Heidelberg Historical Society

Name: Heidelberg Historical Society
Address: Corner of Jika Street and Park Lane, Melbourne, VIC, 3084, AU
Telephone: +61394552130
Price range: Not applicable

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Heidelberg Historical Society

Information about the Heidelberg Historical Society in Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia. We are open every Sunday between 2.00 and 5.00 p.m.

Entry $5.00, free for children under 16 and members Local historical society relating to the Heidelberg district in Victoria, Australia.

29/08/2026

No doubt you will have noticed the hoardings and advertising for the new apartments to be built on the south-east corner of Hawdon Street and Burgundy Street.
This will involve the demolition of the existing old grocers' shop which was erected in 1899. The shop was built as an investment by John May, who lived in Toryburn, a large house that still stands in Darebin Street, near the railway line.
The two storey building had the shop below and residential quarters above. The first occupant was grocer Ernest Frost, followed by Billy Winsor by 1916, as seen in this November 1918 photo of a parade celebrating the end of World War I. It was quite common for grocers to have shops in both Ivanhoe and Heidelberg and this was the case for both Frost and Winsor's grocers.

We have a huge collection of photographs of Heidelberg and the surrounding areas which you can view at our Museum, Jika Street Heidelberg. Our current exhibition is 'Heidelberg of the Heidelberg Artists'. We are open on Sundays between 2 and 5 p.m. (with last entry at 4.30). Entry is $5.00, with members and children under 16 free.

07/08/2026

TALK: CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF THE HEIDELBERG FOOTBALL CLUB.
Tuesday 11 August 7.30 p.m. Ivanhoe Uniting Church Community Centre, Seddon Street Ivanhoe.
The Heidelberg Football Club was formed in 1876 and is one of the oldest clubs in the country. Please join us on Tuesday 11 August as Mat Sheahan, from Heidelberg Football Club, tells us about the history of the club and its presence in Heidelberg. Free talk, followed by supper- all welcome.

Image: Heidelberg Football Club Runners Up 1907.

01/08/2026

Don't forget that the Heidelberg Busy Bee Quilt is on display for one day only on Sunday 2nd August 2026 between 1-4 p.m. at Heidelberg Scots Uniting Church, 187 Burgundy Street Heidelberg. This is a rare opportunity to see this quilt, created by a “Busy Bee” group in 1895-96 to raise funds for the Church. All are welcome.

19/07/2026

You are warmly invited to visit Heidelberg Scots Uniting Church on the 125th anniversary of the building. On display in the adjacent Garden Room will be a historic signature quilt, created by a “Busy Bee” group in 1895-96 to raise funds for the Church.

DATE: Sunday 2 August 2026

TIME: 1 pm to 4 pm

GETTING THERE: Close to Heidelberg railway station. Free parking is available on the west side of the Church.

ACCESSIBILITY: The venue is wheel-chair accessible.

Everyone is welcome to this free event.

The quilt is in the collection of the Heidelberg Historical Society. Its museum in Jika Street is close to the location of the earlier Scots Church building (1845-1901). The current exhibition, “The Heidelberg of the Heidelberg Artists, 1880-1900”, is open every Sunday from 2 pm to 5 pm.

20/06/2026

Fancy a nice Sunday afternoon drive? Why not come out to Heidelberg Historical Society Museum on Sunday between 1.00 and 5.00 p.m. to see our 'Heidelberg of the Heidelberg Artists' exhibition. We're located on the corner of Jika Street and Park Lane Heidelberg, opposite Heidelberg gardens. Entry is $5.00 with members and children under 16 free. Last entry is at 4.30 p.m.

Hopefully you'll be warmer and drier on your trip than these motoring stalwarts in what was said to be the first car in the Heidelberg district, travelling along the Eaglemont end of Maltravers Rd. Note the post and rail fence and the heavy planting of pine trees which may have been part of the 'pinetum' planted by William Ferguson for John Henry Brooke who purchased Eaglemont Estate in 1859. In 1861 it was said to be the largest pinetum in the colony, with 81 conifers from all over the world.

