History Talks Return for Robert Burns Celtic Festival 2025
Saturday 28 June | Killara Centre, Camperdown
The much-loved History Talks return to the Robert Burns Celtic Festival 2025, hosted by the Camperdown & District Historical Society at the Killara Centre. This year’s program brings together four engaging sessions that explore how people have experienced, interpreted and responded to this part of Victoria — through science, survival, art and belief.
“You don’t need a kilt to enjoy these talks,” says Historical Society President, Lyle Tune. “Just a curiosity for the stories and people that have contributed to the cultural, environmental and historical fabric of this region.”
Program Highlights:
- 10.30am – John Sherwood: Travel back millions of years to a time before Lakes Bullen Merri and Gnotuk existed, when volcanic activity reshaped the land. Sherwood explores the geology of the region and evidence that Aboriginal people may have witnessed some of these ancient eruptions.
- 11.30am – Professor Richard Broome: Discover the story of Aboriginal tent fighters who competed at agricultural shows from the early 1900s to the 1970s. Broome unpacks the complexities of these travelling boxing troupes and the questions they raise about agency, representation and resilience.
- 1.30pm – Dr Ruth Pullin & Dr Thomas Darragh: Explore the connection between colonial artist Eugene von Guérard and the Berlin Ethnological Museum through his correspondence and collections. This session reveals how art, collecting and colonial relationships intersected in the lives of figures like von Guérard and James Dawson.
- 2.45pm – Robert McLaren: In this talk, McLaren traces the life of Reverend Kay from rural Scotland to Wickcliffe, revealing a life touched by naval heroism, links to the British Royal Family, scandals, the birth of Italy, a messy Victorian court case and a legacy that continues today with the bi-annual awarding of two University scholarships.
The talks are included with a Robert Burns Festival weekend ticket or available separately for $25. The venue is the Killara Centre, beside Camperdown Library, with easy access and winter-warm comfort. $25 covers all 4 talks. Door sales available, pre purchase preferred.
“We invite locals, visitors and history buffs to join us for one talk or stay the whole day,” says Lyle. “It’s a unique opportunity to explore the stories and histories that have shaped this region over time.”
About the History Talks Presenters
John Sherwood: John Sherwood has spent decades exploring the ancient forces that shaped Victoria’s volcanic plains. A former lecturer at Warrnambool’s Institute of Advanced Education and Deakin University, he brings both scientific insight and local knowledge to his talk on the geological history of the Western District.
Professor Richard Broome: One of Australia’s most respected historians, Professor Richard Broome is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and a Fellow — and President (2019–2025) — of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. He taught at La Trobe University for over thirty years and has written extensively on Aboriginal history and is a recent co-author of The Story of Melbourne’s Lanes.
Dr Ruth Pullin & Dr Thomas Darragh: Art historian Dr Ruth Pullin and museum scholar Dr Thomas Darragh team up to explore the intersecting lives of landscape painter Eugene von Guérard and Aboriginal advocate James Dawson. Their talk draws on newly examined letters and museum records to reveal how colonial collecting practices, art and advocacy were deeply intertwined. Together, they offer a fascinating window into 19th-century Victoria and its global connections.
Robert McLaren: Local historian Robert McLaren stumbled upon the Reverend Kay while researching Victorian bluestone churches — and uncovered a story that stretched across continents. Robert is President of the Mortlake & District Historical Society and author of several publications on Western District history.
