March 2026 General Meeting - Saturday 21 March

                          

Guest Speaker:
Dr Peter Hobbins

Join us in Gordon Library Meeting Room 1
at 2 pm on Saturday 21 March 2026 for

Skippy’s Tragic Star

On Saturday 21 March 2026 after our General Meeting, Dr Peter Hobbins presents Skippy’s Tragic Star.

What does a helicopter crash have to do with Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, filmed in Ku-ring-gai National Park? Find out at the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society on Saturday 21 March!

Just days before Christmas in 1966, a helicopter plummeted into downtown Sydney, killing everyone on board. But what made this disaster truly chilling is that the ABC film crew inside recorded their own final moments, while another crew on the Harbour captured the disaster unfolding.

The footage stunned the world, and Australian aviation changed forever. And somehow, Skippy is tangled up in this story...

Join Dr Peter Hobbins, historian, curator, and expert in all things disastrous - from pandemics to shipwrecks to aviation catastrophes - as he unpacks this gripping, true story. Expect twists, jaw-dropping details, and the kind of history lesson you won’t soon forget.

You are welcome to stay for refreshments and a chat following the presentation.

About Dr Peter Hobbins

Dr Peter Hobbins is a historian and curator at the State Library of NSW. He specialises in what happens when science, technology and medicine go wrong - including snakebite, pandemics, shipwrecks and aviation accidents.

As always, please keep an eye on our website in case of any last-minute changes.

The venue is Gordon Library Meeting Room 1, in the Old Gordon Public School, which adjoins the Gordon Library, 799 Pacific Highway, Gordon (corner Pacific Highway and Park Avenue).

It’s just a 5-minute walk from Gordon Station.

For a map and parking information, see our Contact page.

February 2026 General Meeting - Saturday 21 February

                         

Guest Speaker:
Mark Dunn

Join us in Gordon Library Meeting Room 2
at 2 pm on Saturday 21 February 2026 for

A History of the Greengate Hotel

On Saturday 21 February 2026 after our General Meeting, Mark Dunn presents A History of the Greengate Hotel.

Note: this month’s presentation will be held in Meeting Room 2.

A true North Shore landmark, the Greengate Hotel is one of Sydney’s oldest continuously operating hotels. It brings together a rich history with enduring charm, making it a fitting focus for Ku-ring-gai Historical Society's first guest speaker for 2026!

In his book, The Greengate Hotel: A Social and Development History (BBS Holdings, 2024) public historian Mark Dunn has crafted a compelling and thoroughly researched account of Greengate’s history, exploring its beginnings in 1832 and the many changes that have resulted in the hotel we know and love today.

You are welcome to stay for refreshments and a chat following the presentation.

About Mark Dunn

Descended from convicts who settled in the Hunter, Mark is a historian with 30 years of work experience in Sydney's history, heritage and archaeology. He has completed a Master's in Applied History and a Ph.D. in the history of colonial race and class relations in the NSW convict colony.

His book, The Convict Valley (Allen & Unwin, 2020) was shortlisted for the Australian Prime Minister's Literary Awards for Australian History. He is an Executive Member of the RAHS Council; was chair of the Professional Historians Association of NSW and ACT; is a member of the NSW Heritage Council; and a previous president of the History Council of NSW. He has also acted as a consultant for the TV program Who Do You Think You Are? Australia.

As always, please keep an eye on our website in case of any last-minute changes.

The venue is Gordon Library Meeting Room 2, in the Old Gordon Public School, which adjoins the Gordon Library, 799 Pacific Highway, Gordon (corner Pacific Highway and Park Avenue).

It’s just a 5-minute walk from Gordon Station.

For a map and parking information, see our Contact page.

February German SIG Meeting - Monday 9th February 2026

 

Join us at 1.30 pm on Monday 9th February 2026 for the next meeting of our German Special Interest Group.

Our German SIG is a fantastic way to explore your heritage and connect with like-minded locals researching their Germanic background in friendly discussions. We share information on researching your Germanic ancestors, including resources, techniques, history and customs.

Coming up at our February meeting will be several topics of interest to anyone with Germanic ancestors, or researching their German family history, including:

• A guide for exploiting German Protestant records on www.archion.de
• An introduction to, and demonstration of, photograph restoration using Artificial Intelligence
• An update on online German family history activity; followed by a discussion on topics of general interest.

Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or just starting your family tree, you’re warmly invited to attend. Come and join us for the discussion, then stay for a German Christmas treat afternoon tea and a convivial chat - guests welcome!

Date: Monday 9th February 2026

Time: 1.30 pm

Location: Old Gordon Public School building, 799 Pacific Hwy (cnr Pacific Hwy & Park Ave)

Parking: Subject to time limits in Council’s Wade Lane carpark (entry via Park Ave or St Johns Ave)

Train: Our rooms are a short walk from Gordon Station.

For a map, please see our Contact page, https://khs.org.au/contact-us/#hours

For more details, see our website, https://khs.org.au/german-sig

Please keep an eye on our website's Events page in case of any last-minute changes. https://khs.org.au/events/