Read the October 2026 Launceston Historical Society Newsletter here: No 205 October 2026

Find out what’s happening:

• Sunday 18 October, Anne Batt will tell us about her ancestor John Cameron (1806-1866) taking a chance in colonial Launceston. This is the Mead, Smith, von Stieglitz Memorial Lecture, so afternoon tea will be served.
• Sunday 15 November, Darren Watton & John Dent will talk about the archaeological dig undertaken at the Launceston History Centre, 56 Frederick Street. Includes a bumper Christmas raffle.
• Wednesday 14 October, Spring Excursion to Brain Fish’s farm at Oatlands with McDermott’s Travel Club.
• Launceston History Explorers activity in Prince’s Square for children and their parents and grandparents – to be launched soon.
• Advance notice of the John West Memorial Lecture by Stefan Petrow on Mechanics’ Institutes in Tasmania to 1871 on 21 March 2027
• Other events of interest

Everyone is welcome to attend our monthly meetings to hear the speakers tell us more about our history. Admission is free for LHS members and $5 for visitors.

Bring cash for a chance to win a prize in the raffle.

Articles contributed by the Launceston Historical Society to The Examiner’s quarterly magazines ‘In the City’ and ‘Northern Exposure’ from 2017 to 2022. These can be read on the LHS Facebook page.

In the City and Northern Exposure articles

‘Our History’ articles were contributed by Launceston Historical Society members and published in The Sunday Examiner newspaper print and online editions for seven years from 3 December 2017 until 28 December 2024.

Most of these are available on the Launceston Historical Society Facebook page, although many of the earlier ones only have a link to The Examiner website.

OUR HISTORY STORIES

Commander Stephen Cornish RAN (15 December 1953 – 25 April 2025) presented an address on “A journey into family military history or how I became an historian by accident” to the Launceston Historical Society meeting on 16 April 2023.

The full address is posted here with illustrations:

Address to Launceston Historical Society by Stephen Cornish

The next John West Memorial Lecture will be delivered by historian Stefan Petrow, Bastions of Working-Class Education or of Middle-Class Culture? Mechanics’ Institutes in Tasmania to 1871

Sunday, 21 March 2027 at 2 pm at the Meeting Room, Queen Victoria Museum, Inveresk. 

Part of the 200^th Anniversary of Mechanics’ Institutes in Australia conference.

More information can be found here: John West Memorial Lecture

Listen to the previous lectures here: Previous John West Memorial Lectures