The commemorative booklet 'Our Invited Guests for the Opening of the First Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia : An open directory of the guests invited to Melbourne, May 9th 1901' lists invitees from each Australian State. The Misses Dowling are not on this list, however the booklet does list The Hon Thomas Dowling MLC, and his "lady" from Camperdown as well as Edwin Percy Dowling esq, Shire Secretary of Camperdown. Perhaps the Misses Dowling were part of this family. While not invited to the opening of Parliament on the 9th, the guest list for later events may have been extended on other occasions.The document design has artistic and aesthetic merit. While it is not rare, it is representative of the kinds of formal designs used for the Australian Commonwealth celebrations at the time of Federation, and is in excellent condition. Such items as this invitation have local, state and national historic significance as mementoes of a key moment in Australia's history. An invitation on card to the Misses Dowling to attend an evening reception at the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, on 9 May 1901, to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall as part of the celebrations of the opening of the first Federal Parliament. A figure of Britannia, in red dress and mailed vest holding a shield like the Union Jack, is on the left of the invitation; she reaches out her hand towards a younger female figure, representing Australia, who is dressed in blue and holds a shield which is white with a blue cross decorated with stars. The writing is on a scroll in the centre of the certificate, and there is a border of vines and vine leaves. The royal crest is at the base of the certificate.Printed on a banner across the top: 'IN CELEBRATION / OF THE / OPENING / PARLIAMENT of the COMMONWEALTH / OF AUSTRALIA' Printed below the banner: 'To meet Their Royal Highness / the DUKE and DUCHESS of CORNWALL & / YORK / His Majesty's / MINISTERS OF STATE FOR AUSTRALIA / have the honor to invite / [handwritten] The Misses Dowling / to an Evening Reception at the / Exhibition Building MELBOURNE, / on the 9th of May 1901, at 8 o'clock'.federation events - victoria, australian federation 1901, misses dowling - kew, royal visits, federation events - victoria, australain federation 1901, misses dowling, royal visits, melbourne exhibition building

The commemorative booklet 'Our Invited Guests for the Opening of the First Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia : An open directory of the guests invited to Melbourne, May 9th 1901' lists invitees from each Australian State. Mr & Mrs. J. M. Campbell are on this list, and recoded as residing at "Ramornie" 40 Pakington Street, Kew.The document design has artistic and aesthetic merit. While it is not rare, it is representative of the kinds of formal designs used for the Australian Commonwealth celebrations at the time of Federation, and is in excellent condition. Such items as this invitation have local, state and national historic significance as mementoes of a key moment in Australia's history. Locally, the invitation is part of a group of Federation-related items issued to James Maitland Campbell (and his wife). Campbell was three times mayor of Kew in the second half of the 19th Century and the owner of Ramornie in Pakington Street, one of the significant extant mansions in Kew.An invitation on card to Mr. & Mrs J. M. Campbell to attend an evening reception at the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, on 9 May 1901, to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall as part of the celebrations of the opening of the first Federal Parliament. A figure of Britannia, in red dress and mailed vest holding a shield like the Union Jack, is on the left of the invitation; she reaches out her hand towards a younger female figure, representing Australia, who is dressed in blue and holds a shield which is white with a blue cross decorated with stars. The writing is on a scroll in the centre of the certificate, and there is a border of vines and vine leaves. The royal crest is at the base of the certificate.Printed on a banner across the top: 'IN CELEBRATION / OF THE / OPENING / PARLIAMENT of the COMMONWEALTH / OF AUSTRALIA' Printed below the banner: 'To meet Their Royal Highness / the DUKE and DUCHESS of CORNWALL & / YORK / His Majesty's / MINISTERS OF STATE FOR AUSTRALIA / have the honor to invite / [handwritten] Mr. & Mrs J. M. Campbell / to an Evening Reception at the / Exhibition Building MELBOURNE, / on the 9th of May 1901, at 8 o'clock'.federation -- australia -- 1901, parliament -- australia, invitations -- 1901

