On 20 October 2021 Dr Fay Woodhouse gave a Zoom presentation to the Society about Robert Russell, artist of early Melbourne. Robert Russell was the first surveyor general of Melbourne and spent a lifetime recording the growth of the settlement in drawings and paintings. He lived at what is now 49 George Street, East Melbourne and the adjoining lane is now named after him.
Dr Fay Woodhouse is a historian and biographer and a Principal Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Historical & Philosophical Studies, University of Melbourne. She has written widely on Australian social and political history and is a regular contributor to the Australian Dictionary of Biography. Her publications include histories of Monash and Melbourne Universities, the 150-year history of Tahbilk and the 100-year history of d’Arenberg Wines. Biographies include the nineteenth century Scottish stockbreeder and pioneer pastoralist, Duncan MacGregor and the twentieth century physician Leslie Latham. Fay has edited the biography of Melbourne’s first surveyor, Robert Russell and the memoirs of the businessman, Clive Smith. Her most recent histories include Gita: Melbourne’s First yoga School – 65 years of history, Romsey an Historical Guide and Seymour Cottage Romsey: 165 years of History and Heritage. Fay regularly presents papers at conferences, writes articles and book chapters, and lectures on early Melbourne history to historical societies. She contributes historical articles to her local community newspaper, the Lancefield Mercury and volunteers at the local Historical Society.
