The Merle Bush Trefoil Guild was registered in Bendigo on 18/06/1981.The decision to disband the Merle Bush Trefoil Guild was made at a General Meeting on 17/02/2016. The group agreed to continue as the Merle Bush Friendship Group. The Australian Trefoil Guilds connect women who are either actively involved in Girl Guiding or have a history with Girl Guiding. The purpose of a Trefoil Guild is to keep alive the spirit of the Promise and Law, carry this spirit into the community and to give support Guiding.Document One - Order of Service for Lady Olave Baden Powell. Document two- Supplement to Matilda August 1977 titled "Gone Home"Church of St Paul Bendigo Memorial Service for Lady Olave Baden Powell British Chief Guide 1918 - 1930 World Chief Guide 1930 -1977girl guides, guiding, merle bush, trefoil guild

Ordsall, renamed Southesk in the 20th century was built for John Halfey in or before 1865. The house was rebuilt in the 1870s to designs by architect Michael Hennessy. In 1882 the house was redecorated by the firm of Culls Hill & Co., who hired the artists 'Mr Vandenbrandt' and 'Signor Rizzi" to paint the ceilings of the ballroom and the drawingroom. The artistic triumph was described in detail in The Argus, 30 October, 1882. In 1947, Southesk was purchased by the Kew City Council. For 23 years it was used as a meeting place for community groups. The house was then demolished in 1970 to make way for a new Town Hall.This is the earliest known photograph of Ordsall / South Esk, a significant mansion in Kew, built for John Halfey and now demolishedMembers of the Kew Congregational Church in front of one of the verandas of Southesk, circa 1900.congregational church - kew (vic), south esk - south esk - ordsall - kew (vic)

The Kew Presbyterian Church was located in Cotham Road, Kew on the corner of Highbury Grove. The Church Hall was located next door in Highbury Grove. On amalgamating with the Uniting Church the buildings became redundant and are now the Kew Chinese Baptist Church.Original photograph from the 1930s that records the kinds of social and spiritual actions of church goers in Kew. Group photograph of participants in a fancy dress social at the Kew Presbyterian Church Hall in 1922. It is believed that the group was the Young Men's Bible Class who held this event annually. The Society has photographs of the event in 1922 and 1925.Later hand: "Masked Fancy Dress Social, Kew Presbyterian Hall, November 1922"presbyterian church - kew (vic), kew presbyterian church - young men's bible class, churches - social activities - 1920s

The Kew Presbyterian Church was located in Cotham Road, Kew on the corner of Highbury Grove. The Church Hall was located next door in Highbury Grove. On amalgamating with the Uniting Church the buildings became redundant and are now the Kew Chinese Baptist Church.Original photograph from the 1930s that records the kinds of social and spiritual actions of church goers in Kew.Group photograph of young men in attendance at a fancy dress social at the Kew Presbyterian Church Hall in 1925. The photo would indicate that the event was a young men only event. The Society has photographs of the event in 1922 and 1925.Later hand: "1925. Annual Fancy Dress Social. Kew Presbyterian Young Men's Bible Class"presbyterian church - kew (vic), kew presbyterian church - young men's bible class, churches - social activities - 1920s

The Melbourne artist Alma Agnes Marion Figuerola, was the daughter of Juan Pedro Narciso Figuerola (1869-1919) and Alice Lucinda Walker Hanson (1889-1969). Each of their three daughters grew up to be involved in the arts: Alma as a painter; Carmen Irene (1906-1993) as a short story writer, poet and teacher of dancing; and Sylvia (also Silvia) Lyla Alice (1911-1992) as a composer and cellist. The first art lessons Alma Figuerola received were with Oscar Binder. Later she attended the art school established by the Melbourne 'tonalist' [Duncan] Max Meldrum (1875-1955). She graduated from his school in 1920, participating in her first group exhibition in the same year. Solo exhibitions of her work were to be held in 1933 at the Meldrum Gallery in Elizabeth Street, in 1937 and 1945 at the Athenaeum Gallery at 188 Collins Street, and in 1951 at Georges Gallery in Collins Street. Throughout her extensive career she participated in group exhibitions, usually with artists of the Meldrum School, and as a member of the Twenty Melbourne Painters, of which she was invited to become an associate in 1935. In 1953, her portrait of Professor ES Hills was entered in the Archibald Prize Competition of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. A resident of Kew from the 1930s - 51 Studley Park Road, often with her mother, her sister Carmen, or both - from c.1942 until her death she lived at 'D’Estaville', 7 Barry Street. From the late 1930s she is recorded as actively contributing to the arts at a local level. In 1939 and 1940 she participated in art exhibitions at the Hawthorn Municipal Library organised by Jessie Carbines. From 1944 to 1951 she co-organised successive Kew Arts Festivals, initially in the Presbyterian Church Hall in Highbury Grove and later at the Recreation Hall in Wellington Street. A foundation member of the Kew Historical Society in 1958, Alma Figuerola remained an active member of the Society until her death on 8 December 1970. She predeceased her two sisters who both died in the 1990s and who are buried at Andersons' Creek Cemetery in Warrandyte.An undated photograph of the dancer Robert Helpman with a group including his friend, Alma Figuerola, to his right.Reverse: "Robert Helpman Miss Figuerola" Also photographer's stamp: "Australian Consolidated Press - Feature - Copyright - Sydney Australiaarists - kew (vic), art exhibitions - kew (vic), sir robert menzies, alma figuerola

