Ashfield & District Historical Society

Research Rooms Open
2022-04-09 11:00 - 16:00, 2022-03-26 11:00 - 16:00 (Australia/Sydney) | 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:

Victoria Street Walk Part ll
2022-03-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Meet Outside Clentworth, cnr Seaview and Victoria Street, Victoria Street, Ashfield, NSW, Australia
This is the second part of the Vicroria Street Walk, from Glentworth to Yeo Park and the old Baby Health Centre. Members of the committee will provide more great stories of the people and properties along the southern end of this significant Ashfield Street.

Glentworth

Yeo Park

Meet Outside Glentworth in Victoria Street

The Hurlstone Estate: It Didn’t Happen.

Research Rooms Open
2022-03-12 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

admin@ashfieldhistory.org.au

Our rooms are located at:

Research Rooms Open
2022-02-26 11:00 - 16:00 | Thirning Villa, 40 Arthur, Ashfield, NSW, 2131, Australia
Our Rooms at Thirning Villa will be open to 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:

Annual General Meeting
2022-02-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Pratten Park Community, Sports and Bowling Club, 42 Arthur Street, Ashfield, NSW
The Society’s Annual General Meeting will be held at the Pratten Park Community Sports and Bowling Club. The Society’s Committee for 2022 will be elected, so please come along and participate in the Meeting and nominate for the Committee. Refreshments will be served. Drinks will be available at the bar.

Use the Register button to register for this event.

Event Organiser

Guest Speaker: Lucille McKenna, OAM

Lucille recently retired as an Inner West Councillor and was the last Mayor of Ashfield Council.

Research Rooms Open
2021-12-11 11:00 - 16:00, 2021-11-13 11:00 - 16:00, 2021-10-30 11:00 - 16:00, 2021-07-10 11:00 - 16:00, 2021-06-26 11:00 - 16:00, 2021-06-12 11:00 - 16:00, 2021-05-29 11:00 - 16:00, 2021-05-08 11:00 - 16:00 and 4 more dates | Thirning Villa, 40 Arthur, Ashfield, NSW, 2131, Australia

Who’s Who at St John the Baptist Anglican Church Cemetery, Alt Street Ashfield. Sunday 28th November, 2:00-4:00pm.
2021-11-28 14:00 - 16:00 | NSW
This event will go ahead, subject to the Public Health Orders. Limited to 30 people who will need to provide proof of double vaccination.

We have organised a tour of the St John’s Cemetery in Alt St Ashfield on Sunday 17 October 2021. Join us for a guided tour through this historic site, led by members of the Society. Etched into our local history, the church is the oldest surviving building in Ashfield. It was founded in 1840 and built on land donated by Elizabeth Underwood. Many early and notable local residents are buried in its cemetery, including the First Fleeter John Limeburner. Our guides will point out and provide commentary on the historic graves and the varied aspects of their artistry and design will also be discussed.

St John’s Cemetery

Research Rooms Open
2021-11-27 11:00 - 16:00 | NSW

Ambleside: Cancelled
2021-08-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Ambleside, 160 Queen Street, Ashfield
This event has been cancelled due to Covid 19.

Research Rooms Closed
2021-08-14 11:00 - 16:00, 2021-07-31 11:00 - 16:00 | Thirning Villa, 40 Arthur, Ashfield, NSW, 2131, Australia

The Other Pandemic – the Spanish Flu in the Inner West: - Patricia Skehan, author of Frontline of the Pandemic Australia 1919
2021-06-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Pratten Park Community, Sports and Bowling Club, 42 Arthur Street, Ashfield, NSW
Patricia Skehan will talk about the pandemic that touched the Inner West after WW1. She will reveal aspects of how this played out using firsthand accounts from the time. Her book, Frontline of the Pandemic, is about this so-called “Spanish Flu”, which reached Australia in 1919.

“Managing Local Heritage - Applying the Burra Charter” An activity of the Ashfield and District Historical Society In association with the Australian Heritage Festival
2021-05-16 14:00 - 16:00 | Pratten Park Community, Sports and Bowling Club, 42 Arthur Street, Ashfield, NSW
Members and the Public are invited to join us for an engaging afternoon discussing the process of managing our built heritage.
Members of our discussion panel:
Susan Jackson-Stepowski, giving an introduction to the Burra Charter using visual examples
Alan Croker, Design 5 Architects, applying the principles of the Charter to built heritage
Alex Lofts, personal experiences and lessons learned from the former Ashfield Council
After the panel discussion, the meeting will open up for discussion with the audience.
(Susan and Alan have been members of the Australian ICOMOS National Executive)
Please RSVP by 14 May, email address: events@ashfieldhistory.org.au
Venue: Pratten Park Community Sports and Bowling Club, 42 Arthur Street, Ashfield, NSW.
Members $5, Non-members $10.

