​Stephens was closely connected to the state’s historical community through the Western Australian Historical Society, which received its Royal Charter in 1963. As the Albany correspondent, he served as an important link between local historical knowledge and statewide networks of researchers and institutions, ensuring that Albany’s history was represented in broader historical discussions across Western Australia and beyond. His appointment as a Life Member of the Royal Western Australian Historical Society as early as 1935 reflects the esteem in which he was held.

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In January 1933, Stephens delivered an address to members of Toc H in Katanning, as part of a lecture series titled Albany’s Yesterdays. A summary of the lecture was later published, tracing Albany’s early history from the visits of George Vancouver, Matthew Flinders and Phillip Parker King to the establishment of the first settlement by Major Edmund Lockyer. He described the founding of Frederickstown, the early military and convict periods, relations with visiting sealers and whalers, and the development of the settlement under successive commandants and government residents, including the establishment of the Old Farm.

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Further instalments of Albany’s Yesterdays were published in the Albany Advertiser: the second decade (1837–1846) on 11 November 1935 and the third decade (1847–1856) on 16 November 1936. Stephens’ work was marked by meticulous research, a strong sense of place, and a commitment to preserving the early history of Albany and the wider district.

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His research ranged across King George Sound, Princess Royal Harbour, Oyster Harbour, Middleton Bay, the Kalgan River (“Wyndham”), Kendenup, Cape Riche, Bremer Bay, Mount Melville, Mount Clarence, Strawberry Hill Farm, Residency Point, the Old Gaol and Convict Hiring Depot, as well as numerous early settlement sites, rivers, anchorages and inland routes. He also documented the lives of local figures connected to these places and their development.

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Over more than three decades, Stephens produced an enormous body of research and writing that became a foundation for later historical work. Working long before digitisation, he relied on community testimony and the careful examination of shipping lists, government correspondence, land records, newspapers, private letters, journals, plans and firsthand accounts, all meticulously cross-checked for accuracy. Through detailed notetaking and a commitment to verification, he assembled an extensive record of Albany’s people, places and events.

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Stephens later observed that while historical writing had largely concentrated on the period up to 1850, far less attention had been given to the decades that followed and virtually none beyond 1880. Although prominent figures such as Major Edmund Lockyer, George Cheyne and Sir Richard Spencer had received considerable attention, he identified gaps in the historical record where other individuals who contributed significantly to the region’s settlement, development and exploration were only briefly mentioned or overlooked entirely.

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Albany nevertheless retains a rich body of historical material from its formative years. Stephens’ careful scholarship played a major role in preserving this legacy, and his work continues to be recognised as an important and enduring contribution to the town’s heritage.

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When Albany’s first European commandant was commemorated at the unveiling of the Major Lockyer monument at Residency Point on 12 March 1936, Stephens was invited to deliver the principal address—an uncommon public role he accepted on occasions of historical significance.

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Stephens contributed at least eleven research papers to Early Days, the journal of the (Royal) Western Australian Historical Society, first published in 1936. These included studies on Major Edmund Lockyer (Vol. 2, Part 19) and the text of his address delivered at the monument unveiling.

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Beyond his many articles, Stephens undertook a more ambitious project with Kendenup—The Story of One Hundred Years (1840–1940), published as a series in the Western Mail in 1940. The work traced the district’s history from early exploration and Aboriginal presence through to settlement, pastoral expansion and twentieth-century closer settlement schemes.

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Drawing on official correspondence, explorers’ journals, colonial records and personal diaries, Stephens approached the subject with his characteristic attention to documentary detail. Although the series was never published as a standalone book, it remains one of the most substantial and carefully researched local histories of the Plantagenet region of its time, preserving material that might otherwise have remained scattered or inaccessible.

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In 1941, Stephens co-authored Waterless Horizons with Malcolm Uren—journalist, historian, author, editor of the Western Mail, and founding member of the Western Australian Historical Society. Uren frequently wrote historical articles for the Western Mail, The West Australian, The Daily News and the Sunday Times under several pseudonyms, including “Cygnet,” “Kangar,” and “Sandgroper.” For their collaboration, Stephens and Uren combined their initials to create the joint pseudonym “MURS.”

