Part of the Australian Heritage Festival
18 April to 2 May 2021
Our heritage for the future Discover the history of Hobsons Bay during the Australian Heritage Festival and celebrate our unique heritage and culture through a range of performances, exhibitions, tours and virtual events. For further information visit hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/heritagehobsonsbay or call the Hobsons Bay Visitor Information Centre on 9932 3016 Most events are free and bookings are via heritagehobsonsbay.eventbrite.com. Bookings required unless stated. Events correct at time of printing. #heritagehobsonsbay
Williamstown Centenary Tour In 1919, thousands of local residents gathered at the site of the partially constructed Greek revivalist Town Hall to witness an historic moment when Williamstown was declared a city. A century later, for Heritage Hobsons Bay, Council celebrated the occasion with an evening walking tour with images projected against the backdrop of some familiar and unexpected places. Created by Council and presented by the Little Projector Company, the tour uses original collection material, sound and creative interpretation to give a sense of how the area felt in the past. Don’t miss the return of the ‘Williamstown Centenary Projection Tour’ on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April as part of this year’s Heritage Hobsons Bay program. Tours are free and run 6pm to 7pm and 7.30pm to 8.30pm. Numbers are limited. Bookings essential: heritagehobsonsbay.eventbrite.com
Image: City of Williamstown - Proclamation and City of Williamstown - Medal.
Step Back in Time Williamstown guided walking tour Presented by Hobsons Bay City Council Unlock the secrets of the historic Williamstown waterfront and seaport. One hour in duration and catering to all abilities, explore the historic seaport of waterfront Williamstown, as well as its hidden lanes, monuments and buildings.
Preserving the Past for our Future: Our Heritage Buildings Presented by Williamstown Historical Society This exhibition includes information on many of the historic buildings still in existence around Williamstown, along with historic photographs unveiling how they looked in the past. Sunday 18 April to Sunday 2 May During libraries hours Williamstown Library, 104 Ferguson Street, Williamstown No bookings required
Conservation past, present and future Presented by Ship4Good Inc ‘Conservation past, present and future’ is an exhibition that explores the history of conservation and what the future of conservation might look like. The exhibition celebrates the evolution of conservation aboard Sea Shepherd’s retired flagship MV Steve Irwin, now a historically registered vessel. Accompanied by a Friday night feature movie aboard, guest speakers and more throughout the month of the Australian Heritage Festival.
Sunday 18 April to Sunday 2 May Tuesdays and Fridays, 11.45am to 12.45pm Meet at the Visitor Information Centre, Commonwealth Reserve, corner Syme Street and Nelson Place, Williamstown Bookings: hobsonsbaytickets.com.au
Sunday 18 April to Sunday 2 May Friday, 4pm to 7pm, Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 5pm
Williamstown Football Club – A proud history since 1864 Presented by Williamstown Football Club Display of club memorabilia and photos with guided tours of the clubrooms revealing historic records and murals and an online YouTube clip featuring the club’s history. Sunday 18 April, 12pm to 6pm Monday 19 to Thursday 22 April, 3pm to 7pm Seaview Event Centre, Battery Road, Downer Oval, Williamstown Bookings: heritagehobsonsbay.eventbrite.com
Ship4Good MV Steve Irwin, Seaworks, rear of 82 Nelson Place or via 2 Ann Street, Williamstown Friday movie night $5. General exhibition Free. Bookings: heritagehobsonsbay.eventbrite.com
Creating Community in Melbourne’s West Presented by Hobsons Bay Libraries This unique exhibition is a celebration of LGBTIQA+ culture, history, evolution, and its ongoing connection with Melbourne’s western suburbs. Monday 19 April to Wednesday 19 May Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Laverton Community Hub, 95-105 Railway Avenue, Laverton Booking not required
Finding Families
Sounds of Silent Screening Buster Keaton’s The Cameraman
Presented by Hobsons Bay Libraries Do you need some help getting started with your family tree? Then this session is for you. We will point you in the right direction to discover the principles of family history research and the wide range of resources available. Recommended for beginners. Both sessions will cover the same content. Tuesday 20 April, 6.30pm to 7.30pm Altona Library, 123 Queen Street, Altona Wednesday 28 April, 11am to 12pm Williamstown Library, 104 Ferguson Street, Williamstown Bookings: libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
Presented by Hobsons Bay City Council
Postcards from the Gardens - Moments in Time Presented by Williamstown Botanic Gardens with Friends of Williamstown Botanic Gardens In 2021, Williamstown Botanic Gardens, designed by Edward La Trobe Bateman, celebrates 161 years.
