A tin with a picture of two choir boys on the lid. It contains magazine and newspaper cuttings on buildings both in Australia and overseas. Sources include 'The Illustrated London News,' 'The Australian Women's Weekly,' 'Herald' and 'The Age.' 1949 - 1960.buildings, lydia chancellor, collection, tin, architecture, buildings, place, history

Black and white photograph. White edges. The Hibernian Drum and Fife Band. Band members in uniform. Children in hats on stairs behind them. Faint stamp in top right corner of photograph. Scribble and whiteout on back. Back also reads: Source - The Bendigonian 30/9/1902 pg 66 Latrobe Collection, State Library of Victoria.The Bendigonian pg 66 Latrobe Collection, State Library of Victoriaentertainment, music, hibernian drum and fife band

Record of dress, vehicles and social commentSource unknown. Kept in collection of B&DHS for the record of dress, vehicles and social commentBlack & White photograph depicting an outing in the early 1900s. There are two vehicles (motor cars) that have been unloaded of luggage (including one suitcase) and (possibly) a picnic rug. The cars are surrounded by disembarked passengers - five men wearing hats and suits, seven women wearing hats and calf-length frockstransport, recreation, picnic, excursion

Early gold-rush building, originally Brewery, next to Gong Reservoir (early water source for township). Building since converted to residence.Record of early building as of mid 1930'sLaser copy of hand-tinted photograph of Old Brewery and Gong Reservoir Buninyong, c 1935, fields rising behind, tall treees, partially obscured house.building, buninyong, brewery, industry, landscape

The Gong has been part of the Buninyong industrial, cultural and recreational history pre and post 1837Fed by springs, the Gong has been a major source of water for industrial, pastoral, recreational uses and local wildlifeBlack and white photograph of the Gong, view of the South East Corner with the Old Brewery in the backgroundbotanic gardens, brewery, landscape, industry, water supply, springs

The Gong has been part of the Buninyong industrial, cultural and recreational history pre and post 1837Fed by springs, the Gong has been a major source of water for industrial, pastoral, recreational uses and local wildlifeBlack and white photograph of the Gong, view from Scott Street to the South West cornerbotanic gardens, landscape, industry, water supply, springs

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria)This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). Development in the 20th century has irreparably altered that part of Kew represented in this plan. In the block bounded by Cotham Road, Charles Street, Wellington Street and Gellibrand; just one house standing in 1903 remains. This block included two of the most historic houses in Kew: ‘Ordsall’ (later ‘Southesk’) and ‘Madford’ (previously ‘Elm Lodge’). Ordsall was the home of the second chairman of Kew, John Halfey. It contained some of the most significant interior murals in Kew, created for Halfey by artists working for Cullen & Co. It was demolished in 1960 to make way for the Kew Civic Centre. Elm Lodge had been built for William Siddeley in ca. 1864. Arthur Septimus King purchased it in 1874. The lower paddocks of Madford were sold in 1905 by his wife to the Borough of Kew and, after landscaping by George and Thomas Pockett, opened as the Alexandra Gardens in 1908. Elm Lodge/Madford was in 1922 to become St. Anthony’s Home for Little Children before its subsequent demolition in the 1980s.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, maps - borough of kew, mmbw 1576, cartography

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria)This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). MMBW Plan No.1577 includes some of the most significant houses in Kew: Herbert Henty’s ‘Roxeth’ (now part of Trinity Grammar), ‘Butleigh Wooton’, ‘Bokara’ and ‘Harrow’. It also includes the streets that have since changed their names. That part of College Parade linked to Glenferrie Road is now named College Place, College Parade now extends further north, and Charles Street did not yet reach Barkers Road. Roxeth is one of a number of Henty houses in Kew. Herbert Henty made his home here and was elected a member of Kew Municipal Council in 1864 and mayor in 1868-69. Walter Henry Serle, of Harrow served in the First World War. He was awarded the Military Medal ‘’For conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. On 29th September near BELLICOURT he showed the greatest bravery and determination when his platoon was attacked by enemy bombing parties. It was due largely to his personal efforts that all the attacks were repulsed. Until wounded, his utter disregard of personal safety and boldness in dealing with the attacks were the means of saving the situation and were an inspiring example to his men.’melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, maps - borough of kew, mmbw 1577, cartography

