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Brighton Historical Society

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Brighton Historical Society

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Since 1963, the Brighton Historical Society has worked to collect, preserve and share material related to the history of Brighton.

Preserving and sharing the history of Brighton, Victoria. Since our founding in 1963, we have been working to collect and preserve items and information connected to the history and heritage of our local area. We have an extensive and diverse collection, including photos, documents, maps, art, artefacts and a large costume collection of State significance. You can explore the highlights of our costume collection on Victorian Collections. We’re open on Thursday afternoons between 12 midday and 5 (other times by appointment), and we welcome visitors to pop in and browse our displays, ask questions, conduct your own research - or even join us for a chat and afternoon tea at 3:30!

26/10/2026

Some groovy fashions on show at Glen Eira City Council Gallery! 🕺🪩

'Fabulous 70s' celebrates a bold and innovative era of Melbourne fashion design and features looks from iconic local labels including Prue Acton, Jenny Bannister, Sally Browne, Clarence Chai, Mr Simon, Miss Hartnell, Leon Haskin, Elvie Hill, Van Roth, Norma Tullo and others.

The exhibition includes several pieces from the Brighton Historical Society costume collection, among them this spectacular 1972 Leon Haskin outfit. It's still in perfect condition—the donor told us she was never quite brave enough to wear it!

'Fabulous 70s: a celebration of Melbourne fashion' is on until 20 December. Find out more: https://www.gleneira.vic.gov.au/our-city/arts-and-culture/galleries-and-visual-art/exhibitions

15/06/2026

Don't forget to book your spot for our June talk, 'Looking back on the Swinging Sixties', with Old Treasury Building director Margaret Anderson. We'll be exploring life in the sixties, how different it was from decades before and after - and whether Victoria was really 'swinging'. Afternoon tea is included with admission.

Book now: https://www.trybooking.com/DMDTL

04/05/2026

In 1984, a member reached out to BHS for help with a school assignment. Their child was supposed to research a Chinese gentleman who the member believed to be a local market gardener—probably settled in Brighton after the Gold Rush. Had the Society ever heard of him? Name of Confucius.

You learn a new thing every day, don't you? 😆

📷 Brighton Historical Society Newsletter no. 68, June/July 1984, page 8

30/04/2026

Initially a sweet shop and later a residence, this house stood at 98 Carpenter Street until 1976. When it was demolished, neighbour John Saunders salvaged a section of the weatherboard and four original nails, which he presented to BHS: a sweet, humble memorial to a lost piece of Brighton.

The demolition also revealed the original wooden shingles—once common in Brighton—preserved beneath the newer corrugated roofing.

27/04/2026

Many thanks to Don Warner and the Royal Brighton Yacht Club for hosting us yesterday! A Brighton institution with a truly fascinating history. ⛵️

For anybody who missed out, Don's book, 'A Modern History of the Royal Brighton Yacht Club 1875-2025', can be purchased through the RBYC here: https://rbyc.org.au/rbyc-150th-book/

25/04/2026

Today we pause to remember the many lives cut short, the families torn apart and the enduring scars left by war.

Anzac Hostel, established in 1919 in a converted Brighton mansion, served for 76 years as a residence for veterans who had been permanently incapacitated by the First World War and required continual care.

Lest we forget.

📷 Three veterans and a nurse in a ward of Anzac Hostel, 5 July 1919. State Library of Victoria H2014.1077/42.

22/04/2026

An invaluable resource for us history detectives! 🔍 We have copies of many Sands and McDougall volumes available in our rooms for researchers to consult. Select volumes can also be found online through the State Library.

20/04/2026

BHS will be closing early at 2pm this Thursday 23 April. We will be back to our regular opening hours next week. If you have any queries in the interim, our inbox is always open!

📷 Council overseer in carriage, 1923. Charles Lyne family album.

19/04/2026

200 years ago George Higinbotham was born in Dublin on 19 April 1826. He migrated to Australia, arriving in Melbourne in March 1854. Elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1861 as the Member for Brighton, he became Attorney General in 1863.

Regarded as a political rebel, Higinbotham left politics in 1878 and returned to the law. He became Chief Justice of Victoria in 1886. He died on 31 December 1892. His home ‘Warrain’ formerly stood in Myrtle Street, Brighton.

📷 The Hon. George Higinbotham, Wood engravings published in Victoria, Australia, exhibited by the Commissioners of the International Exhibition, 1873. National Library of Australia.

Address

Corner Wilson And Carpenter Streets
Brighton, VIC
3186

Opening Hours

Monday	12pm - 4pm
Thursday	12pm - 4pm

Website

http://www.brightonhistorical.org.au/

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