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, civic invitations, kew town hall -- walpole street -- kew (vic.), cr w j hambly

Articles cover the story of an attempted bank robbery of the Commercial Bank, (Main Road, Eltham) on Thursday 15th December 1949 when shots were exchanged in a bid to prevent the escape of a man who had attempted to rob the bank. A subsequent search took place. 19 year old youth Kay Arthur Morgan was later caught and committed to trial. He had used a stolen gun, 15 shots had been fired.. Two bullets were fired into the ceiling and back wall of the bank, after penetrating the wooden counter and passing in between the legs of the receiving officer Spear. Names mentioned: Senior Constable N. Forbes, Harry Wallace (Manager), Mr. L.A. Spears (Receiving Officer) , Senior Detective H. McMennamin, Mr H. D. Pettie (Mountain View Rd, Montmorency, Detective Sergeant K. Hubbard, Inspector F. Hobley, Senior Inspector R. Newton, Detective P. Pedersen, Detective L Dent, Detective J. Oakers, Includes photosFour pages of photocopies of newspaper clippings with typed source information. Pistol stolen, The Argus, 10th December, 1919 Search of Scrub proves fruitless, The Age 17th December 1949, page 3 Pistol Battle at Bank, The Age 16th December 1949 "Guilty" pleas to pistol theft Court told of lad's hold-up bid, The Argus 23rd February, 1950 page 7 commercial bank, eltham, robbery

Displayed at History HouseCoat of arms in blue within an orange outer rim. Metal badge with paper image under hard plastic covering. Metal pin on back.Front: Proclamation Day. November 19th 1949 (outer rim) Town of Portland. Vic./1855 (inner rim)

Quinn CollectionTwo and a half page letter written on one and a half sheets of unlined white paper (0805a1-2), headed MS Fenris, At Sea and dated 28.02.49. The envelope (0805b) is cream-coloured. A second envelope (0805c) is duck-egg blue with a green lining and a 5cm border of repeating diagonal stripes of green, white, yellow and white.Envelope 0805b bears four 'Espana' stamps and is addressed to Mrs H Hayes, 14 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, Victoria. The postmark is indistinct. There is a penciled addition on the back. Envelope 0805c bears one Brasil stamp and is addressed to Mrs S Quinn, 5 Pollington Street, St Kilda. The two postmarks are indistinct. letters-from-abroad, quinn, ms fenris, 1949

Quinn CollectionTwo and a half page letter written on one and a half sheets of unlined white paper (0806.a1-2), headed MS Fenris, Montevideo and dated 21.03.49. The air-mail envelope (0806.b) is duck-egg blue with a green lining and a 5cm border of diagonal, repeating stripes of green, white, yellow, white.0806.b bears one green Uruguay stamp and is addressed to Mrs S Quinn, 5 Pollington Street, St Kilda. The postmark is indistinct. letters-from-abroad, quinn, ms fenris, 1949

Quinn CollectionTwo page letter written on one sheet of unlined buff-coloured paper (0808.a) headed M.S.Fenris, Tenerife, Canary Islands and dated 25.04.49. The blue-grey coloured envelope (0808.b) has a 7cm border of diagonal light blue and white stripes. There are two Irish stamps - one brown and one blue.letters-from-abroad, quinn, 1949, m s fenris

Quinn CollectionSingle-sided letter written on six sheets of unlined blue airletter paper (0813.a1-6) headed M.S.Fenris, At Sea, and dated 23.06.49. The blue airmail envelope (0813.b) has a 4cm border of diagonal green and yellow stripes. There are two Argentinian stamps, one blue, one red. The postmark is incomplete. There are some figures on the back of the envelopeletters-from-abroad, quinn, 1949, m s fenris

Allan writes that when the Fenris reaches New York he thinks he will "..sign off". He has been with the ship for ten months and ...'"the South American sun is becoming a little monotonous".Quinn CollectionSelf-folding letter written on both sides (0818). The letter, dated the 26/09/49, is headed M.S. Fenris, At Sea. The letter is post-marked Boston Mass. 21letters-from-abroad, quinn, brazil, 1949

Allan and Jens were shipmates on the M.I.Ariston.Quinn CollectionSingle sheet of buff-coloured paper written on both sides, headed Goteborg, dated, 1/09/49 (0820.a). Matching envelope (0820.b) bears three green Swedish stamps. Letter 'Hello Allan' and concludes '.....all the best to you from your old shipmate Jens'. The envelope is post-marked Goteborg 12letters-from-abroad, quinn, 1948, 1949

Allan writes that having reached New York he has 'signed off' the 'Fenris'. "After ten months I'm a civilian again....". He describes the eighteen hour voyage from Boston to New York when they came through the Cape Cod Canal and Long Island Sound in New England past holiday homes, sailboats and launches. He mentions that, in New York, Bing Crosby's latest film is 'Top of the World', Ingrid Bergman is appearing in 'Under Capricorn' and that you can buy a 12" television for the equivalent of fifty pounds, a smaller one for twenty-six pounds. Quinn CollectionSingle-sided letter written on seven sheets of thin, blue unlined paper (0821.a1-0821.a7) dated 3/09/49 and headed New York. No envelope was found. The letter is from Allan to his mother.letters-from-abroad, quinn, 1949, new york

Allan writes of his time in New York and mentions some parcels he has sent to his mother, including one with a photo album of photos taken whilst aboard the 'Fenris'. As shipping is slow in New York he is planning to drive with three others from New York to Los Angeles.Quinn CollectionPale green self-folding letter written with green ink, headed New York and dated 19/09/49.The letter is from Allan to his mother.letters-from-abroad, quinn, 1949, new york

Allan writes that in order to reach Australia he signed on to the Mongabarra at San Pedro but when the ship reached San Francisco he had to sign off and let the seaman, who had been ordered before Allan signed on in San Pedro, take his place. Had he been able to stay with the ship he would have been in Australia by Christmas.Quinn CollectionPale green self-folding letter written with green ink (0826), headed San Francisco and dated 22/10/49.The letter is from Allan to his mother.letters-from-abroad, quinn, 1949, mongabarra

Quinn CollectionSingle page, double sided letter written on unlined off-white paper (0827), headed Liddesdale Avenue, Frankston and dated 27/10/49. Matching envelope (0827.b) has a blue airmail sticker and a nine pence stamp on the front. The other stamp has been torn off. Only half the postmark remains.Letter begins "My dear Allan" and concludes "Your loving Father Stanley Quinn."letters-from-abroad, quinn, 1949, stanley quinn

Allan mentions he has met dozens of Australians on the beach in San Francisco.Quinn CollectionPale blue self-folding letter written with dark blue ink (0829.a) headed San Francisco and dated 09/11/49.The letter is from Allan to his mother.letters-from-abroad, quinn, 1949, san francisco

Membership ticket for Heywood Football Club, season 1949, green cardboard gold horizontal stripes, black print. Folded, inside and back cover, office bearers and matches 1959.Front: '2nd EIGHTEEN' - handwritten, black pen