
The Sunbury Family History and Heritage Society has a long line of community-focused historical projects, including the Street Story Name signs that now grace 28 key Sunbury streets.
The initiative set out to uncover the origins of street names from the original 1851 survey of Sunbury. The streets researched members of the society are within a grid bordered by Anderson Rd, Macedon St, Francis Boulevard, and Shields St.
Using official survey maps and historical documents, society members discovered most of the streets were named after 1850s colonial government officials. One interesting correction emerged: Evans St was named after George Samuel Evans, MLA and Postmaster-General in 1851– not George Evans (Emu Bottom Homestead), as commonly believed.
Drafts of the research were submitted to Hume Council and, after further verification, the informative street signs were installed in early 2023.
Building on this success, the group proposed similar research into the early township surveys of Bulla and old Broadmeadows (Westmeadows).
The Bulla street names reflect local mining history – such as Quartz and Felspar Sts – while Broadmeadows streets honour colonial figures such as Riddell and Raleigh. The name plates for these areas were officially launched at a special event in Westmeadows’ historic Foresters Hall in April 2025.
Formed in 2022 from the merger of the Sunbury and District Heritage Association and the Sunbury Family History Society, the group is committed to preserving and sharing Sunbury’s past.
Its work spans genealogy research, museum exhibitions, and publications such as walking tour booklets and a 90-page chronological history now on sale locally.
Members also contributed to the children’s memorial in the Sunbury Cemetery and blue heritage plaques around town. With ongoing efforts to relocate and enhance access to the Sunbury Museum collection, the group remains active and engaged.
New members are always welcome. Meetings are held monthly at the Sunbury Global Learning Centre, Room 5, on the third Thursday at 1.30pm.
