Romsey & Lancefield Districts Historical Society Inc.

The Romsey & Lancefield Districts Historical Society Inc. was formed in April 1979 to preserve all written and photographic items relating to the former Shire of Romsey. Our rich pre-history includes the Aboriginal Greenstone Axe Quarry at Mount William and the Archaeological Megafauna site in the old swamp at Lancefield Park. This Shire existed from 1862 until it was amalgamated in 1995 to become part of the Macedon Ranges Shire. The former Shire covered 628 square kilometres and included the townships of Benloch, Bolinda, Cherokee, Chintin, Clarkefield, Darraweit Guim, Kerrie, Lancefield, Monegeetta, Mount William, Riddells Creek, Rochford, Romsey, Springfield and Tantaraboo. Today the Society continues to document our history from the pre-historic period through to the twenty-first century.

We acknowledge and respect the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which we live and meet, the Wurundjurie peoples of the Kulin Nation, and we aim to build on our collection of documents to inform us about their lives before white settlement began.

Our collection of documents, artefacts and photographs of Romsey, Lancefield and districts informs us and future generations about the lives of our pioneering families, our businesses and the society we have become. The Society’s Archives include an extensive range of family trees, collections of manuscripts, town histories, church histories, school histories, club histories, business histories and much more.

We welcome Members and non-Members to the Courthouse at Lancefield to research their own family history or family business. We can do the research for you for a $35 fee (for the first two hours and $10 per hour thereafter) or, if you become a Member ($35 household or $30 invididual), you can visit the Courthouse for assistance with your own research. Go to the ‘Membership Form’ page and apply for Membership.

We look forward to hearing from you with any research query and will aim to assist as quickly as possible. However, as this is a completely voluntary organisation with a small number of active helpers, sometimes we cannot action research requests as soon as they are received.

For all enquiries, please contact our Secretary, Shirley Kishere via email at lancefieldcourthouse@gmail.com or phone her on 0402 248 540.

Become a Member

ROMSEY & LANCEFIELD DISTRICTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC. OBJECTIVES:

* To foster historical interest and knowledge, particularly but not exclusively in this district through lectures, seminars, workshops, excursions of historic and geographic interest, and exhibitions;

* To provide a focus for the collection, preservation and effective organisation of heritage information;

* To undertake historical research into people and communities of the district, sites, buildings, events or issues and to participate in activities aimed at promoting or commemorating them;

* To participate in a network of regional historical associations; and

* To publish relevant newsletters, journals and other material.When you become a Member you will receive four Newsletters per year containing interesting local history articles and advice about forthcoming Society activities such as fundraising events and speaker meetings. Click on the ‘Membership and Online Research’ tab to find the online forms.