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 covers the area between Barkers Road, Wrixon Street, Sackville Street and Brougham Place, much of it now occupied by Carey Baptist Grammar and Preshil schools. This was an area of large and prestigious homes in 1903, some with formally laid-out gardens, such as ‘Tower Hill’ and ‘Opawa’. ‘Kalimna’ was built in 1890-91 for William H. Jarman, an accountant, and ‘Blackhall’ at the same time for W.H. Roberts. Blackhall was to be acquired by the Salvation Army in 1915 and renamed ‘Catherine Booth Girls’ Home’. The Home accommodated girls, aged between 4 and 16. Kalimna and Blackhall are of significance as typical and intact late Victorian mansions and as such are two key Victorian buildings to have been built in Kew. Both Blackhall and Kalimna are now part of Preshil. ‘Fairview’ was for a long time occupied by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny as a care home for the elderly, but it is now part of Carey Grammar School, as are the grounds of ‘Wagga Merne’, ‘Weemutta’, ‘Blakely’, ‘Daheim’ and ‘Mildura’ (later ‘Urangeline’), the last being particularly impressive in 1903, with a tennis court, conservatory, outhouses, and two bathrooms!melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, mmbw 1563, 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 1905, when Plan No.1564 was printed, that part of Kew bordered by Brougham Place (now Daniell Place), Mount Street, Sackville Street and Ross Street was already the location of a number of large mansions. Here, subdivisions, at least at this stage, produced larger blocks than in Central Kew. Many of the houses on this plan are named: ‘Faybrook’, ‘Northumbria’, ‘Parkholm[e]’, ‘Dunboe’, ‘Katoomba’ and ‘Eschol’ fronting Sackville Street. Eschol was once the home of the manufacturer Robert Harrison, whose cordial factory in Spring and Argyle Streets Fitzroy are noted on the Victorian Heritage Register. ‘The Hawthorns’ on the corner of Brougham Place and Mount Street was the home of the medical practitioner Frank William Fay, who won the military cross and other honours for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in World War 1.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, mmbw 1564, 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.1565 is an example of a plan where a number of streets have been created since the area was surveyed, or in other cases renamed. The plan shows those streets that were bordered by Ross Street, Mount Street, Sackville Street and Burke Road. Since 1905, Mawson Street has been created and Mont Albert Road renamed as Dean Street. Named houses on the plan include ‘Tyrol’, ‘Glengorse’, ‘Theodore Villa’, ‘Arncliffe’, ‘Ballynira’ and ‘Hazeldene’. The plan also shows a Wesleyan Church in Sackville Street. In 1883, the Church’s Sunday School celebrated its silver anniversary.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, mmbw 1565, 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). Plan No.1568 covers the area bounded by Cotham Road, John Street, Sackville Street, and Edward Street. Alfred Street and Rowland Street are in shown in the middle of the plan. The two most notable buildings shown are ‘St Helliers’, the home of the Dumaresq family, and St Hilary’s Church and school. While the colours used to indicate St Hilary’s are grey as in other civic/public buildings, the first St Hilary’s Anglican Church was at this stage constructed in weatherboard. At the left of the plan, facing Sackville Street is a house named ‘Glencara’. The 1988 ‘Kew Conservation Study’ recorded that “The first documentary evidence of this house comes from Rate Books which record that in 1893 a Mrs Treadway was the owner of this building with an N.A.V. of £81? At that date the occupier of the house was Charles B. Kelly, a clerk, while by 1910 Kelly had become the owner of the property described in that year ‘as a six-roomed stone, brick and wood house with stables and outbuildings’”. Contrary to this description, the 1905 plan indicates that the house was entirely constructed of masonry.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, mmbw 1568

