POWs in post war Australia

The next meeting of the Heidelberg Historical Society presents Christina Twomey (Professor of History and Head of the School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies at Monash University) who will present her talk:

The Battle Within- POWs in post war Australia.

During World War Two over 30,000 Australians were captured by enemy forces and became prisoners of war.

Almost 22,000 returned home at the end of the war.  Most studies of POWs end at the point of liberation, but in this talk Christina will focus on what happened to former POWs after the camp gates were thrown open.

The talk will outline why the Government and the community found it difficult to respond to former POWs with empathy and understanding.

This talk is free and will be held at the Uniting Church Community Centre, Seddon Street, Ivanhoe Tuesday 13 August at 8pm.

To read more about Prisoners of War and the Second World War check out this reading list:

Prisoners of War

History of the Handkerchief

Elizabeth Banham member of the Heidelberg Historical Society and Embroiderers Guild Victoria will be the speaker at the August meeting of Heidelberg Historical Society.

With a love of textiles and history, Elizabeth decided to research the history of handkerchiefs which she will outline in this public talk.  Handkerchiefs have been around for centuries and their functions and appearances have altered in response to changes in fashion and social etiquette overtime. From very early days when beautifully embroidered and lace handkerchiefs were important to show ones position in society, to the present day where they are more plain, handkerchiefs have always been part of our everyday use.

Tuesday 14 August, 8.00pm at Uniting Church Community Centre, Seddon Street, Ivanhoe

In the meantime be inspired by this title in our collection Hankie Couture

Vandemonians in Victoria

Professor Janet McCalman will be the guest speaker at the next meeting of the Heidelberg Historical Society.  

Her talk is on The Vandemonians in Victoria: a hidden history.

Around 30,000 former and escaping convicts made their way to Victoria during the 1840s and 1850s.

Many were gold seekers who returned to Tasmania, others moved on.  But many stayed and played their part in Victoria’s colonial history.  What were they really like?  What happened to them and where did they settle?

The talk will report on the 7 years of work of the Founders & Survivor’s  project that has been reconstructing the life stories of the convicts transported to VanDiemen’s land between 1812 and 1853

Janet McCalman is the author of three award-winning social histories of Melbourne people: Struggletown, Journeyings: the biography of a middle-class generation (1993) and Sex and suffering: women’s health and a women’s hospital, 1856-1996 (1998).

She is a Professor in the Centre for Health and Society at the University of Melbourne and for  8 years wrote an opinion column in The Age.

The talk will be held at the Uniting Church Community Centre, Seddon Street, Ivanhoe at 8 pm on Tuesday 10th June.  All welcome.