Robin Kelly was born Robin Vandersluys in Mary Street, Kew. As a child, she sang in backyard concerts run with her brother, Leslie. The family moved to Deepdene in 1949 and Robin joined church and school choirs. Later she was to study classical singing with Stella Power, modern singing with Jack White, TV Presentation with Natalie Raine of Crawford Productions and acting/singing with Jessie Matthews. Following her victory in a talent quest at the Orama Ballroom, she was invited to join the Orama Big Band with singers Harry Cox and Arlene Forrest. She also sang with the Kerm Jones Jazz Band at Power House and with Frank Johnson's Jazz Band at Jazz Junction. Robin became resident band vocalist at the historic Federal Hotel in Collins Street with the Rudi Laquer Trio. She also sang at The Savoy Plaza with the George Cadman Trio. A year later she became resident vocalist at the Ress Oriental Hotel with the Lennie Holmes Trio. Later, Robin married pianist Peter Jones, singing under the name 'Robin Vanser' in clubs in Sydney and regional New South Wales. She was booked for a Vietnam War tour and also sang in Tahiti. Returning to Melbourne, her agent booked her to appear in shows in Tasmania including West Point Casino and Melbourne country venues. Another agent, John Bishop, booked her to do floor shows in Melbourne, including Xmas Seasons at the Hampton Hotel where she entertained audiences with her comedy and audience participation routines. In 1971, Robin Kelly retired to run her Robin Hood Antiques business in Canterbury, during which time she was married to tenor Glenn Kelly. Later she joined Sing Australia Camberwell Choir, performing as a soloist at their Melbourne Town Hall Concert.The Vandersluys-Kelly Collection of photographs, costumes and musical performance memorabilia was donated to the Kew Historical Society by Robin Denise Kelly in 2018. The collection is an important record of stage and recorded performances in Australia in the second half of the 20th century. This new nationally-focused and artistically significant collection augments and contextualises the local performing arts materials in our collection. Performance programme inscribed to Robin (Kelly) and signed by Cleo Lane and John Dankwoirth. robin kelly, performing arts - victoria - australia, cleo lane, john dankworth

Robin Kelly was born Robin Vandersluys in Mary Street, Kew. As a child, she sang in backyard concerts run with her brother, Leslie. The family moved to Deepdene in 1949 and Robin joined church and school choirs. Later she was to study classical singing with Stella Power, modern singing with Jack White, TV Presentation with Natalie Raine of Crawford Productions and acting/singing with Jessie Matthews. Following her victory in a talent quest at the Orama Ballroom, she was invited to join the Orama Big Band with singers Harry Cox and Arlene Forrest. She also sang with the Kerm Jones Jazz Band at Power House and with Frank Johnson's Jazz Band at Jazz Junction. Robin became resident band vocalist at the historic Federal Hotel in Collins Street with the Rudi Laquer Trio. She also sang at The Savoy Plaza with the George Cadman Trio. A year later she became resident vocalist at the Ress Oriental Hotel with the Lennie Holmes Trio. Later, Robin married pianist Peter Jones, singing under the name 'Robin Vanser' in clubs in Sydney and regional New South Wales. She was booked for a Vietnam War tour and also sang in Tahiti. Returning to Melbourne, her agent booked her to appear in shows in Tasmania including West Point Casino and Melbourne country venues. Another agent, John Bishop, booked her to do floor shows in Melbourne, including Xmas Seasons at the Hampton Hotel where she entertained audiences with her comedy and audience participation routines. In 1971, Robin Kelly retired to run her Robin Hood Antiques business in Canterbury, during which time she was married to tenor Glenn Kelly. Later she joined Sing Australia Camberwell Choir, performing as a soloist at their Melbourne Town Hall Concert.The Vandersluys-Kelly Collection of photographs, costumes and musical performance memorabilia was donated to the Kew Historical Society by Robin Denise Kelly in 2018. The collection is an important record of stage and recorded performances in Australia in the second half of the 20th century. This new nationally-focused and artistically significant collection augments and contextualises the local performing arts materials in our collection. DVD of a performance by Sing Australia Canmberwell including a track featuring Robin Kelly singing Danny Boy.robin kelly, performing arts - victoria - australia, sing australia camberwell

