Christmas History Matters
Still looking for a Christmas present? Or some history reading this summer? History Matters may be your beach read or the perfect Christmas present. Printed copies are available from Torquay …
Local Olympic Rowers
Rowing is now underway at the Paris Olympics, and tonight, Australians will be featured in four events. Torquay Surf Life Saving Club members and locals have previously represented Australia in …
Our Water Polo Olympians
Peter Bennett Les McKay The Australian water polo team made its Olympic debut at the 1948 London Olympics. The team included members of the Torquay Surf Life Saving Club (TSLSC) …
Our Olympian: Marjorie McQuade
Australia once more is getting off to a good start in the pool with the gold medals moving us to top of the ladder after day 1. Back at the …
Memory Lab project kick’s off
We are so lucky and thank PROV for funding our next project. More news to come next month.
Naming Moggs Creek
Is Mogg’s Creek named after Sir Samuel Mogg? Read all about Sir Samuel in our current edition of History Matters.
The Foam Shipwreck
In the early days of European settlement, often the only way to travel between our coastal towns and major ports was by ship. These ships were the ‘backbone’ of our …
Lest We Forget
It took many years for communities across the country to recognise and pay tribute to those men and women who served at home and overseas, Here, in Torquay we have …
March HISTORY MATTERS
The March Edition of ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????? is now available at the ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? or electronically to our members and digital subscribers. In this edition we celebrate the 30th birthday of …
Sir Bruce Small
On Thursday, Torquay will get the chance to hear more of the story of famous Australian Sir Bruce Small in a new book on his life. The author Rachel Sayers …
Taylor Park Centenary
On 24 February 2024 we celebrated the centenary of the naming of Taylor Park. Named in memory of John William Taylor who successfully fought the Lands Department to keep the …
History Matters Dec 2023
History Matters – Edition 32 Find the latest copy of History Matters at Torquay Newsagents or your inbox. Stories this month include the centenary celebration of the Torquay Bowling Club, …
Gilbert Street memories
Loving this photo of Gilbert Street ..probably early 60’s that Kyla Periwinkle Beale shared with us. David Gittings in front of the original Gitto’s shop. This is where the tattslotto …
History Matters: Winter 2023
The Winter edition of our magazine History Matters is out today. Joanne Weste (nee Pawson) writes about her dad John Pawson, we learn the history of the much loved Torquay …
James Harrison
Tourists and locals alike have benefited from the completion of the James Harrison Bridge in 1990, at the time an innovative structure that is a silent memorial to James Harrison’s …
2023 Education Week
Education week is here. This year’s theme is Active Learners: Move, Make, Motivate which highlights the way students learn through physical activity, hands-on learning and student voice. In 1918 students …
ANZAC DAY
Just before dawn on 25 April 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers rowed towards Gallipoli’s shores, and the history of ANZAC Day began. Of the 138 men from the Surf …
A Determined Spirit
Women have always been workers, have always been leaders, and have always balanced work and family. Torquay’s pioneering women were essential to the developing town. They were companions to their …
Support Please
Trove is a world-ranked web platform of digitised newspapers, books, magazines, photographs, and archived websites. It serves as a research resource for education and display purposes too. We can’t afford …
Summer Edition History Matters
Grab the newest edition of History Matters online or from the Torquay Newsagency. Stories that will capture your interest include the Ash Wednesday Bushfires, stories of old Connewarre, Colman’s Torquay …
2022 Event
Torquay Museum Without Walls will hold its 2022 Annual General Meeting on Monday, 21 November 2022. Below you can find the Notice of the 2022 Annual General Meeting and associated …
Big Thanks
As historians of our local area, we recognise that we have in the past focussed on the development of our town post the arrival of the first European settlers. Our …
Celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Each year NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate the history, achievements and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The acronym NAIDOC stems from the National Aborigines and …
Winter Edition Out Now
The winter edition of History Matters is out now. A great story on how the Torquay Motor Yacht and Angling Club was formed then evolved into separate organisations and the …
Education Week
Torquay State School This year’s theme for Education Week ‘150 Years of Public Education’ is about Victoria’s public education journey. Our participation in Education Week, starting on Monday, showcases Victoria’s …
Grant Success
TMWW is excited to announce the success of our Grant Funding application for $1000 to purchase a new printer and computer consumables. This funding will support the production of our …
Bombing of Darwin
The bombing of Darwin occurred on the morning of 19 February 1942, when 188 Japanese aircraft appeared over Darwin. The aircraft had taken off from four aircraft carriers in the …
Remembering a day of terror
Today marks 39 years since the Ash Wednesday bushfires devasted large parts of the Surf Coast. There were over 100 fires fanned by hot winds of up to 110 km/h …
Breaking the ice – Torquay Winter Olympian
Ice hockey originated in Canada in the early 19th century, based on several similar stick-and-ball games played in Europe. The first Olympic ice hockey tournament took place at the 1920 …
Torquay Winter Olympian: Oslo, 1952
The 1952 Winter Olympics was held at Oslo in Norway with athletes from 30 nations competing. The Australian delegation consisted of nine athletes, three in the figure skating and alpine …
Six O’Clock Swill
Before the Torquay Coffee Palace, built-in 1888, held a liqueur licence the following year, Felix Rosser and James Follett were two cheeky fellows who were often prosecuted for sly grog. …
Buckley’s Chance
Willliam Buckley, the ‘wild white man’ who lived with the local Aboriginals in our area for more than thirty years, died this day in 1856 due to falling from his …
The Day The Cavalry Arrived
Horses have played a special role in the story of Australia. For the first hundred years of European settlement, they were the only means of transport across most of our …
OUT NOW – Summer Edition of History Matters
This summer edition of History Matters contains fascinating family history stories of the Gundry, Duffield and Halls families and Andrew Thomas Abercrombie. More Fishy Tales, this time from the Smith …
Out Now – Edition 23 History Matters
Another interesting edition of History Matters is out today, It is our 23rd edition which is full of interesting reading, like the reprint of Owen Yateman’s story on Torquay fishermen. …
Torquay Summer Olympians: The next century
Olympic Games of the 21st Century have seen some significant changes in competition and technology. For example, Sydney 2000 introduced the triathlon, and more sports have been introduced this century. …
Torquay Olympians of the 1990s
The 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games were spectacular. From the Opening Ceremony when the Olympic flame was lit by a flaming arrow fired by a Spanish archer to images such as …
Torquay Summer Olympians: The next decade, 1950s
The 1952 Helsinki Summer Games were the first Olympics in which the Soviet Union participated since the 1912 Games. The Games were friendly, and by the end of the competition …
Tribute to Torquay Olympic Legends
Australia has built a prestigious reputation on sporting excellence, integrity and a thriving community spirit. Participating in every modern Olympic Games since they commenced in 1896, also hosting them in …
New Edition of History Matters
Another exciting edition of History Matters is now available.Our 22nd Edition is filled with stories about.• Richard Daintree who took the earliest images of the Jan Juc coastline,• Andrew White …