Keilor Historical Society held a picnic lunch and celebration at the Keilor Shelter Shed site. This site is the only vacant site of the ten sheds constructed in 1855. The other nine all have other buildings built on the sites.

We celebrated a few weeks early (the 4th May) of the birth date of 30th May. Caroline Chisholm arrived in Australia in 1838. Her work was first focused in N.S.W. working to assist single women and families migrating to Australia. In 1846 she returned to England but in 1854 she returned to Victoria.

Her campaign in Victoria was to provide cheap and safe accommodation for Diggers and their families who were travelling to the Goldfields. She convinced the Victorian Government in 1855 to build ten Shelter Sheds along the way to the Bendigo region. The first was in Essendon and then the second in Keilor. Shelters Sheds, Shakedowns or Protection Posts were three of the titles given to this accommodation.

At our Bicentennial Celebration we cut the cake and sang Happy Birthday to Caroline Chisholm. We were also entertained by one of our members Andreas Makarewitsch who sang some folk music to us.

Sponsors for the day were Ferguson Plarre, Village Gem and Mastercutterz.