In 1871, Victoria Park, beside the Boroondara General Cemetery was set aside as a public reserve. As the Park developed, exotic plants were added to existing specimens. In 1910, a photograph of ‘The Oldest Inhabitant: A Giant Red-gum Tree’ in the Park was included in the Jubilee History of Kew. Fifty-one years later the tree was re-photographed by Colin Campbell. A 2007 Master Plan developed for the City of Boroondara advises the retention of this now dead River Red Gum, including a ‘managed risk zone’ and planting under the heavily lopped tree.This work forms part of the collection assembled by the historian Dorothy Rogers (1905-1973), donated to the Kew Historical Society by her son in 2015. The manuscripts, photographs, maps, and documents were sourced by her from both family and local collections or produced as references for her print publications. Many were directly used by Rogers in writing ‘Lovely Old Homes of Kew’ (1961) and 'A History of Kew' (1973), or the numerous articles on local history that she produced for suburban newspapers. Most of the photographs in the collection include detailed annotations in her hand. The Rogers Collection provides a comprehensive insight into the working habits of a historian from the 1960s to the 1970s. Small monochrome snapshot of the former giant River Red Gum that until it died was a major feature of Victoria Park, Kew. In the background is the red brick wall of the Boroondara General (Kew) Cemetery.Annotation verso: "Giant Red Gum. Victoria Park. Still there over 100 yrs old"dorothy rogers, victoria park (kew), river red gums

Apart from the photograph being of local interest to the history of Kew, it is also of interest as it was donated to the Kew City Council by Mr. C. R. du Rieu. Mr du Rieu was closely associated with the Kodak factory which purchased land in East Kew for a factory the plans for which were ultimately rejected by Council. In 1936, nine years after he donated the photograph to Council. Mr du Rieu died. A report in the Melbourne Age on 7 October 1936, p. 14 stated that: "Mr. Charles Richard du Rieu, of "Wonder View." 57 Pakington-street, Kew, formerly manager of the mount department of Kodak (Australasia) Pty. Ltd., died at his home on Tuesday morning at the age of 72 years. Born at Adelaide, Mr. du Rieu was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. H. L. du Rieu. He is survived by his widow. For 43 years he had been associated with the late Mr. Thomas Baker, at the Kodak works. He retired from the firm in 1928. Among his charitable interests were the orthopoedic section of the Children's Hospital at Frankston, Eye and Ear Hospital, and the Fitzroy Ladies Work Association. He was president of the North Kew Progress Association, and a member of the Kew Bowling Club. In masonic circles he was a past master of the Kent Lodge, Melbourne, and a member of the Travellers' Washington Lodge. The burial will take place at the Boroondara Cemetery Kew, this afternoon. Arrangements are by Le Pine and Son Ltd."The photograph is of historic and social significance for what it tells of popular civic values in the interwar period in Melbourne and Australia which manifested itself on occasions such as Royal Visits.An unframed, mounted sepia photograph of the Kew "Strong Post" on St Kilda Road on the occasion of the Royal Visit of 1927.Caption: "The Kew "Strong Post" St Kilda Rd., / on the occasion of the visit of / Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York / presented by C.R. Du Rieu Esq / May 1927royal visit (1927), duke and duchess of york, the kew "strong post" 1927, st kilda road, kodak australasia pty ltd, charles richard du rieu -- wonder view -- 57 pakington street

In 1871, Victoria Park, beside the Boroondara General Cemetery was set aside as a public reserve. As the Park developed, exotic plants were added to existing specimens. In 1910, a photograph of ‘The Oldest Inhabitant: A Giant Red-gum Tree’ in the Park was included in the Jubilee History of Kew. Fifty-one years later the tree was re-photographed by Colin Campbell. A 2007 Master Plan developed for the City of Boroondara advises the retention of this now dead River Red Gum, including a ‘managed risk zone’ and planting under the heavily lopped tree.‘The Old Gum Tree’ in Victoria Park. In the distance a game of cricket is being played on the oval. The old grandstand can be seen in the photo. Photographer Colin Campbell 1961. THE OLD GUM TREE / COLIN CAMPBELL KEW 1961victoria park (kew), colin campbell (photographer), victoria park, red gum tree, eucalypts, kew (vic.) -- historic trees

Gwen Barton McWilliam (nee: Nelson), OAM, BA (1933- ). Gwen McWilliam is well known as an authority on the history of Boroondara and the author of a large number of books and pamphlets about the City. She was awarded the medal of the Order of Australia in 2001 ‘for service to the community of Hawthorn and district, particularly through the research, documentation and publication of its history.’ Primary source annotated by a distinguished local historian.Plan of number of areas in the City of Heidelberg showing municipal and ward boundaries, subsequently annotated by the historian Gwen McWilliam, identifying significant landholdings, subdivisions and key dates.The base map was printed in 1970 and annotated c.1993. The plan was donated to the Kew Historical Society by Gwen McWilliam. Handwritten annotations by Gwen McWilliam, 1993city of heidelberg, maps -- heidelberg (vic.), gwen mcwilliam