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 covers parts of Sackville Street, John Street, Thomas Street and Cotham Road, and includes several very large houses in Sackville Street. Job Smith built ‘Berrington’ in about 1888-90 for himself, and ‘Pomeroy’ (now ‘Merridale’) in 1885 for James Mickleburgh. ‘Heathfield’ was built in 1888 for Henry Eeles, and was one of many fine homes in Kew, Hawthorn and surrounding suburbs designed by prolific architect John Beswicke; it later became “La Verna” and was a Franciscan monastery. Similarly, in Cotham Road, we can see ‘Bella Vista’ (now demolished), and ‘Charleville’, with its double-storeyed arcade frontage, built in 1889 for Charles Donaldson whose family occupied it until 1939. This was renamed ‘Ross House’ by the second owner, Dr. Thomas King, and then substantially restored in the 1960s by the Stillwell family, well known as car drivers and dealers. Bella Vista (later ‘Malinda’) was originally designed by the architect Robert Haddon and built for Abel Hoadley, inventor of the Violet Crumble Bar and many other delicious delicacies. He began by manufacturing jams and pickles in South Melbourne using fruit from his own orchard in East Burwood.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, mmbw 1569, 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). Plan No.1570 shows the layout of gardens and houses in Sackville Street, Davis Street, Wrixon Street, and Fitzwilliam Street in 1904. While Thomas Street is included on the map, at this stage no houses had been built. The plan identifies two named houses: ‘Fairview’ and ‘Kylemore’. Fairview is more fully delineated in Plan No.1563. Kylemore is one of the few houses in Kew designed by John Beswicke. The most notable owner of Kylemore was William Whitehead, who owned the house between 1895 and 1900. In 1894, Australian newspapers reported the marriage of Whitehead’s daughter to Dr. Gerald Eugene Cussen, the brother of Sir Leo Cussen, the Supreme Court Judge. The married couple was to live at ‘Wilton’ (now the Kew RSL) from 1911-15.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, mmbw 1570, 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.Digital copy of the 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 is part of a large and historically significant 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. When the contracts were let for surveyors to identify and record the extant houses and landscapes within an area for the Board of Works, the contracts were let at separate times, hence the anomaly where two copies of Plan No.1571 exist in our collection. The first of these plans identifies the building materials used in houses bordering Fitzwilliam Street, Edgevale Road, May Street, Malin Street, Davis Street and Wellington Street. The cut off point for the survey was the south side of Wellington Street. By 1903 when the survey was undertaken many of the sites were already built on, particularly those facing Edgevale Road. The plan identifies the preponderance of weatherboard houses in the area. The other version of the plan identifies the buildings between Wellington Street and Cotham Road.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, mmbw 1571, 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 is the other half of Plan No.1571 representing the constructions to the west of Wellington Street before and in 1903/4. This plan represents the built environment in Edgevale Road, Wellington Street, Atkins Street, Annadale Street, Mortimer Street, and Cotham Road. Whereas there are smaller allotments and more modest housing stock facing Edgevale Road, larger blocks and more substantial houses are represented facing Cotham Road.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, mmbw 1571, 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). Plan No. 1572 represents the built environment bordered by Barkers Road, Wrixon Street, Edgevale Road and Fitzwilliam Street. Other streets identified on the plan include Stansell Street. Plan 1572 shows that by 1903-05, there was only patchy development in this area of Kew, mainly on Edgevale Road and Fitzwilliam Street. Only two named houses are identified: the quaintly named ‘Tweed Cottage’, and ‘Mendip’. The earliest reference to Treed Cottage in Australian newspapers is to the death of Walter Thompson, aged 74 who was a resident there in 1885. His youngest daughter was to die there in 1908. Mendip to the north of Tweed Cottage was owned by Henry Thompson; he was to die in 1901; his wife in 1932. At this period of time, Malin Street and Clivedon Court did not extend to Barkers Road.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, mmbw 1572, 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 has detailed annotations written in red or blue ink, showing prices, which may be the annual valuations of the properties, and some owners’ names, a most unusual feature on contractor's maps. Some areas, such as the buildings of Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC), include the school’s tennis court and swimming pool, but are not coloured to show building materials – did the draftsman just run out of time, or ink, or enthusiasm, before his plan had to be submitted? MLC had been founded in 1882 as a ‘modern school of the first order’ with buildings that formed ‘a collegiate institution for girls unsurpassed in the colonies’. The goal of its founders was to provide a high-class Christian education for girls, comparable with that provided elsewhere for boys. Some shops are shown along Edgevale Road, though they are not designated as commercial premises. Larger houses are depicted, including ‘Fairlawn’ in Barkers Road, and ‘Clevedon’ and ‘Rosehill’ (now demolished) in Fitzwilliam Street.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, mmbw 1573, maps - 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). This plan shows several very large houses, particularly along Glenferrie Road, and the area now occupied by Ruyton Girls’ School. ‘Tarring’ (incorrectly spelled here as ‘Karring’) was built for Henry Henty in 1872, on part of his original allotment of 20 acres, and ‘Mount View’, which retains its original building and the fountain in the front garden, is part of Ruyton’s Junior School. The most significant change to Tarring and its grounds since 1903, involve the removal of a number of the outbuildings, including a Burmese temple, bought by Henty from the Burmese Exhibit at the Great Exhibition of 1880. It is shown on the plan as a summerhouse. The two-storey mansion, on the corner of Glenferrie Road and Wellington Street, was built in 1891 by leading architect Alfred White as his own home. Having an initial N.A.V. of £160, the house was purchased by a warehouseman Henry Lister, by 1900, when the N.A.V. was recorded at £111. By the turn of the century the house was known as ‘Comaques’. By contrast, much smaller houses are shown in Scott and Byron Streets, including a tiny Mission Hall in Byron Street, which belonged to the Anglican Church from at least 1903 to 1917.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, maps - borough of kew, mmbw 1574, 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). Plan No.1575 shows that in the area bounded by Wellington Street, Edgevale Road, Glenferrie Road, and Cotham Road, there had already been significant subdivision of land and houses constructed. As one of the highest points in Kew, as expected, there were already some significant mansions built on large allotments of land. Many of these mansions are identified by name on the plan such as ‘Kelso’, ‘Abbotsford’, ‘Clarendon’ and ‘Ashlyn’ in Cotham Road. Other houses of equal size are unnamed on the plan.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, maps - borough of kew, mmbw 1575, cartography

