Sir John Madden, Chief Justice of Victoria, opened the Auburn Heights Recreation Club in Barkers Road in December 1904. Two years later the greens were improved and a new croquet lawn established. In September 1906, a ceremony was held to open these and also the new pavilion designed by Harry Tompkins.Rare and important early photograph of the opening of a significant sports club in Melbourne1/4 plate glass negative (and accompanying print) of the crowd at the opening of the new greens and croquet lawn in 1906 at the Auburn Heights Recreation Club in Barkers Road, Kew. Spectators, including many women, watch the opening game of bowls on the redeveloped green. While there are no photographs of women playing in the four glass negatives, the Club made a point in its statements to the press that women were invited to ‘indulge in this enjoyable recreation’.auburn heights recreation club, lawn bowls

Sir John Madden, Chief Justice of Victoria, opened the Auburn Heights Recreation Club in Barkers Road in December 1904. Two years later the greens were improved and a new croquet lawn established. In September 1906, a ceremony was held to open these and also the new pavilion designed by Harry Tompkins. Ninety-two years later, following the amalgamation of Auburn Heights and the Kew Bowling Club in 1998, it was renamed the Kew Heights Sports Club. In 2012, the amalgamated Club was renamed the MCC Sports Club.An early, rare photograph of a significant sporting institution in Kew.1/4 plate glass negative (and accompanying photographic print) of bowling at Auburn Heights Recreation Club opening in 1906. The Club was/is located in Barkers Road, Kew. At play on the redeveloped greens of the Auburn Heights Recreation Club at the official opening of the new pavilion in September 1906. auburn heights recreation club, barkers road, kew

Sir John Madden, Chief Justice of Victoria, opened the Auburn Heights Recreation Club in Barkers Road in December 1904. Two years later the greens were improved and a new croquet lawn established. In September 1906, a ceremony was held to open these and also the new pavilion designed by Harry Tompkins.Rare early image of an important sports club in Kew1/4 plate glass negative (and accompanying print) of a scene at the opening of the new greens and croquet lawn at the Auburn Heights Recreation Club in 1906. A player at the Auburn Heights Recreation Club, identified as a Mr Anderson in faint writing on the sleeve of the glass negative, considers his next bowl. His attire, and that of the players in the other photos would indicate that players were expected to wear a shirt, tie and jacket at the Club, but when bowling, waistcoats were acceptable.auburn heights recreation club, barkers road, kew

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

Following the acquisitions of the combined collections of the Kew Bowling Club, the Auburn Heights Recreation Club, and the Kew Heights Sports Club, the Kew Historical Society mounted exhibitions of selected items from these collections at the Kew Court House and Kew Library in March 2021.Series of born digital photos of exhibition at Kew Court House of 'Outdoor leisure activities: lawn bowls, tennis and croquet'. kew bowling club, auburn heights recreation club, auburn heights bowling club, auburn heights tennis club, kew heights bowling club, kew historical society -- exhibitions

Following the acquisitions of the combined collections of the Kew Bowling Club, the Auburn Heights Recreation Club, and the Kew Heights Sports Club, the Kew Historical Society mounted exhibitions of selected items from these collections at the Kew Court House and Kew Library in March 2021.Born digital photo of exhibition at Kew Library of 'Outdoor leisure activities: lawn bowls, tennis and croquet'. kew bowling club, auburn heights recreation club, auburn heights bowling club, auburn heights tennis club, kew heights bowling club, kew historical society -- exhibitions, kew library

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