Heritage Festival 2025
3 May to 17 May 2025
Melton City Libraries' annual Heritage Festival is a celebration of all things historical in the City of Melton. Over two action-packed weeks, we'll bring you an exciting line-up of events and programs for all ages. Explore creative workshops, author talks, exhibitions, family-friendly activities and more!
The 2025 Heritage Festival will run from Saturday 3 May to Saturday 17 May 2025, alongside the National Trust Australian Heritage Festival.
The theme for this years’ Heritage Festival is unearthed – revealing the past, and bringing to light some of our City’s lesser-known stories. We are so excited to share them with you.
Bookings:
Bookings are required for all programs unless otherwise specified. Bookings will open at 9am, Thursday, 17 April.
You can make a booking:
If a program is fully booked, you will be able to add your name to the waitlist for cancellations.
If you have booked a place but can no longer attend, please contact us so that we can offer your place to someone else.
Adult supervision is required at all programs for children under 12 years old.
Please arrive 10 minutes before your event start time. If you are running late, we will hold your booking for 10 minutes. After this time, we will offer your place to the next person on the waitlist.
What's On:
Historical Games (ages 12+)
Saturday 3 May, 11am to 12.30pm, Caroline Springs Library & Learning Hub
Friday 9 May, 4pm to 5.30pm, Melton Library & Learning Hub
Book now
Enjoy a variety of tabletop games inspired by historical events and periods. Bring a friend or make some new ones! This is a self-guided session where you can play, chat and explore however suits you.
Available games include:
- Azul (2-4 players, ages 8+, 30-40 minutes)
Decorate Portugal's Royal Palace. Collect magnificent tiles to embellish the walls and please the king.
- Totally 90s (2 to 6 players, ages 12+)
Travel back in time with this nostalgic board game. Reminisce and test your knowledge from Tamagotchi to Fresh Prince of Bel-Air!
- Pandemic (2 to 4 players, ages 8+, 45 minutes)
Work as a team to keep deadly diseases at bay and discover their cures.
- Catan (3 to 4 players, ages 10+, 60 minutes)
After a long voyage, your ships have reached uncharted land. Now it's up to you and your crew to build roads, settlements and cities using the land's natural resources.
Their Life in a Suitcase (ages 13+)
Saturday 3 May, 1.30pm to 3pm, Caroline Springs Library & Learning Hub
Book now
Join award-winning podcaster and musician Simon Reich as he shares stories of post-World War Two migrants. You will see and hear real interviews via video, archival footage and photo montages accompanied by live music.
Curious About Culture: Pakistan Community Profile (ages 13+)
Tuesday 6 May, 10.30am to 1.30pm, Melton Library & Learning Hub
Book now
Join us for an insightful community profile event hosted by Melton City Council, as we explore and celebrate our vibrant Pakistani community.
You will meet with community representatives and gain first-hand insight into the unique cultural practices, traditions, and contributions of the Pakistani community.
Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and collaborate!
After Schooligans: Heritage Festival Special Edition (ages 5 to 12)
Tuesday 6 May, 3.45pm to 4.30pm, Caroline Springs Library & Learning Hub
Tuesday 6 May, 3.45pm to 4.30pm, Melton Library & Learning Hub
Bookings are not required. Learn more
Travel back in time in this special edition of After Schooligans. We'll be playing some historical board games that tell stories about people, places and events in Australia’s colonial past.
You'll get to make and decorate your own dice to take home.
Sketching at the Willows Historic Park (ages 13+)
Wednesday 7 May, 2pm to 4pm, Willows Historic Park
Book now
The Willows Historical Homestead is a beautiful mid-Victorian colonial farmhouse located in the centre of Melton. Sketch some of the building’s highlights with the help of local artist, Mollie-Rose Chislett. You will also learn about the history of the site with experts from the Melton Historical Society.
Growing Up Indian in Australia (ages 15+)
Thursday 8 May, 6.30pm to 7.30pm, Melton Library & Learning Hub
Book now
Have you ever wondered what it was like to grow up Indian in Australia? Or maybe you have your own stories to share?
Join authors Preeti Maharaj and Daizy Maan in conversation with Melton local, Karuna Malik, about their recently published book 'Growing Up Indian in Australia'. This eye-opening and heartfelt anthology explores the lived experiences of Indian-Australians and migrants, reflecting on identity, culture, family, food and expectations, revealing deep truths about both Australian and Indian life.