Joseph Butterworth COOMBS (1842-1901), was an accountant who founded a successful mercantile trading company. At the time of his marriage to Caroline Mary MICHEL in 1869, Coombs had already purchased ten acres of Studley Park. The acreage included land on the west of Fenwick Street that extended along lower Stawell Street to the corner of Yarra Street, all of it connected directly to the Yarra environs. A right of way to Studley Park Road was on the title, though Coombs went on to purchase more land, some of which faced Studley Park Road. In addition to owning the Studley Park acreage, Coombs later acquired 1,201 acres of land abutting the Acheron River. While retaining the Kew property he became a Taggerty Councillor and was Shire President for a time. J.B. Coombs died at Acheron Station in 1901 (aged 59 years). A few months after, tenders were called to repair the Kew dwelling, the Fenwick Street property now appearing in records with the name ‘Hope Mansell’. Caroline Coombs remained at Hope Mansell until she died in 1924, survived by three sons and five daughters. Not long after her death, advertisements appeared for the sale of the Studley Park land. The sale seems to have been a mechanism for distribution of the Estate, as the following year the original ten acre holding was transferred to members of the family. The eldest daughter Mabel married William Younger who, with his brother Alexander, developed Younger and Mackie Courts, both south of Studley Park Road. [Research: Kerry Fairbank]In 1961, the granddaughter of Joseph and Caroline Coombs, Mabel Isola (Younger) Grattan, donated ten 19th century dresses and parasols to the Kew Historical Society. The costumes, now known as the 'Coombs Collection', are the earliest recorded items of clothing to enter the Society's collection. Each of the items in the Coombs Collection, of which this item forms a part, is historically, aesthetically and socially significant. As a collection, the costumes includes outstanding examples of morning wear, day dresses, wedding dresses, and clothing accessories, providing evidence of outstanding dressmaker skills in Victoria during the mid to late Victorian period. Two-piece royal blue heavy silk dress comprised of a tightly waisted top that extends below the waist at the front and the back, and a floor-length skirt. The full skirt and the sculpted fabric that is part of the top are designed to cover a bustle. The elaborately styled bodice is joined with fabric-covered buttons at centre front. The bodice is distinctively styled with the use silk velvet banding and tassles that extend the woven silk webbing. The outfit is in excellent condition apart from some wear on the velvet and the buttons.women's clothing, australian fashion, dresses, costumes, fashion & design, outerware

