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

A wooden racquet with a solid, convex throat and grooved handle. Decal logo on throat on obverse comprises of a winged ball, with inscription: VICTOR/.../SPORTING GOODS CO. Decal inscription across throat on reverse: CLUB. Illegible, hand carved monogram across right side of handle. Materials: Wood, Gut, Metal, Glue, Lacquer, String, Leather, Inktennis

A wooden racquet with a solid, convex throat, painted orange, and grooved handle. Decal logo on throat on obverse comprises of a winged ball, with inscription: VICTOR/.../SPORTING GOODS CO. Decal inscription across throat on reverse: CLUB. Materials: Wood, Gut, Metal, Glue, Lacquer, String, Leather, Ink, Painttennis

A wooden racquet with a solid, convex throat, painted orange, and grooved handle. Decal logo on throat on obverse comprises of a winged ball, with inscription: VICTOR/.../SPORTING GOODS CO. Decal inscription across throat on reverse: CLUB. Materials: Wood, Gut, Metal, Glue, Lacquer, String, Leather, Ink, Painttennis

A Slazenger P.M.instructional racquet, with red and white decoration. Decal on throat on obverse: PM. Instructions feature on base of racquet head, on both sides, and along right side of handle. Inscription along left side: SPECIALLY MADE BY SLAZENGERS IN CONSULTATION WITH FRED PERRY/WORLD CHAMPION, AND DAN MASKELL COACH, ALL ENGLAND CLUB WIMBLEDON. Partly legible decal of retailer features on throat on reverse. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Paint, Ribbon, Leather, Adhesive tape, Ink, Guttennis

A wooden racquet with white, red, and blue paint work, featuring the Slazenger panther emblem on the throat, on both sides. Inscription from head to handle, on both sides: SLAZENGER/3/JUNIOR CLUB. Inscription along right side of stem: SLAZENGER JUNIOR CLUB 3. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Metal, Glue, Lacquer, Synthetic material, Ink, Ribbon, Paint, Plastictennis

A MacGregorTourney-I tennis racquet, with string whipping around shoulders and throat, leather handle grip with X-formation perforations, and, two steel golf club shafts between the wooden head and handle, acting as the shaft. MacGregor logo features across throat (with gold crown device), top of handle, and plastic butt cap (with 'M' trademark). Model name features across base of racquet head, flanked by two gold crown devices: -COURT- TOURNEY-I -SUPER-. Materials: Wood, Leather, Nylon, String, Ink, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Fibreglass, Painttennis

A MacGregorTourney-I tennis racquet, with string whipping around shoulders and throat, leather handle grip with X-formation perforations, and, two steel golf club shafts between the wooden head and handle, acting as the shaft. MacGregor logo features across throat (with gold crown device), top of handle, and plastic butt cap (with 'M' trademark). Model name features across base of racquet head, flanked by two gold crown devices: -COURT- TOURNEY-I -SUPER-. Materials: Wood, Leather, Nylon, String, Ink, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Fibreglass, Painttennis

A Wright and Ditson "The Club" tilt-top tennis racquet, with: solid, convex throat; smooth, rounded handle; and leather end wrap and butt cover. Inscription across crown and throat on obverse: "THE CLUB"/WRIGHT & DITSON/BOSTON. Materials: Wood, Gut, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Leathertennis

A Spalding 'Union Club' flat-top tennis racquet, featuring: solid concave throat; bevelled head; and fine-grooved, slender octagonal handle. Model name, and Spalding logo within ball trademark impressed across throat on obverse. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Guttennis

A Spalding transitional flat-top tennis racquet, featuring: solid convex throat; and, rare handle with baseball club butt. Decal of Spalding logo in wreathed ball trademark features on throat on obverse. Decal of model name features across crown, but is illegible. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Ink, Guttennis

A Spalding wood tennis racquet, featuring concave throat & fine-grooved octagonal wooden handle. Stamp on throat states: 'FRANK LAFFORGUE/YALE/CLUB/NEW YORK CITY'. Writing on side of shaft states: 'MAN'F G'D BY A.G. SPALDING & BROS/FOR FRANK LAFFORGUE/YALE CLUB'. Has a leather end wrap and tape reinforcements on shoulders .. Non-original suede wrapped around hand grip & held in place with metal nails. Materials: Wood, Metal, Lacquer, Glue, Gut, Ink, String, Leather, Cloth tapetennis

A Spalding wood tennis racquet, featuring concave throat & fine-grooved octagonal wooden handle. Stamp on obverse throat states: 'J.H. DYSON/RACQUET/CLUB/ST.LOUIS'. Stamp on reverse throat is a logo comprised of letters 'RC'. Writing on side of shaft states: 'MAN'F G'D BY A.G. SPALDING & BROS'. Has a leather end wrap and tape reinforcements on shoulders. Materials: Wood, Metal, Lacquer, Glue, Vinyl, Ink, String, Leather, Cloth tapetennis

