Many GSV members will have ancestors who belonged to Friendly Societies which flourished in Victoria from the 1860s onwards. For most of these, a small weekly contribution provided members with free medical care, some sick pay when they were ill and funeral benefits if a member of the family died. The Societies also provided entertainment and an opportunity to socialise with like-minded people.
In the spirit of Friendly Societies, the GSV’s Irish Ancestry Discussion Circle is hosting a face-to-face meeting at the Kathleen Syme Library in Faraday Street, Carlton (Swanston Street end). It will include afternoon tea and the chance to socialise after the meeting.
The speaker is James Nicolas, author of Unity, Nationality, Benevolence - The History of the Irish National Foresters Friendly Society. The Irish National Foresters (INF) Friendly Society was established in 1887. It was one of the first Friendly Societies to set up all female branches and eventually some Victorian presidents were female. Although originally non-denominational, the INF later became aligned with the Catholic Church and had Archbishop Mannix as its patron.
We encourage attendees to share stories of what friendly societies meant to their ancestors.
There will be some donated Irish genealogy books and maps made available to members at the meeting.
This talk is available to all GSV members and is free as part of our Discussion Circle program. Please log in to register on the GSV website: What’s On? > Events.
Please note, this special event is not on Zoom and will not be recorded.