Digitised video (1.11GB). Duration: 20 minutes. Recorded March, 2021. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenters: Gerry Robinson and Peter Le Get of Heathmont History Group (HHG) look back over developments in the area over the previous year. HEATHMONT HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2020 Summary - "Of course for 2020 the Covid 19 virus dominated. Other finalists included roadworks on Bedford Road corner, new Wards for MCC and their elections, 100th birthday and death of Rita James, opening of Milk & Wine Co. café replacing Barclays, election of Kylie Spears as Mayor, closure of Heathmont Medical Centre, demolition of Miller homestead in Coven Avenue, final edition of Maroondah Leader local newspaper, opening of HE Parker Sports pavilion, 50 more bollard arts, and the ugliness of the former Anglican Church and other local sites."

Digitised video (4.69GB) Duration: 90 minutes. Recorded April, 2021 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)The Guest family are well-known to anyone who lived in Ringwood, particularly East Ringwood, during the 1940s-80s and earlier. Everyone knew of their bakery and the taste of the Guest Brothers' delicious bread. Tommy Guest grew up in this environment and took it all in, as a part of growing up. In the last 12 months, Tommy has written many stories on the RDHS' Facebook, which has helped many people get through the pandemic shutdown.

Digitised video (3.20GB) Duration: 63 minutes. Recorded May, 2021 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Dr Jeff Kildea is an Honorary Professor in Irish Studies at the University of New South Wales. In 2014 he held the Keith Cameron Chair of Australian History at University College Dublin. He is the author of numerous books and articles on the Irish in Australia including Hugh Mahon: Patriot, Pressman, Politician, Anchor Books Australia, Melbourne, 2017 (Vol 1) and 2020 (Vol 2). This talk examines the background to Mahon’s expulsion from parliament and how it led to his being ostracised by his fellow Australians including his neighbours at Ringwood.

Digitised video (3.79GB). Duration: 67 minutes. Recorded March, 2022. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Gerry Robinson and Margaret (Maggie) McKern of Heathmont History Group (HHG) combine to present an overview of Heathmont's pioneering orchardists, with Maggie providing a history of her Clark family property, "Roslyn", purchased in the 1930s and operating as a poultry farm and lemon orchard on the corner of Canterbury Road and Armstrong Road in Heathmont.

Digitised video (1.41GB) Duration: 40 minutes. Recorded May, 2022 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Author and Historian Carole Woods OAM presents this talk on her biography of Australian humanitarian Vera Deakin, known for her involvement with the beginnings of Australian Red Cross and her incredible work in tracking down details of First World War Australian wounded and missing soldiers.

Digitised video (3.07GB) Duration: 50 minutes. Recorded May, 2022 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Prof. Charles Sowerwine, Emeritus Professor at University of Melbourne, Fellow at La Trobe University and Chair of RHSV Heritage Committee, presents this talk on the subject of Heritage, both from an academic point of view and the practical appreciation of this integral part of our culture and local identification.

Digitised video (2.66GB) Duration: 51 minutes. Recorded August, 2022 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Louise Blake is a writer and historian with an interest in the stories of women, families, and communities on the nineteenth-century goldfields in Australia and New Zealand. Inspired by her family connection to the gold mining settlement of Woods Point, Louise completed a PhD on Women and Community on the Upper Goulburn Goldfields in north-east Victoria in 2019. In this talk Louise will share her research on Lawrence and Esther Chubb, who lived and worked at Gaffneys Creek on the Upper Goulburn Goldfields in the 1870s and 80s. In a series of letters Lawrence wrote to his family in England, and now held by the State Library of Victoria, Lawrence shared his early struggles as an independent miner on the central Victorian goldfields, his protracted courtship with Esther, the ordinary intimacies of their life at Gaffneys Creek, the work that Esther did to support the family in this remote mining region, as well as the material and emotional support provided by and to family, friends and neighbours. A rare and revealing source, these letters help to expand our understanding of the lived experience of mining families, particularly the work that women did to sustain families and communities, in this period of waged labour and tribute mining in Victoria.

Digitised video (3.23GB). Duration: 60 minutes. Recorded October, 2022. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Gerry Robinson is the convenor of the Heathmont History Group (HHG). Gerry presents this talk on the the many facets of what makes up local history - the natural history of fauna, flora and geology; the social history; the histories of families; the changes in history and how we adapt to new technologies.