Joseph Butterworth COOMBS (1842-1901), was an accountant who founded a successful mercantile trading company. At the time of his marriage to Caroline Mary MICHEL in 1869, Coombs had already purchased ten acres of Studley Park. The acreage included land on the west of Fenwick Street that extended along lower Stawell Street to the corner of Yarra Street, all of it connected directly to the Yarra environs. A right of way to Studley Park Road was on the title, though Coombs went on to purchase more land, some of which faced Studley Park Road. In addition to owning the Studley Park acreage, Coombs later acquired 1,201 acres of land abutting the Acheron River. While retaining the Kew property he became a Taggerty Councillor and was Shire President for a time. J.B. Coombs died at Acheron Station in 1901 (aged 59 years). A few months after, tenders were called to repair the Kew dwelling, the Fenwick Street property now appearing in records with the name ‘Hope Mansell’. Caroline Coombs remained at Hope Mansell until she died in 1924, survived by three sons and five daughters. Not long after her death, advertisements appeared for the sale of the Studley Park land. The sale seems to have been a mechanism for distribution of the Estate, as the following year the original ten acre holding was transferred to members of the family. The eldest daughter Mabel married William Younger who, with his brother Alexander, developed Younger and Mackie Courts, both south of Studley Park Road. [Research: Kerry Fairbank]In 1961, the granddaughter of Joseph and Caroline Coombs, Mabel Isola (Younger) Grattan, donated ten 19th century dresses and parasols to the Kew Historical Society. The costumes, now known as the 'Coombs Collection', are the earliest recorded items of clothing to enter the Society's collection. Each of the items in the Coombs Collection, of which this item forms a part, is historically, aesthetically and socially significant. As a collection, the costumes includes outstanding examples of morning wear, day dresses, wedding dresses, and clothing accessories, providing evidence of outstanding dressmaker skills in Victoria during the mid to late Victorian period. One-piece, floor length blue silk day dress with a bell skirt that is slightly longer at the back. The dress is joined, centre-front with hooks and eyes. It is probable that the 19th century cream-coloured lace on the bodice and cuffs is a later addition. The lace extends in a long loop at the font of the skirt. The bodice has a high round neck, later modified to a V-shape. The dress must at one stage have been reconfigured or strengthened at the join of the bodice and skirt, as there is evidence of the use of new machine stitching. The dress is fully lined with a stiffened cotton lining fabric. Apart from minor staining, the dress is in excellent condition. The dress is the earliest complete costume in the collection. Measurements - 145.0 cm (centre back) 25.0 cm (waist, flat)Nilcoombs collection, fashion - 1860s, women's clothing, costumes, daywear

Joseph Butterworth COOMBS (1842-1901), was an accountant who founded a successful mercantile trading company. At the time of his marriage to Caroline Mary MICHEL in 1869, Coombs had already purchased ten acres of Studley Park. The acreage included land on the west of Fenwick Street that extended along lower Stawell Street to the corner of Yarra Street, all of it connected directly to the Yarra environs. A right of way to Studley Park Road was on the title, though Coombs went on to purchase more land, some of which faced Studley Park Road. In addition to owning the Studley Park acreage, Coombs later acquired 1,201 acres of land abutting the Acheron River. While retaining the Kew property he became a Taggerty Councillor and was Shire President for a time. J.B. Coombs died at Acheron Station in 1901 (aged 59 years). A few months after, tenders were called to repair the Kew dwelling, the Fenwick Street property now appearing in records with the name ‘Hope Mansell’. Caroline Coombs remained at Hope Mansell until she died in 1924, survived by three sons and five daughters. Not long after her death, advertisements appeared for the sale of the Studley Park land. The sale seems to have been a mechanism for distribution of the Estate, as the following year the original ten acre holding was transferred to members of the family. The eldest daughter Mabel married William Younger who, with his brother Alexander, developed Younger and Mackie Courts, both south of Studley Park Road. [Research: Kerry Fairbank]In 1961, the granddaughter of Joseph and Caroline Coombs, Mabel Isola (Younger) Grattan, donated ten 19th century dresses and parasols to the Kew Historical Society. The costumes, now known as the 'Coombs Collection', are the earliest recorded items of clothing to enter the Society's collection. Each of the items in the Coombs Collection, of which this item forms a part, is historically, aesthetically and socially significant. As a collection, the costumes includes outstanding examples of morning wear, day dresses, wedding dresses, and clothing accessories, providing evidence of outstanding dressmaker skills in Victoria during the mid to late Victorian period. Blue silk, floor length day dress comprised of a tightly fitted, long, waisted jacket joined by hooks and eyes at centre front. The bodice features large ornamental buttons from neck to waist, covered in a figured silk fabric of the same colour as the dress. The gown has extensive pin tucking on the sleeves, on the flounce of the skirt, and on the long train. The line of the outfit is emphasised by the flattened front, which is typical of the period. Its cut and lack of adornment emphasises the tailored effect.australian fashion, fashion & design, costumes, dresses, women's clothing, fashion - 1860s, fashion - 1870s