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Waterless Horizons examines the life and expeditions of Edward John Eyre, focusing particularly on his arduous crossing of the Great Australian Bight and his reliance on his Aboriginal companion, Wylie. The book was published to mark the centenary of Eyre’s remarkable 1840–41 journey along the southern coastline from South Australia to Western Australia. In reviews published under the headline “Eyre’s Epic Journeys: Peeps into Albany’s Yesterdays,” the Albany Advertiser described the book as “carefully designed and skilfully written,” noting its vivid account of Eyre’s early experiences in Australia, including encounters with violence in the desert, bushranger adventures and the hardships faced by early overlanders and pioneer pastoralists.

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Stephens’ involvement grew from a long-standing fascination with Eyre. After moving to Albany, he often walked the local coastline, where traces of early exploration deepened his interest in Eyre’s journey. Around six years before publication, Stephens began systematically gathering documentary material relating to the expedition. Unsatisfied with his initial manuscript, he sought the collaboration of Uren, whose strong narrative style complemented Stephens’ detailed research. Uren contributed his knowledge of Eyre’s earlier explorations between Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, including the discovery of Lake Hindmarsh, and together they consulted key documentary sources held in the Mitchell Library in Sydney.

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The resulting work combined Stephens’s intimate understanding of the southern landscapes with Uren’s literary skill, becoming a collaboration, driven by shared enthusiasm. Waterless Horizons emerged as a dramatic and carefully constructed study of the remarkable explorer Eyre and the central role of his Aboriginal companion, Wylie.

 

Stephens’ archive contains substantial material relating to the publication of Waterless Horizons, including correspondence, draft manuscripts and public addresses. Among these notes is the address delivered at the unveiling of the Eyre and Wylie memorial at Allambie Park Cemetery in 1967, which highlights Stephens’ role not only as a careful researcher but also as an active civic voice in Albany’s history.

 

One of Stephens’ most enduring public projects was his work on Albany’s street names and historical geography. In 1943, he published a paper in Early Days on the origin of the town of Albany and its street names, showing how the past is embedded in the town's everyday fabric. Often taken for granted, street names preserve layers of historical memory. By tracing the people, events and places they commemorated, Stephens demonstrated that Albany’s street plan could be read as a historical document in its own right.

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In the mid-1940s, Stephens published an article in the Albany Advertiser titled “Black Helpers,” in which he demonstrated a vivid awareness of the pivotal and central contributions made by Aboriginal guides to the exploration of the region. He wrote that on the arrival of the early party from New South Wales, members of the local King George Sound tribe became friendly and two of its members, Mokare and Nakina, rendered assistance of the highest value. Their names, Stephens noted, were inseparable from those of the white men they guided—figures such as Captain Collet Barker and Dr Wilson, whose achievements were recorded in official histories and perpetuated in place names.

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Stephens drew attention to the imbalance this created. Mount Barker and Barker Bay commemorated Captain Collet Barker; Wilsons Inlet bore the name of Dr T. B. Wilson; yet the Aboriginal men whose knowledge made these journeys possible were left unnamed in the landscape. He recorded that Mokare guided Government Resident Alexander Collie during his exploration of the King and Kalgan river systems as far as Orup Creek and Kendenup. In contrast, Nakina guided Ensign Robert Dale on his 1832 expedition from Albany to Mount Toolbrunup via the Kalgan River. A decade later, in 1841, Wylie, of the same tribe as Mokare and Nakina, arrived in Albany with Edward John Eyre at the conclusion of Eyre’s epic overland journey from Fowler’s Bay, having earlier accompanied him to Adelaide. ​In closing, Stephens wrote with quiet certainty that while the names of the white explorers endured, “Mokare, Nakina and Wylie—black helpers all—are forgotten.” Stephens expressed the hope that one day a cairn might be erected in their honour, a lasting acknowledgment of their pivotal guidance and rightful place in the region's history.

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Stephens’ published research extended beyond central Albany into the wider Great Southern region. In Early Days he examined figures such as Thomas Brooker Sherratt; Albany merchant, bay whaler, ship-owner, and self-appointed builder and lay reader of Albany’s Octagon Church and John Wellstead the Elder of Bremer Bay, whom he described as “a grand old pioneer, equally proficient as a cattle raiser, sheep farmer, builder, carpenter or bootmaker, and withal a devout Christian of the Puritan type who never failed to read a passage from the family Bible after each meal”. Through these biographical studies, Stephens positioned Albany not as an isolated settlement but as the centre of a broader regional network shaped by maritime trade, pastoral expansion and the complexities of frontier life.

