Moonee Valley Family & Local History Blog

From now until 30th April, the Writing the War exhibition is on at Avondale Heights Library and Learning Centre. This exhibition, which helps commemorate 100 years since World War I, tells the stories of seven Australians through personal accounts. We've also put together displays of original artefacts from the First World War which local people and organisations have very generously put forward for this exhibition. There are fascinating (though often tragic) stories to learn about how local people contributed and were affected. Thank you to Lenore Frost, David McCall, Essendon Historical Society, Essendon Rifles, Essendon RSL, East Keilor RSL, Stephen Hutton, Judy Maddigan and Moonee Valley City Council for lending artefacts for this exhibition.  

The Public Records Office of Victoria have released their journal Provenance online. This journal is a great resource for those who want to learn more about the history of Victoria. Some of the articles in this years edition include:  Cover of Provenance 2015, Sourced from Public Records Office of Victoria:  http://prov.vic.gov.au/publications/provenance/provenance2015  ‘Doing their bit helping make Australia free’: mothers of Aboriginal diggers and the assertion of Indigenous rights Reading the papers: the Victorian Lands Department’s influence on the occupation of the Otways under the nineteenth century land Acts Military exemption courts in 1916: a public hearing of private lives To read these articles and more click here .

The Community Heritage Collection has just purchased the September volume of the State Library of Victoria's La Trobe Journal. This volume focuses on Victoria in the First World War and what life was like back home during this time. La Trobe Journal no. 96 State Library of Victoria ( www.slv.vic.gov.au ) This is a must read for those who are interested in learning about how Melbourne was divided around some of the big issues of the war, like conscription, women's rights and Australia's involvement in the war. With topics being writing by some leading academics this book is a must read for any local history buff. We have a copy in the library available for load, however if you are unable to make it into your local Moonee Valley Library branch you can download chapters of the journal online through the State Library's website. La Trobe Journal at Moonee Valley Libraries State Library downloadable chapters

There are still spots for the talk on at Sam Merrifield Library tonight in honour of Remembrance Day: At home with the war: The Great War in Victorian private life. This presentation examines how World War One was experienced in Victoria. It draws on personal letters and diaries to tell a story of the war as an individual, familial, and communal trial. Through an examination of anxieties over loved ones at the front, it offers new ways of understanding the costs of the war and the capacities of Victorians to meet and endure its demands. Dr Bart Ziino teaches history at Deakin University. His previous book was A distant grief: Australians, war graves and the Great War . This talk is free. To book call the library on 8325 1950.

Interested in the history of the First World War and how it affected Victoria? The Royal Historical Society will be hosting an exhibition on the Australian Red Cross in the Great War and conference on the theme The Other Face of War: Victorians and the Home Front in the city this August. The opening of the exhibition will be on Friday 8th August, and Dr Bart Ziino of Deakin University will give a lecture entitled At Home with the War: the Great War in Victorian Private Life . The next day there will be numerous talks by a variety of authors and academics looking at how the First World War affected Victoria. For more info, the full program, and how to book, see: http://www.historyvictoria.org.au/rhsv-conference-2014