This broderie perse' wall hanging was donated to the Kew Historical Society in 1980 by Mrs Joy Ivory. The hanging had belonged to her mother - Amy Grigg - and was used by the latter to demonstrate skills in darning (the red stitching). Provenance includes a certificate dating from 1889 which records an award to Amy Grigg of Pakington Street (Kew) for skills in needlework, issued by the Kew Floral Industrial & Art Society. Amy Grigg later married Albert Watson, the son of John Watson. The latter was an early pastor of the Kew Methodist Church in Highbury Grove, Kew. Both the Watson and Grigg families were early pioneers of Kew. While the hanging was modified by Amy Grigg in 1889, the original textile dates from an earlier period when 'Broderie Perse' (Persian embroidery) was used to create quilts and wall hangings. It is estimated that the hanging dates from the first half of the 19th century. An exact dating will require a detailed examination of the cotton chintz fabrics used to embroider the hanging. This appliquéd wall hanging is one of the earliest textiles in the Kew Historical Society's fashion & textiles collection. Similar examples are held in major international collections such as the Victoria & Albert Museum. This example of broderie perse is significant for the cross-cultural influence of Indian textiles on European taste, not unusual given the English foothold in India during this period. Additional interest is due to the mixing of Indian and European textiles in the design, while staying true to the derivation of the design. The textile is both well-provenanced and rare. While it is unlikely to be Australian-made, it is probably an example of a textile brought to Australia during the colonial period that indicates a desire to decorate interiors using items created in and for the English home. On another level, the wall hanging is a fine example of 'women's work' in the first half of the nineteenth century.Small wall hanging, comprised of five panels that are each appliquéd by hand in herringbone stitch using a range of decorative figurative motifs including flora and fauna. The design is based on an Indian palimpore representing a tree of life design. The base textile is a cream linen while the appliquéd figures or shapes are cut from cotton chintz. These additions are probably a mix of Indian and European designs. The quality of the herringbone stitching is very fine. Later stitching in red wool was added in the 1890s to demonstrate skill in darning. The main panel is bordered by a narrow green and ecru braid. It has a narrow tan braid at the top and bottom of the two side panels. A surrounding tan braid around the entire textile is missing in some places. textiles, applique, broderie perse, amy grigg, wall hangings, migration

Without bridges, Kew remained cut off from the City of Melbourne, only being accessible by Punt. Private and public bridges were constructed from the 1850s, beginning with the Hawthorn Bridge linking Bridge and Burwood Roads. A bridge across the Yarra at Burke Road was created as early as 1873. Since that first wooden bridge, a number of later bridges, typically on concrete pylons have been built, in 1926 and again during the 1970s.Angle view of the new Yarra bridge [ie. The Burke Road bridge] taken from the Kew side, showing the bridge’s structure. Trees line the river’s edge. In the distance can be seen a distant line of houses stretching to the horizon. The river appears to have an S-shaped bend beyond the bridge. The postcard, No. 227, was produced by the Valentine Publishing Co. Pty Ltd., of Queen Street, Melbourne.burke road bridge - kew (vic), bridges - kew (vic)

