The Melville History Society and the City of Melville invite you to the annual Murdoch Lecture presented by Dr Lenore Layman, Adjunct Associate Professor in History at Murdoch University.
The Australian Dictionary of Biography is an indispensable research tool for all of us working in the field of Australian history; it is both authoritative and readily accessible. But it has its flaws. One is the relative absence of women from its pages. Women comprised only two per cent of entries in the first six volumes of the Australian Dictionary of Biography covering the colonial period (1788-1890) and published in the decade 1966-76. Since then a few more colonial women have been added but they are still mostly missing from Australia’s pre-eminent biographical dictionary. Did women really play such an insignificant part in colonial history? Most of us now answer – definitely not. This talk explores the lives of some of Western Australia’s missing colonial women and what their stories add to our understanding of WA’s past. It also looks at how the making of Western Australian history has changed since the 1960s and asks – what sort of history are we all making today.

 Light refreshments from 6.30pm. Lecture starts at 7.15pm
Cost: Free. Bookings essential as places are limited. Please register each member of your group separately.
If you need further information, please phone 1300 635 845 | 9364 0666.
We suggest using the car park on the south side of the Main Hall, adjacent to Civic Square Library. Entry is off Davy Street, Booragoon.