The correspondent of the Argus on 10 May 1901 wrote: "The Parliament of the Commonwealth was opened yesterday by the Duke, of Cornwall and York, under a Commission signed by Queen Victoria and subsequently endorsed by King Edward VII. The ceremony was marked by the splendour and solemn impressiveness which befitted its historic importance. An immense assemblage of spectators, drawn mainly, of course, from this state, but in part also from each of the other federated states, and including representatives of other portions of the British Empire and of foreign powers, thronged the spacious, stately, and joyously decorated edifice. The picture was magnificent. It must have printed itself indelibly on the sensitive minds of the thousands of Australians who were privileged to behold it. We may assume that artists will reproduce it in worthy and imperishable forms, and that from generation to generation it will be familiar in the households of the Commonwealth. Our children's children, we may gladly say to-day, will not be ashamed of the function which inaugurated the self-governing rights of the southern British Nation. Nothing was omitted which could add to the grandeur and significance of the occasion. In a broad sense the proceedings were perfectly intelligible to the vast and sympathetic gathering, though the natural limits of a single human voice had to be accepted. The King's son, with his consort and the Governor-General and Lady Hopetoun by his side, and supported by the Governors of the states and other eminent personages, fulfilled his doubly-attested Commission with a simple dignity and a modest manliness altogether admirable. The ceremony was a brilliant spectacle, and, in its sentiment and suggestiveness, an inspiration to a loyal and patriotic people."The document design has artistic and aesthetic merit. While it is not rare, it is representative of the kinds of formal designs used for the Australian Commonwealth celebrations at the time of Federation, and is in excellent condition. Such items as this invitation have local, state and national historic significance as mementoes of a key moment in Australia's history. Locally, the invitation is part of a group of Federation-related items issued to James Maitland Campbell (and his wife). Campbell was three times mayor of Kew in the second half of the 19th Century and the owner of Ramornie in Pakington Street, one of the significant extant mansions in Kew.An invitation, mounted on card for Mr & Mrs James Maitland Campbell to an evening reception at the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, on 9 May 1901, to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall as part of the celebrations of the opening of the first Federal Parliament. A figure of Britannia, in red dress and mailed vest holding a shield like the Union Jack, is on the left of the invitation; she reaches out her hand towards a younger female figure, representing Australia, who is dressed in blue and holds a shield which is white with a blue cross decorated with stars. The writing is on a scroll in the centre of the certificate, and there is a border of vines and vine leaves. The royal crest is at the base of the certificate. James Maitland Campbell of ‘Ramornie’ in Pakington Street was mayor of Kew on three occasionsFront, printed. gold ink: "His Majesty's Ministers of State for the Commonwealth of Australia request the honour of the presence of / Mr & Mrs J. M. Campbell (handwritten) / In the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, on Thursday, 9th May, 1901, to witness / the Opening of the Parliament of the Commonwealth. / Edmund Barton / Prime Minister." Front, bottom left, printed: "The Young Queen / Her hand was still on her sword hilt - the spur was still on her heel ... (and further text) KIPLING'S COMMONWEALTH ODE."australia -- federation -- 1901, invitations, parliament -- opening -- 1901, james maitland campbell

