Research Rooms Open
2022-06-25 11:00 - 16:00, 2022-07-09 11:00 - 16:00, 2022-07-30 11:00 - 16:00, 2022-08-13 11:00 - 16:00, 2022-08-27 11:00 - 16:00, 2022-09-24 11:00 - 16:00, 2022-10-08 11:00 - 16:00, 2022-10-29 11:00 - 16:00 (Australia/Sydney) and 3 more dates | Thirning Villa, 40 Arthur, Ashfield, NSW, 2131, Australia
Our Rooms at Thirning Villa will be open to provide access to our resources and people.

Members can use our facilities for free. Non-members, please see our Research Page (https://ashfieldhistory.org.au/research/) for a list of our services and associated fees. If you have a specific request please contact our research officer (research@ashfieldhistory.org.au) or admin@ashfieldhistory.org.au

Our rooms are located at:

1920s Architecture: Cancelled!
2022-07-24 14:00 - 16:00 | Pratten Park Community, Sports and Bowling Club, 42 Arthur Street, Ashfield, NSW
Scott MacArthur

In this presentation, Scott MacArthur from the Marrickville Heritage Society, discusses 1920s architecture, including its aspirational and health-based aspects. Scott has over 25 years’ professional experience in heritage conservation and adaptive reuse of historic places, including the preparation of conservation management plans, conservation documentation and site superintendence. He is currently in his ninth year as President of the Marrickville Heritage Society. He is a previous winner of a NSW Government Heritage Volunteer Award and an RAHS Special Achievement Certificate in recognition of his work with the Society to champion the built heritage of the former Marrickville LGA. He is also a retired GP with an interest in the architecture of health.

Price

Event Organiser

Venue

Guided Visit to Caroline Simpson Library & Research Collection
2022-08-18 10:00 - 12:00 | The Caroline Simpson Library and Research Collection, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW
This is a great opportunity to explore this wonderful facility. The Caroline Simpson Library & Research Collection is open to anyone with an interest in the history of house and garden design and interior furnishing in NSW.

We will be limited to two groups of 10. One group will start at 10:00 am and the other at 11:00 . Registration is required. Meet outside The Mint at 9:45am. Participants will be allocated to groups prior to the day.

Strictly Members Only.

Mungo Scott Centennial Celebrations
2022-08-21 10:00 - 13:00 | Mungo Scott Building, Flour Mill Way, Summer Hill
Mungo Scott commenced milling at Summer Hill in 1922. ADHS is co-sponsoring this family-friendly free celebration with EG, the developer of the Flour Mill of Summer Hill residences. There will be 1920s jazz, craft and baking along with tours (11.15 & 12 and talks (10.30 & 11.30) by Leonard Smith , former master miller and a photographic exhibition, not to mention the ADHS bookstall.

You don’t need to register for this event. Just turn up and enjoy the ambience of the market and the beautiful mill precinct.

Research Rooms Open
2022-09-10 11:00 - 16:00 | Thirning Villa, 40 Arthur, Ashfield, NSW, 2131, Australia
Our Rooms at Thirning Villa will be open to provide access to our resources and people.

Members can use our facilities for free. Non-members, please see our Research Page (https://ashfieldhistory.org.au/research/) for a list of our services and associated fees.

If you have a specific request please contact our research officer (research@ashfieldhistory.org.au) or admin@ashfieldhistory.org.au

Architecture of the 1920's
2022-09-25 14:00 - 16:00 | Mervyn Fletcher Hall, 81 Dalhousie Street Haberfield, Entry from Dickson Street
The Mungo Scott Mill at Summer Hill was built in the 1920’s.

Scott MacArthur.

Presenter Scott MacArthur is President of the Marrickville Heritage Society. Scott has over 25 years’ professional experience in heritage conservation and adaptive reuse of historic places. He is a previous winner of a NSW Government Heritage Volunteer Award and an RAHS Special Achievement Certificate in recognition of his work with the Society to champion the built heritage of the former Marrickville LGA.

Art Deco Talk by Dr Peter Sheridan
2022-10-23 14:00 - 16:00 | Pratten Park Community, Sports and Bowling Club, 42 Arthur Street, Ashfield, NSW
Sydney Art Deco explores the impact of the Art Deco style on the landscape and life of Sydney during the 1930s and 1940s.

Dr Peter Sheridan

Dr Peter Sheridan | AM BDS MDS FICDClinical Senior Lecturer, Sydney University

Dr Peter Sheridan is an internationally recognised photographer, author, collector, historian and speaker on Art Deco design.

