Welcome to another year of history.

Read the February 2025 Launceston Historical Society Newsletter here: 197 February 2025

Find out what’s coming up in 2025

• Friday 7 February, Open Day at the future site of the Launceston History Centre, 56 Frederick Street
• Sunday 16 February, the AGM with Guest speakers Jai Paterson & John Dent
• Sunday 16 March, the John West Memorial Lecture with Hamish Maxwell-Stewart speaking on Networks of Resistance
• LHS activities in 2025
• Other events of interest
• The last ‘Our History’ story

See you on Sunday, 16 February 2025 for our AGM and presentation on Launceston’s early Court Records. Also on this day, the Index to Launceston’s Court Records 1827,1828 and 1832 will be for sale at $20. Lynette Ross’ book on The Story of Launceston’s Government Cottage will be selling for $50. A selection of Primary History Prize entries will be on display.

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

Commander Stephen Cornish RAN 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 2025 John West Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Professor Hamish Maxwell-Stewart on the topic “Networks of resistance: Mapping a convict road gang in northern Van Diemen’s Land 1829-1839” on Sunday, 16 March at 2 pm at the Meeting Room, Queen Victoria Museum, Inveresk. 

More information on the 2025 John West Memorial Lecture

The Launceston Primary School History Prize for 2024 has closed. Watch out for the 2025 competition.

Be in the running to win book vouchers from Petrarch’s Bookshop by doing some historical research and presenting it in a short video or project.

Open to all students from the Launceston area in grades 3 – 6.

More information and entry forms for 2024 is available here: https://launcestonhistory.org.au/activities/history-prize/

History Prize Flyer – Teachers

History Prize Flyer – Students

ALSO

The Marita Bardenhagen Memorial Award for Local History is a biennial prize acknowledging outstanding original research in the field of local history with significant Tasmanian content.

The 2023 Award opens on 14 June and closes on 30 September. 

Application forms are available from Dr Dianne Snowden AM at dsnowden@tassie.net.au.

The 2021 winner was Jill Cassidy for her book Deviot Talks. She was awarded $1,500.