At the beginning of the 1890s, the Kew businessman and Town Councillor, Henry Kellett, commissioned J.F.C. Farquhar to photograph scenes of Kew. These scenes included panoramas as well as pastoral scenes. The resulting set of twelve photographs was assembled in an album, Kew Where We Live, from which customers could select images for purchase.The preamble to the album describes that the photographs used the ‘argentic bromide’ process, now more commonly known as the gelatine silver process. This form of dry plate photography allowed for the negatives to be kept for weeks before processing, hence its value in landscape photography. The resulting images were considered to be finely grained and everlasting. Evidence of the success of Henry Kellett’s venture can be seen today, in that some of the photographs are held in national collections.It is believed that the Kew Historical Society’s copy of the Kellett album is unique and that the photographs in the book were the first copies taken from the original plates. It is the first and most important series of images produced about Kew. The individual images have proved essential in identifying buildings and places of heritage value in the district.This panoramic view was probably taken from the roof of Xavier College. It invites the viewer to look down on the buildings and streets of Kew, and across to the distant horizon. Mansions and solid bourgeois villas dominate the view of Charles and Wellington Streets. The imposing spires of the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, built in one of the highest areas of Kew, can be seen in the distance. In the foreground, the photographer includes three significant mansions: Molina, Roxeth and Elsinore. Molina, in the foreground, and the group of weatherboard buildings in its yard was used at this stage for the privately operated ‘Kew High School’ (founded 1872). Roxeth, the home of Herbert Henty can be identified by its distinctive four-sided tower. All three buildings are now part of Trinity Grammar. Other built structures observable in the photograph include Wilton (now the Kew RSL), designed by Guyon Purchas for Dr William Walsh in 1886, and the only known image of the Prospect Hill Hotel prior to the renovation of 1935. Bird's Eye View Looking Northkew illustrated, kew where we live, photographic books, henry kellett

Digital copy of a photograph from a personal photograph album belonging to Judith Scurfield.Photograph of a group of girls in veils at a confirmation ceremony at St Hilary's Anglican Church, Kew on 14 September 1961confirmation ceremonies, st hilary's church - kew (vic)

Digital image of a confirmation group, taken from a photograph album belonging to Judith Scurfield.Group of young girls outside St Hilary's Church, Kew at a confirmation ceremonyst hilary's church - kew (vic)

Digital copy, made from an image in a personal photograph album belonging to Judith Scurfield. The album contains images a number of images (not all copied) which include Methodist Ladies' College, St Hilary's Church and the 6th Kew Guides.Group photograph of the 6th Kew Girl Guides at the Guide House, Yarra Junction, 19616th kew girl guides, guide house - yarra junction

Digital copy, made from an image in a personal photograph album belonging to Judith Scurfield. The album contains images a number of images (not all copied) which include Methodist Ladies' College, St Hilary's Church and the 6th Kew Guides.Group photograph 2nd, 6th and 7th Kew outside the Brownie Cottage, Yarra Junction, 19666th kew girl guides, 2nd kew girl guides, 7th kew girl guides, brownie cottage - yarra junction

James Robbie Mathers was born in Pleasant Creek [Stawell] in 1867 to James Allen Mathers, a storekeeper and former councillor. He was later to become a storekeeper in Gippsland and then at Heywood, near Portland. Following a move to Melbourne, he established a real estate business. He initially lived in Hawthorn, before moving his business to Kew where he traded as Mathers & McMillan, 136 Cotham Road, and later at 283 Burke Road. For a short time, the family resided at Landene, in Cotham Road. They were to finally move to Rosalea, in Dale Street, Deepdene. Following the death of Cr Henry Kellett in 1924, Mathers was elected unopposed as representative of College Ward. Elected Mayor in September 1930, he convened a meeting of citizens in the Town Hall in Walpole Street to form a local unemployment relief committee. His social initiatives included handing over council-owned premises in Brougham Street, the building re-purposed as a workshop for the unemployed, who were also granted free use of the Kew Municipal Baths. The Mayoress, Jean Mathers, set to work raising funds through charity balls, and also raised funds for St Anthony’s Orphanage in Wellington Street. James Robbie Mathers died on 8 April 1945. He was buried at Box Hill Cemetery. This rare civic testimonial is historically significant, especially locally, as it contains the signatures of all present councillors and parliamentarians representing the City of Kew as well as the names and signatures of leaders of local churches, schools, public officials and leaders of community groups.Boxed presentation folder and correspondence presented to the retiring Mayor of Kew, James Robbie Mather, in 1931. The book is leather bound with gilt lettering on the front. The 4 page testimonial includes and hand written statements about his contribution to Kew and its civic life. Other pages are signed by councillors, parliamentarians and community leaders.james robbie mathers, mayors of kew, civic testimonials