The Correspondent for The Argus on 10 May 1901 described the opening on 9 May as: "The Parliament of the Commonwealth was opened yesterday by the Duke, of Cornwall and York, under a Commission signed by Queen Victoria and subsequently endorsed by King Edward VII. The ceremony was marked by the splendour and solemn impressiveness which befitted its historic importance. An immense assemblage of spectators, drawn mainly, of course, from this state, but in part also from each of the other federated states, and including representatives of other portions of the British Empire and of foreign powers, thronged the spacious, stately, and joyously decorated edifice. The picture was magnificent. It must have printed itself indelibly on the sensitive minds of the thousands of Australians who were privileged to behold it. We may assume that artists will reproduce it in worthy and imperishable forms, and that from generation to generation it will be familiar in the households of the Commonwealth. Our children's children, we may gladly say to-day, will not be ashamed of the function which inaugurated the self-governing rights of the southern British Nation. Nothing was omitted which could add to the grandeur and significance of the occasion. In a broad sense the proceedings were perfectly intelligible to the vast and sympathetic gathering, though the natural limits of a single human voice had to be accepted. The King's son, with his consort and the Governor-General and Lady Hopetoun by his side, and supported by the Governors of the states and other eminent personages, fulfilled his doubly-attested Commission with a simple dignity and a modest manliness altogether admirable. The ceremony was a brilliant spectacle, and, in its sentiment and suggestiveness, an inspiration to a loyal and patriotic people."The document design has artistic and aesthetic merit. While it is not rare, it is representative of the kinds of formal designs used for the Australian Commonwealth celebrations at the time of Federation, and is in excellent condition. Such items as this invitation have local, state and national historic significance as mementoes of a key moment in Australia's history. Locally, the invitation is part of a group of Federation-related items issued to James Maitland Campbell (and his wife). Campbell was three times mayor of Kew in the second half of the 19th Century and the owner of Ramornie in Pakington Street, one of the significant extant mansions in Kew.A colour lithograph mounted on card which is an invitation to the Opening of the First Commonwealth Parliament of Australia, 9 May 1901. The invitation was sent to Mr J.M. & Mrs Campbell. John Longstaff and Norman Lindsay’s design for the invitation includes symbolic female figures and coats of arms of the British and Australian Commonwealth. The central figure represents Justice. At her feet a crown and sceptre are laid, ‘to denote that the monarch will always acquiesce in laws passed by Parliament, provided they are just.’ On the left appears a figure of Britannia, above the royal coat of arms and in front of the white cliffs of England; on the right is a female figure representing Australia, with one hand out-stretched and above the Australian Coat of Arms. Behind her is a pastoral scene; she stands beneath a gum tree. At the top is a border of waratahs; on the left is a border of oak. The six states are represented in shields at the bottom of the card.Front, printed. gold ink: "Opening of the Parliament of the Commonwealth By his Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall and York / The Government of Victoria requests the honour of the presence of / Mr. J . M. and Mrs. Campbell (handwritten / At the Celebrations in Melbourne in connection with the Opening of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia."parliament of australia -- 1901, royal exhibition building -- melbourne (vic), james maitland campbell

A report in the Ballarat Star on 8 May 1901 recorded that: "THE CONVERSAZIONE. A GREAT SUCCESS. The conversazion given by the Government of Victoria at the Exhibition was very largely patronised. the guests includ ing the Prime Minister and a goodly proportion of the distinguished personages now in Melbourne. A programme of high-class music was gone through, and refreshments were served during the evening. Australian wines were very prominent."The document design has artistic and aesthetic merit. While it is not rare, it is representative of the kinds of formal designs used for the Australian Commonwealth celebrations at the time of Federation, and is in excellent condition. Such items as this invitation have local, state and national historic significance as mementoes of a key moment in Australia's history. Locally, the invitation is part of a group of Federation-related items issued to James Maitland Campbell (and his wife). Campbell was three times mayor of Kew in the second half of the 19th Century and the owner of Ramornie in Pakington Street, one of the significant extant mansions in Kew.Colour lithograph mounted on card to an evening event, a conversazione, held in the Exhibition Building on the evening of Tuesday 7th May 1901, as part of the Australian