Diggers Rest – A history from 1835 (all ages)
Thursday 8 May, 6pm to 6.45pm, 7pm to 7.45pm
Saturday 10 May, 1pm to 1.45pm, 2pm to 2.45pm, 3pm to 3.45pm
Tuesday 13 May, 10am to 10.45am, 11am to 11.45am, 12pm to 12.45pm, 1pm to 1.45pm
Diggers Rest Old School House
Book now
Join us for a journey through time. Guided by a local history enthusiast, explore the transformation of Diggers Rest from a thriving transport and agricultural hub of the gold rush era to the vibrant and diverse suburb we know today. With historic artefacts and photographs, this is an exhibition not to be missed.
Woodblock Carving Workshop (ages 18+)
Friday 9 May, 10am to 12pm, Melton Library & Learning Hub
Friday 9 May, 2pm to 4pm, Caroline Springs Library & Learning Hub
Book now
Learn traditional wood carving techniques and create your own unique art piece with experienced carver, Oliva O'Connor. This hands-on workshop is perfect for beginners - no artistic or woodworking experience is required. You will leave with a finished carved woodblock that can be used to reprint a unique design on paper or textiles.
Wizard Oil & Wonders: The Peculiar Legacy of Frank Weston (ages 10+)
Saturday 10 May, 1pm to 3pm, Melton Library & Learning Hub
Book now
Enjoy an amazing live show featuring history, music and illusion! Frank Weston, the self-proclaimed Doctor, was an American showman who captivated audiences across Australia and New Zealand from the 1860s to the 1880s. His travelling show included jokes, songs, and stories, as well as advertisements for his 'miracle' cures including ‘Wizard Oil’ and ‘Magic Pills’.
Now, you can join historian Dr David Waldron and magician Dr Jo Clyne as they recreate Weston’s original show, featuring live music from local band Drongo and The Crow.
Exhibition Tour: Healthy Country, Healthy People (ages 13+)
Sunday 11 May, 1.30pm to 2.30pm, Caroline Springs Library & Learning Hub
Book now
CS Gallery's current exhibition, 'Healthy Country, Healthy People' explores a traditional approach in caring for Country. Learn more about the artwork and the concepts behind it on a guided tour with the artist himself. Keedan Rigney is a proud Ngarrindjeri/Wirangu visual artist based in Naarm on Wurundjeri Country. He is a contemporary and multidisciplinary First Nations artist whose work deeply engages with the connections between Country, family, and health.
Retro Movie Time: King Kong, 1933 (ages 15+)
Sunday 11 May, 1.30pm to 2.30pm, Caroline Springs Library & Learning Hub
Book now
Experience movie magic, the way it used to be. We've dug through the archives to find one of the first 'talkie' films ever shown in Melton - the 1933 classic, 'King Kong'.
A film crew goes to a tropical island where they capture a colossal ape, who takes a shine to their blonde starlet, and bring him back to New York City.
Running time: 1 hr 40 min
Eynesbury Paranormal (ages 15+)
Wednesday 14 May, 6pm to 7pm, Caroline Springs Library & Learning Hub
Book now
Hear the ghostly tales of one of Melton's most recognisable historic buildings. Built in 1872, the Eynesbury Homestead was once home to the Staughtons, one of Melton's pioneering families. Once the scene of lavish parties and elegant engagements, the Homestead was also the site of betrayal, murder and, some say, paranormal activity. Joined by an expert from Lantern Ghost Tours, you’ll hear first-hand accounts of the many hauntings and investigations that have taken place over the years.
Wadawurrung Weaving (ages 12+)
ADULTS, AGES 18+: Saturday 17 May, 10am to 12pm, Melton Library & Learning Hub
YOUNG ADULTS, AGES 12-17: Saturday 17 May, 1pm to 3pm, Melton Library & Learning Hub
Book now
Learn traditional weaving techniques in this creative workshop with artist and Wadawurrung woman, Lynette Clayton. Make a basket using jute and plant fibre through hands-on practice and Lynette's expert guidance.
Melton Secondary College – 50th Anniversary Exhibition (all ages)
Saturday 3 May to Monday 30 June, Melton Library & Learning Hub
Bookings are not required.
Explore fifty years of local history at Melton Secondary College. See if you can spot any friends or family (and some questionable haircuts) in the collection of retro photos. Plus, take a peek at the 1983 ‘detention book’ to see just how much times have changed – and how they haven’t!