History Council NSW

21/08/2026

21/08/2026

Before watching the Netflix miniseries of 'My Brilliant Career', read about the author, Miles Franklin!

📖 👉 https://www.rahs.org.au/miles-franklin-1879-1954/

📷 Miles Franklin, author – portrait, 1901, Rozelle, Auburn Street, Goulburn (Image courtesy State Library of NSW)

21/08/2026

Led by experienced facilitators in the Darling Square Library makerspace, this workshop is a great introduction to laser-cut printmaking and the City of Sydney archives.

You’ll be guided through how to access historical images from the City Archives to make a laser-cut relief plate. Once you’re happy with your final design, we’ll help you print it on our small press.

What you’ll learn:
How to access photographs in the City of Sydney Archives
Preparing your images for print using Adobe Photoshop
Basic laser cutting skills
Basic printmaking skills

What you’ll take home:
1 professional laser cutting of your chosen archival image on 3mm plywood
1-3 relief prints on archival printmaking paper
Designs are laser cut up to a maximum size of 15cm x 10cm

Suitable for: ages 16+yrs.
Experience level: beginner workshop with no required knowledge.

Cost: $40 general / $33 concession. Small and intimate class size – bookings are essential. See link below.

When: 8 September 10:30am -1:30pm

Booking link: https://buff.ly/YcxpYo1

For more exciting History Week events see our Events Calendar. https://historycouncilnsw.org.au/whats-on-2/

21/08/2026

Join award-winning biographer, Sylvia Martin, in conversation with writer and journalist, Susan Wyndham, to discuss Double Act: Eirene Mort and Nora Kate Weston Woollahra Libraries 8 September 10.30am.

Eirene Mort (1879–1977) and Nora Kate Weston (1880– 1965) were dynamic 'New Women' who made significant contributions to Australian art while challenging the gender conventions of their time. Trained in London and influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement, they established a professional studio in Sydney where they exhibited, taught and created work together for more than sixty years.

Although Eirene became well known as a designer and etcher, she regarded their work as a true collaboration, with Nora contributing her expertise as a carpenter, woodcarver and metalworker. Together, they left a lasting legacy, yet their story has remained largely overlooked.

In conversation with Susan Wyndham, Sylvia Martin will explore the lives of these remarkable women, the process of bringing overlooked histories to light through biography, and why their story continues to resonate today.

Cost: FREE but bookings recommended. See link below.

Where: Woollahra Libraries - Double Bay Library - 451 New South Head Road, Double Bay.

https://buff.ly/giygK9w

For more great History Week events see our Events Calendar. https://historycouncilnsw.org.au/whats-on-2/

21/08/2026

Here's another reason to grab your tickets to the History Council Annual History Awards and Lecture - a beautiful gift with purchase from Era - Past & Present Magazine

Era - Past & Present is an independent Australian publication focusing on vintage lifestyle, antiques, and collectables.

Founder and editor, Eleanor Keene, is a fashion and dress historian and valuer who has worked with the National Trust of NSW, National Gallery of Victoria, and as a valuer of fashion and textile donations to national museum collections. When she's not wearing her publishing hat, or in a museum, you can find her lecturing in Fashion History and Culture to students at The Fashion Design Studio, TAFE Ultimo, and NIDA.

"I started Era- Past & Present at the beginning of 2025 to celebrate Australia’s diverse history and culture," says Eleanor. "In a world where AI is taking over many of the creative industries I feel stronger than ever that there is a need for a publication like Era, to showcase human stories, history, and the arts."

To purchase your tickets to the History Council Annual Awards and Lecture and receive a copy of Era - Past & Present Magazine see link below.

https://buff.ly/SHSE1Iu

21/08/2026

21/08/2026

21/08/2026

NSW History Week runs 5–13th September 2026

The History Council of NSW have compiled another condensed series of events for their festival this year. Check out what's available on their website.

ℹ Shown here: Eileen McGrath and Rayner Hoff working on a relief for the ANZAC Memorial in Sydney's Hyde Park, courtesy Sylvia Embling archive. See 'Revealing Stories behind the Bas Reliefs' on the 9th Sept in the link below.

▶ https://historycouncilnsw.org.au/whats-on-2/

20/08/2026

Get along to Kirrawee Library Sutherland Shire Libraries this History Week for two fascinating disaster events.

Explore the history of Sydney in 10 Shipwrecks with archaeologists and volunteers at the Australian National Maritime Museum, Greg Jackson and Pam Forbes.

The presentation combines history and archaeology to tell the European history of Sydney. From the First Fleet to twentieth century commercial and naval vessels, these wrecks act as a maritime time machine opening portals to our past.
10 September 10:00am

Booking link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-history-of-sydney-in-10-wrecks-history-week-kirrawee-library-tickets-1995863389124?aff=oddtdtcreator

Plus, discover the truth behind Cronulla’s Bermuda Triangle, presented by local military historian, Clive Baker, to learn about the more than 20 air crashes and other aviation incidents that have occurred there. 8 September 10:00am

Booking link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cronullas-bermuda-triangle-history-talk-with-clive-baker-history-week-tickets-1995863911687

Image: Photo by Philip Pfeiffer on Pexels

For more exciting History Week events see our Events Calendar. https://historycouncilnsw.org.au/whats-on-2/

20/08/2026

Join Oral History NSW for a free online event launching the NSW and ACT phase of the Precarious Oral Histories Project—a national initiative led by the Australian National University team of the Language Data Commons of Australia.

Following the identification of more than 9,000 at-risk interviews in Victoria, the project is now turning its attention to NSW and the ACT, with a national expansion planned for 2027. Project Manager Dr Alexandra Mountain will introduce the project, explore what makes an oral history collection precarious, and unpack the survey helping identify collections at risk.

Come along to learn, share and help safeguard Australia’s oral history heritage.

Free online event 7 September 5.30 - 7.30pm

Booking link: https://buff.ly/8XBVSr6

For more exciting History Week events see our Events Calendar. https://historycouncilnsw.org.au/whats-on-2/