Commonwealth Celebrations. The recipients of the invitation were Mr and Mrs James Maitland Campbell of Kew. The Government of Victoria hosted the event. The invitation shows an etching of the Exhibition Building, surrounded by an ornate border of heraldic shields, portraits of the Duke and Duchess, views of Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Hobart, and native flora (including wattle, waratah, pink heath, Sturt’s desert pea, and flannel flower), and native fauna (kookaburra, possum, lyre bird, cockatoo and koala). The royal crest ‘Dieu et mon droit’ and the Australian crest, ‘Advance Australia’ are also included.Printed: UNITED AUSTRALIA 1901 / ONE FLAG / ONE HOPE / ONE DESTINY; AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH CELEBRATIONS / THE GOVERNMENT OF VICTORIA requests the honour of the presence of / / at a Conversazione in the Exhibition Building on the Evening of Tuesday 7th May 1901 at 8 P.M. Handwritten: Mr & Mrs J. M. Campbell.sands & mcdougall ltd, documents - invitations, first commonwealth parliament 1901, james maitland campbell (1847-1930), ramornie, ramornie - pakington street

SUNDAY SCHOOL DEMONSTRATION. With three times three we coo-ee, The Prince we meet again; Our Princess May we welcome, With heart and voice amain. This was the welcome of the children of the Melbourne Sunday schools. The greeting came from over 30,000 youthful voices to the accompaniment of as many waving flags of diminutive size, held by the children. Probably not one of those who sang so lustily had witnessed the previous visit of his Royal Highness; or knew anything of it except as a traditional event, but the sentiment was a good and proper one all the same. The children were massed on the rising ground in the Domain, and apparently the long wait was not at all wearying. It was to most of them a huge picnic. They lunched on the grass, and filled in the intervening lime with games such as the juvenile heart delights in. At intervals something approaching order, was observed, and then songs, which have been in rehearsal for some weeks past, were sung under the baton of Mr. D. R. Davies, musical director, and to the lead of a united brass band of over a hundred instrumentalists under Bandmaster E; T. Code. A solo was also sung by Mr. H. J. Floyd. At all times the scene was an exceedingly animated one. Most of the children were attired in light costumes, and those in whose dress there was some color provided the necessary variety to make up a most picturesque scene. Probably there were nearly 35,000 adults and children at this spot. They occupied the frontage to St. Kilda-road, from Government House gates to the intersecting thoroughfare beyond. As the children were confined to the high ground, there was a green strip in front of them, and the dark green of the fir trees at the top of the slope made a most suitable background. Between these two lines of even coloring the children, with the easy freedom of youth, made perhaps as pretty a feature of the pageant as could be found anywhere in the whole route of the procession." (The Age, Tues 7 May 1901, p.6)This tiny battered piece of ephemera recording the United Sunday School Demonstration of 1901 must once have been exceedingly common, however in the context of the growing collection that the Society has relating to the opening of the first Commonwealth Parliament in Melbourne it has historic and social significance.Embossed red leather bookmark commemorating the 'United Sunday Schools Demonstration' in St Kilda Road in 1901 to welcome the Prince and Princess of Wales to open the first Commonwealth Parliament in the Royal Exhibition Building."United Sunday Schools Demonstration, Melbourne Australia, Melbourne May 6 1901"opening of the first commonwealth parliament - 1901, sunday schools - victoria, federation events - victoria - 1901, ephemera

Extracts from The Church on the Hill: Presbyterianism in Kew 1874-1974 by John A. O’Neill (Mullaya, Canterbury (Vic), 1974, pp.58-60. “An outstanding family which gave devoted service to the Church was the Campbell family of which James Maitland was the “head”. He died at “Ramornie” on the afternoon of Monday 15 December 1930. … “James Maitland Campbell was born in 1847 in Melrose, Scotland, where his father, the Rev. A. J. Campbell D.D., was the Minister of the Kirk. The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. A. J. Campbell, with their family, came to Australia in 1861 and settled in St. George’s Church, Geelong, where he was the first Minister. James Maitland, after completing his secondary education at Geelong College, entered the Melbourne University where he graduated Master of Arts and Master of Laws, and eventually became a partner in the legal firm of Davies and Campbell. When he first came to Melbourne Mr Campbell attended Chalmers Church, East Melbourne, and married Miss Annie Harper, daughter of Robert Harper, a merchant and a sister of Professor Andrew Harper. In March 1875 the young couple settled in Pakington Street, Kew. After the induction of the Rev. Maxwell and the formation of a Board of Management, Mr. Campbell was elected its first Secretary. David Beath, James Maitland Campbell and Duncan Robert McGregor were the first Trustees of our Church. