If you can’t make it to hear Lambis Englezos speak on “The Missing Soldiers of Fromelles” you can watch it LIVE here:
Or go to the YouTube page HERE
Category Archives: News
Monthly Meeting, February 5th 2016
8:00 pm at The Museum
Speaker: Lambis Englezos
Topic: ‘Finding the missing soldiers from Fromelles’.
On the 19th July 1916 the 5th Australian Division was involved in a terrible battle near the French village of Fromelles. Almost 2,000 men died. Australian amateur historian, Lambis Englezos, was shocked by the futility of this action and the huge number of casualities. He realised that the list of the missing and the number of unidentified soldiers in nearby cemeteries did not match up.
Lambis met some of the survivors of Fromelles – the so called ‘19th July men’ and in 2002 visited the site.
Where were the missing men from this battle ?
Hear Lambis describe his long and determined journey to discover the answers despite much discouragement from authorities.
Point Nepean National Park Master Plan
Point Nepean National Park Master Plan
Planning Information Day
Fri 5 Feb and Sat 6 Feb 2016 10:00am-3:00pm
You are invited to have your say about planning the park’s future and provide feedback on a Discussion Paper which re‐looks at the 2010 draft master plan. Please drop in on the Friday or Saturday to speak with a member of the team involved in renewing the master plan.
The meeting will be held in Badcoe Hall, Point Nepean National Park (end of Point Nepean Road, Portsea)
Community update and discussion paper January 2016
Click on pic to read . . .
and the response from The NHS. . . . READ IT HERE
Parks Victoria is currently reviewing the Point Nepean National Park Master Plan. An important element of this review is community and stakeholder consultation.
A draft master plan, which involved extensive community and stakeholder consultation, was prepared and exhibited in 2010 (see below). It was prepared within the planning and management context provided by the Point Nepean National Park and Point Nepean Quarantine Station Management Plan 2009.
The Original 2010 Master Plan . . . click below.
For more details go to Parks Victoria site . . . HERE
Monthly Meeting, November 6th 2015
The Sorrento Fossil Monster
Zygomaturus – pic from Australian Museum
Speakers at the NHS – David Pickering Palaeontology Collection Manager for the past 10 years at Museums Australia ( Victoria) and David Thomas ‘The Accidental Palaeontologist’ and Sorrento local who walks this beach frequently.
The two Davids told us a marvellous story of discovery and perseverance.
Bone pieces were spotted high up in the ocean beach Bay of Islands rock arch by keen eyed locals in early 2012. Chris and Allan Willox were the first to report them followed two weeks later by David Thomas who, fearing a human body, contacted police.
Museum Paleontologist David Pickering organised a meeting onsite. Another key player in this story is Bruce McFadyen, knowledgeable local Parks Vic Ranger and issuer of permits allowing exploration of the site.
The site was dangerous: access was only via a very steep rock cliff and rock falls from the arch were frequent. More paperwork for OH&S considerations for the workers was essential. Mining engineers had to be called in to advise. A big storm caused a huge rock collapse and new retrieval methods had to be devised. Masses of rock pieces had to be painstakingly examined.
But more and more pieces were identified until the skull (found by David Thomas) and jawbone with teeth proved it was the precious fossil specimen of a rare Zygomaturus.
These large marsupials lived in groups. They had huge cheekbones and a big rubbery nose. This fossil is possibly 2.6 million years old. Small marks of predation can be seen on the pelvic piece – who had attacked this ‘Zygo’?
The audience were fascinated and afterwards clustered to see the actual skull of the ‘Zygo’ that David P. had brought for us and David T’s photos of the site. And we also were shown beautiful fossils of a perfect shortfaced kangaroo jaw recently found at Gunnamatta Beach.
Zygomaturus Skull
A great night for all … and NHS hopes to have a model of the Zygomaturus on display one day.
Note of interest – David Pickering is particularly adept at extracting minute fossil teeth. He has two extinct animals named after him a Pleistocene marsupial – Palorchestes pickeringi -and a Devonian fish from the Kimberley, Pickeringia.
Annual General Meeting, Friday October 2nd, 2015
8.00pm at The Museum
Speaker: Mr. Carl Cowie, CEO Mornington Peninsula Shire
NHS 50th Anniversary
Saturday, September 5th 2015, at The Museum
Nepean Historical Society – The Sorrento Museum celebrated 50 years of commitment to local heritage.
The year of 1965 was a year of significant events in Australia including the first drawing of marbles for military conscription, the Tasmanian Government announcing the Gordon River Scheme, Prime Minister Robert Menzies declaring Australian forces would be sent to South Vietnam –
AND the meeting of 16 local people to form the Nepean Historical Society.
On Saturday September 5th 2015, over 100 people gathered at The Sorrento Museum to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of this well respected Society of volunteers who still work energetically to preserve local heritage in all its forms – buildings, precincts, stories, artefacts and photographs.
Crowds Enjoying The Displays
Monthly Meeting August 7th 2015
8:00 pm at The Museum
Speaker: Tess De Araugo, Author
Topic: The novel – Boonoorong on the Mornington Peninsula
Available for purchase at The Bookshop
Rye & Nepean Historical Societies Mid-Year Lunch
Friday July 3rd at 11:30
Nepean and Rye Historical Societies’ members and friends are invited to a luncheon at the
Rye Hotel, 2415 Pt Nepean Rd., Rye on July 3rd 2015 at 11.30 for 12.
The charge is $47 per person which includes a 2 course lunch in the Blue Water Room plus a pre dinner drink with ‘nibbles ’ in the Cafe Bar.
Speaker : Professor Simon Molesworth AO QC, Executive Chairman, International National Trusts Organisation
On: ‘The National Trust movement – an international phenomenon: insights of a shared global vision for the conservation of our heritage’
To book, complete the Booking Form HERE
Monthly Meeting June 5th 2015
8:00 pm at The Museum
Speaker: Murray Adams – Mornpen Shire’s Digitisation Officer
Topic: Using the Internet for Research & Solving the Riddle of the NHS’s very old Military Tunic and its connection to the history of some Sorrento families.
Monthly Meeting May 1st 2015
8:00 pm at the Sorrento Museum
Speaker: Bob McKenzie – Researcher on the ship SEA and our mysterious bird figurehead.
Topic: Bob will be talking about his recent research trip to New Brunswick, Canada where the Sea was built. He was hoping to find some leads on the carver of our figurehead.
Nepean Historical Society 