Joseph Butterworth COOMBS (1842-1901), was an accountant who founded a successful mercantile trading company. At the time of his marriage to Caroline Mary MICHEL in 1869, Coombs had already purchased ten acres of Studley Park. The acreage included land on the west of Fenwick Street that extended along lower Stawell Street to the corner of Yarra Street, all of it connected directly to the Yarra environs. A right of way to Studley Park Road was on the title, though Coombs went on to purchase more land, some of which faced Studley Park Road. In addition to owning the Studley Park acreage, Coombs later acquired 1,201 acres of land abutting the Acheron River. While retaining the Kew property he became a Taggerty Councillor and was Shire President for a time. J.B. Coombs died at Acheron Station in 1901 (aged 59 years). A few months after, tenders were called to repair the Kew dwelling, the Fenwick Street property now appearing in records with the name ‘Hope Mansell’. Caroline Coombs remained at Hope Mansell until she died in 1924, survived by three sons and five daughters. Not long after her death, advertisements appeared for the sale of the Studley Park land. The sale seems to have been a mechanism for distribution of the Estate, as the following year the original ten acre holding was transferred to members of the family. The eldest daughter Mabel married William Younger who, with his brother Alexander, developed Younger and Mackie Courts, both south of Studley Park Road. [Research: Kerry Fairbank]In 1961, the granddaughter of Joseph and Caroline Coombs, Mabel Isola (Younger) Grattan, donated ten 19th century dresses and parasols to the Kew Historical Society. The costumes, now known as the 'Coombs Collection', are the earliest recorded items of clothing to enter the Society's collection. Each of the items in the Coombs Collection, of which this item forms a part, is historically, aesthetically and socially significant. As a collection, the costumes includes outstanding examples of morning wear, day dresses, wedding dresses, and clothing accessories, providing evidence of outstanding dressmaker skills in Victoria during the mid to late Victorian period. Single-piece, floor length, gold silk taffeta evening dress featuring the use of a very long fishtail train to which is attached a silk cord to allow the wearer to hold it above the floor. The dress includes a number of decorative features including the extensive use of box pleats on the sleeves and on the hem of the skirt; contrasting gold and cream braiding and tassles; and the extensive use of ruching on the bodice at the front. Due to the age and fine quality of the silk taffeta used, there is evidence of the degradation of the fabric on one shoulder and a tear in the rear of the skirt. Otherwise the dress is in excellent condition.fashion - 1870s, australian fashion, wedding dresses, costumes, women's clothing, coombs collection

Pickering's Dairy was located on the south Side of High Street, Kew, between Charles Street and Highbury Grove. Kew was a major milk producing district in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries, with three major dairy farms lining the Yarra between Studley Park in the west and Burke Road in the east. In addition to these dairy producers, there were also a number of accredited dairy retailers in the suburb. The largest and most enduring of these was the Model Dairy founded by the Kew pioneer James Venn Morgan. Milk bottles that include the name of the producer or retailer are historically significant as they represent a period in Kew's history before the mass production of milk in the second half of the Twentieth Century. A number of these named bottles have the additional attribute of rarity.Milk bottle - F.G. Pickering, Highbury Dairy, 344 High St., Kew. Pressed inscription: "This bottle contains MILK Bottled for Sale by F.G. Pickering, Highbury Dairy HAW5538, 344 High St., Kew. Bottle is the property of the above. It is loaned and cannot legally be used by others". Reverse: "One Imperial Pint". milk bottles, pickering's dairy (kew)