One of three scrapbooks created by Eva Grant, a past member of the Kew Historical Society which were donated by her niece, Julie Thomson, in 2013. The scrapbook includes photographs and descriptions of the following sites. (Many of these are now demolished and so the photographs and descriptions may be rare records of a site.) Sites include: Abbotsford (Vic) - Abbotsford Convent, Mayfield (c.1962), prefabricated house - Church street Armadale (Vic) - church (c.1959) - Thomson & Wattletree Roads Arthur’s Seat (Vic) - McCrae homestead Ballarat (Vic) - Memorial plaque on site of Bentley’s Hotel, Memorial on site of Eureka Stockade, Early municipal buildings - East Ballarat, Adam Lindsay Gordon’s cottage - Botanical Gardens, View from Sovereign Hill, Shell house Broken Hill (NSW) - panorama (1963), Flying Doctor’s base (?1963) Eltham (Vic) - Hassell’s outdoor art gallery Essendon (Vic) - Niddrie Homestead and stables (1963) Geelong (Vic) - first Bishopscourt Hawthorn (Vic) - Convent (1930), The Hawthorns, Keilor plains (Vic) - pioneer homes, pioneer cemetery Kew (Vic) - Roseneath (1951), Tarring - Ruyton, Turinville, house - Foley street (c.1960). Malvern (Vic) - church Mount Ridley (Vic) - Summerhill Melbourne (Vic) - Old Brewery - Custom’s House Lane (1960), Customs House, Scott’s Hotel (1962), Western market (c.1960) Phillip Island (Vic) - Grave Toorak (Vic) - Mandeville Hall, Merna (sic) - Arthur Streeton’s house, Toorak House Wentworth (NSW) - Harvey’s Hotel, Sturt Memorial, Sturt’s Tree, Wentworth Gaol Williamstown (Vic) - Williamstown Dairy Yan Yean (Vic) - Bear’s Castle (c.1947) Beveridge/Big Hill (Vic) - Kelly’s cottageImportant photograph record (and notes) about historic buildings in Victoria.38-page scrapbook with additional text created by Eva Grant, a past member of the Kew Historical Society. In addition to the 68 photographs, there are two postcards and a number of publications/handouts.collected by Eva on her trips to heritage sites in Victoria and New South Wales. The pages of the album can be viewed in the image carousel above. Most of the photographs of heritage buildings were taken in the early 1960s.See imagesheritage sites - victoria - australia, eva grant, scrapbooks - 20th century

At the beginning of the 1890s, the Kew businessman and Town Councillor, Henry Kellett, commissioned J.F.C. Farquhar to photograph scenes of Kew. These scenes included panoramas as well as pastoral scenes. The resulting set of twelve photographs was assembled in an album, Kew Where We Live, from which customers could select images for purchase.The preamble to the album describes that the photographs used the ‘argentic bromide’ process, now more commonly known as the gelatine silver process. This form of dry plate photography allowed for the negatives to be kept for weeks before processing, hence its value in landscape photography. The resulting images were considered to be finely grained and everlasting. Evidence of the success of Henry Kellett’s venture can be seen today, in that some of the photographs are held in national collections.It is believed that the Kew Historical Society’s copy of the Kellett album is unique and that the photographs in the book were the first copies taken from the original plates. It is the first and most important series of images produced about Kew. The individual images have proved essential in identifying buildings and places of heritage value in the district.When the Kew Lunatic Asylum was opened in 1871, its extensive 340 acres of grounds were intended for farming, agriculture and recreation for the inmates. The point-of-view chosen by Farquhar for this panoramic photograph focuses on the ordered open fields, haystacks and remnant trees that extended from the foreground to the rear of the Asylum. The inmates are the absent players in this pastoral idyll. In 1891, The Argus reported on the Annual Asylum Picnic: “Wednesday saw the Kew picnic, the yearly festival of the mad folks and their keepers. Once a year the public subscribes for cakes and ale for all these mad folks, and their keepers, from superintendent to lowest wardsman, turn out, and use their best endeavours to make one day in the year sanely merry.” Regardless of such merriment, the Asylum’s development and ongoing status were frequently a source of disquiet to the residents of Kew, who regularly petitioned the State Government for its removal. Despite these views, the Asylum was to remain a functioning institution from 1871 to 1988. Kew Asylum & Groundskew illustrated, kew where we live, photographic books, henry kellett, kew lunatic asylum

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 15 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. The first and last pages in the album document the Yarra River at Studley Park and at Kew. The remainder of the album includes photographs of walking and car tours in rural Victoria including 'wilderness' areas in the Grampians, Gippsland and the High Country. Six album pages document a camping trip by Henry Christian to the Grampians in September 1924. The photos include pictures of lookouts, and natural features including rock faces and waterfalls, as well as his camp site. This photo is a long distance view of the mountains with trees framing the picture in the foreground. "Grampians"henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, grampians, mt victory, gariwerd

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 17 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. This photograph, dating from c.1926, forms part of a group of photos preceding images of [Black] Spur, so the photographs may have been taken as part of that bushwalking trip. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. Henry Christian's 'walks' appear to have been undertaken solely or with a companion/s. This deliberately picturesque photo is a country road stretching into the distance framed by trees.Illegible ink inscription on pagehenry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, kew (vic.) — yarra river, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking -- victoria