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria). This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). MMBW Plan No.1578 is significant in that it defines the extent of two private schools: Xavier College and Kew High School (now part of Trinity Grammar) by 1904. In relation to the latter, the plan clarifies which buildings the High School operated from behind the mansion ‘Molina’. Established in 1902, Trinity Grammar was to later lease and subsequently buy Molina (now ‘Merritt House’) and ‘Elsinore’ (now ‘Roberts House’). Xavier College had been established in 1872. This 1904 plan delineates the West Wing and the Great Hall (built in 1890).melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, maps - borough of kew, mmbw 1578, cartography

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria). This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). While MMBW Plan No.1579 does not include many buildings, those that it does show are significant to Kew’s history. These include the ‘Kew [Railway] Station’ in Denmark Street and the ‘Recreation Hall’ and rear courts off Wellington Street. The plan shows the outline of the Recreation Hall, constructed in 1880, at the rear of which is listed a bowling green, two tennis courts, a ‘skittle alley’ and a pavilion. When the Hall was first built, the Kew Cricket Club occupied an adjacent ground, however in 1885 this was acquired by the State Government as the future location of the Kew Railway Station. The Plan also shows a single oval at Xavier College. This oval was completed in 1883. One of the current ovals conforms to this oval’s original shape and position in the school grounds.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, maps - borough of kew, mmbw 1579, cartography

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria)This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). The area represented in this detail plan has undergone significant change during the 20th century. The widening of High Street in the 1930s and 1950s involved the shops on the south side of High Street being demolished and later rebuilt to fit the widened street. Another significant loss was the mansion ‘Drayton’ fronting Wellington Street, owned at this stage by Susannah Fenton. Her family name would later to be given to Fenton Way, which was to be built over the grounds of the house following its demolition. The plan of the garden is particularly interesting, containing a batten dome fronting Wellington Street, an ornamental pond, a fountain and a brick and glass conservatory. The notes by the plumbing contractor on this plan are particularly detailed. Pink borders delineate the ownership of the varying parcels of land. Some of the better known owners listed include the real estate agent Cr. Henry de Castres Kellett (bt) and John Padbury, the funeral director. This particular plan provides a clear view of the configuration of the Kew Junction in 1903 and the commercial buildings that surrounded it.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, maps - borough of kew, mmbw 1580, cartography

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria)This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). The streets and built structures in this plan were surveyed in 1903 and released to contractors in 1904. In addition to the designation of building types by colour, the plan includes detailed descriptions of land use and ownership. While many buildings remain from this period, a number of the buildings represented have been demolished including the original Kew Town Hall, and the Congregational and Roman Catholic churches in Walpole Street. While the mansion ‘Illapa’ in Princess Street is still extant – now part of ‘Rylands’ – the neighbouring mansion ‘Elsmere’ was demolished some decades ago. Rivalling Illapa and Elsmere in size were two mansions in Walpole Street, one named on the plan as ‘Gnarlbine’. Over time, Kew Junction and the south side of High Street have been reconfigured and widened, so that the commercial buildings on the corner of Princess and High Street no longer exist. A surprising feature of this part of central Kew to the northwest of Kew Junction is the amount of vacant land. In a number of cases, this land is noted by the contractor as used for vegetable gardens.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, maps - borough of kew, mmbw 1581, cartography

