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
• Libby Skidmore was the guest speaker at the afternoon tea meeting held on June 14, 2026. Libby spoke about historic mourning clothing and mourning practices.
Brighton Cemetorians https://www.brightoncemetorians.org.au/
• The June 2026 issue of The Cemetorian has profiles of some of the people buried in the Cemetery including Annie Bright (1840-1913), Spiritualist and Journalist; Frank Norman Allen (1917-1985) WW2 soldier, mechanic and later the manager and caretaker at the Brighton Cemetery; Harold George Thake (1923-1992), WW2 soldier and grocer; and Charlotte Donnelly (1886-1973) WW1 Army Nurse.
Bunyip Historical Society https://bunyiphistory.org.au/
• The June newsletter reports that the Society was the recipient of a $500 grant from the Bunyip Community market to help cover operational costs. Amongst the other articles is one on Atkinson’s Bakery which operated in the town for many years until the mid 1970s, and another on the Drake family of Bunyip who gave their name to Drake Court, which runs off A’Beckett Road in Bunyip.
Chelsea and District Historical Society https://chelseadistricthistorical.org.au/
• The June 2026 newsletter has an article on two families who purchased land in the 1890s in Wells Road, Chelsea Heights – Tommy and Mary Hawkins, their daughter Rubina and her husband Dan; and Henry and Susannah Beazley.
Cranbourne Shire Historical Society
• The guest speaker at the well attended annual luncheon on July 12, was David Francis. He spoke about the family property, Tooradin Estate. The homestead, built in the 1880s, was acquired by his parents Derry and Judy Francis in 1966.
Dandenong & District Historical Society
• The combined annual lunch held at the Dandenong Club on July 18 was a great success. The guest speaker was Simon McKeon on his early recollections of Dandenong, his family and the McKeon Pharmacy. They also received a generous $1000 sponsorship from the Dandenong Club.
• Their AGM will be held at Laurel Lodge, 51 Langhorne Street, Dandenong on Sunday, October 18 at 2.00pm. The guest speaker is Julian Dunn whose subject is New insights into historical land use and construction works at Nerre Nerre Warren / Dandenong Police Paddocks Reserve.
Dromana & District Historical Society https://dromanadistricthistory.com.au/
• The June 2026 newsletter reported on their AGM and their various activities held in the past year. There is also a transcript of an article The Days of the Ostrich, which was published in the Southern Peninsula Gazette, on December 18, 1974. It is about the Ostrich farm in Rosebud in the1920s.
Friends of Cheltenham & Regional Cemeteries https://www.focrc.org/
• Two talks have been held at the Cottage at the Cheltenham Pioneer Cemetery on notable burials at the Cheltenham Memorial Park. On May 27 they looked at the lives of artist, Clarice Beckett; Victorian Premier Ned Hogan; equestrienne Violet Murrell and circus performer Albert Perry. On July 29 the subjects were AFL footballer, Trevor Barker; the man who brought the Olympic Games to Melbourne in 1956, Sir Edgar Tanner; performer Mary Hardy and Titanic survivor, Frederick Crafter.
Hastings – Western Port Historical Society https://www.hwphs.org.au/
• The June 2026 newsletter reports that the Society has received the donation of a couta boat, The Pride, donated by Tim Mirabella – a member of one of Hastings original fishing families. It is being restored by John Woolley.
• In September, a delegation from America of the Reorganised Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, will visit the Museum. The Church Porch in the museum’s garden comes from the original Hastings church of the same order. Hastings had a large number of members of the Reorganised Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, including John’s grandfather, Ashton Woolley.
Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society
• The June newsletter has republished local letters to Aunt Connie, the editor of the Weekly Times’ children’s’ pages from around 1900 to 1920. The July newsletter reports on the visit of fifty Prep and Grade One students from St John the Baptist Primary School to the Museum on June 15 and the annual luncheon held on June 21 at the Tooradin Sports Club. Ninety-one people enjoyed musician, Stan Ciuchak, who spoke about the history of Australian bush songs, Waltzing Matilda and Click Goes the Shears.
