The Who, What & Where

Committee – 2024/2026

Left to right:
Sanjay Jain (inset), Brian Dalton, David Rivers, Fergus Forsyth, Andrew Pettit, Phil Gurney, Mick Connolly, Rob Raverty.

Monthly Meetings

The Society’s membership meets monthly on a Tuesday evening.

The evening usually includes a number of regular items such as general business, guest speakers, presentations, book reviews, members’ show-and-tell, notification of upcoming events and updates on what’s happening across the buy & sell markets.

AGM  September meeting

Christmas celebration  December meeting

WHEN  Third Tuesday evening of each month – excluding January.  Calendar

TIME  Commencing 8.00pm.

WHERE  The Pines Senior Citizens Centre Hall, 25 Central Road, Blackburn.

ENQUIRIES  Contact Us

General Workshop

A casual forum for general repairs and project discussions where members can seek and offer assistance.

WHEN  Second Saturday of each month.

TIME  From 10.00am to 3pm.  Calendar

WHERE  The Pines Senior Citizens Centre Hall, 25 Central Road, Blackburn.

COST  $5.00 per day.

ENQUIRIES  Contact Us

Restoration & Conservation Workshop

Exploring the fundamentals of hands on horology including skills required to ensure a sympathetic restoration.

WHEN  Fourth Saturday of each month.  Calendar

TIME  From 10.00am to 3pm.

WHERE  The Pines Senior Citizens Centre Hall, 25 Central Road, Blackburn.

COST  $5.00 per day.

ENQUIRIES  Contact Us

Group Projects

Members often come together to work on special interest projects. These can range from casual and adhoc “get togethers” through to more planned and regular  meetings and workshops.

To find our more check the Calendar or Contact Us

Buy-Swap-Sell Marts

The Society usually holds two Marts annually. Our Mid-year Mart is ‘members only’ while the End of Year Mart offers opportunities for public participation.

MID YEAR MART

AAHS members only event.  Calendar

TIME  From 9.30am to 3pm.

WHERE  The Pines Senior Citizens Centre Hall, 25 Central Road, Blackburn.

ENTRY  Free (strictly AAHS members only).

STALLHOLDERS  Tables are limited and are booked on a first come first served basis. Please note stallholder ‘table’ fees apply.

ENQUIRIES  Contact Us

PUBLIC MART

Public event.  Calendar

TIME  AAHS members only between 8.30 – 9.30am. Public from 9.30am to 3pm.

WHERE  Eley Park Community Centre, 83 Eley Road, Blackburn South.

ENTRY  Free for AAHS members. Public entry fee.

STALLHOLDERS  Tables are limited and are booked on a first come first served basis. Please note stallholder ‘table’ fees apply.

ENQUIRIES  Contact Us

A brief history

AAHS / NAWCC Chapter 122

• The Australian Antiquarian Horological Society was founded as a non-profit organisation in 1975 by a group of Horological enthusiasts including both amateurs and professionals. The inaugural meeting called on 5th May in that year was held in the Theatrette of the Melbourne Science Museum, which subsequently became the club’s ‘home’ until 1979. In November of that year the regular venue for meetings was changed to the Camberwell Town Hall Theatrette. There it remained until accommodation pressures from a rapidly expanding membership and a growing array of associated facilities (particularly the Club library) finally forced the Committee to again seek more commodious quarters. Thus, in April 1997, the Society met for the first time at the main Hall of Burwood Uniting Church, Hysclop Street, Burwood. The Society now meets at its present ‘home’ – the Pines Seniors Centre at 25 Central Road, Blackburn, Melbourne. The Society has maintained about 200 members throughout its history.
• The AAHS Lending Library was established in 1978. Over the years, this has been built up, both through purchase and donation of books, to the extent that it now represents an extremely important resource and asset for the Society and its members. Books donated by members are suitably inscribed to acknowledge the gift.
• In 1981 AAHS accepted affiliation with, and became Chapter 122 of the American-based National Association of Watch and clock Collectors (NAWCC). This link, although not entitling our individual members to many of the benefits enjoyed by fully paid-up NAWCC members (e.g.: Receipt of journal publications etc.) has nevertheless provided our club as a whole with access to some useful facilities, such as the lending library of Horological films and video tapes. Although full membership of NAWCC is not a pre-requisite for belonging to AAHS, our members are nevertheless encouraged to consider also subscribing to the larger organisation, in order to maximize the benefits accruing from the dual connection.
• The Constitution originally adopted by the Society in 1975, provided the basis for the drafting of the Rules of Association for Incorporation of the Society in 1992. Under these Rules, the Society continues to be governed by a Committee of Management, comprised of four Officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer), a Librarian, an Editor and four other representative members. The Committee meets regularly and formally reports the business affairs of the Society to the membership at the Annual General Meeting, held in the month of September each year. Elections of Officers and other members of the Committee of Management are also conducted at that meeting.
• Under the dual AAHS/NAWCC Chapter 122 title, the Society publishes its Newsletter four times annually. As well as announcements of coming events and reports of past events, the Newsletter may include communications from the Committee, articles from members, reprints of technically and historically interesting papers and advertising material from early books and journals.
• The Society meets monthly and runs two regularly programmed marts each year. The mid-year event normally occupies the June meeting slot. The ‘Christmas Mart’, which is planned as a family event is held the second Saturday in December. The AAHS charges small commissions on the lots auctioned and for Mart Tables, providing it with much-needed income to help cover operating costs.

Thinking about becoming a member?