Thursday 12 March at the National Library of Australia.
Full details and booking at
Canberra Day Oration 2026: Frank Bongiorno AM | National Library of Australia (NLA)
BOOKS FOR SALE For a complete list of all unused books for sale see
www.canberrahistory.org.au/get/1278.pdf
UPDATES FOR VERY RECENT SALES MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN MADE
Please support CDHS with a tax deductible donation!
BSB 633 000, Account 146 738 141 and your name plus 'donation'. Thank you!
Welcome to the Canberra & District Historical Society
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Canberra and its surrounding district. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.
Founded in 1953, our Society aims to bring Canberra's unique history to you. The society's objectives include encouraging, collecting, researching, preserving, promoting and publishing the history and heritage of Canberra, the surrounding district and the relationship of the national capital with the rest of the country.
This web site helps you find out about the history of Canberra and district through our unique collection and links to other significant sources.
Use the Search function and the navigation links to access our comprehensive catalogue and the rest of this web site.
We wish you an interesting journey into the history of Canberra and district.
King O'Malley laying the Foundation Stone in 1913. CDHS photo 3737
News & Events
Glebe House (above)
Glebe House was the rectory for St John's Church, Reid. It was demolished in 1956 despite the CDHS campaign to save it. CDHS photo 993 (no date).
ACT Heritage Grant
The development of this website was supported with funding made available by the ACT Government under the ACT Heritage Grants Program.
100 and 200 years ago....
In 1826 Joshua James Moore formally purchased the property 'Canberry' on the Acton Peninsula. A house had been built there by his workers in 1824.
11 February, 2026 A RAAF De Havilland DH9 crashed at the Canberra Aerodrome in Dickson killing pilot Philip Mackenzie Pitt and navigator William Edward Pitt. They were to take aerial photographs of the FCT. The only relic of this crash, the bombsite, is in the CDHS collection.
The Canberra Times was issued for the first time on 3 September 2026 with subscribers paying three pence for the sixteen page edition. It was initially a weekly paper.
For more events see Time Line (Chronology of the ACT) |
Jefferis and Whelen Journal
The Jefferis and Whelen Journal in our collection is listed in the ACT Heritage Register.For more information see the Guide to the CDHS Collection|
CDHS is a Registered Charity
This means donations of $2 or more are tax deductible!