Robin Kelly was born Robin Vandersluys in Mary Street, Kew. As a child, she sang in backyard concerts run with her brother, Leslie. The family moved to Deepdene in 1949 and Robin joined church and school choirs. Later she was to study classical singing with Stella Power, modern singing with Jack White, TV Presentation with Natalie Raine of Crawford Productions and acting/singing with Jessie Matthews. Following her victory in a talent quest at the Orama Ballroom, she was invited to join the Orama Big Band with singers Harry Cox and Arlene Forrest. She also sang with the Kerm Jones Jazz Band at Power House and with Frank Johnson's Jazz Band at Jazz Junction. Robin became resident band vocalist at the historic Federal Hotel in Collins Street with the Rudi Laquer Trio. She also sang at The Savoy Plaza with the George Cadman Trio. A year later she became resident vocalist at the Ress Oriental Hotel with the Lennie Holmes Trio. Later, Robin married pianist Peter Jones, singing under the name 'Robin Vanser' in clubs in Sydney and regional New South Wales. She was booked for a Vietnam War tour and also sang in Tahiti. Returning to Melbourne, her agent booked her to appear in shows in Tasmania including West Point Casino and Melbourne country venues. Another agent, John Bishop, booked her to do floor shows in Melbourne, including Xmas Seasons at the Hampton Hotel where she entertained audiences with her comedy and audience participation routines. In 1971, Robin Kelly retired to run her Robin Hood Antiques business in Canterbury, during which time she was married to tenor Glenn Kelly. Later she joined Sing Australia Camberwell Choir, performing as a soloist at their Melbourne Town Hall Concert.The Vandersluys-Kelly Collection of photographs, costumes and musical performance memorabilia was donated to the Kew Historical Society by Robin Denise Kelly in 2018. The collection is an important record of stage and recorded performances in Australia in the second half of the 20th century. This new nationally-focused and artistically significant collection augments and contextualises the local performing arts materials in our collection. Print copy of an original performance photograph of Robin Vanser (Vandersluys) in performance at the Kew Civic [Town] Hall with Lennie Holmes FourKew Town Hall c.1963 | Robin Vanser (Vandersluys) | Lennie Holms Fourperforming arts - australia - 1960s, robin vanser, kew civic hall - kew town hall

Robin Kelly was born Robin Vandersluys in Mary Street, Kew. As a child, she sang in backyard concerts run with her brother, Leslie. The family moved to Deepdene in 1949 and Robin joined church and school choirs. Later she was to study classical singing with Stella Power, modern singing with Jack White, TV Presentation with Natalie Raine of Crawford Productions and acting/singing with Jessie Matthews. Following her victory in a talent quest at the Orama Ballroom, she was invited to join the Orama Big Band with singers Harry Cox and Arlene Forrest. She also sang with the Kerm Jones Jazz Band at Power House and with Frank Johnson's Jazz Band at Jazz Junction. Robin became resident band vocalist at the historic Federal Hotel in Collins Street with the Rudi Laquer Trio. She also sang at The Savoy Plaza with the George Cadman Trio. A year later she became resident vocalist at the Ress Oriental Hotel with the Lennie Holmes Trio. Later, Robin married pianist Peter Jones, singing under the name 'Robin Vanser' in clubs in Sydney and regional New South Wales. She was booked for a Vietnam War tour and also sang in Tahiti. Returning to Melbourne, her agent booked her to appear in shows in Tasmania including West Point Casino and Melbourne country venues. Another agent, John Bishop, booked her to do floor shows in Melbourne, including Xmas Seasons at the Hampton Hotel where she entertained audiences with her comedy and audience participation routines. In 1971, Robin Kelly retired to run her Robin Hood Antiques business in Canterbury, during which time she was married to tenor Glenn Kelly. Later she joined Sing Australia Camberwell Choir, performing as a soloist at their Melbourne Town Hall Concert.The Vandersluys-Kelly Collection of photographs, costumes and musical performance memorabilia was donated to the Kew Historical Society by Robin Denise Kelly in 2018. The collection is an important record of stage and recorded performances in Australia in the second half of the 20th century. This new nationally-focused and artistically significant collection augments and contextualises the local performing arts materials in our collection. Print copy of an original performance photograph of Robin Vanser (Vandersluys) in performance at the Kew Civic [Town] Hall with Lennie Holmes FourLennie Holmes Four | Kew Town Hall | c.1964 Kew Town Hallperforming arts - australia - 1960s, robin vanser, kew civic hall - kew town hall

A shovel shaped sugar spoon with an enamelled badge attached to the end of the handle consisting of a black bowl with a white dot above a black bib with an old English K with Kew Bowling Club on a red curved band below.Kew Bowling Club Pitcher EPNS Melbtrophies, souvenir spoons, kew bowling club - wellington street - kew (vic), kew bowling club

