W.D. Vaughan in 'Kew's Civic Century' (1960) has a chapter (XXII, pp.103-105) on the Kew Swimming Pool (aka Kew Baths). In the chapter he recounts debate in Council from 1912 about the need for a swimming pool. The first concrete step toward achieving this occurred in 1914 when Council purchased the Tramways Sheds on the corner of High and Disraeli Streets in 1914. Further adjoining land in High Street was compulsorily acquired in 1923. The final plans were accepted in 1925 and following public tender, Messrs. Weavill and Keast were appointed to construct the pool at a cost of 5,418/9/-. The baths were formally opened on 18 November 1925 by George Ramsay, Mayor of Kew. (The Kew Swimming Club was founded in the same year.) Vaughan notes that "mixed bathing was not permitted at the Kew Baths until January, 1928, when it was allowed every evening (except Sundays) and Friday afternoons. A few years later these restrictions were removed altogether".Small B&W photograph of the old Kew Swimming Pool. Girl on diving board at left. The photograph can be dated to the years 1929-33, as the wooden grandstand was not erected until 1929 and it was before a new high swimming platform was erected in 1933."Old Swimming Pool Kew. D2. 92"kew swimming pool - kew (vic), sport and recreation - kew (vic), kew baths - kew (vic), mayors of kew - cr. george ramsay - kew (vic), kew swimming club

The site on the north side of High Street, Kew, on the corner of Disraeli Street is now the location of the Kew Recreation Centre. The current (as of 2020) swimming pool was formerly situated further west on the site but was relocated closer to Disraeli Street during the 1980s. Previously, this was the site of a Kew Council depot, and before that a horse tram shed. The horse tram (1887-1914) ran from the Victoria Street Bridge to the entrance of the Boroondara General Cemetery. Rusted horse shoe, excavated from the site of the Kew Recreation Centre on the corner of High and Disraeli Streets in Kew. The shoe was donated by Mr Poulter, City Engineer, City of Kew. The shoe may have been made for one of the horses that pulled the Kew Horse Tram or one of the Council depot horses.horse tram - kew (vic), archaeological items - kew (vic), horse shoes, kew recreation centre, council depots - kew (vic), tram sheds - kew (vic)

Canoeing on the River Yarra was a recreational traditional pastime for the people of Kew and Melbourne since settlement in the 1830s. Later in the century, canoes were frequently hired from boathouses.Print enlargement. Woman beside river holding a piece of string. Child swimming in Yarra. Canoe in distance beside bank with passengers.Reverse: "M Holmes"recreation -- canoeing, yarra river -- kew

Prue Sanderson, in her groundbreaking ‘City of Kew Urban Conservation Study : Volume 2 - Development History’ (1988), summarised the periods of urban development and subdivisions of land in Kew. The periods that she identified included 1845-1880, 1880-1893, 1893-1921, 1921-1933, 1933-1943, and Post-War Development. These periods were selected as they represented periods of rapid growth or decline in urban development. An obvious starting point for Sanderson’s groupings involved population growth and the associated economic cycles. These cycles also highlighted urban expansion onto land that was predominantly rural, although in other cases it represented the decline and breakup of large estates. A number of the plans in the Kew Historical Society’s collection can also be found in other collections, such as those of the State Library of Victoria and the Boroondara Library Service. A number are however unique to the collection.Subdivision plans are historically important documents used as evidence of the growth of suburbs in Australia. They frequently provide information about when the land was sold on which a built structure was subsequently constructed as well as evidence relating to surveyors and real estate and financial agents. The numerous subdivision plans in the Kew Historical Society's collection represent working documents, ranging from the initial sketches made in planning a subdivision to printed plans on which auctioneers or agents listed the prices for which individual lots were sold. In a number of cases, the reverse of a subdivision plan in the collection includes a photograph of a house that was also for sale by the agent. These photographs provide significant heritage information relating house design and decoration, fencing and household gardens.In 1928, five residential allotments bordering Segtoune and Windsor Streets were advertised for sale as part of a subdivision. Four of the blocks faced Segtoune Avenue. The auctioneers proclaimed the advantages of the sites: ‘Situate one minute from the High Street Electric Tram, which now runs direct to Spencer Street via Bridge Road and Flinders Street. Opposite the East Kew Railway Station (Outer Circle Line), which may be reopened In connection with the new Line from Kew to Doncaster; Adjacent lo the Kew Recreation Reserve, Sports Oval, and Swimming Bath; Half Minute from the Shopping Centre of East Kew, Accessible to the State School and Other Educational Centres’. The Harp of Erin Hotel and the route of the Outer Circle Railway line are marked on the plan. The Recreation Reserve and Sport Oval refer to Victoria Park. The Swimming Baths were located on the site of the current Kew Recreation Centre.subdivision plans - kew, segtoune street -- kew (vic.), windsor street -- kew (vic.)