White's dairy was at 52 Willsmere Road, near the Peel Street Intersection. Descendant known locally as Miss White lived at 33 Willsmere Road. This is across the road from the dairy location. Kew was a major milk producing district in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries, with three major dairy farms lining the Yarra between Studley Park in the west and Burke Road in the east. In addition to these dairy producers, there were also a number of accredited dairy retailers in the suburb. The largest and most enduring of these was the Model Dairy founded by the Kew pioneer James Venn Morgan. Milk bottles that include the name of the producer or retailer are historically significant as they represent a period in Kew's history before the mass production of milk in the second half of the Twentieth Century. A number of these named bottles have the additional attribute of rarity.Glass milk bottle from White's Dairy, North Kew. Pressed inscription: "This bottle contains milk bottled for sale by White's Dairy, North Kew, Phone HAW.2154. Bottle is the property of the above. It is loaned and cannot legally be used by others". Reverse: "One Imperial Pint". milk bottles, white's dairy (kew), north kew, willsmere road

The Model Dairy was founded by the Kew pioneer, James Venn Morgan. The dairy had a number of different locations in Kew depending on the time period. Its final incarnation was on the north side of Cotham Road, between Ridgeway Avenue and Kent Street, Kew. The final factory was designed by the architects Bates, Smart and McCutcheon.Kew was a major milk producing district in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries, with three major dairy farms lining the Yarra between Studley Park in the west and Burke Road in the east. In addition to these dairy producers, there were also a number of accredited dairy retailers in the suburb. The largest and most enduring of these was the Model Dairy founded by the Kew pioneer James Venn Morgan. Milk bottles that include the name of the producer or retailer are historically significant as they represent a period in Kew's history before the mass production of milk in the second half of the Twentieth Century. A number of these named bottles have the additional attribute of rarity.Milk bottle - Model Dairy Kew. Pressed inscription: "Model Dairy Ltd Kew." Reverse: " This bottle contains milk bottled for sale by Model Dairey Ltd and always remains their property. It is loaned & cannot legally be used by others. One Imperial Pint. This bottle differs from 1981.0010 in that it has two pressed rings on the neck of the bottle.milk bottles, model dairy (kew)

The Model Dairy was founded by the Kew pioneer, James Venn Morgan. The dairy had a number of different locations in Kew depending on the time period. Its final location was on the north side of Cotham Road, Kew between Ridgeway Avenue and Kent Street. Its final factory was designed by the architects Bates, Smart and McCutcheon.Kew was a major milk producing district in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries, with three major dairy farms lining the Yarra between Studley Park in the west and Burke Road in the east. In addition to these dairy producers, there were also a number of accredited dairy retailers in the suburb. The largest and most enduring of these was the Model Dairy founded by the Kew pioneer James Venn Morgan. Milk bottles that include the name of the producer or retailer are historically significant as they represent a period in Kew's history before the mass production of milk in the second half of the Twentieth Century. A number of these named bottles have the additional attribute of rarity.Milk bottle - Model Dairy Kew. Pressed inscription: "Model Dairy Ltd Kew." Reverse: " This bottle contains milk bottled for sale by Model Dairey Ltd and always remains their property. It is loaned & cannot legally be used by others. One Imperial Pint. This bottle differs from 1981.0009 in that it does not have two pressed rings on the neck of the bottle.milk bottles, model dairy (kew)

Milk Bottles Recovery Ltd began production in Melbourne in 1930. Its head office was located at 48 Market Street, Melbourne. It supplied milk bottles to dairies throughout metropolitan Melbourne, and possibly Victoria. It ended production in the 1950s. Smaller Kew dairies without their own named bottles, would have sourced bottles from a statewide provider such as Milk Bottles Recovery Ltd.Kew was a major milk producing district in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries, with three major dairy farms lining the Yarra between Studley Park in the west and Burke Road in the east. In addition to these dairy producers, there were also a number of accredited dairy retailers in the suburb. The largest and most enduring of these was the Model Dairy founded by the Kew pioneer James Venn Morgan. Milk bottles that include the name of the producer or retailer are historically significant as they represent a period in Kew's history before the mass production of milk in the second half of the Twentieth Century. A number of these named bottles have the additional attribute of rarity.Milk bottle - Milk Bottles Recovery Ltd. Pressed inscription: "Milk. One Pint. This bottle belongs to Milk Bottles Recovery Ltd and cannot be used with out written permission. milk bottles, milk bottles recovery ltd