Digitised video (2.41GB) Duration: 43 minutes. Recorded September, 2022 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Hardy and Evie Kielnhofer are rare examples of historians who are totally dedicated to gaining, and imparting, knowledge of their patch of the world. In this presentation, Evie talks about one of their regular group tours of Vermont that they conduct most Saturday mornings.

Digitised video (2.26GB). Duration: 54 minutes. Recorded September, 2023 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Judith Vimpani, Vice President of Marysville Historical Society, talks about her experiences, interviews and extensive research in re-gathering Marysville's history lost in the catastrophic 2009 Black Saturday fires.

Digitised video (3.17GB). Duration: 56 minutes. Recorded June, 2023 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Wren Lakeman has a Bachelor of Archaeology and Masters in Professional Archaeology from LaTrobe University, finishing in 2018. She has been working as a sub-contractor for many different archaeology companies and with tickets in excavation, now works for Archstone Archaeology, providers of machinery and operators to archaeological sites all over Australia. For this talk, Wren talks about her work and outlines results of earlier excavations carried out in Ringwood.

Digitised video (3.19GB) Duration: 75 minutes. Recorded May, 2023 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Past-President of RDHS, Richard Carter, is the guru when it comes to researching properties. South Side Story examines the often forgotten - but important - part of Ringwood from Wantirna Road to Olive Grove on the southern side of Maroondah Highway, Ringwood, Victoria.

Digitised video (3.04GB) Duration: 40 minutes. Recorded August, 2018 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)In March 2017, Rachael Cottle commenced an internship with Museums Victoria. Working in the Humanities department, Rachael worked with a collection of 154 items from a World War II RAAF air crewman, Norman Henry James. Rachael shares her story of interning and volunteering at Australia’s largest public museum organisation.

Digitised video (3.80GB) Duration: 51 minutes. Recorded October, 2018 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Croydon Historical Society Vice President Geoff Arnott is an active writer and researcher of heritage, having written the history of Wedderburn and many Croydon-related books. In this talk, Geoff provides a background of his family, why he decided to look into it, and the dark secrets revealed. His story is typical of many Australian family that began with migration from the “old country” during the 1850s, trying to seek their fortune and a new life in a new country.

Digitised video (5.14GB). Duration: 61 minutes. Recorded May, 2018. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Peter Le Get, together with his wife, Mary, have been one of the few families to purchase, and live in, four homes in the suburb of Heathmont. The Le Get’s came to Heathmont when pioneer orchardists were beginning to sell their properties, which led to the sub-division of land into housing blocks. It was the time of a new community coming together, with sporting clubs starting up, churches and schools built, roads being defined or asphalted, and the proliferation of new shops and businesses.

Digitised video (4.78GB). Duration: 54 minutes. Recorded November, 2018. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)The Rogers family have been involved with the Ringwood Field Naturalists Club since its inception back in 1961. The Club has promoted natural history in the local area, through excursions, meetings and presentations to local schools. Without them, our sense of appreciation of local flora and fauna would be much poorer. Past-President Peter Rogers takes us through its wonderful history.

Digitised video (4.06GB). Duration: 48 minutes. Recorded February, 2019. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Gerry Robinson is the convenor of the Heathmont History Group (HHG). Heathmont has changed over the years and this has been detailed in HHG’s award-winning books, The 48 Courts of Heathmont, From apples to Coffee, Heathmont Street Names, and many more. This talk draws a line in the sand, looking back where we’ve been and where Heathmont is today.

Digitised video (2.72GB). Duration: 50 minutes. Recorded April, 2019. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Ringwood and District Historical Society were privileged to have military historian Anthony McAleer present this talk on the Monash Militia camp operating in Lilydale in February, 1914 - six months before the start of World War One - for 3000 citizen soldiers including some from Ringwood. The camp was commanded by John Monash, later General Sir John Monash.

Digitised video (3.86GB). Duration: 75 minutes. Recorded May, 2019. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Bronwyn Koll grew up on her family’s orchard in Wonga Park. In this historical perspective on the first industry of Ringwood, Bron talks about her orchardist roots and highlights the seriousness of looking after crops with the ongoing threat of insect pests in the district, including backyard gardens.