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria)This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). Public buildings, coloured grey on the Plan 1582 include the police station and post office, churches and schools. The earliest church school, Common School No.356 was located at the rear of the Congregational Church in Peel Street. It was constructed in 1859. The first buildings of Kew Primary School No.1075 on the other side of Peel Street were constructed in 1871. The school in 1903 only occupied a small fraction of its current site. In 1903, where the rear playground is now located, were two weatherboard and one brick villa. Trinity Grammar School was founded in 1902 and opened in the Parish Hall at the rear of Holy Trinity Anglican Church. It was not to move to its current site until 1906. The outline of the building housing the Kew Fire Brigade in the centre of the north side of Walton Street is shown but not named on the plan. Further down Pakington Street stood the two-storey Italianate mansion ‘Overton’. The home of Stanford Chapman, it was to be featured in the Imperial Institute series of bromide photographs of Victoria, Vol. 1: Homes and scenery. It was later to become a boarding house before it was later demolished.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, maps - borough of kew, mmbw 1582, cartography

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria)This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). This plan, which covers parts of High Street, Pakington Street and Derby Street is dominated by two historic Kew mansions: ‘Konetta’ and ‘Ramornie’. Ramornie was constructed in 1890 for James Maitland Campbell, three times Mayor of Kew. Sold in 1940, it became a boarding house known as ‘The Towers’. Now a private residence again, it has only one of its three balconies remaining. The location of the missing two balconies can be seen on the plan. In 1903, the grounds of Ramornie included a large tennis court fronting Pakington Street. The rear of the property is shown as extending to Cobden Street. One of Kew’s oldest hotels, the Prospect Hill Hotel on the corner of High and Cobden Street was established in 1858. The outline of the hotel shown on the plan represents the second building on the site. During the 19th century it was often used for electoral meetings. The Prospect Hill Hotel was to be redeveloped again in 1928, by the local architect Robert McIntyre. Since the 1980s, the hotel has been a live music venue, the home of the Melbourne Jazz Club, a restaurant and a liquor outlet.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, maps - borough of kew, mmbw 1585, cartography

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria)This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). This plan shows the original configuration of the Kew Post Office, Court House and Police Station, which had opened in 1888. This configuration was to essentially remain until the purchase of the Court House and Police Station by the City of Boroondara in 2007 and its subsequent renovation. Interestingly, the MMBW surveyors incorrectly labelled parts of the complex. In the triangle in front of the Post Office, before the erection of the Kew Cenotaph in 1925, was located a lawn and the Queen Victoria Jubilee Fountain. While many of the shops on the south side of High street had been constructed by 1903 a number of sites were still used as vegetable gardens. Further along High Street, on the corner of Charles Street, the Salvation Army Barracks can be seen on the plan. These Barracks predate the later Citadel and ‘Young People’s Hall’ that were opened in 1919. At 22 Charles Street can be seen the house of James Venn Morgan. Hailed as the ‘father of Kew’, Morgan arrived in Melbourne in 1840. He was first engaged as a bookmaker, but a fortunate venture on the goldfields enabled him to purchase land in Kew. He conducted a market garden and dairy in Kew for many years.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, maps - borough of kew, mmbw 1588, cartography

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria)This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). Surveyed by the Board of Works in 1903 and published in 1904, Plan No.1590 shows development north of Cotham Road. While this plan includes built structures in Mary Street, Cotham Road, High Street, Park Hill Road, Kent Street, Ridgeway Avenue, and Ermington Lane (now Ermington Place), only part of this section was notated and coloured in this contractor’s copy. Numerous houses, large and small are named on the plan: ‘Cholula’, ‘Belper’, ‘The Uplands’, ‘Spring Grove’ facing Cotham Road; ‘Marion’ facing Kent Street; and ‘Kia Ora’ facing Ridgeway Avenue.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, mmbw 1590, survey plans - borough of kew, cartography

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria)This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). That area of Kew bordered by Cotham Road, Park Hill Road, Ermington Lane (now Ermington Place), and Belmont Avenue contained some of the significant homes owned by Kew pioneers. Chief among these was ‘Park Hill’ on an enormous lot facing Park Hill Road. The Jubilee History of 1910 noted, six years after this plan was drawn, that: ‘Park Hill Road, forming the southern boundary of the cemetery, takes its name from Park Hill, the residence of Mr. Thomas Judd, who has resided there since December, 1852.’ Other named houses on the plan include ‘Ferndale’ facing Cotham Road; ‘Ermington’ adjacent to Judd’s Park Hill, facing Park Hill Road; and ‘Gilden’ and ‘Mont Belmont’ facing Belmont Avenue. Mont Belmont was designed by the architectural firm of Reed, Henderson and Smart for William George Lilley in 1887 and was completed in 1888. Lilley was Mayor of Kew in 1887-88, a Justice of the Peace and a member of the first Board of Guardians of Kew’s St. Hilary’s Church of England.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, survey plans - borough of kew, mmbw 1591, cartography

