Our speaker, Dr Liz Rushen, currently has an exhibition showing at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria entitled, Hoddle Grid: the great land grab. The exhibition features 29 first purchasers of land from the Crown, one from each block. 

One of these purchasers was James Simpson, a public servant of note, and importantly the man we remember in East Melbourne every time we walk down Simpson Street.  Dr Rushen will expand our knowledge of Simpson’s life against a backdrop of Port Phillip mania.