James Albon is credited with building the first bowling green in Surrey Hills at his home on the corner of Mont Albert Road and Wilson Street (later occupied by the Roman Catholic convent). This green was so popular with his friends that he organised the formation of a bowling club at the corner of Montrose and Wilson Streets. It opened in 1912. Earliest club records date from 1916. The original club-house was rebuilt in 1922/23 using interlocking blocks as recommended by Walter Burley-Griffin. This was quite an innovative design at the time. In turn cream brick buildings replaced this building in the 1950s. The Surrey Hills Bowls Club disbanded in 1995. The donor believed that this spoon belong to her grandfather David Miller (Dave) Mair who lived at 20 Barton Street until his death in 1938. Dave was an extremely keen sportsman (particularly bowls and cricket). He started the Kangaroo Cricket Club and worked for the Melbourne Cricket Club. She initially sent the spoon to the Surrey Hills Bowling Club in 1996, not realising that it had closed the previous year. It was returned to her and over 20 years later was donated to this collection. This is part of a large donation of material relating to the Deakin, Mair and Young families, all with connections to the Surrey Hills and Mont Albert area. This augments other material relating to the history of the Surrey Hills Bowling Club that was saved by Jocelyn and Ken Hall after the club closed in 1995. The official records of the club were deposited with the State Library of Victoria, but prior to this some summary notes were made by the Halls. The material is evidence of one of the earliest sporting clubs established in the area.An EPNS metal teaspoon, consisting of a curved bowl with a decorative plaque at the top of the handle. On the front of this is an image of a lawn bowls ball and a jack within a scroll and linked with a band containing the words "SURREY HILLS BOWLING CLUB VIC". The plaque is inlaid in red, navy, white and black enamel. The makers name is impressed into the back of the handle.Rear: "Paramount" / "E.P.N.S."surrey hills bowling club, souvenir spoons, david miller mair, dave mair, laurie young, laurie newton

This mounted and framed photograph of a group of friends punting on the River Yarra has a number of historic and artistic associations. The photograph is primarily important as an informal photograph of the Australian baritone John Donald Mackenzie Brownlee (1900-1969), whose international career at the world's major opera houses from 1927 until his retirement in 1958 included singing at Melba's Covent Garden farewell in 1926, to recordings in the 1930s of a major series of Mozart operas in Glyndebourne Festival productions, conducted by Fritz Busch. Brownlee, born in Geelong, won the gold medal as champion vocalist at the South Street competitions in Ballarat in 1921. Moving to Paris in 1923 he began study with the French baritone, Dinh Gilly, making his operatic debut at the Trianon Lyrique in Montmartre in 1926. The most significant periods of his operatic career were with the Paris Opera from 1927 to 1936, and at the Metropolitan Opera from 1937 to 1957. After his move to Paris in 1923, he is recorded as revisiting Australia in 1928 as a member of the Melba-Williamson Company, and 24 years later in 1952. The photograph of Brownlee and the Gardners in a punt on the Yarra, while putatively dated to 1925, must be from earlier in the 1920s before his move to Paris, or later during the Melba-Williamson Company season. Before his move to Paris in 1923, Brownlee had lived in Belmont Avenue, Kew, where he must have developed a friendship with the Gardners. The photograph has additional artistic significance as it was produced at 'The Artorium', James Beament's design studio next to the Hawthorn Town Hall at 362 Burwood Road. With a home at 33 Uvadale Road (designed by Eric Nicholls, who managed the architectural practice of Walter Burley and Marion Mahony Grifffin from 1924 to 1932), Beament painted a number of significant murals for the Griffin practice, including those at the Capitol Theatre in Melbourne.A photograph of recreational activities on the River Yarra. The photograph is historically significant as a professionally produced photograph of the Australian operatic baritone John Brownlee, either before his move to Paris in 1923, or in 1928 during the Melba-Williamson Company operatic tour of Australia. The photograph has additional aesthetic significance as it was produced in James Beament's Hawthorn Studio - The Artorium - at 362 Burwood Road, next to the Hawthorn Town Hall.Framed photograph of John Duncan Brownlee, the Australian tenor, with Enid Gardner and friend in a punt on the Yarra River. Brownlee was born in Geelong but before his move to Paris in 1923, he lived for a period in Belmont Avenue, Kew. Three labels on reverse. 1. "John Duncan Brownlee, Operatic Star, originally of Geelong later resident of Kew at Belmont Av, on the pole. Also in the punt - Edith Gardner a friend. The Gardners lived on the east corner of Edgevale Rd. & Cotham. Approx. 1925." 2. "This picture is the property of Kew Historical Society 1/4/79". 3. Tel. Hawthorn 842 THE ARTORIUM ...."john brownlee (tenor), punting, recreation - yarra river (kew), james beament, the artorium -- 362 burwood road -- hawthorn (vic.)

The Town Hall Cafe was opened by A.J. Lucas in 1894 in Swanston Street on the Capitol Theatre site. Lucas later opened the exclusive Paris Cafe on Collins Street (1904) and the famous Cafe Australia (1916) which was designed by Walter Burleigh Griffin. He became a highly successful businessman and was the founding president of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society. A.J. Lucas who was born in the village of Exoghi migrated to Australia from Ithaca in 1886.In 1920 Lucas formed a joint venture to redevelop the site of the Town Hall Cafe into Capitol House and Capitol Theatre. Lucas once again commissioned Walter Burley Griffin and wife Marion Mahony Griffin as architects for the project. The Chicago-Gothic-style theatre is considered their greatest interior design work. The Capitol was the first extravagant ‘picture palace’ to be built in Victoria. It originally seated over 2137 people. Renowned Australian architect Robyn Boyd described The Capitol as "The best cinema that was ever built or ever likely to be built.” Information about the refurbished Capitol http://thecapitol.tv/about/A sepia photograph of the exterior of a three storey Victorian style building including veranda. It was a cafe owned by A.J. Lucas. The words 'Lucas Town Hall Cafe' are formed in raised lettering across the top storey of the building. Two cars are parked in front of the building. town hall cafe, cafes, a.j. lucas, capitol theatre