Newport Archives @ The Substation
Take a walking tour with us as we use postcard imagery from the 1910s to explore the intricate paths, secluded lawns and lush shrubberies that make up this unique garden.
Present by The Substation
Thursday 22 April, 10am to 12pm
‘Newport Archives’ is an audio walk created by Tamara Saulwick for The Substation, which contemplates the connections between time, place and memory. Inspired by The Substation building’s own story, the work draws on interviews with local residents to open small windows into a Newport of a different era… an era of ships and trains. Equipped with headphones and an mp3 player as their guide, participants walk unaccompanied through Newport’s streets immersed in a sound world that uncannily knits the present with the past and memory with imagination.
Meet at the Williamstown Botanic Gardens gates on the corner of Giffard and Osborne Streets, Williamstown
Wednesday 21 April to Saturday 1 May Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 12pm to 6pm Friday, 12pm to 8pm Bookings: info@thesubstation.org.au
Bookings: hobsonsbaytickets.com.au
‘The Sounds of Silent’ is a five-piece band live performance that recreates the movie-going experience of the silent movie era when many bands performed in Melbourne theatres to accompany silent movies. For this event, they will play tunes to the 1928 film “The Cameraman”, which was added to the National Film Registry, deemed as culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. Thursday 22 April, 7.30pm Williamstown Town Hall, 104 Ferguson Street, Williamstown Tickets: $12 hobsonsbaytickets.com.au
Ghosts of the Old City Williamstown Presented by Lantern Ghost Tours Explore King William’s Town, the original capital of Victoria, by lamp light. Steeped with history, apparitions, alleyways and lager it was once a thriving town full of colourful ladies, drunken sailors and convicts. Visit abandoned morgues, forgotten burial grounds and hidden laneways in Victoria’s most historic seaport. Visit Victoria’s oldest morgue and Australia’s Timeball Tower. Saturday 24 April to Sunday 15 May Saturdays and Sundays, 8.30pm to 10.30pm Meet at Hobsons Bay Visitor Information Centre, Commonwealth Reserve, corner Syme Street and Nelson Place, Williamstown Adult $36 Family of two adults and two children aged 8-16 years $96 Bookings: lanternghosttours.com
Williamstown Centenary Projection Tour Presented by Hobsons Bay City Council and Little Projection Company
Altona Homestead Ghost Tour Presented by Lantern Ghost Tours Visit one of Australia’s original homesteads, only 20 minutes drive from Melbourne. The homestead has long had a reputation for hauntings and has been the centre of paranormal investigations. The Langhorne family are long deceased but given their colourful history and the births, deaths and heartaches linked with the building, it is no surprise that the homestead is alive with activity.
