2025 State History Conference12SEPTEMBER2025
History reveals valuable lessons about us all, and for lovers of a good yarn, it also offers an abundance of intriguing ‘stranger than fiction’ tales.
A heroic Whadjuk Nyungar warrior executed without trial in 1833, the 1896 Hamilton Hill murder of a camel trader from Karachi and the underwater resting grounds of shipwrecks and a Vampire – these stories are a hint of the fascinating topics in store for Faces and Spaces of Cockburn: Stories Waiting to be Told.
The 2025 Royal WA Historical Society State History Conference, hosted by the City of Cockburn and the Historical Society of Cockburn, will shine a light on the richness of local history with a variety of ticketed talks, tours and exhibitions throughout Cockburn 12-14 September.
“We are all intertwined in the local history of the places we call home and whether driven by the growing historical drama genre in movies and books, and of course, true crime podcasts, there is a rising interest in unearthing our roots, the stories of our communities,” City of Cockburn Events and Culture Manager Marie La Frenais said.
“A range of guest speaker spots, exhibitions and tours across three days is a chance to learn more about Cockburn’s unique place in WA history from the Nyungar leadership of Midgegooroo (father of Yagan) and early European settlement to community activism and environmental conservation.
“A unique attraction is an exhibition featuring a selection of authentic protest shirts, including one on loan from Tony Galati from his years-long fight against the former Potato Marketing Corporation.
“Passion and Protest: Cockburn Community Speaks Up is an exhibition curated by social history curator and artist Jo Darbyshire. It explores the many times the Cockburn community has been involved in impassioned protest actions.
“Some of these occasions included the proposed forced amalgamations of local government reform, Roe 8 and the Perth Freight Link, the resumption of land for residential development and even the establishment of Port Coogee Marina.”
City of Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett said it was the first time Cockburn had hosted the State History Conference since 2009.
“2025 is a significant year for Cockburn as Memorial Hall in Hamilton Hill celebrates its centenary, a milestone that reflects the many changes even across the past 100 years of our growing community.
“Our local history goes back many thousands of years with the generations of Nyungar people who have called Beeliar Boodjar home, and in the 196 years since the Swan River Colony was established.
In that time history has gathered many more stories that reveal where we’ve come from and our aspirations for the future.
“We are thrilled to share some of these local stories, and how they intersect with Cockburn, in the form of history talks, tours and exhibitions delivered by passionate experts at the 2025 State History Conference.”
Learn more about the three-day program and how to book tickets on the City’s
website.