Unlock the history of Albany "Kinjarling" and experience the stories that have defined our culture, community and heritage.
The Albany Historical Society, established in 1962, is committed to preserving, protecting, and promoting Albany /Kinjarling's rich and diverse history. Our history collection is among the oldest and most esteemed in Western Australia.
AHS celebrates Albany/Kinjarling by honoring our community's varied cultural heritage and the significant role Albany played as the first European and Aboriginal settlement in Western Australia. We acknowledge and respect the connection of the Menang Noongar people to the land and the significance of Kinjarling in their culture and everyday lives.

Bicentenary Project Update

CELEBRATE 2026 ALBANY
Old Albany
Celebrating Albany’s Bicentenary Through the Lens of History
AHS is incredibly proud to be a major sponsor of a remarkable new book commissioned for the Albany Bicentenary. This publication, a collaboration with renowned local historian John Dowson, offers a profound exploration of Albany's rich history, marking a significant milestone in Western Australia's first bicentenary.
Our partnership with John Dowson spans over several years, including his acclaimed coffee table book, Old Albany. This earlier work presented over 250 original photographs from 1850 to 1950, capturing the essence of Albany's early days. Dowson’s meticulous research and dedication to preserving local heritage have made him a trusted collaborator in documenting our community's past.
The History Hub

FEATURE ARTICLE
In 1963, Postmaster, Mr. Wally Offer presented a comprehensive and captivating account to the Albany Historical Society of the long and rich history of Albany's postal and telecommunications services

ALBANY'S BOER WAR HERO
Major Doctor Ingoldby had been severely wounded at the notorious Battle of Koster River in the western Transvaal, South Africa on 21st-23rd July 1900.

FIRST SETTLERS
Sydney, November 1826. The newspapers eagerly reported the departure of an Expedition to King George’s Sound including many details of the brig, Amity.

MENANG PEOPLE
A fascinating and enlightening in-depth discovery of the extraordinary Menang Noongar people and Tommy King. With diplomacy, tact and loyal to their country, culture and human-kind.

FOUNDING FATHER
For a man who held a highly responsible position of authority and had a successful military career spanning twenty-five years, there is scant recognition of Captain Wakefield’s legacy.

FOUNDING FATHER
A visionary vanguard, who with the assistance of his officers, the convicts and the Menang people, laid the foundation for the first settlement in Western Australia.

MARITIME HISTORY
The Batelier Bros.
Claude and Victor Batelier, the Albany brothers whose art chronicled a vibrant era of Western Australian maritime life.
In the early 20th century, the port town of Albany, Western Australia was a bustling hub of maritime activity. Naval vessels, merchant ships and ocean liners regularly docked at the port and anchored in King George Sound. Their comings and goings watched by curious locals and wandering artists and among the most dedicated of these observers was Claude James Batelier (1886-1971), a quiet, talented man and victor George Batelier (1882-1952) who spent their life documenting Albany’s ships and the every changing horizon through delicate watercolours, sketches and postcards.