A Spalding wood tennis racquet, featuring concave throat & fine-grooved octagonal wooden handle. Stamp on obverse throat states: 'J.H. DYSON/RACQUET/CLUB/ST.LOUIS'. Stamp on reverse throat is a logo comprised of letters 'RC'. Writing on side of shaft states: 'MAN'F G'D BY A.G. SPALDING & BROS'. Has a leather end wrap and tape reinforcements on shoulders. Materials: Wood, Metal, Lacquer, Glue, Vinyl, Ink, String, Leather, Cloth tapetennis

A Spalding 'Johnny Lamb' tennis racquet, with whipping around shoulders and shaft, and a plain leather handle grip. Model name features across throat on obverse; logo of the Valley Hunt Club features on throat on reverse. Latin American version of Spalding ball trademark features on shaft (i.e. MARCA REGISTRADA/SPALDING). Materials: Wood, Glue, Metal, Lacquer, Nylon, Leather, Ink, Paint, String, Ribbontennis

A Slazenger Panther Club Junior squash racquet. Racquet primarily comprises of a frame made from a singular piece of tubular metal, secured by a plastic bridge across the throat, and the hardened plastic handle below. Materials: Metal, Plastic, Synthetic material, Ink, Nylon, Enameltennis

A Slazenger Panther Club squash racquet. Racquet primarily comprises of a frame made from a singular piece of tubular metal, secured by a plastic bridge across the throat, and the hardened plastic handle below. Materials: Metal, Plastic, Synthetic material, Ink, Nylontennis

A Slazenger Panther Club squash racquet (1), with vinyl cover (2). Racquet primarily comprises of a frame made from a singular piece of tubular metal, secured by a plastic bridge across the throat, and the hardened plastic handle below. Materials: Metal, Plastic, Synthetic material, Ink, Nylon, Vinyl, Synthetic material, Ink, Plastic, Metaltennis

A Slazenger Panther Club squash racquet. Racquet primarily comprises of a frame made from a singular piece of tubular metal, secured by a plastic bridge across the throat, and the hardened plastic handle below. Materials: Metal, Plastic, Synthetic material, Ink, Nylontennis

A Slazenger Panther Club squash racquet. Racquet primarily comprises of a frame made from a singular piece of tubular metal, secured by a plastic bridge across the throat, and the hardened plastic handle below. Materials: Metal, Plastic, Synthetic material, Ink, Nylontennis

A Dunlop Club, wood/composite squash racquet, with string whipping around shoulders, and cotton handle grip, still sealed in original plastic wrap. Materials: Wood, Composite Materials, Nylon, Ink, String, Adhesive tape, Cotton, Plastic, Lacquer, Gluetennis

Two Dunlop Club 2, wood/composite squash racquets, with string whipping around shoulders, and cotton handle grip, still sealed in original plastic wrap. Materials: Wood, Composite Materials, Nylon, Ink, String, Adhesive tape, Cotton, Plastic, Lacquer, Gluetennis

A 'Club' wooden squash racquet with string whipping over cloth tape reinforced shoulders, and a leather handle grip, wrapped over cotton padding. Inscription across butt cover: MADE IN/BRITISH/INDIA. Materials: Wood, Gut, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Leather, String, Ink, Cotton, Cloth tapetennis

A Bussey Club badminton racquet, with grooved handle grip. Impressed model name across throat, and manufacturer's name along shaft, on obverse. Materials: Wood, Gut, Leather, Glue, Lacquer, Metaltennis

A club-shaped solid wood bat, used for striking a hard ball exclusively across one face. Handle end has a small crooked butt for sturdier grip. Along the right side of bat is a number - either 1850 or 1650. Materials: Woodtennis

Sliding box case containing a complete deck of '"Tennis Girl" Society Series Fancyback Whist Size No. 1001' playing cards. Back of all cards features a two-tone (purple & white) image of a girl with a racquet and ball. Enclosed card indicates deck as 'American Beauty Club Edition' Materials: Cardboard, Ink, Papertennis

Silver trophy. Inscr: 'CORONADO COUNTRY CLUB/GENTLEMEN'S SINGLES/AUGUST 1919/CLIFTON B. HERD'. On base: 'STERLING 1376'. Materials: Silver/Metaltennis

Silver prize cup. Inscr front: 'RUNNER UP/WESTERN TENNIS CHAMIONSHIP/MEN'S SINGLES/SKOKIE COUNTRY CLUB/1929/WON BY/E. VINES'. Stamped on base: 'INTERNATIONAL STERLING...B71'. Materials: Silver/Metaltennis

Silver trophy Inscr front: 'METROPOLITAN/INTERCLUB TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP/THE EASTERN LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION/1929/WON BY/NEW YORK ATHLETIC CLUB'. 14 names etched into back of trophy. Stamped on base: '081' and manufacturer. Materials: Silver/Metaltennis

Silver prize dish. Inscr: 'WRIGHT-RAINVILLE-MARTIN-NUNNS/MELDRUM-CAPTAIN/DAVIS CUP TIE/CANADA/VS/UNITED STATES/CHEVY CHASE CLUB/WASHINGTON/1932/PRENTICE-CAPTAIN/VINES-ALLISON-VAN RYN/SHIELDS'. Materials: Silver/Metal, Enameltennis