Victoria Street Ashfield Walk (Part 1) as Part of the Australian Heritage Festival
2021-04-18 13:30 - 15:00 | Outside No 1 Victoria Street, 1 Victoria Street
This walk is the first of two events proposed for this year’s Festival theme of ‘Our Heritage, Our Future’.
Leader – Mark Sabolch.
Meeting Place – Outside No. 1 Victoria Street.
Numbers will be limited to 20. Those who have not previously attended this walk will be given priority.
$5 fee.
Registration essential. RSVPs to be provided by 16 April

Research Rooms Open
2021-03-27 11:00 - 16:00 | Pratten Park Community, Sports and Bowling Club, 42 Arthur Street, Ashfield, NSW

Frederick Clissold – Was He Ashfield’s Richest Man in the Nineteenth Century? A Presentation by Chris Pratten.
2021-03-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Pratten Park Community, Sports and Bowling Club, 42 Arthur Street, Ashfield, NSW
Chris Pratten Joined the A&DHS in the early 1980s and his articles on a wide range of topics have appeared in various Society publications over the intervening years. He was Secretary of the Society from 1993 to 2001. Chris has led a full life as a farmer and grazier, a part-time lecturer and a conservation advocate. In 2005 he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his work for various conservation organisations.
Registration essential. RSVPs to be provided by 19 March.
$5 entry members; non-members $10 entry

A&DHS Annual General Meeting followed by ‘Baron, Soldier, Engineer, Mercenary’: the life of Augustus Alt, first Surveyor-General of New South Wales.
2021-02-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Pratten Park Community, Sports and Bowling Club, 42 Arthur Street, Ashfield, NSW
The Society’s AGM will be held at Pratten Park Community, Sports and Bowling Club. We welcome nominations to join the Committee in a nominated position or to assist as a general Committee Member.
The AGM be followed by a presentation by our Committee member David Morgan on ‘Baron, Soldier, Engineer, Mercenary’: the life of Augustus Alt, first Surveyor-General of New South Wales.
David has extensive experience working as a public historian, both at a professional level and in a voluntary capacity. Some of his work has been with the City of Sydney’s History Unit, the Dictionary of Sydney, the First Fleet Project – St John’s First Fleeters and Old Parramatta. He is also a published author and a quiz question writer.
If you are going to attend, please contact Lois at events@ashfieldhistory.org.au. This will help us comply with the Covid-19 restrictions/regulations applicable at the time.
The Pratten Park Bowling Club

LAUNCH OF PRESERVING THEIR NAMES
2020-11-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Mungo Scott Building, Flour Mill Way, Summer Hill
The Society’s journal commemorating those from Ashfield and district who served in WW1. is now ready to be distributed. The research began with the work of Kerry Ann O’Reilly and Peter Byron recording the names on as many local WW1 Honour Boards as they could find. Then more searches of a variety of sources by a dedicated team added to the list and we ended up with over 3,000 names. Detailed stories from 19 entries were explored and in the process some surprises were found. One story is about the five Jones brothers, from 156 Liverpool Road Ashfield.
Preserving Their Names was compiled and edited by Bernadette Williamson and Carolyn Carter, with contributions from the Committee. The publication is free for financial members of the Society.
GUEST SPEAKER – BRAD MANERA
We are delighted that Brad Manera, the CEO and Senior Historian at Sydney’s Hyde Park Anzac Memorial, will launch Preserving Their Names. Mr Manera is described by the NSW RSL as a “war history guru”. His life-long passion for military history and battlefield archaeology has transcended both pastime and vocation. Mr Manera was a member of the editorial team writing the official history of NSW in the Great War.
There is a limit of 40 people at this COVID 19 aware event. BYO mask. A waiting list will be established in case places become available closer to the day or restrictions are further eased.
Please email to reserve a place at this event: events@ashfieldhistory.org.au