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell joined the Church Choir, and Mr. Campbell became Choir Leader. Members of their family, Bessie, Mary, Nellie and Lewis also sang in the Choir. Mary became a famed teacher of singing in Melbourne. She taught singing to members of the Choir, and gave lessons in voice production to students for the Ministry. In 1879 Mr. Campbell became Superintendent of the Sabbath School, a position he occupied for 27 years. In 1887 he was elected an Elder, and the Session Clerk for 37 years. In 1924 Mr. Campbell compiled a very complete Jubilee History of the Kew Presbyterian Church. Mr. J. M. Campbell saw our existing Church and the Old Manse erected, the Villa purchased, and, with the help of the Kew Congregation, the Charges of West Hawthorn, East Kew and Deepdene established. In the General Assembly of Australia and the General Assembly of Victoria he occupied the important position of Law Agent, and was a member of numerous Church Committees and Councils. … At the Annual Congregational Meeting on Wednesday 28 October 1931, it was decided to erect a tablet in the Church to the memory of the late Mr. J. M. Campbell to record his service to the Church. The tablet was unveiled at the morning service on 13 December by Mr. Legge. The Preacher was Rev. J. Barnaby.”James Maitland Campbell (1847-1930) the owner of “Ramornie” in Pakington Street was an important contributor to the community of Kew in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A Councillor of the Borough of Kew, he was to be elected Mayor on three occasions: 1889-90, 1890-91 and 1892-93. In addition to his political roles, he was the first Secretary of the Kew Presbyterian Church, being actively involved in the life of the Church until his death in 1930. The Kew Historical Society has a small collection of items once belonging to the Campbell family, including a series of invitations issued to Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Campbell for the festivities organised to commemorate the opening of the first Australian Parliament in Melbourne in 1901. Memorial Tablet to James Maitland Campbell (1847-1930) that was originally erected in the Kew Presbyterian Church in Cotham Road. The tablet is comprised of iridescent ceramic tiles.“Erected by the congregation to the Memory of James Maitland Campbell. LL.M. died 15th., December 1930. Session Clerk of this church for 36 years. “A Christian gentleman.”james maitland campbell (1847-1930), kew presbyterian church, ramornie (pakington street), campbell collection

The correspondent of the Argus on 10 May 1901 wrote: "The Parliament of the Commonwealth was opened yesterday by the Duke, of Cornwall and York, under a Commission signed by Queen Victoria and subsequently endorsed by King Edward VII. The ceremony was marked by the splendour and solemn impressiveness which befitted its historic importance. An immense assemblage of spectators, drawn mainly, of course, from this state, but in part also from each of the other federated states, and including representatives of other portions of the British Empire and of foreign powers, thronged the spacious, stately, and joyously decorated edifice. The picture was magnificent. It must have printed itself indelibly on the sensitive minds of the thousands of Australians who were privileged to behold it. We may assume that artists will reproduce it in worthy and imperishable forms, and that from generation to generation it will be familiar in the households of the Commonwealth. Our children's children, we may gladly say to-day, will not be ashamed of the function which inaugurated the self-governing rights of the southern British Nation. Nothing was omitted which could add to the grandeur and significance of the occasion. In a broad sense the proceedings were perfectly intelligible to the vast and sympathetic gathering, though the natural limits of a single human voice had