This presentation will look at the ubiquitous ‘Californian Bungalow’ prevalent in the Inner West with a particular focus on Ashfield and Ashbury. Colin Webb will look at some of the features of Californian Bungalows that make them unique and how they conform. Were the Calfornian bungalows 'unimpressive and uniformly dull?' Colin has taken numerous photographs … Continue reading "Conformity and Individuality in the Californian Bungalow"
Christine Yeats will share her knowledge of “Trove”, the free onlineresearch portal of the National Library of Australia. Christine is Senior Vice President of the RAHS, and has extensive experience in Historical research.
Registration for this event is closed. In this pictorial presentation Mark will explore the varied examples of the Italianate architectural style as seen in London. The Italianate style was very popular and versatile. Taking in the housing forms seen around Regents Park, Belgravia, Pimlico and Bloomsbury just after the turn of the nineteenth century and … Continue reading "A Walk Through London Streets in Search of the Origin of our Victorian Italianate Legacy; a presentation by Mark Sabolch"
A talk by Wal Walker on his book “The Squatters’ Grab” which traces the failure of various governments and colonial administrators to discharge their obligations to Indigenous Australians; failure that gave rise to the ascendancy of the squatters and dispossession of the Aboriginal people, and attempts to unravel how and why it all went so wrong! Wal Walker is the … Continue reading "The Squatters’ Grab; tracing the failure of colonial administrators and various governments to discharge their obligations to Indigenous Australians "
The talk will examine the context of the station buildings with the rising influence of women's needs. Stuart Sharp has a life-long interest in railways. He started looking at platform buildings closely from 1982 when he commenced a M. Ec. (Hons) degree at Sydney Uni. He graduated with a PhD in 1999 from the same … Continue reading "Inviolable but Invisible – Women at Ashfield, Summer Hill and Croydon Stations"
Dr Mark St Leon is descended from one of Australia’s earliest circus families, and is the author of the definitive history of circus in Australia, Circus: The Australian Story .Having obtained a Bachelor of Economics, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant, serving as Senior Finance Officer (1983-1994) of the Australia Council, the Federal Government’s arts … Continue reading "Under the Big Top – Circus in Australia: 1847-2025, a talk by Dr Mark St Leon"
The NSW SES was founded in 1955 and serves the community of NSW as the lead agency for flood, storm and tsunami, as specified by the State Emergency Service Act 1989 (NSW).Peter Kaye, a retired Commander of the State Emergency Service Ashfield branch has undertaken to address us on the History of the Service in … Continue reading "Coming to Our Rescue: Seventy Years of the SES"
Heritage Land Surveyor Kevin Song will lead us in to the mysterious world of Land Surveying, the meaning of the survey marks we see in odd places, and the arcane process of land identification.
Ashfield, Summer Hill, and the Rabbit Plague For over 100 years, the Lysaght Wire Mill at Chiswick produced most of Australia’s fencing materials, significantly the wire netting of which thousands of Kilometres was used in rabbit-control fencing, in a never-quite-successful attempt to eradicate these cute, fluffy introduced creatures which were determined to destroy our farming … Continue reading "The connection between Ashfield, Summer Hill, the rabbit plagues, and the Australian Steel Industry"
The Ashfield and District Historical Society invites you to join us for this informative talk at the Summer Hill Community Centre, 131 Smith Street, Summer Hill. Its sometimes said that the Federation period house is Australia’s own style. But is it really? This illustrated talk will explore the origins of the Federation period house, so … Continue reading "History Week: The Federation House – Where it really Came From, by Mark Sabolch"
