Over the years, volunteers, donors, and local families have helped us collect, protect, and share the pieces of our shared past. What started as a grassroots effort has grown into a trusted guardian of local heritage. A place where memories are kept, stories are uncovered and future generations can connect with the people who shaped our community.
In 1935, a small group of passionate community members who believed the stories of our town were too important to lose, held a meeting to discuss forming an historical society. For twenty or so years this society came and went.
In 1958, the current incarnation of the Bendigo Historical Society, held it’s first meeting.
Timeline of Events
A local historical society was formed at a public meeting on 19 June 1935, instigated by George Mackay and George Sanders.
A constitution and rules were drawn up.
This society functioned until September 1936 but folded after eight meetings. Meetings were held in a committee room in the Town Hall.
An attempt was made to re-form the Society in September 1950. A Constitution and Rules for the Society were re-drafted, with meetings again being held at the Town Hall. Bendigo and District Historical Society functioned for one year from November 1950 until November 1951 before going into recess.
The Society called upon its members and extended an invitation to all citizens to attend a meeting and exhibition of historical items at the Town Hall. There are no other records of this group meeting regularly, and the Art Gallery agreed to house the Society’s exhibits until premises could be secured.
A public meeting in September led to a Bendigo and District Branch of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria (RHSV) being formed in November. Membership was paid to the RHSV as country members.
The first meeting of the Bendigo Historical Society of Victoria was held on 6 November 1958.
Several years later the Bendigo Branch introduced a ‘Social’ membership for members who objected to paying for membership of RHSV. ‘Social’ members did not have voting rights and could not hold office.
Various premises were used by the Society including rooms at Charing Cross, Trades Hall in View Street, the Mechanics Institute at Eaglehawk, and the Temperance Hall in View Street between 1958 and 1974.
The RHSV charter was received in 1959.
The BHS moved into the historic 1858 Survey Office ‘Dudley House’ in View Street, a building owned by the Bendigo City Council. Here, the Society operated an historical museum.
The incorporation of the Bendigo Historical Society made it independent of the RHSV from 11 May 1990.
The Society adopted the Consumer Affairs Victoria model rules as the Bendigo Historical Society Constitution in 1999. Prior to this social members did not have voting rights and could not hold office. Prior to the change there were only nine voting members and sixty associate members without voting rights.
This was approved on 4 January 2000.
Timeline of Events
Working space for cataloguing was established upstairs in the Goldfields Regional Library, Bendigo. The collection remained in inadequate storage, off-site.
In December 2006, Future Connections Inc. offered the Society space in the Old Bendigo Gaol, The Society’s collection was moved into a secure environment in the de-commissioned Bendigo Gaol. This provided space for sorting and cataloguing work by members and volunteers. In 2007 a Bendigo Historical Society Significance Assessment 2007 was conducted by Lauretta Zilles and in 2008 a Bendigo Historical Society Preservation Needs Assessment 2008 was conducted by Christine and Duncan Rolley.
In May the BHS collection was relocated to a new secure facility in Nolan Street in part of the Bendigo Regional Archive Centre. It provided optimum conditions for storing the historical collection. Large items were stored in four onsite shipping containers.
In May the BHS gained access to Specimen Cottage in Hargreaves Street as a front of house facility. The cottage was owned by the Bendigo Kangan TAFE Institute and was leased through the City of Greater Bendigo. The collection remained in the storage facility at Nolan Street.
The BHS vacated Specimen Cottage during the demolition of the Ted Thompson building on TAFE land behind the Cottages. New Law Courts were built on this land.
The BHS Collection was removed from the Bendigo Regional Archive Centre in Nolan Street. Most of the Collection was relocated to 11 Mackenzie Street in August 2022.
The remaining collection items were relocated in 2023.
