Moonee Valley Family & Local History Blog

Adventurer and author, Michael Smith, retraced 1930s Qantas, Imperial and Pan Am flying boat routes between Sydney, Southampton and New York. Voyage of the Southern Sun describes this remarkable global odyssey. Free bookings necessary. Sam Merrifield Library Monday 13 November 7-8pm Presented by Collins Booksellers Moonee Ponds in proud partnership with Moonee Valley Libraries. Book now.

Spring has almost Sprung, and we've just released our Spring What's On at your library  brochure. Find a copy at one of our branches, or online here . Take a look to discover a wide range of activities, workshops, classes and talks happening in the next few months, including several that are likely to be of interest to people with an interest in history, such as a memoir writing workshop, an author talk about Flying Boat routes to Australia, and a vintage costume expert discussing Melbourne Cup fashion. To book, call the branch associated with the event, book in person, or book online . Our Family History Group, which meets weekly at Sam Merrifield Libraries on Tuesdays, 1-3pm, also continues to thrive. No bookings needed for this one, just drop in. The programs and events mentioned here are just a very small sample of the range of activities on offer this Spring. Enjoy the lovely Spring-like weather for however long it lasts. And hopefully we'll see you in the ...

On Friday the 28th June, 2013,  Niddrie Library hosted the launch of  Christine Laskowski's book Steele Creek and the Lady of the Lake: the early history of Niddrie, Airport West, Keilor East, Avondale Heights, Keilor Park, West Essendon and Tullamarine. This book is the culmination of many years of painstaking research undertaken by Christine and is the first comprehensive history of the local area. The library has several copies of this book available for loan and Reference copies will soon be available at the Sam Merrifield, Niddrie and Avondale Heights branches.

The Australian Military have had a long history of involvement in the Middle East. Dr Mark Johnston’s new book, Anzacs in the Middle East , looks at the relationships between Australians of the second AIF and their allies and how they related to local populations of Greece,Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine during the Second World War. He uses diaries, interviews and other first-hand accounts to give a valuable perspective of Australians abroad in adverse conditions and discusses the image of the “larrikin” Australian.  Sam Merrifield Library Wednesday 24 April, 7pm Free, but bookings necessary. Call 8325 1950.

The numbers of those killed during the First World War is mind numbing. It is only through looking at personal stories that we can fully grasp not only the personal loss but also the loss to our communities. Ross McMullin explores the stories of ten young Australian men who lost their lives during the Great War. These men were  accomplished  in medicine, the military, sport, politics, architecture, agriculture and science. Ross McMullin's book, Farewell, Dear People: biographies of Australia's lost generation   is available from the library. This talk will take place at Sam Merrifield Library, Wednesday 7th November 2012 at 7pm Free, but bookings are required. Call 8325 1950