Port Phillip

Pioneers Group

The Port Phillip Pioneers Group (PPPG) exists to understand and commemorate those who arrived or were born in the Port Phillip District before Victoria became a separate colony in July 1851.

We recognise that there were perhaps 60,000 people here before Europeans and others  arrived from 1803.    We acknowledge the Boon wurrung and Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation as Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

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History and Aims

Click here to find out more about our history and aims, who we are and what we do.

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The Port Phillip District

Click here to find out more about the Port Phillip District before it became Victoria.

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How to Become a Member

Click here to find out how to join and view our  subscription rates.

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Future Events

  • Meeting: 2pm Saturday 1 March 2025

    Speaker: Craige Proctor Topic: Telling the Story of Pioneer women…

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  • Meeting: 2pm Saturday 10 May 2025

    Speaker: Dr Rosalie Triolo OAM FRHSV Topic: Local and international historical…

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  • Meeting: 2pm Saturday 12 July 2025

    Speaker: Richard Broome Topic: Land Management from Deep time to…

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  • Meeting 2pm 13 September 2025

    Speaker Laura Jocic Topic The Letters of Capt. Richard Hanmer and Sarah Bunbury The State Library of Victoria holds an extensive archive of letters written by Hanmer and Sarah Bunbury who arrived in the Port Phillip District in early 1841. The letters provide an insight into the social and domestic lives of those who settled…

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  • Meeting 2pm Saturday 8 November 2025

    Speaker: Margaret Anderson Topic: Melbourne: Foundations of a City After…

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Meetings Venue: Wesley Hall, St. Andrew’s Uniting Church, 253A Burke Road (cnr. Malvern Road), Gardiner. 

Visitors Welcome. Talks are from 2:00pm.  Doors open 1.30 p.m. Two dollars entry includes refreshments.  Our meetings generally end around 4pm.

Zoom access for members and visitors who are not able to attend meetings in person can be found here.

To protect members we ask that members and visitors with COVID or who are a close contact attend meeting via Zoom.

 

How to become a member

Membership of the Port Phillip Pioneers Group is open to persons having ancestors of whom at least one settled or was born in the present State of Victoria prior to 1 July, 1851 and can provide proof of direct lineal descent from their Pioneer ancestor/s.

If you have not yet proved your descent, or are just interested in what we do, you can join as an Associate Member.