to be accepted. The King's son, with his consort and the Governor-General and Lady Hopetoun by his side, and supported by the Governors of the states and other eminent personages, fulfilled his doubly-attested Commission with a simple dignity and a modest manliness altogether admirable. The ceremony was a brilliant spectacle, and, in its sentiment and suggestiveness, an inspiration to a loyal and patriotic people."The document design has artistic and aesthetic merit. While it is not rare, it is representative of the kinds of formal designs used for the Australian Commonwealth celebrations at the time of Federation, and is in excellent condition. Such items as this invitation have local, state and national historic significance as mementoes of a key moment in Australia's history. Locally, the invitation is part of a group of Federation-related items owned by Mrs Grace Tabulo, and displayed at her home - Fairyland - at 57 Malmsbury Street, KewAn invitation, mounted on card to an evening reception at the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, on 9 May 1901, to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall as part of the celebrations of the opening of the first Federal Parliament. A figure of Britannia, in red dress and mailed vest holding a shield like the Union Jack, is on the left of the invitation; she reaches out her hand towards a younger female figure, representing Australia, who is dressed in blue and holds a shield which is white with a blue cross decorated with stars. The writing is on a scroll in the centre of the certificate, and there is a border of vines and vine leaves. The royal crest is at the base of the certificate. Front, printed. gold ink: "His Majesty's Ministers of State for the Commonwealth of Australia request the honour of the presence of / ****l (handwritten) / In the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, on Thursday, 9th May, 1901, to witness / the Opening of the Parliament of the Commonwealth. / Edmund Barton / Prime Minister." Front, bottom left, printed: "The Young Queen / Her hand was still on her sword hilt - the spur was still on her heel ... (and further text) KIPLING'S COMMONWEALTH ODE." Reverse: Mrs G. Tabulo, 57 Malmsbury Streetaustralia -- federation -- 1901, invitations, parliament -- opening -- 1901, grace tabulo -- fairyland -- 57 malmsbury street -- kew (vic.)

A report in the Ballarat Star on 8 May 1901 recorded that: "THE CONVERSAZIONE. A GREAT SUCCESS. The conversazion given by the Government of Victoria at the Exhibition was very largely patronised. the guests includ ing the Prime Minister and a goodly proportion of the distinguished personages now in Melbourne. A programme of high-class music was gone through, and refreshments were served during the evening. Australian wines were very prominent."The document design has artistic and aesthetic merit. While it is not rare, it is representative of the kinds of formal designs used for the Australian Commonwealth celebrations at the time of Federation, and is in excellent condition. Such items as this invitation have local, state and national historic significance as mementoes of a key moment in Australia's history. Locally, the invitation is part of a group of Federation-related items owned and displayed by Mrs Grace Tabulo, the owner of 'Fairyland', 57 Malmsbury Street, Kew.Colour lithograph mounted on card to an evening event, a conversazione, held in the Exhibition Building on the evening of Tuesday 7th May 1901, as part of the Australian Commonwealth Celebrations. The Government of Victoria hosted the event. The invitation shows an etching of the Exhibition Building, surrounded by an ornate border of heraldic shields, portraits of the Duke and Duchess, views of Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Hobart, and native flora (including wattle, waratah, pink heath, Sturt’s desert pea, and flannel flower), and native fauna (kookaburra, possum, lyre bird, cockatoo and koala). The royal crest ‘Dieu et mon droit’ and the Australian crest, ‘Advance Australia’ are also included.Printed front: UNITED AUSTRALIA 1901 / ONE FLAG / ONE HOPE / ONE DESTINY; AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH CELEBRATIONS / THE GOVERNMENT OF VICTORIA requests the honour of the presence of / [name deleted] / at a Conversazione in the Exhibition Building on the Evening of Tuesday 7th May 1901 at 8 P.M. Reverse [handwritten]: Mrs G. Tabulo, 57 Malmsbury St.sands & mcdougall ltd, documents - invitations, first commonwealth parliament 1901, grace tabulo -- fairyland -- 57 malmsbury street -- kew (vic.)