 

Records show Stephens’ direct involvement in street naming decisions. A letter written by Stephens to the Town of Albany in 1951 proposed street names, each accompanied by a historical justification. Several of those recommendations were adopted, further embedding his research in the town's physical fabric.

 

Stephens’ name became closely associated with knowledge of Albany’s past. A familiar presence at events of historical interest, he was known for answering questions with remarkable precision, recalling dates, names, locations and context while helping others understand the broader history of Albany and the surrounding region. His ability to recall and interpret historical detail was exceptional, linking individual facts to the wider story of the town.

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Despite his reputation, Stephens was never a distant academic. His approach to history was practical, local and collaborative. He believed strongly that history belonged to the community from which it emerged and that evidence must always be respected. Careful and rigorous in his use of sources, he was deeply concerned with inaccuracies in historical writing. Stephens saw himself as a custodian of knowledge passed down by earlier settlers and community members, understanding that these accounts carried both responsibility and meaning.

 

He was acutely aware that words carried weight, particularly when those who first told the stories were no longer present to clarify or defend them. He also knew when to step back—when discussion drifted away from evidence and toward interpretation shaped by sentiment. In recognising that, once history itself was no longer the focus, continuing the exchange served little purpose. In such moments, he allowed differing views to exist without compromising the integrity of the historical record.

 

Stephens was also deeply involved in discussions about how Albany’s history should be managed and preserved. These concerns extended beyond documents to the physical fabric of the town itself, including the joint advocacy of some of Albany’s oldest and most significant buildings, which by the mid-twentieth century were either demolished, neglected or at risk.

 

In 1941, Albany artist Claude James Batelier wrote to Stephens raising concerns that part of the Albany Residency and Old Gaol site was being used as a dump for petrol drums. Stephens presented Batelier’s letter to the Western Australian Historical Society Council at its meeting on 9 June 1941. Batelier described the use of the land, near the site of Major Lockyer’s 1826 landing, as a desecration of historic ground and urged action. Stephens supported the concern, noting the site’s statewide historical significance, and recommended that the Residency and Old Gaol areas be declared Class “A” reserves. The Council resolved to protest the use of the site and to apply to the Lands Department for its preservation. However, it would be several decades before the sites received formal heritage protection.

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In 1962, residents met to address the accelerating neglect of Albany’s built heritage and were increasingly concerned with the lack of protection being afforded by the local authority. Among them was the late Mrs Judith Gleeson, who wrote to the Western Australian Historical Society expressing alarm at the changes taking place. The Western Australian Historical Society encouraged the Albany group to form a regional branch and with Robert Stephens present and the passion and commitment of other members, the foundations of an enduring historical organisation were laid.

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Mrs Gleeson’s letter led to a public meeting of approximately 40 residents, held on 4 June 1962 at the Country Women’s Association Hall in Serpentine Road and chaired by the Mayor, Mr Charles Johnson. At that meeting, it was resolved to establish the Albany Branch of the Western Australian Historical Society. A primary concern of the newly formed branch was preserving a small, deteriorating cottage on Duke Street, later known as Patrick Taylor Cottage. Though deserted, it was informally cared for by neighbours Bonnie and Adeline Hicks, whose later writings would significantly enrich Albany’s historical record. Fears that the building would be demolished, underscored the urgency of action.

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Constructed in 1832 by one of the first free settlers of Albany, John Morley and later occupied by Patrick Taylor following his arrival in Albany in 1834, the cottage is the oldest surviving dwelling in Western Australia. Through community donations, volunteer efforts, and support from the Hicks family and the Albany Branch, the cottage was opened to the public. In doing so, Albany gained its first museum, sustained by guided visits and a shared commitment to preserving the town’s heritage.

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These controversies, arising from the neglect and deterioration of historic buildings, helped to galvanise heritage awareness and advocacy within the Albany community. They directly contributed to the establishment of the Albany Branch of the Western Australian Historical Society on 4 June 1962, which five years later on 11 May 1967, the Albany Branch of the Royal Western Australian Historical Society formally ceased to exist following the approval of incorporation under the Incorporations Act and the Albany Historical Society was formally established with all assets, office bearers and members transferred to the new organisation and is recognised as the second oldest affiliated historical society in Western Australia.

