The drop slab design of Victoria's oldest timber church is a testament to 19th-century engineering.
Fallout from Ned Kelly's last stand haunted families for generations
It's a story that became Aussie folklore, but for the descendants of those involved, the ripple effects of that frosty night 145 years ago would be felt for generations.
Topic:History
Sat 28 Jun 2025 at 6:30am
When a wealthy WA man killed his wife in 1876, it fuelled the fight for women's rights
A murder in colonial Perth almost 150 years ago shocked the country and inspired Edith Cowan, the woman on Australia's $50 note, to fight for the rights of women.
Topic:History
Wed 7 May 2025 at 5:27pm
Graves of same-sex bushranger couple granted heritage protection
The final resting place of bushrangers Captain Moonlite and James Nesbitt has been heritage listed – not only for their notoriety as outlaws, but for their gay relationship.
Topic:LGBTQIA+
Fri 28 Feb 2025 at 11:00am
Exhibition recognises South Sea Islanders amid fresh slavery concerns
It's been 30 years since Australian South Sea Islanders were recognised as a distinct group, but an exhibition to mark the occasion comes amid accusations of the modern-day slavery of Pacific Islander workers.
Topic:Libraries, Museums and Galleries
Fri 3 Jan 2025 at 6:03am
'Mad dream' to rebuild 1800s sailing ship
It started as a quick job to replace a rotting model boat at the entrance to the town of American River on Kangaroo Island, but it grew into a much bigger project: to build a full-size, operational replica of the sailing ship.
Topic:Human Interest
Sat 21 Dec 2024 at 7:30am
Pirate caves and flying boobies, this is the bizarre history of Queensland's first post office
An island riddled with caves in the western Torres Strait provided sanctuary to pirates, shipwrecked sailors, and a post office.
Topic:History
Sun 17 Nov 2024 at 11:57am
The Federal Standard printing works
The Federal Standard printing works is one of the few substantially intact provincial newspaper printeries remaining from the gold mining era.
Topic:19th Century
Thu 7 Nov 2024 at 6:16am
Couple lovingly restores abandoned 19th-century 'money pit' into grand Victorian mansion
From peeling wallpaper and a cellar left mouldy from floodwater, this couple has restored a circa-1881 Victorian mansion into a grand attraction with some modern-day living features.
Topic:Solutions
Sat 28 Sep 2024 at 10:59am
Maritime researchers uncover 1882 shipwreck in Perth's Swan River
Maritime archaeologists identify the earliest known shipwreck in the Swan River, a cargo barge wrecked in an 1882 storm, which provides a glimpse into life in 19th-century Perth.
Topic:Archaeology
Wed 21 Aug 2024 at 6:32pm
Tracing the path of Australia's last horse drawn mail run
Col Anderson is training her horses to travel 76kms through dust and dirt to retrace the path of Australia's last horse drawn mail run.
Topic:Animals
Sat 13 Jul 2024 at 10:12am
Calls for ground-penetrating radar exploration of hospital site amid fears up to 1,000 bodies could be buried there
A prominent historian is reviving questions about the final resting place of up to 1,000 South Sea Islander workers, fearing some remains could be located where a ward is set to be built at Mackay Base Hospital.
Topic:History
Mon 10 Jun 2024 at 6:55am
In the middle of the Mallee scrub stands Pella church and its colossal 19th-century pipe organ
In the middle of the bush near the Victorian Mallee is the ghost town of Pella, which was founded as a German colony by Lutherans when the first Europeans arrived in the area. Surrounded by paddocks and scrubland, the town’s sandstone church houses a humongous 19th Century pipe organ, which provides the visitors a surreal experience of hearing cathedral music in the middle of nowhere.
Topic:19th Century
Fri 31 May 2024 at 11:49am
This hand-drawn family tree stretches 60 metres and 65,000 years — and tells a story about us all
It took four people months to draw Archie Moore's enormous family tree – but it'll all be erased soon.
Topic:Art
Mon 3 Mar 2025 at 10:33am
The fight to restore Australia's historic dry stone walls
For many tourists and locals alike, the dry stone walls of Kiama’s hinterland offer a link to the past but as time progresses landowners who inherited the walls are left wondering whether they will survive for future generations to admire. ABC Illawarra: Sarah Moss, ABC Western Plains: Catherine James, drone by Justin Huntsdale
Topic:19th Century
Wed 3 Apr 2024 at 11:53am
Final resting place of queer bushranger pair in line for heritage recognition
The graves of Captain Moonlite and James Nesbitt are being considered for the state heritage register, not only for their notoriety as colonial-era criminals, but for their publicly acknowledged same-sex relationship.
Topic:History
Sat 23 Mar 2024 at 7:28am
Port Elliot Jetty repairs underway.
After being closed for more than a year following storm damage, work has started to repair the historic 1852 jetty at Horseshoe Bay at Port Elliot.
Topic:19th Century
Wed 6 Mar 2024 at 3:02pm
'Haunted house' on a paradise island becomes a spiritual retreat and a place of healing
Steeped in colonial history and modern-slavery controversy, Oceania House, is getting a new lease on life as a place of healing.
Topic:Islam
Sun 14 Jan 2024 at 10:13am
Olympic stadiums! SpaceX-style airport! Giant bowling alley! Welcome to Utopia on the Swan River
It's the site of some of Perth's grandest bureaucratic schemes and dreams but this island nature reserve on the edge of the city has defied plan after far-fetched development plan.
Topic:History
Sun 7 Jan 2024 at 9:24am
More than a century after they were gifted to a Swiss family, William Barak's artworks have returned
Two works by Aboriginal artist and advocate William Barak will go on display this week after being returned to Victoria 126 years after they were gifted to a Swiss family.
Topic:Art History
Mon 11 Dec 2023 at 11:17am
Caloote founder laid in an unmarked grave for 113 years until descendant's discovery
A pioneer who built cottages and subdivided land to create a South Australian riverside town has a plaque placed on his grave more than a century after his death.
Topic:History
Mon 13 Nov 2023 at 1:41pm