Gwen McWilliam is well known as an authority on the history of Boroondara and the author of a large number of books and pamphlets about the City. She was awarded the medal of the Order of Australia in 2001 ‘for service to the community of Hawthorn and district, particularly through the research, documentation and publication of its history.’ This map from her collection was donated to the Kew Historical SocietyPlan of Heidelberg, annotated with details about the occupancy pre and post European settlement. The plan also contains geological references. The plan is included and analysed in volume 2 of the Heidelberg Conservation Study (1985). The original plan was published created in 1982. Printed annotationscity of heidelberg, yarra valley, historic plans -- heidelberg

Gwen Barton McWilliam (nee: Nelson), OAM, BA (1933- ). Gwen McWilliam is well known as an authority on the history of Boroondara and the author of a large number of books and pamphlets about the City. She was awarded the medal of the Order of Australia in 2001 ‘for service to the community of Hawthorn and district, particularly through the research, documentation and publication of its history.’ Plan of Kew and Hawthorn, forming part of a larger plan of the City of Boroondara, including annotations by the historian Gwen McWilliam, identifying significant landholdings, subdivisions and key dates. The plan was donated to the Kew Historical Society by Ms McWilliam. city of boroondara, subdivisions - hawthorn, subdivisions - kew, gwen mcwilliam

Gwen Barton McWilliam (nee: Nelson), OAM, BA (1933- ). Gwen McWilliam is well known as an authority on the history of Boroondara and the author of a large number of books and pamphlets about the City. She was awarded the medal of the Order of Australia in 2001 ‘for service to the community of Hawthorn and district, particularly through the research, documentation and publication of its history.’ Digitally annotated part plan of the City of Boroondara, created by Council (Library?) staff, based on annotated plans provided by the historian Gwen McWilliam, identifying significant landholdings, subdivisions and key dates. On the plan Gwen McWilliam noted that the attempt to copy her annotations had resulted in incorrect data being included, so the plans were never published. For plans including her original 1993 annotations, see 2017.0143 and 2017.0144.Council markings in pinksubdivisions - hawthorn, subdivisions - kew, subdivisions - camberwell, subdivisions - balwyn, subdivisions - surrey hills, subdivisions - canterbury, gwen mcwilliam

Gwen Barton McWilliam (nee: Nelson), OAM, BA (1933- ). Gwen McWilliam is well known as an authority on the history of Boroondara and the author of a large number of books and pamphlets about the City. She was awarded the medal of the Order of Australia in 2001 ‘for service to the community of Hawthorn and district, particularly through the research, documentation and publication of its history.’ Digitally annotated part plan of the City of Boroondara, created by Council (Library?) staff, based on annotated plans provided by the historian Gwen McWilliam, identifying significant landholdings, subdivisions and key dates. On the plan Gwen McWilliam noted that the attempt to copy her annotations had resulted in incorrect data being included, so the plans were never published. For plans including her original 1993 annotations, see 2017.0143 and 2017.0144.Council additions in pinksubdivisions - hawthorn, subdivisions - kew, subdivisions - camberwell, subdivisions - balwyn, subdivisions - surrey hills, subdivisions - canterbury, gwen mcwilliam

Gwen Barton McWilliam (nee: Nelson), OAM, BA (1933- ). Gwen McWilliam is well known as an authority on the history of Boroondara and the author of a large number of books and pamphlets about the City. She was awarded the medal of the Order of Australia in 2001 ‘for service to the community of Hawthorn and district, particularly through the research, documentation and publication of its history.’ Digitally annotated part plan of the City of Boroondara, created by Council (Library?) staff, based on annotated plans provided by the historian Gwen McWilliam, identifying significant landholdings, subdivisions and key dates. On the plan Gwen McWilliam noted that the attempt to copy her annotations had resulted in incorrect data being included, so the plans were never published. For plans including her original 1993 annotations, see 2017.0143 and 2017.0144.Additions in pink by City of Boroondarasubdivisions - hawthorn, subdivisions - kew, subdivisions - camberwell, subdivisions - balwyn, subdivisions - surrey hills, subdivisions - canterbury, gwen mcwilliam

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria)This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). Throughout its history, the land in what is known today as Studley Ward of the City of Boroondara has been subject to continuing subdivision. This is evident in Plan 1301, where later hands have modified the original map to include streets created subsequent to the printing of the plan in 1904. Other annotations such as the ‘Reserved for Road Purposes’ beside the Yarra never eventuated. The plan continued to be modified to at least 1953, when a later hand noted that a particular site was ‘Property site P. McIntyre house’ in Swinton Avenue. Two significant houses in the area are outlined on the plan: ‘Swinton’ on the corner of the streets then named Effey and Maud Streets (now Swinton Avenue) and ‘Fairhaven’ [unnamed] in Stevenson Street. The gardens of the two David Syme owned mansions of ‘Blythswood’ and ‘Rockingham’, stretching down to the River Yarra, are also represented.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, mmbw 1301, cartography