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In recognition of Stephens’ extraordinary contribution to the preservation and documentation of Albany’s history over decades and his active advocacy for its heritage and history, he became the inaugural Patron of the Albany Historical Society in 1962 and its first Life Member. His name appears on the Society’s honorary board, followed by those who came after him—vanguards who, across generations, have carried that responsibility forward. That placement is not symbolic alone; it stands as a reminder of why the Society exists and whom it serves.

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As Patrick Taylor Cottage was protected and restored through the advocacy and commitment of extraordinary individuals, the wider community began to recognise the emerging vanguards of Albany’s history. Confidence grew and with it came a steady flow of historical records, artefacts, artworks and photographs documenting people, places, events and buildings, strengthening the foundations of the town’s collective memory.

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What followed was nothing short of extraordinary. Faced with the prospect of historical material being lost or discarded, individuals stepped forward to donate photographs, artworks, artefacts and documents, helping to build an archive, rich not only in objects and documentary history, but also in personal memory and lived experience. Historical records relating to Albany and the wider region were increasingly recognised as requiring local stewardship, care and protection for future generations.

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During the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, historical material held by the Town of Albany that fell outside its immediate administrative requirements was similarly donated to the Albany Historical Society. In doing so, the Society was placed in a position far beyond what had originally been anticipated, entrusted not only with preserving vulnerable records but also with the long-term responsibility of safeguarding the town’s collective history.

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The Albany Hitsorical Society undertook the careful work of sorting, organising, documenting and preserving these materials, taking the time to listen to and record the stories that accompanied them. With no financial support, the Society’s funds were modest at best. On many occasions, the personal finances of patrons, presidents, vice-presidents and members were drawn upon to ensure that Albany’s history was preserved. This extended to a former President, Homer White, and his wife, Ethel, in 1970, securing funds against their mortgage to ensure that the roof at Patrick Taylor Cottage could be replaced.

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In 1962, detailed research, due diligence and on-site evaluation were undertaken for the Vancouver Spring Weir Project at Frenchman Bay, reflecting Stephens’ and the Historical Society’s active role in shaping how Albany’s history was publicly recognised. Funded entirely by the Albany Branch of the Western Australian Historical Society, a granite notch weir memorial honouring Captain George Vancouver was erected at the spring site and completed in December 1962.

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On 29 September 1963, exactly 172 years after Vancouver landed from Discovery to locate the freshwater stream, the memorial was unveiled before a gathering of about 250 people. Addressing those present, Stephens spoke of the privilege of standing on “the historic spot where, 172 years ago to the day, Captain George Vancouver landed from his ship Discovery to find the spring-fed stream which today still runs before us,” marking the unveiling of the Vancouver Memorial Weir and its commemorative plaque. Although the original plaque has since been replaced by one issued by the City of Albany in March 2004, the earlier inscription read: “From this spring Captain George Vancouver R.N. watered his ship the ‘Discovery’ 29th September 1791. Erected by the Albany Branch of the W.A. Historical Society, 11–12–1962.”

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A significant milestone was reached on 31 May 1968 when the Albany Historical Society was granted a Crown management order for the Old Albany Gaol. While this presented an important opportunity, it also brought considerable challenges, as the building was in advanced disrepair and required extensive restoration before it could function as a museum.

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These challenges were met with determination. For Stephens, the moment carried a long-awaited sense of vindication. As early as 1941, he had supported efforts to preserve the Residency and Old Gaol site, recognising their statewide historical importance and recommending that both areas be declared Class “A” reserves. The 1968 management order therefore represented not only an institutional achievement, but also the fulfilment of long-held aspirations to safeguard one of Albany’s most significant historic places.

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Stephens lived to witness both the preservation and loss of Albany’s built heritage. Stirling Terrace, long known for its historic streetscape and civic character, once stood at the centre of the town’s commercial and social life. Among the most regretted losses was the Freemasons Hotel, which closed in 1971 and was later demolished. Once one of Albany’s grandest three-storey hotels with extensive facilities, its removal left a noticeable gap in Stirling Terrace—a lasting reminder of how easily heritage can be lost when changing priorities overshadow preservation

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Stephens worked in a period when local history was built through years of patient accumulation, clippings carefully filed, transcripts made by hand, letters and oral knowledge. His relationship with early settler and pioneer families was one of respect, grounded in trust as much as in the resilience these families had endured and respect was given to those who had known and to those who sought to know.