His photographic images and articles appear in specialist fine art journals, books, travel publications, museum catalogues and print media. Peter’s 432 page book Sydney Art Deco (2019) was longlisted for the 2020 Indie Book Awards. It is already in its 2nd edition and lays the foundation for a series of walking booklets, the first being Sydney Art Deco & Modernist Walks – Potts Point & Elizabeth Bay, which was released in August 2021.

His collection of radios of the 1930s and 40s is considered one of the best in the world. He is also an accredited professional photographer and his highly acclaimed reference books Radio Days – Australian Bakelite Radios (2008) and Deco Radio – The most beautiful radios ever made (2014) have confirmed radio as early examples of streamlining and modern industrial design.

South Flows the Pearl: Australian Chinese Voices
2022-11-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Pratten Park Community, Sports and Bowling Club, 42 Arthur Street, Ashfield, NSW
明珠南流：澳大利亚华人之声

In the late 1980s Mavis Gock Yen began interviewing elderly Chinese Australians from all around Australia, recording hours of conversations.These fascinating and absorbing stories of the struggles and successes of Chinese in Australia, told in their own words, have been edited by Siaoman Yen and Richard Horsburgh. They form the basis of South Flows the Pearl: Chinese Australian Voices, published by Sydney University Press in February 2022.The unique book with stories from across the country from Perth, Broome, Darwin, Sydney and outback Queensland and New South Wales provides a new perspective on what it means to be an Australian with Chinese heritage. A rich exploration of the Chinese Australian contribution to the development of Australia from the goldrush of the 1850s to the current day.Perth-born Mavis Gock Yen (1916-2008), moved with her family to Shanghai in 1925 and spent time in China and Australia over the next twenty years. In 1946 she settled in China where she worked as a journalist and English teacher until after the Cultural Revolution, eventually returning to Australia in 1981 with her daughter Siaoman Yen.Mavis then began recording and writing this landmark pioneering oral history book which will change how you think about Australian history.Learn more about South Flows the Pearl from the book’s editor Richard Horsburgh.

Richard Horsburgh

Chang Family Tamworth c. 1912

2022 Christmas Social!
2022-12-17 14:30 - 18:00 | NSW
ADHS members and friends are invited to the 2022 Christmas Social!

Saturday 17th December 2022

A chance, at last, to have a social gathering!

Its also a chance to attend one of Summer Hill’s heritage homes, and to welcome the festive season. The address will be provided once you have registered for this event.

Bring along a plate for afternoon tea, from 2:30pm.

Annual General Meeting
2023-02-19 02:00 - 04:00 | Pratten Park Community, Sports and Bowling Club, 42 Arthur Street, Ashfield, NSW
Our Annual General Meeting will take place, our activities for the year reviewed and plans for 2023. Elections for the Committee.

50 Years On – What does one do?

A Presentation by Alan Croker

Frederick Clissold book will also be made available to members on the day.

Californian Bungalow: House Inspection, Summer Hill
2023-03-19 14:30 - 16:00 | NSW
An opportunity to learn more about the Californian Bungalow architectural style through a visit to this unusual home. A remarkably intact property, generously made available by its current owners.

Numbers limited to 25, Members only.

Registration essential. When Members register they will be provided with the address of the house.

A Saunter Down Smith Street, Summer Hill
2023-04-23 14:00 - 16:00 | John Paton Reserve, Smith Street, Summer Hill, N.S.W.
Summer Hill Anglican Church, a landmark of Smith Street. The starting point for this walk is opposite the church.

This event will be run in conjunction with the National Trust Heritage Festival. Mark Sabolch will delve into the history and heritage of Smith Street Summer Hill.

Walk commences at John Paton Reserve, corner of Henson and Smith Street.

This event is now fully booked.. Please see the repeat on May 7th.

Numbers limited to 25 for each date

Registration is essential

Cost

Members $5; non-members $10.

Organisers

A Saunter Down Smith Street, Summer Hill (A repeat of the previous week)
2023-05-07 14:00 - 16:00 | John Paton Reserve, Smith Street, Summer Hill, N.S.W.
A repeat of the earlier event.

Summer Hill Anglican Church, a landmark of Smith Street and Summer Hill. The walk commences opposite the church in the John Paton Reserve.

This event will be run in conjunction with the National Trust Heritage Festival. Mark Sabolch will delve into the history and heritage of Smith Street Summer Hill.

Walk commences at John Paton Reserve, corner of Henson and Smith Street.

