As Australia had not yet commenced production of adaptive items for the low vision and blindness community, many were purchased directly from the Royal National Institute for the Blind in London. This price list shows the variety of products on offer and the costs involved for each. Bankers cheques or money orders were required to send payment to the UK, and there was a range of games, tools and living aids as well as Braille equipment on offer.12 page booklet of items and prices assistive devices, royal national institute for the blind

In 1994 the Association for the Blind began to use the phrase 'New beginnings' to signify a shift in the way that work was undertaken. Some new signage was created with this in mind, and this sign has 'New beginnings' and the Association for the Blind symbol of a square (filled with horizontal lines crossed by two diagonal lines), in black and blue and a circle in the middle with lines inside it. This sign was previously situated on the wall of the conference room at Kooyong in the Vision Resource Centre.1 plastic sign with AFB logoAssociation for the Blind New Beginningsassociation for the blind, signs

Article on the creation of a Vision Impaired Guide to the Old Melbourne Gaol, launched by Dr Denis Napthine, Minister for Youth and Community Services. The guide was put together by the National Trust with the invaluable assistance of the Association for the Blind, who also provided a training program to Gaol staff. At the launch are pictured: Diana Gardiner, Marjorie West, Dr Denis Napthine, Neil Maxwell, Val Silverberg, Simon Molesworth and Carole Grace.1 page with black and white photographnon-fictionneil maxwell, association for the blind, national trust of victoria, marjorie west

Annual report providing overview of activities and achievements including: launch of the Life Ready program and Big Visions book series, departure of Andrew Moffat as director and Chair, acknowledgement of Dorothy Hamilton's 40 year involvement with AFB/VAF/VA, partnership with ACMI to conduct audio-described tours, expansion of Seeing Eye Dogs in NSW, and held 100K Your Way and Bay of Fires trek fundraising campaigns.1 volume with illustrations providing overview of organisational achievementsvision australia, corporation records, alessandra dimarco, andrew moffat, ron hooton, bill jolley, graeme craig, natalie kaine, sekinda senan, dorothy hamilton, ellie hudson, craig shanahan, matt formston, sam rai, alex lonsdale, jacqui birchall, bill shorten, chris edwards, john barlow, nicola cotton, rolf geerlings, kylie gersch, abi howes, jess mckenzie, ashleigh reeves, koa reeves, jake reeves

Articles in annual report include: President's report, finance report, auditor's report, balance sheet, nursing homes, social work, rehabilitation, low vision clinic, honorary services, auxiliary income, blind members, sport and recreation, life governors. There are reports on launch of the Guiding Light Appeal, purchase of land near Elanora, Kelaston extensions and a property secured at Geelong as well as the awarding of Elsie Henderson's MBE.1 printed volume with illustrationsassociation for the blind, corporation records, henry bolte, rohan delacombe, john taylor, arthur wilkins, bruce small, hubert opperman, john wicking

Matilda (Tilly Aston), was a blind Australian writer and teacher, who founded the Victorian Association of Braille Writers, and later went on to establish the Association for the Advancement of the Blind. Born in Carisbrook, Victoria in 1873, she was the youngest of eight children born to bootmaker Edward Aston, and his wife, Ann. Tillu was vision-impaired from birth, and totally blind by the age of 7. The memorial was built by the Midlands Historical Society in 1970.Colour photograph of a Memorial to Tilly Aston.carisbrook, church, tilly aston, matilda aston

Portrait of Hans and Letitia Hecht with a description of the Trust they founded. Between them is a page outlining the work of the Trust they established. The description reads: "H. & L. Hecht Trust. Thanks for Sharing Our Vision. The Association for the Blind thanks the H. & L. Hecht Trust for their generous support of our Western Metropolitan Regional Low Vision Clinic. The trust was established by the late Hans Hecht, an immigrant from Germany who arrived in Australia in 1900. He married Letitia Robinson in 1911. A successful importer and manufacturer, he set up the H. & L. Hecht Trust to give something back to the community for the help he and his wife had received. Hans Hecht died in Melbourne in 1965, aged 84. Letitia died two years later aged 87. Their kindness lives on in the support which their trust has given for the work of the Association for the Blind through their trustees: Mr D W Rogers, Sir Peter Derham, Perpetual Trustees Victoria Limited."2 black and white photographs with central panel of text in grey frame association for the blind, h & l hecht trust

Plaque commemorating the opening of the Dickinson Centre, named in honour of Harold and Mercy Dickinson, both totally blind since childhood, who never let challenges stand in their way. Mercy was the first woman who was blind to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Queensland, and received her Masters Degree in the Education of Blind People with Additional Handicaps in New York, and an Honorary Doctorate for Education from the University of Queensland in 1994. Mercy and Harold established the Queensland Training and Placement Centre for the Blind, the first establishment of its kind in Queensland. Harold, who was a prolific writer, was appointed the Director and Mercy was the first volunteer at the Centre. Together they gave a lifetime of dedication and commitment ensuring that people who were blind or had low vision had the same opportunities as those with sight. The Centre later merged with other organisations and in 2006 became part of Vision Australia. The second plaque provides a background to how Harold and Mercy met, and their roles in expanding the the opportunities for everyone around them.Rectangular metal plate with inscriptionThe Dickinson Centre This refurbished centre was Officially opened on 9 November 1990 by The Hon. Ben Humphreys M.H.R. Federal Member for Griffith and Minister for Veterans Affairs and Blessed by Br. Alan Barnabas S.S.F. So named by the QLD Foundation for Blind People Inc (Est. 1956) to Honour The Contribution Made by Harold and Mercy Dickinson 1990 Committee of Management Don Cameron President Mercy Dickinson Vice President Rex Stevens Secretary Moira Solomon Treasurer Del Donaldson Bruce Miller Bob Faulconbridge Justice Bill Pincus Jenny Finch Ken Scells Garry Macdonald Kevin Standish Ian Stewart David Henderson Patron: His Excellency The Governor of QLD Sir Walter Campbell A.C. Q.C.queensland foundation for blind people, nameplates, harold dickinson, mercy dickinson