On 17 May 1919, Williamstown was proclaimed a city by the State Governor, Sir Arthur Stanley during a visit to the newly completed Town Hall. You are invited to join us on a night-time tour of the surrounding streets to discover stories of Williamstown’s past. Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April, 6pm to 7pm and 7.30pm to 8.30pm Meet outside Williamstown Town Hall, 104 Ferguson Street, Williamstown Bookings: heritagehobsonsbay.eventbrite.com
Williamstown Town Hall Heritage Tour Presented by Hobsons Bay City Council Enjoy a free guided tour of the recently restored Williamstown Town Hall and learn about the history of the building and the many roles it has played in the lives of the local community over the last century. Monday 26 April and Tuesday 18 May, 11am to 11.50am Williamstown Town Hall, 104 Ferguson Street, Williamstown Bookings: hobsonsbaytickets.com.au
Saturday 24 April to Sunday 15 May Saturdays and Sundays, 8.30pm to 10pm Altona Homestead, Logan Reserve, 128 Queen Street, Altona Adult $36 Family of two adults and two children aged 8-16 years $96 Bookings: lanternghosttours.com
Launch of “Take More Grass: The Story of Williamstown Bowling Club” Presented by Williamstown Bowling Club Launched in person by the Hon Steve Bracks AC. This is the fascinating story of the Williamstown Bowling Club, which has a proud and continuous 140-year history. It has served, with distinction, generations of residents and their families and has always been a focal point for community activities. Saturday 24 April, 6.30pm to 8.30pm Williamstown Bowling Club, 40-58 Melbourne Road, Williamstown Bookings: heritagehobsonsbay.eventbrite.com
A haunting journey through time - by Daryl Fox Presented by Seaworks This exhibition by Williamstown artist Daryl Fox at Seaworks, is a series of 10 large acrylic paintings and an oral history of historic Williamstown scenes, as seen through the eyes of a little boy named “Willy” - The spirit of Williamstown. Sunday 18 April to Sunday 2 May Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays 11am to 3pm Free Seaworks, 82 Nelson Place, Williamstown Bookings: heritagehobsonsbay.eventbrite.com
Spotswood Industrial Heritage Walk
Old Laverton School Open Day
Presented by Hobsons Bay Libraries
Presented by Hobsons Bay City Council
Join Hobsons Bay Visitor Centre’s Shirlee Campbell on a guided walking tour of Spotswood.
Come and visit the recently restored Old Laverton School, taking in the history of the historic site as an early school building and rural outpost of the developing city in Melbourne’s west in the late 1880s.
Tuesday 27 April, 10am to 12pm Meet at the corner of Hudsons Road and Booker Street, Spotswood Bookings: heritagehobsonsbay.eventbrite.com
Visit the Historic Precinct of Holy Trinity Williamstown Presented by Holy Trinity Williamstown Join the guided tours of the historic bluestone Holy Trinity Church which features significant stained-glass windows constructed by many of the major glass artists of Melbourne between the 1850s and 1950s.
Saturday 1 May, 12pm to 3pm Old Laverton School, 43 Kiora Street, Altona Meadows Bookings: hobsonsbaytickets.com.au
Saturday 1 May, 2pm to 4pm Holy Trinity Williamstown, 255 Nelson Place, Williamstown
Secrets of the Pinetum
Bookings: heritagehobsonsbay.eventbrite.com
Presented by Hobsons Bay City Council and the Friends of Williamstown Botanic Gardens
Presented by Truganina Explosives Reserve Preservation Society
A sea breeze whispers through the tall pine trees … Follow the historic, winding pathways of Williamstown Botanic Gardens through the recently rejuvenated Pinetum to discover the intriguing origins of the tree collection and the fascinating stories behind how they came to be here. Thursday 29 April, 10am to 11.15am and 1pm to 2.15pm Meet at the Williamstown Botanic Gardens gates on the corner of Giffard and Osborne Streets, Williamstown Bookings: hobsonsbaytickets.com.au
Truganina Explosives Reserve Open Day
Old Laverton School Heritage Talk Presented by Hobsons Bay City Council and Altona Laverton Historical Society Inc Join us and visit the recently restored Old Laverton School, taking in the history of the historic site as an early school building and rural outpost of the developing city in Melbourne’s west in the late 1880s. Saturday 1 May, 11am to 11.50am Old Laverton School, 43 Kiora Street, Altona Meadows Bookings: hobsonsbaytickets.com.au
