org.au/
• The March 2025 newsletter has an article by Lynda Tredwell on Sandy, who was one of the 6,100 horses who embarked for Gallipoli in the first convoy of Australian troops sent to war and the only horse to return home. In time for Anzac day there was a Anzac biscuit recipe, from an original recipe provided by Mr. Bob Lawson, an ANZAC present at the Gallipoli Landing.
• The morning coffee held on April 16 had Brian Stahl, O.A.M., J.P. as the guest speaker and he spoke about Hastings in the 1960s.
• The Society is holding a walk at the Tyabb-Hastings Cemetery on Sunday, May 25. Details here – http://seha.org.au/event/tyabb-hastings-cemetery-walk
• On May 28, 2025, Lance Hodgins will talk about his new book, Fish Town – Hastings: the first 50 years. Details here – http://seha.org.au/event/fish-town-hastings-the-first-fifty-years-new-book-by-lance-hodgins

Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society
• The March 2025 newsletter published the Koo Wee Rup Sun report of the “Back-to” Bayles was held on February 25, 1967, which was attended by over 1,000 people. The April newsletter published a photograph of a 1918 ‘Welcome Home’ to Leslie James Cochrane (1894-1972); William John Gilchrist (1889-1975) and William Francis McGree (1893-1957) and had an accompanying article with biographical notes on the three men.
• The May 2025 newsletter had an article, by Heather Arnold, on Leigh Edgar Anderson (1904-1966) and Thomas George Gardiner (1905-1961) who operated the Corner Store in Koo Wee Rup from 1946. They had previously worked together at the McKay Massey-Harris works in Sunshine.
• Their Annual luncheon is on Sunday May 25. All the details are here https://seha.org.au/event/koo-wee-rup-swamp-historical-society-annual-luncheon-4

Mordialloc & District Historical Society
• The March 2025 newsletter has a history, written by Graham Whitehead, of the Mordialloc Community and Youth Centre which opened in 1965. Wayne Imlach and Tom Glass are currently researching the names on the World War One Memorial in Main Street Mordialloc. If you have any information about these soldiers please contact the Society. The soldiers are – C. Andrews, H.S. Beyer, C.E.Droop, F. Ebon, W. Foster, A. Lambert, G.L. Lawn, A. Le Maitre, W.J. McInerney, J. Mackenzie, W.C. Murray, J. O’Loughlin, W.J. Taylor, A.L. Thomas, F.W. Thomas, J.W. Watkins.
• Their most recent display was 30 Outstanding Women – looking at the lives of some local women from Cheltenham, Mentone, Mordialloc and Parkdale.

Mornington & District Historical Society https://morningtondistricthistory.org.au/
• The February 2025 newsletter has a short history and some photographs of the Mornington Fire Brigade in the 1950s and 1960s.

Mornington Peninsula Family History Society https://www.mpfhs.org/
• Peninsula Past Times May 2025 has an article, written by Wendy Jolly, on the Redenbach German Brass Band formed by her great-grandfather and his brothers in Bruthen. Belinda Triptree has written about her great, great grandfather, Robert Hunter; and Kay Page has written about the Unthank family, her Guild of One-Name study.

Narre Warren & District Family History Group http://nwfhg.org.au/
• The February 2025 Spreading Branches is full of news of past and future events and the activities of the Project Team over the past months.
• The Group are conducting a tour on Sunday, May 18, 2025 at the Pakenham Cemetery, with a focus on some of the interesting women buried there. More information – https://seha.org.au/event/indomitable-women-pakenham-cemetery-tour

Phillip Island & District Historical Society https://phillipislandhistory.org.au/
• The February 2025 newsletter has an article on the sinking of the ferry, Eagle Star, in December 1978, written by Pamela Rothfield. In the April 2025 newsletter there is a look at the history of Glen Isla, built in 1869 for Robert and Margaret Anderson.

Wonthaggi and District Historical Society http://www.wonthaggihistoricalsociety.org.au/
• The March 2025 Plod essay is Crays, Muttonfish and Gars with tails like pick-axes: Fishing yarns from the Bunurong Coast by Rees Quilford. The April 2025 has a history of Kilcunda Coal by Linda Cuttriss and the May Plod essay is entitled Trail Blazers, which is a look at the Wonthaggi Miners Women’s Auxiliary (WMWA).