News

Scroll down for BRAC news or click to view details on events and exhibitions.

Throwing Stones & Mending Their Ways

This article contains some of the local and sometimes quirky stories that can be found on what happened when stone, politics and people were combined, based on our February Discovering History seminar - read HERE

New BRAC records in 2023

With the new year comes some new records released, and in 2023, this includes a huge transfer from Bendigo Health, housed right here in Bendigo - you can read more about this collection HERE

Discovering History: Throwing Stones & Mending Their Ways

The first Discovering History free seminar for 2023 will be presented by BRAC's Dr Sue Walter and explores some quirky local history - more HERE

2023 Summer Newsletter

Download the summer newsletter HERE

Still On Track: 160 Years of Bendigo Railways

Celebrate the 160th anniversary of the Melbourne-Bendigo railway line with our look at the people and places behind the magic - read HERE

2022 Spring Newsletter

Download the spring newsletter HERE

2022 Winter Newsletter

Download the winter newsletter HERE

Chickens Are Not Inconsiderable Trifles

Celebrate the 150th Bendigo Easter Fair with our look at the very first event and how much (or little) has changed HERE

The Motion Was Put & Carried

Read our latest foray into the archives, Carrying the Can, how the Bendigo Council managed nightsoil in the district, and watch the Discovering History presentation HERE

2022 Autumn Newsletter

Download the autumn newsletter HERE

Bendigo's Rat Rollout

There's a scarcity of RATs at the moment but it hasn't always been that way with rats... read our latest article HERE

Libraries for the Future Report

Our hosts, the Goldfields Library, have been undertaking extensive research to improve the experience of patrons in our and other library spaces. You can read the interim report back to the community HERE

2021 Summer Newsletter

Download the Summer newsletter HERE

2021 Spring Newsletter

Download the Spring newsletter HERE

Join the Suburban Detectives

BRAC invites researchers to contribute their own clues about the history of the house and people of unique areas of Bendigo through our Suburban Detectives project - find out more HERE.

Celebrate the Olympics with BRAC

We use BRAC records to explore the Olympic torch relay as it came through the district in 1956 HERE, rowing HERE, and the equestrian sports HERE

2021 Winter Newsletter

Download the Winter newsletter HERE

Bees, Blocks & Bodies

A great little case study using the Bennett family of Axedale to showcase how some of the BRAC collection can be used in writing short local histories. Click HERE to read.

2021 Autumn Newsletter

Download the Autumn newsletter HERE

BRAC Reading Room Reopening Details

BRAC is pleased to be welcoming researchers back to the Reading Room but with a few new processes to keep us all safe. Find out how to go about visiting us in the coming months HERE

2020 Summer Newsletter

Download the Summer newsletter HERE

International Rural Women's Day

There is a wealth of information in BRAC's collection that shines light on the experience of women in rural communities. Our short case study is just one story of hundreds, if not thousands, of women working and living on the land across north-west Victoria...

Read our piece for Rural Women's Day HERE

2020 Spring Newsletter

Download the Spring newsletter HERE

History Never Repeats?

BRAC explores the collection by taking a look back at Bendigo's response to the outbreak of another infectious disease - smallpox - in 1872 and see no matter how much changes, some things seem to stay the same...

Read our piece on the smallpox outbreak in Bendigo HERE

2020 Winter Newsletter

Download the Winter newsletter HERE

2020 Autumn Newsletter

Download the Autumn newsletter HERE

2019 Summer Newsletter

Download the Summer newsletter HERE

2019 Bendigo Cup Closure

BRAC will be closed as part of wider library closures for Bendigo Cup Day - in the meantime, read up on a little Cup history and stories of some past winners of the prestigious event. Read our piece on a few selected Bendigo Cup winners HERE

Locals Shortlisted for Victorian Community History Awards

Congratulations to these local groups who have been shortlisted for the Public Records Office Victoria - Royal History Society Victoria's annual awards series; winners will be announced at a special event to launch History Week on Monday 12 October:

East Loddon P-12 College, East Loddon Historical Society and East Loddon Shire, East Loddon Remembers Memorial

The school, historical society and Loddon Shire worked together to research, plan and create a World War One memorial. Eight pillars include stories and images of local service men and women, a timeline of the local home front and an honour roll which links to the East Loddon Remembers website.

Castlemaine Historical Society, Gold Diggings map

This indexed map of the Castlemaine Gold Diggings is a compilation of historic and modern place and gully names. It was produced by Castlemaine Historical Society member Clive Willman. The index includes place names from numerous 19th century sources enabling easy access to information that is often hard to find.

Bendigo Art Gallery, Vale exhibition

'Vale' was an exhibition presented at Post Office Gallery in Bendigo from 13 December 2018 to 31 March 2019, supported by a publication of the same name. The exhibition explored the protocols, practices and systems for managing human death in Bendigo's history.