03/06/2026

TALK: ARTHUR AND NORA STREETON
On Tuesday 9th June 2026 Heidelberg Historical Society welcomes the Honorable Julie Dodds Streeton KC to our June meeting to speak on the life and times of Arthur and Nora Streeton.

Thirty years ago, Julie and her late husband Roger took over Longacres, the Olinda retreat and gardens of Roger’s grandfather Sir Arthur Streeton, one of the ‘Heidelberg Artists’ who spent their summers painting in Eaglemont. Longacres was a country house and garden designed and built by Arthur Streeton in 1921– 24 as a retreat for himself and his wife Nora, an internationally renowned, Canadian born violinist. The story of the gifted original occupants, their family histories, great romance, remarkable circle of friends and brilliant careers is an interesting part of Australia’s cultural heritage.

Please join us on Tuesday 9th June at 7.30 p.m. at the Ivanhoe Uniting Church Community Centre, Seddon Street Ivanhoe. Free, and all welcome.

Image source:H. Walter Barnett Arthur Streeton with Nora Streeton and Pat the dog platinium photograph 15.3 × 20cm

Photo: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

28/05/2026

Our 126-year old Courthouse is looking beautiful since our recent painting and concrete repair work to the exterior of the building.

Jamie from PBE Solutions gave the woodwork a fresh coat of paint, and cleaned and painted the concrete work on the gables of the roof and other surrounds of the building.

We are very grateful to DEECA for the funding provided to undertake this work, enabling us to keep this jewel of 'old Heidelberg' in such good condition.

23/05/2026

We have become accustomed to our three plastic rubbish bins but 100 years ago, the introduction of a metal garbage tin was a new thing.
In 1922 Heidelberg Shire Council passed by-law No. 60 that directed that garbage had to be placed in a covered bin. The council made available for sale a number of 5 gallon oil drums that were compliant with the by-law.
In 1926 there was a crackdown on people putting their bins into the street or footpath: instead they had to place the bin inside the fence within 10 ft of the gate.
It took a while for garbage collection to be extended to 'new' suburbs. For example, the Berlin Estate bounded by Bell St, Edwin St, Banksia St and Upper Heidelberg Rd was subdivided in the 1910s but it did not receive a rubbish collection until 1926- and even then it was only on the first Friday of each month.
Until about 1923 rubbish was burned at the Council Depot in Waterdale Rd until there were so many complaints about the smell that they decided to bury it there instead.

We have lots of information about daily life in Heidelberg, Ivanhoe and surrounding suburbs in our Research Room. Why not visit us on a Sunday between 2.00 and 5.00 p.m. and check out our collection and view our current exhibition 'The Heidelberg of the Heidelberg Artists'.
Entry $5.00, children under 16 and members free.

09/05/2026

The Rosanna Rd/Burgundy Street intersection in the 1980s, prior to the construction of Warringal Shopping Centre. The large building at the rear the Ampol Service Station was the Granny Davis Bread factory, which faced onto Cape Street. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted over Heidelberg every day. The building on the right of the petrol station facing onto Rosanna Rd was Associated Seals.

You can stand outside our museum and look across at the same intersection today, with all of these buildings demolished and replaced by Warringal Shopping Centre. In fact- you could do it this Sunday while visiting our 'Heidelberg of the Heidelberg Artists' exhibition! We're open every Sunday 2.00-5.00 p.m. $5.00 entry, free for members and children under 16.

30/04/2026

If you regretted missing the Enid Gilchrist talk, you can view it on our YouTube channel. See more details at:
https://www.heidelberghistoricalsociety.com.au/hhs/hhs.php?action=showblog&Blog_ID=229

Address

Corner Of Jika Street And Park Lane
Melbourne, VIC
3084

Opening Hours

2pm - 5pm

Telephone

+61394552130

Website

http://heidelberghistoricalsociety.com.au/

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