Museum Talks

The Museum Talks are a monthly event that has the focus of a specific topic relating to The Borough of Queenscliffe; such as significant events, people and buildings. Over the years there have been some fascinating topics.

The speakers are specialists in their topic and range from authors, teachers, and historians. They are passionate and will inform and entertain. ​If you would like to be a presenter and have a subject that you would like to be explored, please contact us.


When: Fourth Thursday of the month
Where: Uniting Church Hall, cnr Hesse & Stokes Sts Queenscliff
Time: 10am for a 10.30am start
Price: $7 Non-members, $5 Members 
Includes tea and coffee

Next Talk - Thursday 26 July

Captain Cole: From Port Phillip Pioneer to Melbourne Patriarch

Hear John Botham (Friends of La Trobe's Cottage) provide a view of early Melbourne life through Captain George Ward Cole, who arrived in Melbourne in 1840 following a career in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and in the merchant marine.

He was prominent in early Melbourne society, controversially marrying into the McCrae family and building one of the first houses in Brighton, St Ninians. Cole built the first private wharf on the Yarra, known as Cole’s Wharf, and developed shipping facilities in Port Phillip, providing sea transport both locally and to other colonies. He established the town of St Leonards on the Bellarine Peninsula, he was a leader in the development of Melbourne and was a respected politician, serving on the Legislative Council for 20 years.

Although he had seven children, none married and his memory died out with them. This talk provides the opportunity to rediscover this virtually forgotten patriarch of early Melbourne.

If you would like to learn more about this interesting topic you can listen to a podcast created for our talk.