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria). This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). In MMBW Plan No.1592, the pink line indicates that area of the plan for which the contracting engineer was responsible. Included in the Plan are a number of primarily brick villas in a section of Belmont Avenue off Cotham Road. The house ‘Uvadale’ north of Belmont Avenue, and facing Cotham Road is also included in the contract. Excluded from the contract but shown on the Plan are ‘Glendonald’, ‘Mont Belmont’ and ‘Gilden’.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, survey plans - borough of kew, mmbw 1592, cartography

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria)This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). The laborious task of hand-tinting these Board of Works plans was not without hazards as is evidenced by Plan No. 1593. On the Plan, the original colourist spilt black and green ink, partially obscuring some parts. The most obvious casualty is ‘Clifton’ located on the corner of Cotham Road and Park Street [now Adeney Avenue]. Included in this Plan, and outlined in pink is that part of the section that the contracting engineer was tasked with completing. This included sewering on both sides of this part of Cotham Road, but excluded properties such as ‘Glendonald’ and ‘Monnington’. This area was to undergo a series of subdivisions including the ‘Clifton Estate’, which created housing lots on Adeney Avenue and Florence Avenue in 1916. The most notable occupant of Clifton was William Adeney [died 1893], a pioneer of Camperdown, after which Park Street was later renamed.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, survey plans - borough of kew, mmbw 1593, cartography

Historical information - RECHABITES - The Star of Kew Tent, No. 260. This branch of the Independent Order of Rechabites was founded in September, 1882, when the following members were installed as the first officers by the district officers, viz. Chief Ruler, Bro. W. H. Bardwell; Deputy Ruler, Bro. C. 
Viney; Past Chief Ruler, Bro. J. V. Morgan; Treasurer, Bro. R. Eyre; Money Steward, Bro. A. Brown; Levite, Bro. W. H. Richardson; Guardian, Bro. J. Wathen; Secretary, Bro. T. J. Eaton. Bros. W. H. Bardwell, T. J. Eaton, and F. J. Legge 
were appointed as trustees. It is interesting to 
note that three of the foundation members, Messrs. Bardwell, Eaton, and Richardson, and still members of the tent. The first meetings were held in the Mission Hall, but for many years the meeting place 
of the tent has been the Kew Town Hall. The funds of the tent have gradually accumulated until at the last audit they amounted to £2,097. For many years past the interest on the funds has been more than sufficient to meet all claims for sick pay. The 
total membership is now 140. The following past secretaries have been mainly instrumental in placing the tent in its present position:-Bros. T. J. Eaton, W. H. Bardwell, C. B. Gray, and C. L. Churcher. The present officers are :- C.R., Bro. R. M. Jones; D.R., Bro. T. H. B. Williams; P.C.R., Bro. C. H. Green; Treasurer, Bro. W. J. Thornton; Secretary, Bro. F. C. W. Hurrell. Junior Branch. A junior branch was founded in 1883, and while its membership has fluctuated considerably according to the enthusiasm of the management, it has been the means of introducing many members to the senior tent. Its membership is now 41. Female Branch. Lily of Kew Tent, No. 20. This branch was formed in October, 1904, and has accomplished good work. Its membership is 38. Much of its success is due to the untiring energy of its secretary, Mrs. J Jaycock. Source: Barnard, FGA, Jubilee History of Kew, Victoria, 1910This document forms part of a large collection of material assembled by the Rogers family of Kew and donated by the family to the Kew Historical Society by Dorothy Rogers or by her sons. The items in the collection have social and spiritual significance and are also historically significant. Items such as this coloured lithograph have a degree of artistic and aesthetic significance as representative examples of the certificate designers art in the 19th Century. A certificate awarded to W. H. Richardson (the father of the historian Dorothy Rogers) by the ‘Juvenile Tent No.157 in appreciation of his role as ‘Superintendent’. The certificate notes that 1887 was the fourth anniversary of the Juvenile Tent. The Star of Kew Tent No. 260 had been formed in 1882 as a branch of the Independent Order of Rechabites. W. H. Richardson was a founding member.star of kew tent no.260, independent order of rechabites, william h richardson, rogers collection, testimonials

