Ready to learn more about the wild side of Sydney’s past?
If you delve into the seedy underbelly of Australian history you will soon come across stories of bushranging, rum-smuggling, cattle rustling, robbery, arson, murder and all sorts of intriguing misdemeanors from our early years.
History Week, run from September 5th – 11th this year has embraced the theme of
Scandals, Crime and Corruption.
Coordinated by the
NSW History Council, History Week is an umbrella event for a wide variety of walks, talks, exhibitions and films arranged locally by councils, libraries and historical societies all around Sydney and in some regional areas.
What could be more fun (and educational) than spending a few hours this month listening to real life tales of transgression from our less than pristine past? Could even be a way to get your children interested in history for school assignments.
The State Library of NSW is presenting
two free movies –
Shell Shocked and The King of Capitalism on September 3rd. They are also holding
a series of talks in conjunction with Macquarie University all day on September 9th. This is also free but bookings for both events are required.
Some of the other Sydney talks include
Convicts, Soldiers and the Children in the Windmill at the Sydney Observatory on 5th September and
Busted: A Snapshot of Crime in Balmain 1890-1940 at Leichhardt Library. One interesting series of regular tours though the week has gained my attention -
Australia’s Banknote Past: The Convicts, Forgers and Forgeries at the Reserve Bank of Australia.
But there are heaps of other activities and many will be close to home. You can check out the full program via the
History Council website or call them on 9252 8715 and they will send you out a printed copy. Or you could pop into your local library where they will probably have the information you need.