Sports Clubs in Kew in the final decades of the 19th century and in the early 20th century were often umbrella organisations with facilities for a number of sports. Typically in Kew, this included teams in lawn bowls, tennis and croquet. The Kew Bowling Club was formed in 1880 while the privately owned Auburn Heights Recreation Club was opened in 1904. The croquet courts at the Kew Recreation Club were opened in 1906, two years after the Club's formation. By 1998, the two Clubs decided to amalgamate at the Auburn Heights site in Barkers Road, forming the Kew Heights Sports Club. The combined club was itself taken over by the Melbourne Cricket Club in 2012 becoming MCC Kew Sports Club. In 2017 MCC Kew closed and its landholding was subsequently sold to Carey Baptist Grammar School. Both the Kew and Auburn Heights Clubs assembled important collections. These historically significant and large collections were donated to the Society in 2020. The collections include manuscripts, pictures, trophies, plans, honour boards etc. References Barnard FGA 1910, 'Sports and Pastimes' in Jubilee History of Kew Victoria: Its origin & progress 1803-1910. Chapman J & C 1999, The history of the Auburn Heights Recreation Club, 1904 to 1908. Reeve S 2012, City of Boroondara: Thematic Environmental History, p.216.The combined collections of the four sporting clubs making up the collection number hundreds of items that are historically significant locally. They are also significant to the sporting history of the greater Melbourne area and to the sports of lawn bowls and tennis in Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection illuminates two of the Victorian historic themes - 'Building community life' through forming community organisations and 'Shaping cultural and creative life' by participating in sport and recreation.Croquet mallet, Shaft made of a number of separate rectangular sections of pale wood, mostly wrapped with cotton cord and strips of leather. The rectangular head is made of a darker heavier wood and it is banded with a strip of lighter wood.croquet -- mallets, croquet -- equipment, auburn heights croquet club, auburn heights recreation club

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) was established by an act of the Victorian Parliament in 1890 to prepare for and to implement a sewerage and water reticulation system across what was then inner Melbourne, its surrounding and middle distance suburbs, including Kew. The MMBW was disbanded in 1991.The map collection of the Kew Historical Society has at its core the historic maps assembled and originally stored in the City Engineer's Department of the City of Kew. These include maps in a number of scales. The vast majority of maps were produced by the MMBW in the first two decades of the twentieth century, and are solid working maps, backed by linen for durability. These maps are historically significant to Kew, the City of Boroondara and to the history of the development of state utilities in Victoria. A number of the Kew maps have additional details added by former municipal officers, including the levels reached by various floods. As these were working documents, information was added to them long after the period of their initial production and distribution.Early map of the Town of Kew, created after 1910, at a scale 440 ft to 1 inch. The 'assembled' map by the City of Kew Engineer's Department includes scaled down copies of The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works maps, Nos. 39, 40, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, and 117. The map covers the entirety of the Town of Kew, bordered on its north and west by the River Yarra, by Burke Road in the East and Barkers Road in the south. The map shows the extent of urban development by that time, prominent institutions and the outlines of built structures in the municipality. TOWN OF KEW / SCALE 400 FEET TO 1 INCHmelbourne & metropolitan board of works, mmbw maps, mmbw plans, town of kew, cartography

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) was established by an act of the Victorian Parliament in 1890 to prepare for and to implement a sewerage and water reticulation system across what was then inner Melbourne, its surrounding and middle distance suburbs, including Kew. The MMBW was disbanded in 1991.The map collection of the Kew Historical Society has at its core the historic maps assembled and originally stored in the City Engineer's Department of the City of Kew. These include maps in a number of scales. The vast majority of maps were produced by the MMBW in the first two decades of the twentieth century, and are solid working maps, backed by linen for durability. These maps are historically significant to Kew, the City of Boroondara and to the history of the development of state utilities in Victoria. A number of the Kew maps have additional details added by former municipal officers, including the levels reached by various floods. As these were working documents, information was added to them long after the period of their initial production and distribution.Early map of part of the Borough of Kew, created in the first decade of the twentieth century, at a scale 160 ft to 1 inch. The map covers what was then the north western section of Kew, bordered on its north by Wills Street and the Kew Lunatic Asylum, in the west by the River Yarra [and the later added Yarra Boulevard] , by Princess Street in the East and Holroyd Street in the south. The map shows the extent of urban development by that time, prominent institutions and the outlines of built structures in the municipality. Contour lines were added in ink to the map at a later stage.MELBOURNE AND METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS / PLAN NO. 39 / KEW & HEIDELBERGmelbourne & metropolitan board of works, mmbw maps, mmbw plans, borough of kew, cartography