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The survival of much of Albany’s documentary and material heritage is owed to the dedication of Stephens and members of the Albany Historical Society, including fellow historian Bonnie Hicks, her mother Adeline Hicks, Joan Blight, Judith Swain, Judith Gleeson, and Homer and Ethel White, along with past and present office holders and the wider community. Albany’s historical records did not survive by chance. Under Stephens’ guidance and the Society’s collective effort, there was a shared understanding that history required active protection. Without this commitment, not only would important historic buildings have been at risk of loss, but Albany’s archival record would be far less rich and detailed today.

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Stephens’ contribution to the Albany Historical Society was both practical and continuous. He assisted with research projects, freely shared his knowledge, and participated in site research, memorial design and restoration work. Before his death, he donated the entirety of his research on Albany and the Great Southern—material gathered over decades—to the Society. When he died in 1974, he was remembered as a gentleman and a deeply respected member of the community.

His legacy, and in many ways Albany’s, rests on that shared commitment to telling the town’s story, protecting its evidence, and remaining faithful to primary sources so that history could be preserved and returned to the community from which it came.

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Stephens’ most enduring contribution is the vast collection of historical papers, research notes and source material he compiled throughout his life. These records provide invaluable insight into early settlement at King George Sound, maritime activity, pioneer families, public infrastructure and the social development of Albany and the wider Great Southern. By preserving original documents and synthesising information from many sources, Stephens set a benchmark for local historical research that continues to influence the field today.

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In 2001, the Albany Historical Society’s archives were transferred to the City of Albany, becoming what is now known as the Albany History Collection. The majority of the original historical records and research material within this collection were sustained through the efforts of Mr Robert Stephens and the wealth of history given to the Albany Historical Society, built up over decades through advocacy, collection, preservation, protection and hard work.

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Stephens’ writings are now accompanied by a substantial body of articles, pamphlets and essays that continue to inform, support, and underpin historical research into Albany and the wider Great Southern. Together, these works are known as the Robert Stephens History Collection.

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Today, historians and history enthusiasts operate in a very different environment of searchable databases and instant access to information. What has largely been lost is the personal records and consistent testimonies that historians like Stephens maintained with people whose memories reached back to Albany’s formative years. His work carries an authority shaped by proximity to people, place and primary evidence.

 

Stephens and those who followed in his stead remind us that the work of history is done for the community. It is undertaken quietly and motivated by respect for people, place, and truth, and always without expectation of return.

Today, the Albany Historical Society manages two museums—Patrick Taylor Cottage (built 1832) and the Albany Convict Gaol (built 1852)—and houses approximately 20,000 items within its collection. In addition, the Society holds around 60,000 items in its photographic and art collections. Its patrons, life members, members, volunteers and committee members collectively bring a deep wealth of regional knowledge, along with personal records and histories passed down through generations.

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Stephens understood that behind the facades of buildings often lay histories concealed beneath later alterations, reinforcing his belief that the past survives quietly within everyday structures and must be safeguarded for the future. Reflecting this principle, the Albany Historical Society advocated for the protection of Norman House, built in 1858 as the home of early settler George Cheyne and later associated with the Hassell family and Frank Dymes.

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Over time the building served many community roles. It became the first and only Toc H Mark 1 branch in Australia and at times functioned as a chapel under Padre Arthur Ernest White, who is particularly remembered in Albany for initiating the tradition of the ANZAC Day dawn service. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Norman House also operated as a community kitchen, providing meals to more than 140 unemployed residents each day.

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Significant to both Albany and Western Australian heritage, Norman House is now being transferred to the Albany Historical Society by Advance Housing Limited, ensuring its protection and future stewardship within the community. Stephens would likely have regarded this moment as both an affirmation and continuation of the principles he championed: that historic places must be protected, interpreted and preserved for future generations. He believed that to record history carried responsibility—that it demanded integrity from those who documented it and from those entrusted with its care. That principle remains central to the Society today: history is not owned or exploited, but safeguarded and shared faithfully for the benefit of the community to which it belongs.