Our VCE Roadshow has taken place in one form or another since the 1970s—a day-long program intended to complement students’ in-class learning in advance of end of year VCE history exams. This August, VCE students from Warrnambool, Shepparton and Traralgon, regional locations often unable to easily access similar opportunities in the metropolis, received a tailored program of presentations from renonwned historians from Melbourne University, Monash University, Australian Catholic University, and more.

The first Roadshow of 2026 was held on Friday 14 August at Emmanuel College in Warrnambool. Students from The Hamilton and Alexandra College, Emmanuel College and Warrnambool College showed great enthusiasm and engagement as they attended sessions on the French and Russian Revolutions presented by Emeritus Professor Peter McPhee, Chair of the History Council of Victoria, and Professor Oleg Beyda, from the University of Melbourne.

On Friday 21 August, 80 VCE history students from schools in Shepparton & surrounds convened to take part in the day-long program to (hopefully!) spark their interest in further university study. In an Instagram post, Angela from Cathedral College Wangaratta said that students were still raving about the day, and praised the event as history ‘coming to life’.

Our final Roadshow event was held in Traralgon, with around 120 students from 10 schools taking part in presentations covering seven units of the VCE history syllabus, including Ancient History, Modern History, Australian History, and the Chinese, Russian, American and French Revolutions.

Professor Oleg Beyda (University of Melbourne), who gave his presentation on the Russian Revolution, said “we are here nurturing the next generation of students. In the hundreds of students we have met over the last three weeks, hopefully there’s a great academic or a few amongst them”.

Dr Sarah Walsh (University of Melbourne), who spoke to year 11s about the origins of the Cold War, said “I grew up in a small town and some people living in regional areas feel like university is not for them; but we are here to tell them it is, and we are here waiting!”. 

Participating students were affirmed that history matters in a myriad of ways, commenting “the program provided me with fresh perspective”, was “very informative”, “inspiring”, and “opened up wider questions”.

We were also lucky enough to recieve a write up in the local Shepparton News.

Keep an eye on our newsletter and socials for details of our 2027 program. Any enquiries should be directed to Molly Mckew at .