Come along to the Truganina Explosives Reserve and learn more about the interesting industrial heritage of this unique location. Explore the restored historic buildings, take a tour of the former operations area, or just bring a picnic and relax! Day includes an exhibition and children’s activities. Refreshments will be available. Sunday 2 May, 11am to 4pm Truganina Explosives Reserve, 274 Queen Street, Altona Free/Gold Coin donation Bookings: heritagehobsonsbay.eventbrite.com
Lost Lands Found - The flowering grasslands of Victoria
Ancestry for Beginners Presented by Hobsons Bay Libraries
Did you know you can visit the Ancestry website for free in our libraries? This session gives you an introduction to the Get to know your local forgotten wealth of resources available through ecological neighbours and discover Ancestry. Discover where your ancestors the rich natural treasures of your own lived, what they did for work, and what backyard. Make a deeper connection with the species, local natural landscapes their lives were like. and ecologies and importantly in doing Recommended for beginners. so, how we can protect and nurture these ancient flowering grasslands. Thursday 6 May, 11am to 12pm Presented by Hobsons Bay Libraries
“We are the newest caretakers and custodians of this ancient land that we now also call ‘home’. Our home, our time, our turn.” Dean Stewart - Wemba Wemba Wergaia
Altona Meadows Library and Learning Centre, 2 Newham Way, Altona Meadows Bookings: libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
Wednesday 5 May, 6.15pm to 7.15pm Altona Library, 123 Queen Street, Altona
Waltzing Matilda: Australia’s Accidental Anthem Presented by Hobsons Bay Libraries The song that started as an accidental collaboration in outback Queensland in 1895 caused the death of a seven-year relationship and went on to inspire a nation during WWII. Author and criminal barrister Benjamin Lindner presents a forensic history of the events, the people and the places that led to the creation of Waltzing Matilda. Tuesday 18 May, 6.30pm to 7.30pm Altona Library, 123 Queen Street, Altona Bookings: libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
*Events correct at time of printing. Some events may be cancelled or altered due to Chief Officer Health guidelines.
Bookings: libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
Discover our collections: Heritage @ Williamstown Library Presented by Hobsons Bay Libraries Come along for an introduction to what’s on offer in the Hobsons Bay Libraries Heritage Collection and learn how we can help you out with your local and family history research. Wednesday 12 May, 11am to 12pm Williamstown Library, 104 Ferguson Street, Williamstown Bookings: libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
Please visit hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/ heritagehobsonsbay for up-to-date information.
Museums in Hobsons Bay Altona Homestead Logan Reserve, Altona. Open Tuesdays, 11am to 2pm, First Saturday of the month, 10.30am to 2.30pm, Alternate Saturdays 10am to 12pm and first Sunday of the month, 11am to 4pm. alhs.com.au Enterprize Tall Ship Gem Pier, Syme Street, Williamstown. First sat of the month it’s open 10.30am to 2.30pm Visit website to confirm sailing times and bookings. enterprize.org.au HMAS Castlemaine Museum Ship Gem Pier, Syme Street, Williamstown. Open weekends and public holidays, 11am to 4pm. hmascastlemaine.org.au Newport Railway Museum Champion Road, Newport Open Saturdays, 12pm to 5pm. newportrailwaymuseum.org.au
Scienceworks 2 Booker Street, Spotswood. Open daily, 10am to 4.30pm. museumvictoria.com.au/scienceworks Seaworks Maritime Museum 82 Nelson Place, Williamstown. Open Friday, Sunday and Wednesday, 11am to 3pm. seaworks.com.au St John Library and Museum Corner of The Esplanade and Garden Street, Williamstown. Open Thursdays and Sundays, 10am to 4pm. stjohnvic.com.au Williamstown Historical Society Museum Currently closed for renovations. For research enquiries email williamstownhistsocietyvic@gmail.com *Opening hours subject to change.