Original photograph of the Kew Centenary Ball in the new Kew Civic Hall in 1960. The photograph formed part of the collection of WHS Dickinson and was presented to the Kew Historical Society by his daughter in 2018. Original black and white photograph of the seated invited guests at the dinner celebrating the 100th anniversary of the declaration of Kew as an independent municipality. The point of view is from the south end of the building, looking towards the stage at the north end of the main hall. [Originally both halls could be separated or joined by concertina doors.] On the stage, centre, is from left Mr. W. Birrell [Town Clerk], Cr WHS Dickinson [the Mayor], and The Rt Hon Robert Menzies, MP for Kew and Prime Minister of Australia.cr whs dickinson - mayor of kew 1946-1947, civic events - kew (vic), centenary of kew (vic) - 1860-1960

Ron Setford and his wife Grace Setford lived in Tanner Avenue, East Kew, from c.1946 to c.1995. A keen photographer, he recorded the changing face of Kew over a 20 year period. Apart from 30 photographs of built structures and places in Kew dating from 1960 and 1961, 145 of his 35mm colour slides chronicle the development of the Eastern Freeway through the Yarra Valley over a five year period from c.1972 to c.1977. This important collection was donated to the Society by his granddaughter in 2025.This collection of 175 35mm slides is of local and statewide significance, owing to its subject matter, particularly the major development of road transport infrastructure during the 1970s with the construction of the Eastern Freeway. The photographer also took care to annotate and date most of his slides which enable the researcher to pinpoint temporal and spatial locations.The Kew City Hall in Cotham Road, designed by Harold Bartlett, was intended as the initial phase in a scheme to develop an entire civic precinct. This was representative of a widely-held belief, of the immediate post-war era, that a district's civic centre should be precisely that – not just a single grand building for official use, but a dedicated precinct providing a range of community facilities as well as an administrative function. The Kew masterplan was later abandoned. The City Hall was designed to cater for public or official functions. Its interior had a small stage at one end for intimate theatrical productions, a larger stage at the other (with sunken orchestra pit) for musical performances, plus the most up-to-date equipment for live TV transmission."Kew Town Hall"ron setford, photographs -- kew (vic.) -- 1960s, kew town hall

Ron Setford and his wife Grace Setford lived in Tanner Avenue, East Kew, from c.1946 to c.1995. A keen photographer, he recorded the changing face of Kew over a 20 year period. Apart from 30 photographs of built structures and places in Kew dating from 1960 and 1961, 145 of his 35mm colour slides chronicle the development of the Eastern Freeway through the Yarra Valley over a five year period from c.1972 to c.1977. This important collection was donated to the Society by his granddaughter in 2025.This collection of 175 35mm slides is of local and statewide significance, owing to its subject matter, particularly the major development of road transport infrastructure during the 1970s with the construction of the Eastern Freeway. The photographer also took care to annotate and date most of his slides which enable the researcher to pinpoint temporal and spatial locations.The Kew City Hall in Cotham Road, designed by Harold Bartlett, was intended as the initial phase in a scheme to develop an entire civic precinct. This was representative of a widely-held belief, of the immediate post-war era, that a district's civic centre should be precisely that – not just a single grand building for official use, but a dedicated precinct providing a range of community facilities as well as an administrative function. The Kew masterplan was later abandoned. The City Hall was designed to cater for public or official functions. Its interior had a small stage at one end for intimate theatrical productions, a larger stage at the other (with sunken orchestra pit) for musical performances, plus the most up-to-date equipment for live TV transmission.Nilron setford, photographs -- kew (vic.) -- 1960s, kew town hall

Ron Setford and his wife Grace Setford lived in Tanner Avenue, East Kew, from c.1946 to c.1995. A keen photographer, he recorded the changing face of Kew over a 20 year period. Apart from 30 photographs of built structures and places in Kew dating from 1960 and 1961, 145 of his 35mm colour slides chronicle the development of the Eastern Freeway through the Yarra Valley over a five year period from c.1972 to c.1977. This important collection was donated to the Society by his granddaughter in 2025.This collection of 175 35mm slides is of local and statewide significance, owing to its subject matter, particularly the major development of road transport infrastructure during the 1970s with the construction of the Eastern Freeway. The photographer also took care to annotate and date most of his slides which enable the researcher to pinpoint temporal and spatial locations.The Kew City Hall in Cotham Road, designed by Harold Bartlett, was intended as the initial phase in a scheme to develop an entire civic precinct. This was representative of a widely-held belief, of the immediate post-war era, that a district's civic centre should be precisely that – not just a single grand building for official use, but a dedicated precinct providing a range of community facilities as well as an administrative function. The Kew masterplan was later abandoned. The City Hall was designed to cater for public or official functions. Its interior had a small stage at one end for intimate theatrical productions, a larger stage at the other (with sunken orchestra pit) for musical performances, plus the most up-to-date equipment for live TV transmission.Nilron setford, photographs -- kew (vic.) -- 1960s, kew town hall