Moonee Valley Family & Local History Blog

The State Government of Victoria working with the Heritage Council of Victoria and Heritage Victoria  has created the 100 Places for 100 Years heritage trail app and brochure. This will guide people to 100 sites that recognise the contribution of men and women who served in a range of conflicts from the Boer War, World War One and the Vietnam War to more recent conflicts in the Middle East. The app covers 60 towns in Victoria and also covers Moonee Valley's own Queens Park monument to those who served in both the Boer War and the First World War in Moonee Ponds. With the app, you are guided through each site with historical narratives, videos and links with more information. A set of eight companion, location-specific brochures that can be downloaded for those who don't have a mobile device or want to use paper. To download the app or the brochure, visit the ANZAC Centenary site here .  Map of the Heritage trail through th...

Join us next Tuesday evening as we commemorate the centenary of ANZAC Day at Sam Merrifield Library with a special talk about the local impact of Gallipoli and wider war on what is now the Moonee Valley area. The local contribution and impact of the First World War was enormous, but is now not well known. Local Historian, Lenore Frost, will share some of this amazing, often tragic, history, particularly the stories of early World War One enlistees from Moonee Ponds and Essendon, several of them former cadets in the Essendon Rifles. Many of these men went on to serve as officers on other fronts, if they were first fortunate enough to have survived Gallipoli. To book call Sam Merrifield Library on 8325 1950, or book online .

As Victoria gears up to mark the Anzac Centenary (2014 – 2018), the State Government has called on the public to "share Victoria’s stories" to help honour the contribution of local World War I service men and women. A new website www.anzaccentenary.vic.gov.au has been established which includes historical information and photographs, resources to research family and community history, and links to other important websites. A key feature of the website is an online portal where people can register local commemorative events and share their own connection to WWI. “These shared stories form an important reminder to our community of the legacy of the Anzacs and the impact the war has had on so many lives,” Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Hugh Delahunty said. “With less than 10 months until the Centenary officially starts, now is the time for all Victorians to look into their own history, to share their story and to become involved in commemorating the events that so heav...