RECHABITES. The Star of Kew Tent, No. 260. This branch of the Independent Order of Rechabites was founded in September, 1882, when the following members were installed as the first officers by the district officers, viz. Chief Ruler, Bro. W. H. Bardwell; Deputy Ruler, Bro. C. 
Viney; Past Chief Ruler, Bro. J. V. Morgan; Treasurer, Bro. R. Eyre; Money Steward, Bro. A. Brown; Levite, Bro. W. H. Richardson; Guardian, Bro. J. Wathen; Secretary, Bro. T. J. Eaton. Bros. W. H. Bardwell, T. J. Eaton, and F. J. Legge 
were appointed as trustees. It is interesting to 
note that three of the foundation members, Messrs. Bardwell, Eaton, and Richardson, and still members of the tent. The first meetings were held in the Mission Hall, but for many years the meeting place 
of the tent has been the Kew Town Hall. The funds of the tent have gradually accumulated until at the last audit they amounted to £2,097. For many years past the interest on the funds has been more than sufficient to meet all claims for sick pay. The 
total membership is now 140. The following past secretaries have been mainly instrumental in placing the tent in its present position:-Bros. T. J. Eaton, W. H. Bardwell, C. B. Gray, and C. L. Churcher. The present officers are :- C.R., Bro. R. M. Jones; D.R., Bro. T. H. B. Williams; P.C.R., Bro. C. H. Green; Treasurer, Bro. W. J. Thornton; Secretary, Bro. F. C. W. Hurrell. Junior Branch. A junior branch was founded in 1883, and while its membership has fluctuated considerably according to the enthusiasm of the management, it has been the means of introducing many members to the senior tent. Its membership is now 41. Female Branch. Lily of Kew Tent, No. 20. This branch was formed in October, 1904, and has accomplished good work. Its membership is 38. Much of its success is due to the untiring energy of its secretary, Mrs. J Jaycock. Source: FGA Barnard, Jubilee History of Kew, Victoria, 1910This document forms part of a large collection of material assembled by the Rogers family of Kew and donated by the family to the Kew Historical Society by Dorothy Rogers or by her sons. The items in the collection have social and spiritual significance and are also historically significant. Items such as this coloured lithograph have a degree of artistic and aesthetic significance as representative examples of the certificate designers art in the 19th Century.A colour lithograph, following a standard Rechabite design recording that Sister Richardson (later the historian Dorothy Rogers) joined the Junior Section of the Star of Kew Tent of the Independent Order of Rechabites on 17 February 1915. The certificate features biblical scenes and figures exhorting ‘Truth and Temperance’ and ‘Love and Purity’.independ, independent order of rechabites, dorothy (richardson) rogers, membership certificates, rogers collection, lily of kew tent, no. 20

