Mackay Historical Society

31/05/2026

Coming Up This Week ......

The next Mackay Historical Society, Open Monthly Meeting will be held this Saturday, June 6, 2026 (Queensland Day), from 2pm onwards.

The Meeting will be held at the Mackay Historical Society, Research Centre at 4 Casey Avenue, South Mackay.

Those wishing to join or would like to find out more about the Historical Society are welcome to attend this Saturday's meeting.

17/05/2026

Out And About ........

Earlier today (Sunday, May 17, 2026), longtime committee members Danielle and Steven, manned the Mackay Historical Society's stall at the 2026 Mackay Volunteers Expo at the Mackay Showgrounds.

The expo was held earlier today at the Mackay Showgrounds from 9am till Midday.

Our stall once again was very popular with a total of 41 people visiting and asking Danielle and Steven various questions about MHS during the duration of the expo.

Our new fact sheet for this year featuring information about MHS along with flyers for Professor Clive Moore's E-Book 'The River, Mackay in the Nineteenth Century', which is featured on MHS's website were very popular with many of the visitors.

'The River, Mackay in the Nineteenth Century' by Professor Clive Moore can be found by visiting: https://www.mackayhistoricalsociety.com/theriver

If you were unable to visit us in person today at the Expo but would like to find out about how to join MHS and what we do, you are more than welcome to visit us at the MHS Research Centre, 4 Casey Avenue, South Mackay every Thursday from 10am till 2pm.

We are located opposite BB Print Stadium.

Alternatively, you can also join the Mackay Historical Society by visiting our website's membership page: https://www.mackayhistoricalsociety.com/membership

09/05/2026

Coming Up Next Weekend ......

The Mackay Historical Society will be conducting a stall this year at the Annual 2026 Mackay Volunteer Expo, which will be conducted at the Mackay Showgrounds on Sunday, May 17, 2026, from 9am till Midday, in the Big Shed Pavilion.

The Expo this year is being held as part of 'National Volunteer Week'.

Admission is FREE.

If you would like to find out how to join the Mackay Historical Society as a member or would like to ask a question about the Mackay Historical Society, we will be there to answer any enquiries.

We will also have informative fact sheets about the Mackay Historical Society aswell at the Mackay Historical Society stall.

Picture: https://www.facebook.com/events/1724902798865966

26/04/2026

Coming Up This Week ......

The next Mackay Historical Society, Open Monthly Meeting will be held this Saturday, May 1, 2026, from 2pm onwards.

The Meeting will be held at the Mackay Historical Society, Research Centre at 4 Casey Avenue, South Mackay.

Those wishing to join or would like to find out more about the Historical Society are welcome to attend this Saturday's meeting.

30/03/2026

Coming Up This Week ......

The next Mackay Historical Society, Open Monthly Meeting will be held this Saturday, April 4, 2026, from 2pm onwards.

The Meeting will be held at the Mackay Historical Society, Research Centre at 4 Casey Avenue, South Mackay.

Those wishing to join or would like to find out more about the Historical Society are welcome to attend this Saturday's meeting.

01/03/2026

Coming Up This Week ......

The next Mackay Historical Society, Open Monthly Meeting will be held this Saturday, March 7, 2026, from 2pm onwards.

The Meeting will be held at the Mackay Historical Society, Research Centre at 4 Casey Avenue, South Mackay.

Those wishing to join or would like to find out more about the Historical Society are welcome to attend this Saturday's meeting.

This Saturday's Mackay Historical Society Open Monthly Meeting will be the first meeting for 2026.

07/02/2026

MHS Open Monthly Meeting Cancelled:

Due to unfortunate circumstances, in regard to the availability for this weekend of Mackay Historical Society Committee Members, the Mackay Historical Society Open Monthly Meeting previously advertised for today (Saturday, February 7, 2025), has had to be cancelled.

This decision was made earlier today, after committee members discussed the situation.

The meeting was to have been the first Open Monthly Meeting of MHS for 2026.

The next MHS Open Monthly Meeting will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2025.

We do apologize for any inconvenience that has been caused.

The next meeting as usual with details of date, time and venue will be advertised on this page prior to the meeting.

Send a message to learn more

27/01/2026

Later this year on Thursday, November 12, will mark the 70th anniversary since the first Olympic Torch Relay in Australia on its way to Melbourne travelled through Mackay and the Surrounding District, with the help of 200 torch bearers.

Steven Pritchard, of the Mackay Historical Society has been looking into the organizing and running of the Olympic Torch Relay in Mackay and the Surrounding District and has researched and written an article for the Mackay Historical Society website.

The article has just been published on our website. The website link is featured below in the comments.

Pictured is John Deane - who has since passed away, then secretary of the Mackay organizing committee carrying the torch during the early hours of November 12, 1956. 'The Daily Mercury' November 13, 1999.

07/01/2026

The Mackay Historical Society, is saddened to hear of the recent passing of former Committee Member and Member, Mrs. Lynette Gargano.

Lyn sadly passed away on Thursday, January 1, 2026, aged 79 years old.

Lyn and her husband, the late Mr. Giulio Gargano, were both committee members and members of the Mackay Historical Society during the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s.

Lyn, was Treasurer of the Mackay Historical Society, during 1976 till 1979 and later Honorary Secretary during 1986 till 1989.

Both Giulio and Lyn were members of the Mackay Historical Society, before and during our time based at Greenmount Homestead, remaining as members until 1995.

Giulio, was Vice President and later President of the Mackay Historical Society during 1977 till 1984.

Sadly, unable to attend our 50th anniversary lunch at Souths Leagues Club during 2022, Lyn as a member of the general public attended the official launch of the Mackay Historical Society’s current website, at the Bluewater Quay during June 2023.

Lyn’s funeral will be held at the Tommy Webster Memorial Hall, 22 Bold Street Walkerston on Friday, January 9, 2026, at 10am.

Our thoughts are with Lyn’s Family and her friends at this time.

Send a message to learn more

04/01/2026

Coming Up This Week ...

The Mackay Historical Society's Research Centre is reopening for 2026, this Thursday and every Thursday from January 8th onwards, from 10am till 2pm.

Local History Books, advertised prior to Christmas are still available for purchase, Cash Only at 4 Casey Avenue due to no Eftpos Machine available.