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 18 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. This photograph, dating from c.1926, forms part of a group of photos of the Strickland Spur track, taken on a bushwalking trip to Marysville, Victoria. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. The photograph shows either the Steavenson or Taggerty River near Marysville. The photographer contrasts the rapid flow of the water through the rapids with the stillness of the surrounding tree ferns and trees."Spur" [illegible ink inscription]henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, kew (vic.) — yarra river, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking -- victoria, strickland spur

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 18 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. This photograph, dating from c.1926, forms part of a group of photos taken on a bushwalking trip to Marysville, Victoria. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. The photographer contrasts the rapid flow of the water of a river through the rapids with the stillness of the surrounding tree ferns and trees."Spur" [illegible ink inscription]henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, kew (vic.) — yarra river, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking -- victoria, strickland spur track

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 19 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. This photograph, dating from c.1926, forms part of a group of photos taken on a bushwalking trip to Marysville, Victoria. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. In this photo, the photographer explores the patterns created by the dense understory of tree ferns."Marysville" [date illegible]henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, kew (vic.) — yarra river, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking -- victoria, marysville (vic.)

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 25 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. Henry Christian's 'walks' appear to have been undertaken solely or with a companion/s. Here the photographer takes a distant shot of a valley filled with mist and distant mountains which are framed by trees in the foreground.Inscription on page illegiblehenry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 26 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. Henry Christian's 'walks' appear to have been undertaken solely or with a companion/s. On a trip to Marysville in 1926, he poses a figure in a landscape between two tall tree ferns with Eucalypts in the distance."Marysville / 1-1926"henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking, marysville

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 26 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. Henry Christian's 'walks' appear to have been undertaken solely or with a companion/s. On a trip to Marysville in 1926, he focuses on hydrangeas and tree ferns within a horizontal oval frame."Marysville / 1-1926"henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking, marysville

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 26 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. Henry Christian's 'walks' appear to have been undertaken solely or with a companion/s. On a trip to Marysville in 1926, he focuses his camera on the sculptural qualities of tree ferns and the effect of light on their fronds. "Marysville / 1-1926"henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking, marysville

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 26 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. Henry Christian's 'walks' appear to have been undertaken solely or with a companion/s. On a trip to Marysville in 1926, he focuses his camera on the sculptural qualities of tree ferns and the effect of light on their fronds. "Marysville / 1-1926"henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking, marysville

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 27 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. Henry Christian's 'walks' appear to have been undertaken solely or with a companion/s. This photo is a close up view of a small waterfall with broken trees in the foreground. [Untitled]henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 27 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. Henry Christian's 'walks' appear to have been undertaken solely or with a companion/s. This photo is of trees in the foreground with a mountain in the distance.[Untitled]henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 27 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. Henry Christian's 'walks' appear to have been undertaken solely or with a companion/s. This photo is a closeup of a cascade with dislodged trees in the foreground. [Untitled]henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 28 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. Henry Christian's 'walks' appear to have been undertaken solely or with a companion/s. This photo was taken on a trip between Cockatoo and Gembrook in Victoria and shows two horses grazing in a paddock to the left of an 'exotic' tree in full bloom. "Cockatoo & Gembrook [illegible]henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking, cockatoo, gembrook

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 32 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. Henry Christian's 'walks' appear to have been undertaken solely or with a companion/s. This black and white photo is part of a group of photos taken in the Victorian High Country. The page is labelled 'Near Glen Wills & Lightning Ridge" and includes photos of bush tracks, family groups, and natural features. The small black and white photo depicts a grove of native mountain ash with a group of tree ferns in the middle distance."NEAR GLEN WILLS & LIGHTNING CRK"henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking, northeast victoria, victorian high country, glen wills, lighting creek

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 35 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. Henry Christian's 'walks' appear to have been undertaken solely or with a companion/s. This black and white photo is part of a group of photos taken in the Victorian High Country. The page is labelled 'Mt Wills / Sunnyside' and includes photos of landscapes and built structures. Mt Wills and Sunnyside were at the time goldfields north of Omeo. This small black and white point-of-view photograph shows the photographer, Henry B Christian, staring across a treed landscape to Mt Wills in the distance."MT WILLS / SUNNYSIDE"henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, bushwalking, northeast victoria, victorian high country, mt wills, sunnyside

