Monday 1 June 2026
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Heroes Lounge (upstairs, lift access)
St Kilda Army and Navy Club
88 Acland Street, St Kilda
Members are invited to an exclusive information session about the progress of the Society’s research project to map locations of cultural sites, waterways and biodiversity hotspots across the City of Port Phillip.
Led by local Boonwurrung Elder Professor N’arwee’t Carolyn Briggs AM, with the ongoing involvement of our past president Helen Halliday OAM, Reconnecting Place aims to capture Indigenous knowledge embedded in public spaces.
Researchers Dr Ana Lara Heyns and Alison Soutar will share their findings to date and the challenges and inspirations that are shaping this interactive Indigenous digital story map.Member input is very much welcomed, especially if you have historical maps, photos, or illustrations that would complement the Storymap’s key sites such as Elwood Canal, St Kilda Main Drain, the piers, the bay, Point Ormond, the Town Halls and other public spaces around the municipality. Please bring them with you or email to:
Dr Ana Lara Heyns is a researcher and Senior Policy Officer, Urban Waterways at the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), working at the intersection of water policy, Indigenous knowledge, cultural heritage, and urban environments.Her work explores how waterways shape cities and hold hold memories of our First Nations peoples.
Alison Soutar is a community linguist with two decades experience working with First Nations communities on language documentation and reclamation projects across the globe. She specialises in the reconstruction of syntax in partnership with communities, with a focus on place-based, spatial and relational elements of language. She is currently working closely with Professor Carolyn Briggs on the reconstruction of the Boonwurrung language and is a PhD candidate at Monash University.While this event is for members only, not open to the general public, we extend the invitation to your family and friends.
Reconnecting Place has the support of the City of Port Phillip through its cultural heritage grants program.
This is a free member only event. Booking essential.
The Society runs numerous historical talks and walks throughout the year. Our events are free and open to Society members only. Members receive information about upcoming events through our newsletter. You can join the Society for just $25 per year.