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. 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. Nixon NV 1980, The History of the Kew Bowling Club 1880-1980. 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.President's Collar used as an insignia of office, comprised of a fabric band in the colours of the Kew Bowling Club, covered with club badges and with a decorative bowling ball attached. [The item is part of the large historic Kew Bowling Club collection (1880-1988) gifted to the Kew Historical Society in 2020].kew bowling club - wellington street - kew (vic), clubs - lawn bowls - kew (vic), insignia of office

Lily and William Wishart lived during this period in 'Noranook', Fernhurst grove, Kew. There are numerous contemporary accounts of the social and civic activities of Lily Wishart as mayoress of Kew. In a description of a 'Mayoral At Home' in the Kew Recreation Hall, a report in The Australasian (10 Aug 1907, p.46) described the event thus: MAYORAL AT HOME In the Kew Recreation-hall on Thursday evening the Mayor and Mrs. W. Wishart gave an at home to between two and three hundred guests. ... Prior to the musical programme, the mayor and mayoress held a reception, standing on a dais at one side of the room. Mrs. Wishart was gowned in black glace silk, trimmed with handsome lace applique, and she wore a cream Maltese lace scarf over her shoulders, and held a bouquet of cardinal carnations.' This may be the dress in the collection. Another interesting and relevant report is an account in The Argus (19 March 1907, p.6): 'WOMEN'S WORK EXHIBITION The mayoress of Kew (Mrs. W. Wishart) invited the ladies of the district to meet in the mayor's room, town-hall, Kew, at half past 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, to consider steps to be taken locally in support of the proposed Exhibition of Women's Work.'The dress is locally significant as the work of a skilled home-dressmaker in Kew, who was also a leading civic figure in the municipality. One tends to think of amateur dressmakers as women who could not afford to purchase clothes from a retailer. Clearly, 'women's work' and the skills that educated and wealthy women acquired in the period allowed them to fashion their own garments.Full length evening dress in four parts. Undergarments include two items: a basic black silk petticoat and an upper black silk slip, the latter with two bands of ruffles. The lace dress is in two parts: a bodice and a skirt. The black, high-necked bodice is constructed of silk organza to which guipure lace has been extensively applied. The bodice has long puffed sleeves, gathered on the forearm to form a wide band of lace and ribbon at the wrist. The skirt is constructed of the same black fabric with descending bands of gathered black silk ribbon, used as ornamentation. The skirt also features a long train. Apart from the donor information about its provenance, the style of the dress can confidently be dated to the period 1900-1910. The dress was made and worn to civic functions by Mrs Lily Wishart, Mayoress of Kew in 1906-7. Earlier items belonging to William and Lily Wishart entered the collection as early as 2002. The dress was donated by a descendant of a friend of Lily Wishart in 2020. The photograph of the dress and its components attached to the record needed to be digitally enhanced so that details of the dress could be viewed online, as the fabric of the dress is an intense black. A physical assessment of the dress is included in the condition report.fashion & design collection - kew historical society, australian fashion - 1900s, evening dresses, lily clara wishart, fashion design, fashion -- 1900s

The Fashion & Design collection of Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants' clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. While the collection includes some examples of international fashion, most items were handmade or purchased in Melbourne. White cotton cutwork camisole. Tape insert around waist, ribbon insert around neckline. Front and back have a band of hand worked cutwork leaf sprays, as do the sleeves. The neckline is round. The garment is short sleevedlace, women's clothing, australian fashion

The Fashion & Design collection of Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants' clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. While the collection includes some examples of international fashion, most items were handmade or purchased in Melbourne. Tenerife lace (calado canario) is one of the traditional industries of the Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa. It uses drawn work embroidery.Canary Island Tenerife lace blouse. The blouse is decorated with bands of drawn thread lace of two widths at the waist line. There are two bands of wide lace featuring two circular motifs and two simple narrow bands. The neckline is decorated with two bands of the wide lace and three bands of the narrow lace. There is a single button opening at both sides of the necklinefashion and textiles collection - kew historical society, lace, women's clothing, blouse, tenerife lace

The Fashion & Design collection of Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants' clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. While the collection includes some examples of international fashion, most items were handmade or purchased in Melbourne. Camisole comprised of three types of machine lace and an embroidered cotton joined together to form a fabric and backed with fine netting. There is a band of narrow lace at the square neckline, this is attached to a band of insertion lace with ribbon holes and then wide bands of insertion lace. At the upper midriff level there is a band of lace interspersed with embroidered butterflies. Garment is buttoned at the front.lace, women's clothing, lingerie, underwear, undergarments, chemisettes

