Community
23 April, 2026
Funds needed to preserve history
THE Mortlake and District Historical Society (MDHS) has put out an appeal for support after beginning the arduous task of digitising the 157-year history of the Mortlake Dispatch.
Work began in February this year to have early editions of the region’s oldest newspaper digitised, with editions from 1869 to 1901 uploaded to TROVE – a free online archive and research database.
Older copies of the Mortlake Dispatch which can be accessed through TROVE are currently limited to editions printed during the Great War, but members decided it was long-overdue for the historic publication to be available for all.
MDHS president Robert McLaren said the estimated cost of the project was around $15,000, which he hoped could be raised through grants and fundraising.
Members have already successfully applied for a grant through the Gwen and Edna Jones Foundation in March, which will fund the digitisation of approximately 18 years.
“The decision was reached as the MDHS recognises the need to digitise records that we are responsible for, and to make the records available to our community and the wider public,” Mr McLaren said.
“If enough funds are raised, and when the Mortlake Dispatch is placed on the TROVE website, anyone will be able to search the newspapers for articles and stories that are of interest to them from their computer, smartphone or anywhere they have access to the internet.
“Currently, to access early editions of the Mortlake Dispatch, people need to visit the MDHS office or the Melbourne State Library.
“The newspapers are stored on microfilm and it is a laborious task to read and search for information in this format – while the TROVE website has a search feature which makes research effective and quick.”
Mr McLaren said the initial digitisation would be part of a larger plan to ensure the entirety of the newspaper’s history can be preserved.
“This will be an ongoing project as there are later editions of the Mortlake Dispatch after 1901, on microfilm, which will also need to be digitised at some stage,” he said.
“There are also newspapers that have not been microfilmed that will need to be digitally photographed.
“This part of the project will be more detailed and labour intensive as some of the newspapers are in fragile condition.
“The MDHS thought it would be best to start with the easiest stage first and then work forward to digitally capture all the newspapers we hold.”
Mr McLaren said any donations from the community would be greatly appreciated.
“The Mortlake Dispatch through the years (1869 to 1901) was a four-page newspaper with two editions per week,” he said.
“It will cost just over $6 per edition to digitise.
“If you would like to support us in our endeavours to raise funds for this project, we would be happy to receive donations from the public.
“Donations of any amount are welcome but $12 can cover the cost of digitising one week, $48 covers the cost of a month and $96 covers the cost of two months.”
Anyone wanting to donate was encouraged to donate directly into the MDHS bank account, including Digital Mortlake Dispatch as the payment reference.
Account details are Bendigo Bank – BSB 633000, account 214730285.
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