The Municipality of Kew (1860-1863), the Borough of Kew (1863-1910), the Town of Kew (1910-1921) and the City of Kew (1921-1994) were local government instrumentalities in the State of Victoria. In 1994, the City of Kew was amalgamated, together with the former Cities of Camberwell and Hawthorn, into the new City of Boroondara (1994- ). Like other local government entities of the period, Kew was administered by town clerks. The two notable town clerks in Kew's history were H. H. (Henry Hirst) Harrison (1868-1955) and W. D. (William Dickie) Birrell (1899-1974). Harrison was appointed to the position in 1901 and retired in 1938 after 37 years. Birrell, appointed Acting Town Clerk in 1921, became Town Clerk in 1938, following Harrison's retirement. He continued in this role until his retirement in 1966.This is part of an historically significant civic collection, containing hundreds of separate invitations, documents, greeting cards, programmes and tickets issued and/or collected by successive town clerks. Items in the collection illuminate the political, social and cultural history of the district. As a continuous record, ranging across most decades of the Twentieth Century, they reveal changing tastes in design, values and relationships in the history of local government in Victoria.city of kew, ephemera, rialto theatre (kew), invitations, civic ephemera, kew (vic.) -- 1945, civic invitations, cr f c sands

The Municipality of Kew (1860-1863), the Borough of Kew (1863-1910), the Town of Kew (1910-1921) and the City of Kew (1921-1994) were local government instrumentalities in the State of Victoria. In 1994, the City of Kew was amalgamated, together with the former Cities of Camberwell and Hawthorn, into the new City of Boroondara (1994- ). Like other local government entities of the period, Kew was administered by town clerks. The two notable town clerks in Kew's history were H. H. (Henry Hirst) Harrison (1868-1955) and W. D. (William Dickie) Birrell (1899-1974). Harrison was appointed to the position in 1901 and retired in 1938 after 37 years. Birrell, appointed Acting Town Clerk in 1921, became Town Clerk in 1938, following Harrison's retirement. He continued in this role until his retirement in 1966.This is part of an historically significant civic collection, containing hundreds of separate invitations, documents, greeting cards, programmes and tickets issued and/or collected by successive town clerks. Items in the collection illuminate the political, social and cultural history of the district. As a continuous record, ranging across most decades of the Twentieth Century, they reveal changing tastes in design, values and relationships in the history of local government in Victoria.ephemera, civic ephemera, greeting cards, city of kew (vic.) -- 1946, cr w h s dickinson, christmas cards

The Municipality of Kew (1860-1863), the Borough of Kew (1863-1910), the Town of Kew (1910-1921) and the City of Kew (1921-1994) were local government instrumentalities in the State of Victoria. In 1994, the City of Kew was amalgamated, together with the former Cities of Camberwell and Hawthorn, into the new City of Boroondara (1994- ). Like other local government entities of the period, Kew was administered by town clerks. The two notable town clerks in Kew's history were H. H. (Henry Hirst) Harrison (1868-1955) and W. D. (William Dickie) Birrell (1899-1974). Harrison was appointed to the position in 1901 and retired in 1938 after 37 years. Birrell, appointed Acting Town Clerk in 1921, became Town Clerk in 1938, following Harrison's retirement. He continued in this role until his retirement in 1966. A large part of this collection of civic ephemera was assembled by W. D. Birrell. This is part of an historically significant civic collection, containing hundreds of separate invitations, documents, greeting cards, programmes and tickets issued and/or collected by successive town clerks. Items in the collection illuminate the political, social and cultural history of the district. As a continuous record, ranging across most decades of the Twentieth Century, they reveal changing tastes in design, values and relationships in the history of local government in Victoria.ephemera, civic ephemera, mayoral balls, civic invitations, city of box hill, box hill (vic.) -- mayoresses, mrs r h l sparks

In 1948, the citizens of Kew presented this jewellery box to the outgoing Mayor and Mayoress of Kew, Cr & Mrs W D Vaughan. In 2021, it returned to Kew, thanks to the generous donations of our Friends of the Collection. William David Vaughan to whom the jewel box was presented in 1948 was a publisher, politician and historian, born in 1897 at Heathcote. By 1922, he had become a publisher and Secretary of Victorian Newspapers Ltd. In October 1922, he married Muriel Gladys Frazer in Bendigo. He purchased 'Elsfield' in Cotham Road, renamed it 'Carramar', and resided there for almost fifty years. His wife, the Mayoress, was an accomplished pianist and entertained the wives of councillors and supported many charitable works from her home. In 1926, Vaughan founded a local newspaper, the Kew Advertiser. During his second term as Mayor, he was elected president of Melbourne Suburban Newspapers’ Association, In April 1947, he was appointed to and later became chairman of the Free Library Services Board. In 1960, he published his history of Kew - 'Kew's Civic Century'. Vaughan’s third term as Mayor in 1962-63 saw the erection of the pavilion at Victoria Park and the final clean-up of the Outer Circle Railway. He died in September 1976. This inlaid and engraved jewellery box was part of a larger donation made to the Mayor and Mayoress of Kew in 1948 by the citizens of the municipality. It is the only 'civic award' in the collection given to a former civic leader and complements the large collection of civic portraits in the collection. The box is additionally significant because of its association with William David Vaughan - newspaper proprietor, local politician, and local historian. A presentation jewellery box, she-oak with barber pole inlay adorned with an Australian silver plaque.Engraved inscription on silver plaque - "Presented to Cr & Mrs W.D. Vaughan With The Esteem And Appreciation Of The Citizens Of Kew And In Recognition Of their Services As Mayor And Mayoress 1947-48. 28th July 1948"w d vaughan, mayors of kew, kew advertiser, kew (vic.) -- history