Digitised video (4.05GB). Duration: 40 minutes. Recorded June, 2019. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presentation: Members of Heathmont History Group address a meeting of RDHS with a reading of a play telling of destruction of orchards in the 1950s/60s and the resistance of change to the landscape and family lifestyles with the onset of residential developments.

Digitised video (2.52GB) Duration: 46 minutes. Recorded July, 2023 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Simon Elliston talks about his walking group visits to historic sites around Victoria, including an overview of Wombolano Park in Heathmont, once visited by acclaimed celebrities such as Dame Nellie Melba and Agatha Christie.

Digitised video (1.97GB). Duration: 46 minutes. Recorded August, 2019 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Helen Doxford Harris is a professional genealogist and historian of more than thirty years standing. Her interest in history was first developed when she commenced researching her family history. She has written many texts on various subjects relating to Victoria Police, the Indigenous and women’s fields of study. Helen is also current Secretary of Box Hill Historical Society. In this presentation, Helen presents a great talk on Women in Politics, highlighting the difficulty in achieving equality in representation on the political stage.

Digitised video (1.82GB). Duration: 38 minutes. Recorded September, 2019. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presentation: DNA testing is a very important tool for the family historian. It can help to verify your family tree and provide helpful clues to inform the future direction of your research. It can also sometimes help to break down those long-standing brick walls. In this talk, Peter Fry unravels the mystery of family ties using DNA.

Digitised video (6.64GB). Duration: 82 minutes. Recorded September, 2017 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Dr Gary Presland is a long-standing member of the Archaeological and Anthropological Society of Victoria, as well as a number of local historical societies, including Box Hill where he serves as President.

Digitised video (6.13GB). Duration: 80 minutes. Recorded October, 2017. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Paul Kennelly has held positions in the Bus and Coach Society of Victoria as an Archivist and has served on the committee for many years including terms as Secretary and President.

Digitised video (4.46GB). Duration: 62 minutes. Recorded November, 2017. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter - David Thompson, RHSV Archivist and contributor as curator or assistant to the curator of successive exhibitions. David curated the RHSV's most successful exhibition "Nail Can to Knighthood: the Life of Sir Macpherson Robertson" in 2015, and presents this talk on the Australian philanthropist, entrepeneur and founder of chocolate and confectionery company, MacRobertson's.

Digitised video (4.41GB). Duration: 63 minutes. Recorded March, 2018. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Gary Presland is an Australian archaeologist and writer who studied history at LaTrobe University, 1973-76 and archaeology at the University of London, 1977-79. He was a staff member of the Victoria Archaeological Survey from 1983 to April, 1988. His research interests are in the Aboriginal and natural history of Melbourne.

Digitised video (5.02GB). Duration: 65 minutes. Recorded June, 2018. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Sue Thompson is a well-known historian associated with Lilydale and Dame Nellie Melba and has held positions on the Lilydale & District Historical Society Committee and RHSV. Sue presents this talk about Melba's father, David Mitchell, who was born in Scotland in 1829. After completing a stonemasonry apprenticeship, he arrived in Melbourne in 1852. Rather than join the gold rushes, he set up business in Richmond as a building contractor. His first major contract was for the masonry for St. Patricks Cathedral in 1856, and from then on his busines thrived as Melbourne building boomed as a result of the gold. By 1878, Mitchell had established his estate near Lilydale and opened the limestone quarry. Introduction by Russ Haines, President, Ringwood and District Historical Society.

Digitised video (2.07GB) Duration: 50 minutes. Recorded July, 2023 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Ken James is a prolific historical writer and is a regular to our Society's meetings. In this presentation, Ken talks about another book he is writing, involving the Chinese community in the small town of Lyal, between Castlemaine and Heathcote. In 1861, there were more than 24,000 Chinese immigrants on the goldfields of Ararat, Ballarat, Beechworth, Bendigo, Castlemaine and Maryborough. The Chinese were particularly industrious, with techniques that differed widely from the Europeans. This and their physical appearance and fear of the unknown led them to being persecuted in a racist way that would be regarded as untenable today.

Digitised video (3.28GB) with typed transcript notes. Duration: 60 minutes. Recorded April, 2023 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Ralph G.C. Bartlett, Co-Founder and Secretary, Flag Society of Australia. Vexillology is all things related to the preservation, history and collection of Flags.