Robin Kelly was born Robin Vandersluys in Mary Street, Kew. As a child, she sang in backyard concerts run with her brother, Leslie. The family moved to Deepdene in 1949 and Robin joined church and school choirs. Later she was to study classical singing with Stella Power, modern singing with Jack White, TV Presentation with Natalie Raine of Crawford Productions and acting/singing with Jessie Matthews. Following her victory in a talent quest at the Orama Ballroom, she was invited to join the Orama Big Band with singers Harry Cox and Arlene Forrest. She also sang with the Kerm Jones Jazz Band at Power House and with Frank Johnson's Jazz Band at Jazz Junction. Robin became resident band vocalist at the historic Federal Hotel in Collins Street with the Rudi Laquer Trio. She also sang at The Savoy Plaza with the George Cadman Trio. A year later she became resident vocalist at the Ress Oriental Hotel with the Lennie Holmes Trio. Later, Robin married pianist Peter Jones, singing under the name 'Robin Vanser' in clubs in Sydney and regional New South Wales. She was booked for a Vietnam War tour and also sang in Tahiti. Returning to Melbourne, her agent booked her to appear in shows in Tasmania including West Point Casino and Melbourne country venues. Another agent, John Bishop, booked her to do floor shows in Melbourne, including Xmas Seasons at the Hampton Hotel where she entertained audiences with her comedy and audience participation routines. In 1971, Robin Kelly retired to run her Robin Hood Antiques business in Canterbury, during which time she was married to tenor Glenn Kelly. Later she joined Sing Australia Camberwell Choir, performing as a soloist at their Melbourne Town Hall Concert.The Vandersluys-Kelly Collection of photographs, costumes and musical performance memorabilia was donated to the Kew Historical Society by Robin Denise Kelly in 2018. The collection is an important record of stage and recorded performances in Australia in the second half of the 20th century. This new nationally-focused and artistically significant collection augments and contextualises the local performing arts materials in our collection. Print copy of an original performance photograph of Robin Vanser (Vandersluys) in performance at the Kew Civic [Town] Hall with Lennie Holmes FourLennie Holmes Four | Kew Town Hall | c.1964 Kew Town Hallperforming arts - australia - 1960s, robin vanser, kew civic hall - kew town hall

The former Baptist Church, at 8-12 Woodlands Avenue, Kew East, was nominated by the Society for protection as part of the Kew East Heritage Gap Study. W D Vaughan in his 'Kew's Civic History' (1960 writes that: "With the development of East Kew, local Baptists considered the establishment of a church was necessary. A block of land was purchased in Woodlands Avenue and the foundation stone of a new church was laid on August 8, 1931. A fine Sunday school has since been erected, and special emphasis has been given to providing activities for the young people of the church"Three colour photographs of the former Baptist Church in Woodlands Avenue, Kew East. The photographs are of the front and side of the clinker brick building. One of the photographs shows the foundation stone, laid by AH Lewis Esq, 8 August 1931.churches - kew (vic), baptist church - woodlands avenue - kew (vic)

160 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.non-fictionhistory - sources - preservation

Melbourne, Vic. : Royal Australian Institute of Architects, 2003 316 p. : ill. ; 29 cm. + poster (86 x 60 cm) non-fictionarchitecture - victoria - awards, architecture - history - victoria

Melbourne : H.R. Lew, 1987 68 p. : ill. (some col.), ports. ; 24 x 32 cm. non-fictionartists - kew (vic.), horace brodzky

The National Trust (Victoria) citation on the Heritage Victoria Database describes Lalla Rookh as charming and rare example of a substantial domestic building from the depths of the depression of the 1890s. It was Classified by the Trust on 22/04/1971. The first Kew Urban Conservation Study established that the house was built in 1897 for John Duncan, civil servant. By 1910 William Robert Frayne, chemist, had purchased the property. When the building was listed by the National Estate the building was described as: '... Single-storied, the symmetrical, stuccoed house features a central porch with an arched opening and pedimented consoles and a bull-nose verandah which returns down both sides and is constructed with cast iron columns and friezes. A balustraded parapet crowns the main walls of the house. The encaustic tiled verandah is distinctive.'"Lalla Rookh", 41 Fellows Street, Kew, is of architectural interest as a representative example of a villa house of the period and also forms pan of the townscape of Kew. In a late version of Boom Style Classicism, the basically modest and conventionally planned house is proportioned to emphasise the porch and heavy balustrade, contrasting with the verandah and plain wall surfaces. The parapet may have had urns originally. The encaustic tiled verandah is of note. ... Of local significance.'Photographic print positive of the facade of Lalla Rookh at 41 Fellows Street, Kew.lalla rookh, houses -- fellows street -- kew (vic.), boom style architecture, architecture -- melbourne -- 1890s

'Mandalay' at 3 Molesworth Street, Kew was originally named 'Kaikoura'. Pru Sanderson's 'Kew Urban Conservation Study' (1988) describes the house as: "The first documentary evidence of this property records that William Dawson was the original owner and occupier of this substantial two-storey mansion, built at the outset of the economic depression of the 1890s. Having an initial N.A.V. of £120 4, the house was occupied by Dawson until at least 1904. This two-storeyed rendered house is Italianate in styling and is dominated by a two-storeyed loggia that spans two facades. At ground floor level it is supported on coupled cast iron colonettes and above has single colonettes that support stilted segmental arches. The house is quite typical of its time, however it bears a strong resemblance to 39 Sackville Street probably by Beswicke and Coote (q.v.), and 'Kawarau'.in Hawthorn, designed by Coote. The similarity of these buildings and the fact that Beswicke and Coote called tenders for a house in Molesworth Street, both suggest that this house was also by that firm.Large original, black and white print positive photograph of 3 Molesworth Street, Kew The two storey Italianate mansion has a double loggia and two bay windows on the side of the property. A car is parked in front.manadaly - molesworth street (kew), historic houses -- kew, italianate architecture -- kew (vic.), kaikoura -- molesworth street -- kew (vic.), beswicke & coote