Numbers limited to 25 for each date

Cost

50th Anniversary Celebration of A&DHS.
2023-06-24 11:30 - 14:00 | Wests Ashfield, 115 Liverpool Road, Ashfield, NSW
Our Jubilee Celebration

Members and their guests only. Invitations will be sent to members by email.

For this event, please specifiy any special dietary requirements.

Saturday

Book Launch: Ann O'Connell's 'John Jasper Stone',(1848-1921): Engineer, Architect and Baptist
2023-07-23 14:00 - 16:00 | Summer Hill Community Centre, 131 Smith Street, Summer Hill, NSW
This project is supported by Create NSW’s Grant Program administered by the Royal Australian Historical Society on behalf of the NSW Government.

John Jasper Stone was born in Shoreditch, a poor part of London and at age seven, arrived in Australia in 1855 with his parents, settling in crowded Surry Hills. As a lad, he joined the Public Works Department in Sydney and trained as a draughtsman, later becoming a civil engineer. In 1888 Stone branched out on his own as a Consulting Engineer, Patent Attorney and Architect and over his working life was involved in many projects across New South Wales.

Ann O’Connell has researched and written a book about Stone, with information and images of his buildings, industrial works and patents that have been identified. Among these are several houses in Ashfield and also the original Baptist Church in Holden Street.

Ashfield Baptist Church, built in 1885 and opened in January 1886, survives today, hidden behind a shopfront in Holden Street Ashfield. (Photo courtesy of David Chivers, ADHS Collection)

Registration Required.

Organiser

Land Titles Talk
2023-08-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Room 4 Ashfield Civic Centre, 260 Liverpool Road, Ashfield, NSW
Talk by Carol Liston

Carol Liston will educate us on the value of Land Title records, what can be learned from them, and how to effectively search them. Venue has been secured in the Ashfield Civic CentreActivity Room #4.

Once you see how you can search these records you will be inspired! We will show you how to search and access documents from Land Titles and uncover information about title holders, sometimes back to the original land grants.

$5 for Members. $10 for Non-members.

Haberfield Walk...Regrettably, this event has been cancelled due to unforseen circumstances. We are hoping to relaunch this event in 2024.
2023-09-10 14:00 - 16:00 | NSW

State Archives/ Museums of History
2023-10-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Summer Hill Community Centre, 131 Smith Street, Summer Hill, NSW
Christine Yeats, from the NSW State Archives at Kingswood, will walk us through some of the invaluable sources of information held by the State Archives. You can see a lot of information on-line but you can access the full and original documents through the State Archives. Knowing what is there and how to locate it makes th trip to Kingswood worthwhile.

Christine Yeats invites members to nominate areas of interest in advance. Members are asked to email their suggestions to: events@ashfieldhistory.org.au.

This event will be held at the Summer Hill Community Centre.

Launch of Our New Houses Journal
2023-11-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Summer Hill Community Centre, 131 Smith Street, Summer Hill, NSW
The new Houses journal covers, in detail, twelve houses and their occupants, with copious illustrations. It is a follow up to our 2018 publication, Houses of the Ashfield District. The preparation of this publication was supported by an Inner West Council grant.

Members will be able to collect their copy of the new Houses journal at this event.

To launch this Journal, Society Member Dennis McManus PSM will speak on heritage in the Southern Highlands

Heritage in the Southern Highlands

This illustrated talk provides a background to a recent 2021-2023 Wingecarribee Shire Community Heritage Study. The illustrations will confirm that, like Ashfield, the heritage of the Shire is no accident. It is the result of people who had both the ideas and resources to employ competent and sometimes renowned local and Sydney based architects, builders and others to make their dream a reality. Like Ashfield, the work of local historians has been of major assistance to the Shire Council in providing the best possible advice to ensure informed heritage management.

Dennis is an Hon. Heritage Consultant and Retired Senior Officerof the NSW Heritage Council. He was awarded a Public Service Medal in 1997 for services to Heritage Conservation in NSW. Dennis wrote a 21 page article on Victoria Square, Ashfield and his home, Portland House, for the 2018 Houses of the Ashfield District.

Refreshments provided.

Registration Required.

Venue: Summer Hill Community Centre, 131 Smith Street, Summer Hill

End of our 50th Year Social Event
2023-12-03 13:00 - 17:00 | NSW
The end of the year is near. ADHS members are invited to our end of year social event, to celebrate our busy 50th year! Please come along and let us know the things that you have enjoyed this year and help us with ideas for 2024.

The event will be held at the home of our President, Alex Lofts on the 3rd of December 2023. Alex’s home is in Summer Hill and when you register for the event you will be sent the address.

Bring along a plate for BBQ and drinks from 1:00pm