The former City of Kew in Victoria issued badges to council employees performing public roles. The Society has other badges issued by the City for roles such as Parking Attendant, Swimming Pool Attendant etc. Arthur Henry Dear was an employee of the City of Kew, acting as Hall Keeper of the Kew Recreation Hall in Wellington Street, and later the new Kew City Hall in Cotham Road. The Arthur Dear Collection contains memorabilia - tickets, programmes, invitations - as well as his identification badge. Items in the collection dates from the 1940s to the 1960s. The Kew Recreation Hall (Wellington Street) and later the Kew City Hall (Cotham Road) were major locations in suburban Melbourne in the postwar period for civic and private events including theatre productions and exhibitions. The Arthur Dear Collection (in conjunction with the scrapbooks compiled by Marion Tilley) provide a comprehensive snapshot of performing arts in Kew during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The collection includes valuable data about performances, performers, directors etc., during this period. A nickel and enamel identification badge issued to the hall keeper of the Kew Recreation Hall by the City of Kew. The badge is shaped like a shield and is stamped with the users' title.arthur dear collection, performing arts -- kew -- victoria, kew recreation hall -- wellington street, kew civic hall -- cotham road, city of kew

Living with natural processes was frequently a challenge to early European settlers and later residents of what was in the 1850s administered by the Borondara Road Board. This was compounded by the area being bounded on three sides by rivers (Yarra River, Koonung Creek and Gardiner's Creek). In 1849, the historian James Bonwick recorded that "our district [Kew] suffered considerably. Mr Wade speaks of 80 acres, out of 100 acres of his cultivated paddock, covered by water." Newspapers continued to describe major flooding in Kew in 1863, 1869, 1878, 1880, 1889, 1891, 1916 and 1934. While the construction of the Upper Yarra dam in 1957 reduced the levels of flowing downstream, local and riverine floods continue. A number of boat houses operated on both sides of the River Yarra at Kew. Chipperfield's Boat House was located on the Yarra near the corner of Kilby and Willsmere Roads.The Kew Historical Society's pictures and map collections testify to the impact of flooding in the district. They have historical importance in documenting the extent of flooding in the district and its affects on homes, services and recreation. Numerous photographs record flooding throughout the Twentieth Century.Floating pontoon at Chipperfield's Boat House where the canoes were stored, taken in 1934, presumably before the 1934 Flood. This area of the Yarra was shallow with a number of mid river sandbanks and a popular swimming area for locals.yarra river, chipperfield's boathouse, pontoon

This is a photograph of the first committee of the Sunbury Swimming Club which was formed in 1916. The club used the pool at The Nook near Eadie Street. The area had shade trees, a drink fountain, seats, change rooms and diving boards. In 1966 an Olympic size swimming pool was opened in LIgar Street, as a result of a whole community effort. The site at The Nook became a popular passive recreation area.The pool at The Nook was a popular meeting place for Sunbury residents in the hot summer months for fifty years A non-digital sepia photograph backed onto a beige board of seven people standing on a diving board that is over a natural water hole. Four men are dressed in swim wear and two ladies are in full length dresses. A man standing on the end of the board is wearing a suit. sunbury swimming club, the nook, swimming, sporting clubs

The Surrey Dive was formed on the site of a quarry from which clay had been extracted for brick-making. From 1905 Council was petitioned by the newly-formed Surrey Park Swimming Club to develop the site. Improvements including bathing sheds, spring boards and a 10-lane course but it remained a challenging site for inexperienced swimmers because of the sheer cliffs and the drop of 30m. The dive was the site of many swimming carnivals and attracted large spectator crowds. Frank Beaurepaire competed in the first carnival held in 1907 and won the one-mile race in record time. The dive was closed following the drought of 1967-1968 and redeveloped as an ornamental lake.The Surrey Dive was the first Olympic standard pool in Australia. Black and white photo of the Surrey Dive taken in January 1931, probably during a swimming carnival. The dive is in the foreground with 2 buildings on the LHS. One is brick with a chimney and at the water's edge; the other is of timber construction and is on the far LHS on the bank above the water. There is a large group of people in bathing costumes and a crowd which extends up the bank towards the right. There are mature conifer trees in the background. surrey dive, swimming, sports and recreations, ron falconer

