An evening celebrating the contribution of  women in Merri-bek Discover the radical history of Brunswick’s first federally funded childcare centre and its revolutionary founder, Ruth Crow. Hear from the women leading community initiatives including the Merri Food Hub and Second Stitch. Meet the young women advocating for change as part of Merri-Bek’s Youth Ambassador Program […]

The next meeting of the Brunswick Community History Group will be held at the Pallaconian Brotherhood Hall in Albert Street. Helen Politis will talk about the wonderful contribution of Greek migrants to Brunswick.
Helen is the daughter of Greek migrants and has lived in Brunswick all her life. She will talk from her own experience about the places and people who are important for this vibrant community.

One of Brunswick and Coburg's best known identities will be speaking at Brunswick Library at 6.30pm on Thursday 9 May.
Phil Cleary has been a champion footballer and Independent Member of Parliament and a campaigner against domestic violence. He has delved into his family and local history to compile this fascinating story of Brunswick families during and after the Second World War.
Phil's grandfather Ted Dorian was one of five young men living in and around Barry Street who enlisted in 1940-41. Ted and two of the others were captured by the Germans in Greece in 1941 and spent four years in POW camps in Austria. Meanwhile Ted's young wife Gladys was working at Miller's Ropeworks. Ted returned from the war (unlike his brother Roy who was killed in New Guinea in 1943) but suffering from severe PTS which impacted on him, Gladys and the rest of the family for the rest of their lives.

Tickets available now for our upcoming hotel focused History Tours!
Once again we are working with the Sydney Road Brunswick Association to run the popular history walking tours. This year we are focusing on particular aspects of the Road - starting with Pubs!

Tour dates: Saturday 11 May, Saturday 25 May and Saturday 1 June, 2024; from 11am to 12.30pm.
Get your ticket now: http://sydneyroad.com.au/.../sydney-road-brunswick.../
#sydneyroadbrunswick #historytours #brunswicklocals

Cinemas of Brunswick.

Local film maker Gus Berger - who produced and directed The Lost City of Melbourne - will talk about the history of Brunswick's cinemas as the next meeting of Brunswick Community History Group.

1.30 pm on Saturday 1 June
Kirrip Djerring Room - above the Counihan Gallery.

This photo from State Library of Victoria shows the magnificent Padua Cinema which once stood where the IGA now is.

Our new publication Brunswick's Hotels will be launched on Saturday 6 July!
This book was originally compiled by Laurie Cunningham and other members of BCHG in the 1990s. It has now been revised with events since then added as well as beautiful photographs taken by one of our members to complement the old photos from Brunswick Library.

Launch details:
Saturday 6 July at 1.30 for 2.00pm
Celtic Club Members' Bar - first floor Wild Geese Hotel (Sarah Sands)
Some food will be provided and drinks can be purchased from the bar.
We will be sharing some stories about this iconic Goldrush period hotel.

The book retails for $20 and will be available at the launch or at Brunswick Bound afterwards.

History Walk - Brunswick in the Great Depression
Tickets are now on sale for our next history walk. This will visit sites important during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The walk will be led by Professor Emerita Joan Beaumont who has researched the Depression extensively and published a comprehensive history of the period in 2022. Brunswick was severely affected by the Depression and was also the site of political agitation.
Book here:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/.../history-walk-brunswick...

Local writer Kevin Brophy and photographer Nicholas Walton Healey will share stories and photos of the railway line which they are collecting for their project The Line. Their work will eventually be used for an exhibition and possibly a book recording the line before it is changed forever by the elevated rail project. They are interested in collecting more stories so come along if you have any to share!

Photo by John Werrett 1992

The spectacular former Wesleyan Church in Sydney Rd. This is one of the Brunswick Treasures to be discussed at our next meeting. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Victorian Heritage Register we will look at all 21 Brunswick buildings on the Register.
Photo by Peter Holmes

Members of Protestant denominations, particularly Methodists, were prominent in Brunswick during the early years of European settlement. The most prominent was Thomas Wilkinson who gave Brunswick its name and donated the land for the first Methodist chapel in Sydney Road. He was also the first Chairman of the municipality when it was created in 1857. Dr Cheryl Griffin will talk about him and others as well as their influence on Brunswick in the early European period at a joint meeting of Brunswick Community History Group and Brunswick Uniting Church.