• The August newsletter reports on a visit to the Museum on July 28, of Carmelo Genovesi, his wife and three children all the way from Sicily in Italy. His father Pasquale had lived in Koo Wee Rup from 1952 to 1955 and worked on local farms and on the railways. Pasquale then
returned to Italy and raised a family. Carmelo and family were accompanied by Sam and Emmanuel, whose father was from the same village as Pasquale, but who stayed in Victoria. Carmelo wanted to see what Koo Wee Rup and surrounds looked like and to see if they had any information on his father, which sadly they didn’t.
Mordialloc & District Historical Society
• The June 2026 Bulletin has an article on the shop at 14 Como Parade West, Mentone opened in 1914 by William Smiley and taken over in 1933 by Harold Robins. The Society is the custodian of the City of Mordialloc council table made by J. W. Jones in their Mentone joinery works on the corner of Mentone Parade and Brindisi Street in the 1920s. It appears to be made of Oak, with inlaid green leather panels and gold etched borders. It is now located on the first floor of the Old Bakery Museum and as the Bulletin notes Because of its size it could not have been carried up the stairs at the museum. It must have been winched up through the first-floor access door where flour bags had been delivered directly from the Laneway, many years earlier.
Mornington and District Historical Society www.morningtondistricthistory.org.au
• The August newsletter feature article is on development on Beleura Hill, from the 1870s, looking at the area above Tanti Creek, focusing on Bath Street and Marchington Avenue.
Mornington Peninsula Family History Society https://www.mpfhs.org/
• The May issue of Peninsula Past Times has an article by Ric Norman of a trip to Mildura twenty years ago to research his family on his mother’s side; they also visited the family home. Returning to the Family History rooms, he mentioned this to the lady on duty, who told him that her mother had been the housekeeper for the family, and not only that, but had photographs of the house, Ric’s mother as a baby and her siblings. As Ric concluded – With more than 30,000 residents in Mildura in 2006, what an amazing coincidence, and experience, it was for me to meet Elwyn, on duty on the one day that we chose to visit the Family History rooms. Some things are simply meant to be.
Narre Warren & District Family History Group http://nwfhg.org.au/
• In the May 2026 Spreading Branches Eileen Durdin continues her story on the Wanke family and some of their activities from 1919, as gleaned from a diary kept by Oscar and Minnie Wanke. On May 20, 2026 their Volunteers’ Morning Tea was held at the Berwick Pakenham Historical Society rooms in Pakenham. Penny Harris Jennings, the research officer, gave an informative talk about the history of their museum, the original 1912 Shire of Berwick Council Chambers.
Rye Historical Society https://ryehistoricalsociety.au/
• In the first issue of White Cliffs for 2026 the main article was written by Phil Cain – My Memories of growing up during World War Two. He starts the article off with – When World War 11 was declared in 1939 I was 6 going on 7. At that age all I understood was that our young men and some of our young women were going to some far-off places to defend the British Empire. That probably was the reason why we (as kids) spent so much time with the older men of the town who told us many tales of the folklore and history of Rye. Their stories left us in no doubt that they loved this little village, that is why today I am so very proud of the town I grew up in, with it rich heritage.
• Issue 2 of White Cliffs has a history of St Andrew’s Church in Rye, which is made of limestone.
Wonthaggi and District Historical Society http://www.wonthaggihistoricalsociety.org.au/
• The June Plod essay is Saltwater Sanctuary by Mike Tesch, about the Cape Paterson rock pool, which is the only man-made ocean swimming pool in Victoria. The July Plod essay looks at some of the interesting items on display at the Museum, including two examples of petrified wood – one which was used as a doorstop in the Deputies Office of the State Coal Mine and the other which for many years was displayed at the Offices of the Wonthaggi Borough Council.
• The August Plod article is on the Wonthaggi School Band written by Jeremy de Korte. It also has interesting information about school bands in Victoria generally. The first conductor of the Wonthaggi School band was William Philpott, who was also the conductor of the Wonthaggi Union Band.