Hugh George Ferguson was born in June 1900 in Williamstown. After his family moved to Kew, they lived in Fernhurst Grove while his future wife’s family lived in Fellows Street. He married in 1940 and subsequently joined the Second AIF. In 1945, he was reported to be the ACF (Australian Comforts Fund) Commissioner in Borneo [Kalimantan]. After the Second World War, he worked as a Billeting Affairs Organiser for the Dutch Government, resettling migrants in Australia. He also worked in advertising as an account manager, and as campaign director for Arthur Rylah in Victorian politics. He directed the first major trade fairs at the Royal Exhibition Buildings after the Second World War, including ‘Australia Makes It Exhibition’ in 1947, the ‘Australian Industrial Fair’ in 1949 and 1950, the ‘Modern Home Exhibition’ in 1949, and ‘Made in Australia’ in 1952. The funds raised during the latter were earmarked for a ‘bankrupt’ Queen Victoria Hospital. He built a home in Brougham Street and represented North Ward on Kew Council from 1952 to 1968. He was elected Mayor in 1959. Hugh Ferguson died in 1975, aged 75. He was buried on 2 September in Grave 201, Special (Non- Denominational) Compartment A, Boroondara General Cemetery.City of Kew identification badge issued to sitting councillors. The City of Kew cost is surrounded by a blue enamel band with City of Kew Council picked out in gold cloisonné.Front: City of Kew to top, Crest in middle with Council below Rear: Cr H. G. Ferguson 27-8-1955mayors of kew - cr hg ferguson, kew council, city of kew

The Fashion & Design collection of Kew Historical Society includes examples of textiles dating from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Some of the textiles, were used as items of clothing, others as items of household decoration, or simply as travel souvenirs. These textiles were created both domestically and internationally. Predictably with the growth of an ethnically and culturally more diverse community in Kew after the Second World War, textiles, clothing and objects in the collection inevitably reflected this diversity. Cream crocheted bodice with pearl buttons. A net band has been attached at the waistline to facilitate the garment being tucked in. There are some machine made elements hand tacked on but the garment is mainly hand made. Most of the garment is diamond mesh with picot. The yoke is crotchet mesh with applied daisy motifs. Large daffodils and daisy motifs are applied to the main body of the garmentlace, women's clothing

The Fashion & Design collection of Kew Historical Society includes examples of textiles dating from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Some of the textiles, were used as items of clothing, others as items of household decoration, or simply as travel souvenirs. These textiles were created both domestically and internationally. Predictably with the growth of an ethnically and culturally more diverse community in Kew after the Second World War, textiles, clothing and objects in the collection inevitably reflected this diversity. Curved white cotton band with pin tucked rectangular inset front and back. It curves downward to enable the two bobbin lace panels to hang downwards. Has four crotched buttons. The stiches used are plait stitch, cloth stitch, and mesh stitch.lace, women's clothing

The Fashion & Design collection of Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants' clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. While the collection includes some examples of international fashion, most items were handmade or purchased in Melbourne.Black hostess apron created from a black silk southeast asian textile featuring a stylised woven band of red, black and gold silk. The fabric is gathered at the waist. The strap includes a black silk tassel. clothing - women's, aprons, protective wear, fashion design, fashion -- 1960s

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories.Heavy woollen cape designed by Prue Acton. The cape is tied at the front and features a wide band of woollen fabric simulating a collar.Label: "Prue Acton"prue acton, capes, outerwear, fashion design, fashion -- 1980s

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. 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. Nixon NV 1980, The History of the Kew Bowling Club 1880-1980. 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.Framed and glazed part uniform of the Kew Bowling Club with the original club colours of tie and hat band, worn by A.D. (Doug) Taylor. [The item is part of the historic Kew Bowling Club collection (1880-1988) gifted to the Kew Historical Society in 2020].kew bowling club - wellington street - kew (vic), clubs - lawn bowls - kew (vic), sports - uniforms

Marion “Annie” (Cooper) Harrison, a milliner by trade, designed and made women’s hats, initially in the 1940s in High Street, and later in the 1950s and 60s at 5 Princess Street. The hats were constructed upstairs in her shop in Princes Street while the ground floor was reserved for sales and display. She employed other milliners to assist but always ran the showroom herself. Hectic periods were in the weeks before the big racing carnivals when the many wealthy race-goers of Kew kept her busy. She typically walked to her business as she and her husband, Fred Harrison, lived locally. Annie died in April 2016, at the great age of 107 years. Her hats are held in local and national collections.Local significanceBlue banded conical hat with cream flowers and green leaves at front and on top by Anne Harrison of KewLabel: "Anne Harrison of Kew"anne harrison of kew, hats, headwear, milliners -- kew (vic.)