In 1903, an article in the Box Hill 'Reporter' noted that the Kew Flyer Cycle business had been started in 1893 by Harry F. Cooper, who was "the oldest cycle maker in the district". By 1903, the Kew Flyer business was located at 8 (later 14) Cotham Road where it was to remain an institution until its closure. Seven years later, W.D. Vaughan, in his 'Jubilee History of Kew, Victoria' (1910) wrote that: "Several cycling clubs have been born and died, suffering chiefly from the migration of the leading spirits in the organisations, but since 1900 the ‘Kew Flyer’ road race, instituted by Mr. H. F. Cooper, has been the cycling event of the year among local riders. It is run on the White Horse Road at Blackburn." Early newspaper reports record that distance of the Race was initially 10 miles but by 1906, the event was 15 miles, starting from the Travellers' Rest Hotel in Blackburn. Cooper's Kew Flyer business in Cotham Road introduced new technologies and models throughout its 56-years of operation. By 1908, it was claimed that the shop had been enlarged with new "workshops and [the] latest lathes and cycle building tools. [It] Is now one of the most up-to-date Cycle Works in Victoria". By the First World War, Cooper had expanded his business to include motorbikes with "Precision Engines". The Kew Flyer business and the annual road races continued through the War, even though a number of its staff left for the front. One of these was [Pte] Robert Charles Field Richardson, who joined the 6th Battalion, fought and was wounded at Gallipoli, and died of his wounds in a hospital in Alexandria, Egypt in 1915. In 1917, the death of Private H.S. Herbert was announced. He had been the winner of the Kew Flyer Cycle Road Race in 1913. He died in action in France, having fought at Gallipoli and in France at the Battle of Pozieres. The majority of bicycles advertised by Cooper were designed for men, although bikes for women and 'juveniles' were advertised as early as 1918, so they were probably manufactured throughout the period. Harry Cooper was to sell his Kew Flyer business in 1936, after 39 years of trading. The business he began continued until 1949.This is a very rare image [the location of the original is now unknown] of a Kew Flyer team. The photo was sourced and remained in the possession of the historian Dorothy Rogers, whose brother was an early member of staff in the firm. The photo is historically significant as it is the only known photograph of a Kew Flyer Team, and possibly the only known photo of Harry F. Cooper, the founder of the firm and a key figure in Victorian cycling history. Photograph, the first of two, of an earlier album photograph of the Kew Flyer Team in uniform with trainers and workers of the company. One of the men in the photograph is probably Harry Cooper, the proprietor of the Kew Flyer business in Cotham Road, Kew. Harry Cooper was the sponsor of one of the best known trader cycle races in Melbourne. The photograph remained in the possession of the Rogers family until its donation to the Society by John Rogers in 2015.Handwritten annotation by the historian Dorothy Rogers on reverse: "Kew Flyer Team about 1912-13. Coopers Cycle Shop Cotham Rd opp. Kew Post Office".kew flyer, harry f cooper, trader bike races - victoria - kew, kew flyer team

In 1903, an article in the Box Hill 'Reporter' noted that the Kew Flyer Cycle business had been started in 1893 by Harry F. Cooper, who was "the oldest cycle maker in the district". By 1903, the Kew Flyer business was located at 8 (later 14) Cotham Road where it was to remain an institution until its closure. Seven years later, W.D. Vaughan, in his 'Jubilee History of Kew, Victoria' (1910) wrote that: "Several cycling clubs have been born and died, suffering chiefly from the migration of the leading spirits in the organisations, but since 1900 the ‘Kew Flyer’ road race, instituted by Mr. H. F. Cooper, has been the cycling event of the year among local riders. It is run on the White Horse Road at Blackburn." Early newspaper reports record that distance of the Race was initially 10 miles but by 1906, the event was 15 miles, starting from the Travellers' Rest Hotel in Blackburn. Cooper's Kew Flyer business in Cotham Road introduced new technologies and models throughout its 56-years of operation. By 1908, it was claimed that the shop had been enlarged with new "workshops and [the] latest lathes and cycle building tools. [It] Is now one of the most up-to-date Cycle Works in Victoria". By the First World War, Cooper had expanded his business to include motorbikes with "Precision Engines". The Kew Flyer business and the annual road races continued through the War, even though a number of its staff left for the front. One of these was [Pte] Robert Charles Field Richardson, who joined the 6th Battalion, fought and was wounded at Gallipoli, and died of his wounds in a hospital in Alexandria, Egypt in 1915. In 1917, the death of Private H.S. Herbert was announced. He had been the winner of the Kew Flyer Cycle Road Race in 1913. He died in action in France, having fought at Gallipoli and in France at the Battle of Pozieres. The majority of bicycles advertised by Cooper were designed for men, although bikes for women and 'juveniles' were advertised as early as 1918, so they were probably manufactured throughout the period. Harry Cooper was to sell his Kew Flyer business in 1936, after 39 years of trading. The business he began continued until 1949.This is a very rare image [the location of the original is now unknown] of a Kew Flyer team. The photo was sourced and remained in the possession of the historian Dorothy Rogers, whose brother was an early member of staff in the firm. The photo is historically significant as it is the only known photograph of a Kew Flyer Team, and possibly the only known photo of Harry F. Cooper, the founder of the firm and a key figure in Victorian cycling history. Photograph, the second of two, from an earlier album photograph of the Kew Flyer Team in uniform with trainers and workers of the company. One of the men in the photograph is probably Harry F. Cooper, the proprietor of the Kew Flyer business in Cotham Road, Kew. Harry Cooper was the sponsor of one of the best known and oldest trader cycle races in Melbourne. The photograph remained in the possession of the Rogers family until its donation to the Society by John Rogers in 2015.Handwritten annotation by the historian Dorothy Rogers on reverse: "Kew Flyer Team from very old photo".kew flyer, harry f cooper, trader bike races - victoria - kew, kew flyer team

