Parramatta Historical Society presents: The House of Blue Glass: A Life of Penelope Lucas Acclaimed historian Alan Atkinson, author of the award-winning Elizabeth and John: The Macarthurs of Elizabeth Farm, pieces together the life of Penelope Lucas and the pivotal role she played in building the Macarthur empire. While she is known as the family governess, Atkinson reveals that Penelope was primarily an accountant whose bookkeeping work made an important difference to the Macarthurs’ success....

Parramatta Female Factory Friends presents: Registers of the Forgotten: 19th-Century Asylums and Mental Health Facilities This talk explores the records relating to nineteenth-century mental health facilities and asylums for the infirm and destitute in NSW. It will draw on government reports, admission registers, employment records and other material in the NSW State Archives Collection. Particular attention will be given to the layered history of the Parramatta Female Factory site and its...

Mosman Historical Society presents: Slippery Symbols of Australia by Richard White Associate Professor Richard White will discuss symbols that shape how Australians see themselves as a nation. From Uluru to the Australian flag, the rainbow serpent to the FJ Holden, the southern cross to the democracy sausage, the Akubra to the Great Barrier Reef, these symbols are often inspiring, occasionally embarrassing, always revealing. Yet while we often think of them as fixed, it is surprising how much...

Ku-ring-gai Historical Society presents: Private Ryan and the Lost Peace Imagine the Great War ending as early as 1915. Imagine round-table negotiations finishing what seemed to be an unbreakable military stalemate. Were secret diplomatic deals prolonging the war? Had peace come in this way, perhaps there would have been no Communism, no Fascism, no Nazism, no Great Depression, and no Second World War. During the Great War, many urged such a peace. In Private Ryan and the Lost Peace...

Military History Society of NSW presents: The Australian Railway Companies of the Western Front, 1916–1918 Charles Bean mentions Australia’s railway units in perhaps half a dozen places in his Official History of Australians in the War of 1914–1918, and then mainly in footnotes. They were never part of Australia's initial offer to Britain in 1914. Yet by 1918, Australia had effectively deployed a railway regiment of about 1,500 soldiers operating in France. So how and why did they get there,...

Military History Society of NSW presents: Who Won the Battle of Beersheba, 1917? The Battle of Beersheba on 31 October 1917 is generally known as a marvellous victory of the Australian Light Horse. However, most Australians are unaware that three British infantry divisions (53rd, 60th, and 74th) and a brigade from the 10th (Irish) Division took part in the battle. Not only were the British more numerous than the Australian Light Horse, but they also launched their attack first, crashing the...

Parramatta Female Factory Friends presents: International Women's Day 2026 Programme The Parramatta Female Factory Friends have crafted an exciting programme to celebrate International Women's Day. Come along for a lively discussion celebrating incredible women in Australia – it’s going to be inspiring and empowering. Programme: Friday, 6 March 2026 9:30 am: PFFF Rooms Open 10:00 am: Research Rooms Open 10:00 am: Guest Speaker Presentation: Australian Women of Note 11:15 am: Morning Tea –...

Parramatta Female Factory Friends presents: Clothing of Australia's Transported Convicts The early days of the convict colony were plagued by supply problems; clothing was in short supply for decades, as were skilled tailors and seamstresses. In this talk, Rosemary Rope will give an account of the supply issues and the basic outfits worn by male and female convicts. Reproductions of female clothes will be presented and available for close examination. Rosemary has relied on historical records...