Comparatively few weatherboard houses in Kew survived from the early years of settlement into the second half of the 20th century. One such property was ‘Reno’, which once stood on the east side of St John’s Parade. Its earliest recorded owner was the architect Samuel Cocking who lived there from c.1865 until his death in 1888. The original landholding was bordered by Cotham Road, Glenferrie Road, Wellington Street, and Charles Street. The southern portion of this land included a fine orchard, with many imported trees. The old summer house, at first in the orchard, was later removed to the house garden. The MMBW Detail Plan No.1576 (1904) shows the remaining portion of the original land holding, including a semi-circular pathway at the front, and garden features such as an aviary, a fountain and grotto, and a fernery. None of these are apparent in photographs dating from the 1960s, where the garden, which once included rare plants provided by Baron Von Mueller, surrounds the cottage in a tangled frenzy. Despite a ‘local significance’ classification by the National Trust, the house was demolished in 1977.7 square headed iron nails collected from Reno before its demolition. In envelope marked with the name Joy Stewartreno, nails, samuel cocking

Comparatively few weatherboard houses in Kew survived from the early years of settlement into the second half of the 20th century. One such property was ‘Reno’, which once stood on the east side of St John’s Parade. Its earliest recorded owner was the architect Samuel Cocking who lived there from c.1865 until his death in 1888. The original landholding was bordered by Cotham Road, Glenferrie Road, Wellington Street, and Charles Street. The southern portion of this land included a fine orchard, with many imported trees. The old summer house, at first in the orchard, was later removed to the house garden. The MMBW Detail Plan No.1576 (1904) shows the remaining portion of the original land holding, including a semi-circular pathway at the front, and garden features such as an aviary, a fountain and grotto, and a fernery. None of these are apparent in photographs dating from the 1960s, where the garden, which once included rare plants provided by Baron Von Mueller, surrounds the cottage in a tangled frenzy. Despite a ‘local significance’ classification by the National Trust, the house was demolished in 1977. Wallpaper fragment from ‘Reno’. This small fragment of floral wall paper is a bolder design than the delicately drawn flowers in 1977.0005.1. The flowers in this example were impressionistically created using printing blocks that allowed for different thicknesses of paint to be applied in the hand-blocking process. wallpaper, reno, st john's parade, kew

Comparatively few weatherboard houses in Kew survived from the early years of settlement into the second half of the 20th century. One such property was ‘Reno’, which once stood on the east side of St John’s Parade. Its earliest recorded owner was the architect Samuel Cocking who lived there from c.1865 until his death in 1888. The original landholding was bordered by Cotham Road, Glenferrie Road, Wellington Street, and Charles Street. The southern portion of this land included a fine orchard, with many imported trees. The old summer house, at first in the orchard, was later removed to the house garden. The MMBW Detail Plan No.1576 (1904) shows the remaining portion of the original land holding, including a semi-circular pathway at the front, and garden features such as an aviary, a fountain and grotto, and a fernery. None of these are apparent in photographs dating from the 1960s, where the garden, which once included rare plants provided by Baron Von Mueller, surrounds the cottage in a tangled frenzy. Despite a ‘local significance’ classification by the National Trust, the house was demolished in 1977.Wallpaper fragment from ‘Reno’. This large single example is interesting as it represents a change in fashion and style from the finely drawn flowers (1971.0002.1) of an older paper, parts of which can be seen behind this sample. Typically the updating of wallpapers was accomplished by laying a new paper over the old. The ‘newer’ wallpaper is of a single colour, the tone of which may have suffered from colour distortion due to ageing. The new block-printed design, featuring repeated sprays of flowers and leaves combines a bold use of colour with an elegance of design.reno, st john's parade, kew, samuel cocking, wallpaper