The extensive fashion and design collection of the Kew Historical Society has been assembled over a number of decades. One subsection of this collection is shoes, designed and manufactured for Australian women by Australian and European designers. Many of the shoes, while often mass-produced, were generally constructed by skilled artisans using traditional shoe-making techniques. The shoes date from the 1890s to the 1980s. Schumacher Shoes was a family owned and operated retail show store in Melbourne who sought out the best in comfort, design, and style features. Brands are sourced from around the world, including renowned German, French, Italian; Spanish seasons collections. Made from, including sustainable, quality natural; man made materials.Black leather shoes, with high stilettos heels sling backs with a narrow pointed toe, designed by Schumacher of Collins Street, Melbourne.Schumacher / 296 (sic) Collins Street / Melbourneschumacher, women's shoes, footwear

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories. This particular skirt, by one-time Kew resident Prie Acton, was sourced by Margaret Robinson. A-line suede leather midi-length skirt featuring "bull's eye" and zig-zag appliques at hemline. Skirt is black coloured.Label inside back waistband: Prue Acton / AUSTRALIA women's clothing, australian fashion, prue acton, skirts, costumes, 1970s fashion, melbourne fashion designers, margaret robinson

The Municipality of Kew was proclaimed on 19 December 1860, then upgraded to a Borough (1863), a Town (1910) and finally a City (1921). From 1865, its offices were based in the former Athenaeum Hall in Walpole Street, which, although extended in 1883, inevitably became inadequate. Plans for a new purpose-built Town Hall were first mooted in the late 1880s, but fell prey to six subsequent decades of debate. During that time, many sites were considered and rejected, and several schemes prepared. Finally, in 1945, it was resolved to build a new civic centre as a war memorial. The council acquired Southesk, a mansion on the south-west corner of Cotham Road and Charles Street – first mooted as a possible Town Hall site two decades earlier – and plans for a civic precinct were drawn up by John Scarborough. The project stalled until 1957, when a Town Hall Committee was formed and a new architect appointed: Harold Bartlett of Leith & Bartlett. He also proposed an entire civic precinct, of which a large public hall would constitute Stage One. Designed to accommodate almost any public or official function, the space had had a small stage at one end for intimate theatrical productions, a larger stage at the other (with operable sunken orchestra pit) for musical performances, plus the most up-to-date equipment for live TV transmission. The building, befitting its original intent as a war memorial, was also to include a sculpted monument, for which a separate design competition was held. First prize went to George H Allen (1900-1972), long-time head of the Sculpture Department at RMIT and a former war artist himself (the only one, in fact, to have worked in the medium of sculpture). At the time of the Kew project, Allen was best known for his Cenotaph at the Shrine of Remembrance (1955) and a controversial abstract sculpture at Hume House in William Street (1957). Tenders for the new hall were called and the contract (worth £104,986) was awarded to H F Yuncken. The foundation stone was laid by the Mayor, Cr F C O'Brien, on 1 June 1959. Completion (initially scheduled for October) was delayed by the unavailability of certain materials; it was barely finished in time for the official opening (by Premier Henry Bolte) on 23 April 1960. The war memorial was unveiled two days later (Anzac Day) by Bolte's deputy, the Hon A G Rylah. Fittingly, that year also marked Kew's municipal centenary, and many celebratory events were held in and around the new civic centre in December, including a special council meeting (attended by the Prime Minister), a tree planting ceremony and a youth ball. Source: Survey of Built Heritage in Victoria: Stage Two (Built Heritage Pty Ltd., 2010)Plaque commemorating the opening of a new town hall in KewMetal plaque recording the official opening of the Kew City Hall, 23rd April 1960. This plaque was given to the Kew Historical Society in 1991 by the former City of Kew.Kew City Hall / Opened by / The Hon. H.E. Bolte M.L.A. / Premier of Victoria / 23rd April 1960 / Cr. H.G. Ferguson J.P. - Mayor.kew city hall, foundation stones - kew (vic), sir henry bolte, local government -- kew (vic.)