The Municipality of Kew (1860-1863), the Borough of Kew (1863-1910), the Town of Kew (1910-1921) and the City of Kew (1921-1994) were local government instrumentalities in the State of Victoria. In 1994, the City of Kew was amalgamated, together with the former Cities of Camberwell and Hawthorn, into the new City of Boroondara (1994- ). Like other local government entities of the period, Kew was administered by town clerks. The two notable town clerks in Kew's history were H. H. (Henry Hirst) Harrison (1868-1955) and W. D. (William Dickie) Birrell (1899-1974). Harrison was appointed to the position in 1901 and retired in 1938 after 37 years. Birrell, appointed Acting Town Clerk in 1921, became Town Clerk in 1938, following Harrison's retirement. He continued in this role until his retirement in 1966.This card is part of an historically significant civic collection, containing hundreds of separate invitations, documents, greeting cards, programmes and tickets issued and/or collected by successive town clerks. Items in the collection illuminate the political, social and cultural history of the district. As a continuous record, ranging across most decades of the Twentieth Century, they reveal changing tastes in design, values and relationships in the history of local government in Victoria.IN HONOUR OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA / (THE RT. HON. R G MENZIES, CH, QC, MP) / AND DAME PATTIE MENZIES GBE / THE MAYOR OF KEW / (COUNCILLOR MARIE DALLEY OBE, JP) / REQUESTS THE PLEASURE OF THE COMPANY OF / ___________ / AT A RECEPTION AT THE RECREATION HALL, MONDAY 18TH JULY, 1955, AT 8.30 P.M. / TENDERED TO THE PRIME MINISTER IN RECOGNITION OF HIS RECORD TERM OF OFFICE. / RSVP TOWN CLERK, 4TH JULY / DINNER DRESScivic invitations -- kew (vic), commemoration of the sitting of the first parliament, civic ephemera -- city of kew, recreation hall - kew (vic), rt hon r g menzies, cr marie dalley

NSW Mounted Rifles officer's mess dress waistcoat worn by Lieutenant William Augustine Newman (1873-1955) during the Second Boer War. Born in Campbelltown, NSW, William began working in the colonial public service at the age of eighteen. In 1899 he travelled to South Africa to fight in the Second Boer War as an officer of the 1st NSW Mounted Rifles. Returning to Australia in time for Federation on 1 January 1901, William rejoined the public service and was appointed to the original staff of Prime Minister Sir Edmund Barton, attending the first opening of Federal Parliament in Melbourne as Barton's private secretary. He went on to serve as the chief clerk of the Home Affairs Department, Commonwealth Electoral Officer for Victoria and official secretary to the Governor-General. In 1927 he was appointed Administrator of Nauru, a position he occupied until his retirement at the end of 1932. He retired to Brighton, where he lived with his family at 43 Martin Street until his death in 1955.Black NSW Mounted Rifles officer's mess dress waistcoat. Black superfine wool front, with black cotton back and cream cotton lining. The neck, front and bottom front edge are edged with gold metal lace and gold cording in an Austrian knot style. Two front pockets are edged in the same looped cording. The left front opening is edged with a row of decorative gold metal studs, with hook and eye fastenings underneath.Handwritten in pen on lining: "MESS WAISTCOAT / BOER WAR / LIEUT. NEWMAN / Gift of Mrs. D. Kelly, daughter".military uniform, nsw mounted rifles, boer war, william augustine newman

Framed portrait of George Maxwell who was President of the Association for the Advancement of the Blind 1920-1935. It is part of a series of paintings commissioned by the AFB Board to commemorate the work of past presidents of the organisation. Mr Maxwell is turned slightly away from the viewer, and wears a blue suit, white high collared shirt and a blue tie. George Maxwell was President of Vision Australia from 1920 to 1935. After an early teaching career he studied law, was admitted to the Bar and became one of Victoria’s great criminal lawyers and later a Federal Member of Parliament. He took an interest the welfare of blind people from his student days. A detached retina in 1920 led to total blindness nine years later, which gave him a great empathy for those with a similar affliction. Through his contacts he was also instrumental in obtaining the first voting rights for blind Australians. Up until 1902 blind people were unable to vote if they couldn’t write with a pen. George Maxwell was working at that time at the legal firm of Strongman and Crouch one of the partners, Mr. Crouch, was elected as a member of Parliament. When the Commonwealth Electoral Bill was being drafted, Mr. Crouch