Comparatively few weatherboard houses in Kew survived from the early years of settlement into the second half of the 20th century. One such property was ‘Reno’, which once stood on the east side of St John’s Parade. Its earliest recorded owner was the architect Samuel Cocking who lived there from c.1865 until his death in 1888. The original landholding was bordered by Cotham Road, Glenferrie Road, Wellington Street, and Charles Street. The southern portion of this land included a fine orchard, with many imported trees. The old summer house, at first in the orchard, was later removed to the house garden. The MMBW Detail Plan No.1576 (1904) shows the remaining portion of the original land holding, including a semi-circular pathway at the front, and garden features such as an aviary, a fountain and grotto, and a fernery. None of these are apparent in photographs dating from the 1960s, where the garden, which once included rare plants provided by Baron Von Mueller, surrounds the cottage in a tangled frenzy. Despite a ‘local significance’ classification by the National Trust, the house was demolished in 1977. Wallpaper fragment from ‘Reno’. These three boldly designed samples from a single room are in shades of green and brown, highlighted by yellow and red floral sprays. While more accurately printed and coloured, the fragment lacks the freedom of design of the earlier samples.wallpaper, reno, st john's parade, kew, samuel cocking

Comparatively few weatherboard houses in Kew survived from the early years of settlement into the second half of the 20th century. One such property was ‘Reno’, which once stood on the east side of St John’s Parade. Its earliest recorded owner was the architect Samuel Cocking who lived there from c.1865 until his death in 1888. The original landholding was bordered by Cotham Road, Glenferrie Road, Wellington Street, and Charles Street. The southern portion of this land included a fine orchard, with many imported trees. The old summer house, at first in the orchard, was later removed to the house garden. The MMBW Detail Plan No.1576 (1904) shows the remaining portion of the original land holding, including a semi-circular pathway at the front, and garden features such as an aviary, a fountain and grotto, and a fernery. None of these are apparent in photographs dating from the 1960s, where the garden, which once included rare plants provided by Baron Von Mueller, surrounds the cottage in a tangled frenzy. Despite a ‘local significance’ classification by the National Trust, the house was demolished in 1977.Wallpaper fragment from ‘Reno’. These two large fragments of wallpaper have a formality of design that is accentuated by the wide borders and narrow vertical lines that separate the repeated designs of rose garlands in vases on a vertical trellis design. The design is in tones of pink and green with gilding.reno, st john's parade, kew, samuel cocking, wallpaper

Comparatively few weatherboard houses in Kew survived from the early years of settlement into the second half of the 20th century. One such property was ‘Reno’, which once stood on the east side of St John’s Parade. Its earliest recorded owner was the architect Samuel Cocking who lived there from c.1865 until his death in 1888. The original landholding was bordered by Cotham Road, Glenferrie Road, Wellington Street, and Charles Street. The southern portion of this land included a fine orchard, with many imported trees. The old summer house, at first in the orchard, was later removed to the house garden. The MMBW Detail Plan No.1576 (1904) shows the remaining portion of the original land holding, including a semi-circular pathway at the front, and garden features such as an aviary, a fountain and grotto, and a fernery. None of these are apparent in photographs dating from the 1960s, where the garden, which once included rare plants provided by Baron Von Mueller, surrounds the cottage in a tangled frenzy. Despite a ‘local significance’ classification by the National Trust, the house was demolished in 1977. Wallpaper fragment from ‘Reno’. This small fragment is part of the larger design shown in the previous sample (1971.0002.5). It includes a detail of the trellis element from the larger scheme.wallpaper, samuel cocking, reno, st john's parade, kew

Comparatively few weatherboard houses in Kew survived from the early years of settlement into the second half of the 20th century. One such property was ‘Reno’, which once stood on the east side of St John’s Parade. Its earliest recorded owner was the architect Samuel Cocking who lived there from c.1865 until his death in 1888. The original landholding was bordered by Cotham Road, Glenferrie Road, Wellington Street, and Charles Street. The southern portion of this land included a fine orchard, with many imported trees. The old summer house, at first in the orchard, was later removed to the house garden. The MMBW Detail Plan No.1576 (1904) shows the remaining portion of the original land holding, including a semi-circular pathway at the front, and garden features such as an aviary, a fountain and grotto, and a fernery. None of these are apparent in photographs dating from the 1960s, where the garden, which once included rare plants provided by Baron Von Mueller, surrounds the cottage in a tangled frenzy. Despite a ‘local significance’ classification by the National Trust, the house was demolished in 1977.Brass letter plate, originally from the front door of Reno in St John's Parade, Kew. Donated by Miss McDowell in 1977, in the year the house was demolished.reno, st john's parade, kew