The Municipality of Kew was proclaimed on 19 December 1860, then upgraded to a Borough (1863), a Town (1910) and finally a City (1921). From 1865, its offices were based in the former Athenaeum Hall in Walpole Street, which, although extended in 1883, inevitably became inadequate. Plans for a new purpose-built Town Hall were first mooted in the late 1880s, but fell prey to six subsequent decades of debate. During that time, many sites were considered and rejected, and several schemes prepared. Finally, in 1945, it was resolved to build a new civic centre as a war memorial. The council acquired Southesk, a mansion on the south-west corner of Cotham Road and Charles Street – first mooted as a possible Town Hall site two decades earlier – and plans for a civic precinct were drawn up by John Scarborough. The project stalled until 1957, when a Town Hall Committee was formed and a new architect appointed: Harold Bartlett of Leith & Bartlett. He also proposed an entire civic precinct, of which a large public hall would constitute Stage One. Designed to accommodate almost any public or official function, the space had had a small stage at one end for intimate theatrical productions, a larger stage at the other (with operable sunken orchestra pit) for musical performances, plus the most up-to-date equipment for live TV transmission. The building, befitting its original intent as a war memorial, was also to include a sculpted monument, for which a separate design competition was held. First prize went to George H Allen (1900-1972), long-time head of the Sculpture Department at RMIT and a former war artist himself (the only one, in fact, to have worked in the medium of sculpture). At the time of the Kew project, Allen was best known for his Cenotaph at the Shrine of Remembrance (1955) and a controversial abstract sculpture at Hume House in William Street (1957). Tenders for the new hall were called and the contract (worth £104,986) was awarded to H F Yuncken. The foundation stone was laid by the Mayor, Cr F C O'Brien, on 1 June 1959. Completion (initially scheduled for October) was delayed by the unavailability of certain materials; it was barely finished in time for the official opening (by Premier Henry Bolte) on 23 April 1960. The war memorial was unveiled two days later (Anzac Day) by Bolte's deputy, the Hon A G Rylah. Fittingly, that year also marked Kew's municipal centenary, and many celebratory events were held in and around the new civic centre in December, including a special council meeting (attended by the Prime Minister), a tree planting ceremony and a youth ball. Source: Survey of Built Heritage in Victoria: Stage Two (Built Heritage Pty Ltd., 2010)Historically significant commemorative plaqueMetal plaque relating to special Council meeting to mark centenary of Kew, 13th December 1960. This plaque was given to the Kew Historical Society in 1991 by the former City of Kew.A Special Meeting Of The / Kew City Council Was Held In / This Hall On 13th December 1960 / To Commemorate / The Centenary of Kew / Cr. W.H.S. Dickinson, M.B.E., J.P., / Mayorkew city hall, foundation stones - kew (vic), cr. w.h.s. dickinson, local government -- kew (vic.)