has a clause added enabling blind people to vote in Federal elections, constituting a world first. But perhaps his greatest achievement was obtaining the pension for legally blind people. Until 1910 only those who met the age and means test criteria were eligible. With the help of his legal and political friends a bill was passed which granted the pension to all persons over 16 years of age who were unable to work due to physical disability or blindness. Until this time these people had to be supported by their families or go to a benevolent institution. This was a world first and gave to blind and vision impaired people a measure of independence which increased both their self reliance and self esteem. 1 art original in gold/brown frameThe plaque at the base of the painting reads 'Honourable George A Maxwell Q.C. / President 1920-1935 / Association for Advancement of the Blind'.association for the advancement of the blind, george maxwell

This photo records one of the swimming carnivals held at the Surrey Dive, the first of which was organised in 1907. It was at the 1907 carnival that champion swimmer Frank Beaurepaire won the one-mile championship in record time. In the era before purpose-built municipal swimming pools, Surrey Dive was a popular destination for swimming and people came to it from many Melbourne suburbs. It operated from 1905 to 1967. It was the newly formed Surrey Park Swimming Club (established in 1905) that petitioned the Box Hill Council to purchase the former quarry site associated with the Box Hill Brick Works. A ramp, bathing sheds, springboards, and eventually a 10-lane course were developed, making the Dive the first Olympic standard pool in Australia. The carnivals attracted huge crowds. The original use as a quarry explains the notorious depth of the swimming hole and the sheer, steep cliffs surrounding it. These posed obvious safety issues, as did the water quality. Ivy Lavinia Weber, who was the second woman to be elected to the Victorian parliament (the first at a general election) and renowned for her commitment to health and physical fitness, campaigned for State government assistance to build new baths. These were built adjacent to the Dive and were opened in 1939. The Dive continued as a facility used by experienced swimmers until 1967 when it closed due to the drought causing the water to dry up. Today the site has been turned into an ornamental lake. This image was used as a mural in the refurbishment of the Box Hill Aqualink. The image has strong associations with early industry (brick making), recreation and particularly the early history of the sport of swimming.Black and white photo with a white border. Scan shows image only. It shows 3 men diving from a wooden platform into an area of water beneath higher banks. There is a boat in the background, a building to the LHS of the photo and many spectators in boater hats on the platform, some in bathing suits along a ledge and many around the top of the bank. Two men in the LH foreground may be officials.Printed long the bottom edge of the frame: "An image from history - Carnival Day at the Dive. / (photo: Box Hill Council)"surrey dive, box hill brick works, swimming, surrey park swimming club, (mr) frank beaurepaire, (mrs) ivy lavinia weber, swimming carnivals

On the 14th of October 2023, Australians were asked to vote on a proposal to change the wording in the constitution 'To recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.’ Only 39.9 per cent of legal votes were in favour of this change, and there was not a majority in any of the six Australian States (there was a majority, however, in the Australian Capital Territory). On the 26th June, 2023 Councillors with the The City of Greater Bendigo discussed their position on The Voice to Parliament and decided to support the Yes campaign while pledging to provide information on both sides of the debate to residents. Cr Margaret O’Rourke introduced the motion and spoke at length about the importance for Council to adopt the recommendation. “Recognising the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice in the constitution ensures that Indigenous Australians have a direct and meaningful role in shaping policies and laws that impact them'. Several Councillors voiced their concern over whether the City could formally support one side of the debate, while seeking to provide neutral information saying that it did not pass the commonsense test. These badges were collected at an event at Rosalind Park on the 27th of September, 2023 attended by Linda Burney, Minister for Indigenous Australians who addressed the crowd.Large badges with YES printed in centre. city of greater bendigo reconcilliation, dja dja wurrung