The Dive, in Elgar Road Park was formed when water seeped into the hole from which clay had been quarried for brick-making. In 1905 the Surrey Swimming Club was formed and carnivals were held regularly. This was the venue for training Olympic swimmers prior to the Council constructing an Olympic sized pool.Black and white photo with a grassy foreground beyond which the apex of the roof only of the clubhouse is visible. Beyond this the far bank of the Surrey Dive can be seen with fencing along its perimeter.surrey dive, swimming, sports and recreation, quarries, box hill brick works, elgar road park, surrey swimming club

Used by a member of the Port Fairy Life Saving Club during competitionsBlue wool, with blue and white logo attached with shoulder straps and a half zipper to attach to a swimming costume. Shoulder straps cross at back joined with the band.PORT FAIRY (Inside lifebouy LSC)recreations, sports, swimming, port fairy life saving club, competition

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

The Australian Sports Medal award was instituted in the year 2000 and awarded for 2000 and 2001 before being discontinued. The medal has been reinstated for awards in 2020.The medal recognizes the efforts of a range of Australians, including former competitors, coaches, sports scientists, office holders and those who maintained sporting facilities and services.Australian Sports Medal and miniature and presentation box awarded to Val Campbell in 2000. The medal is a round shape of silver coloured metal suspended from a yellow ribbon with four green stripes. The design on the obverse is the five stars of the Southern Cross constellation above four horizontal lines. On the reverse are the same four horizontal lines as the obverse with the engraved words To commemorate Australian sporting achievement forming a half circle around the top edge and the words Valma Marion Campbell engraved above the four horizontal lines.The year 2000 is engraved below the four horizontal lines. A clasp to affix the medal to clothing is attached on the back of the ribbon. The miniature is a replica of the medal itself and is identical in every respect except for the engraved name on the reverse. The presentation box is encased in black leather like fabric and is padded on the lid with the words Australian Sports Medal stamped in silver. The box is line with white satin on the inside of the hinged lid with the medals resting in a moulded black velvet covered tray. Certificate accompanying the Australian Sports Medal and miniature and presentation box awarded to Val Campbell in 2000. 'To Valma Marion Campbell' See 11209.107recreations, sports, swimming

This fold out series of black and white images shows scenes of Bacchus Marsh in the late 1930s or during the 1940s. The date of the set of images is not stated but it shows the Bacchus Marsh Swimming Pool constructed in 1938. The general purpose of the images to promote tourism suggests the collection may date from the post war period of the late 1940s or early 1950s when petrol rationing and other wartime restrictions were being discontinued. The eight scenes are: Railway Station Bacchus Marsh; Bacchus Marsh Post Office; Main Street Bacchus Marsh; The Avenue Bacchus Marsh; Maddingley Bridge; Swimming Pool Bacchus Marsh; Rustic Bridge Maddingley Park; View Across Maddingley Flats. The cover illustration of the fold out envelope shows a happy family in a new model car. The message of the image clearly being to encourage people to travel by motor car to places like Bacchus Marsh for recreation and to engage in the general pastime of tourism.One set of 8 fold out black and white photos showing various scenes of Bacchus, with a cover illustration of a family traveling in a motor car. Measurements: 112 x 90 mm folded; 112 x 750 mm unfoldedSouthern Series Registeredbacchus marsh history, bacchus marsh views, bacchus marsh postcards

number in album 03532.04Colour photograph Aquadome during visit of former Olympic swimming champion Nicole Stevenson talking to children. Lakes Entrance Victoriarecreational facilities, recreation

Colour photograph of the beach at the southern shore of Cunninghame Arm. It shows people swimming and paddling, also on the beach, coastal banksia and scrub on sand hummocks, surf lifesaving clubrooms in background. Lakes Entrance Victoriawaterfront, recreation

Colour postcard of the outdoor swimming pool at Glenara Motel, Lakes Entrance, Victoria. Shows adults and children on the paved area around the pool and three people in the water.motels, recreation, entertainment, rsl clubs

The photograph was included in a completion organised by the former Sunbury & District Heritage Association in March 2001. It is photograph of the lake at The Nook that served as Sunbury's swimming pool from the time outdoor swimming became acceptable until 1965 when a new Olympic sized outdoor swimming pool and aquatic centre was opened in Ligar Street. The modern pool was built as a result of the Sunbury Community raising funds for the project. Since 1965, the local council has added an indoor pool and a heated pool to the site as well as a gymnasium. Prior to the building of the new pool in 1965, The Nook site was where swimming carnivals and other aquatic events took place. It is now a popular passive recreation area.A non-digital coloured photograph of a lake with trees growing around its banks and a hillside in the distance.the nook, swimming, swimming clubs, sunbury