An original photograph donated to the Kew Historical Society by the City's Engineering Department preceding the amalgamation of Kew into the City of Boroondara. While not all of the photographs are of Studley Park, Kew or East Kew, each photo provides a fine snapshot of the work of local government engineering departments of the period. They reveal they types of labour conducted, the techniques used and the equipment and machinery in the possession of the local government authority. Historic and rare photograph of major public works in Kew in the 1930sPublic works. Men at work in the creek bed of Connor's Creek in Kew, while constructing the underground barrel drain. Connors Creek was one of the two main tributaries of the Yarra River in Kew. It originated somewhere near the grounds of Genazzano FCJ College. The barrel drain was finally completed in 1941 at a cost of £14,000. Inscription on reverse: "City of Kew / Cecil st drain / November 1936". public works (kew), roadmaking, engineering, city of kew (engineering department), connor's creek (kew), cecil street drain

An original photograph donated to the Kew Historical Society by the City's Engineering Department before the amalgamation of Kew into the City of Boroondara in 1994. While not all of the photographs are of Studley Park, Kew or East Kew, each photo provides a fine snapshot of the work of local government engineering departments of the period. They reveal they types of labour conducted, the techniques used and the equipment and machinery in the possession of the local government authority. Public works. A photograph of a suburban street under construction using a steamroller. The street was photographed to demonstrate the issues relating to grading. Neither the street nor the location has been identified. Inscription on reverse: "The construction of a roadway in a 1 in 3 1/2 grade. / The waggon is hauling the roller, by means of a cable attached to a pulley anchored at the top of the grade." engineering, city of kew (engineering department), road making construction

An original photograph donated to the Kew Historical Society by the City's Engineering Department before the amalgamation of Kew into the City of Boroondara in 1994.While not all of the photographs are of Studley Park, Kew or East Kew, each photo provides a fine snapshot of the work of local government engineering departments of the period. They reveal they types of labour conducted, the techniques used and the equipment and machinery in the possession of the local government authority. Public works. A photograph of a suburban street under construction using a steamroller. Neither the street nor the location has been identified. It is believed that the photograph can be dated to the 1920s. Inscription on reverse: "Road making. (?1920s cars)".steamroller, road construction building, city of kew, city of kew (engineering department)

The architect, Edward Kilburn designed Byram in the Arts & Crafts style for the industrialist George Ramsden. Construction began in 1888 and was reputed to have lasted three years. The mansion had frontages to Studley Park Road and Stevenson Street, including gardens laid out with great taste, including pleasure grounds, tennis lawn, fruit and flower garden, and paddock.The size of many of the trees in the garden indicate that many survived from the garden of Clifton Villa, the previous single-storeyed house built on the site by the Stevenson brothers. Byram had views to Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay. The house was demolished in 1960, despite opposition from the National Trust (Victoria), and its gardens subdivided into residential allotments.An early photograph of Goathland (also known as Byram, Lowan and Tara Hall). The photo shows the front of the building during the period of Sir Malcolm McEacharn’s occupation of the house (1901-11). Edward George Kilburn, of Ellerker & Kilburn, had originally designed the house for the industrialist George Ramsden in 1888. When Sir Malcolm McEacharn purchased Byram, he was to rename it as Goathland. This has led to some confusion, as Goathland was also the name used for McEacharn’s other home in St. Kilda. The period of McEacharn’s ownership represented the high point of the mansion’s history. 'Lost Glories: a memorial to forgotten Australian buildings' was published by David Latta in 1986. It tells the story of a number of significant Australian buildings that had previously been demolished. A chapter in the book was devoted to Goathland, later known as Tara Hall. To supplement the text, he sourced photographs from a range of suppliers, chiefly the Royal Women's Hospital which had once owned Tara Hall, but had sold it in 1960. This is one of the photographs donated to KHS by the author."'Goathland', The Residence of Sir Malcolm D McEacharn"byram, goathland, tara hall, lowan, studley park road -- kew (vic.), melbourne mansions, e g kilburn - architect

Cover in two colours depicts design of ‘Three Sisters’, 8 unnumbered pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some colour) ; 20 cmnon-fictionDescriptive story of the Katoomba scenic railway by Vivian Pynor.katoomba - railways, christian-washfold collection

An item from an outstanding and diverse photographic collection, assembled by members of the Christian and Washfold families of Kew.Rae series of postcards, otherwise unknown, showing important sites in KewSmall folding postcard including nine black and white postcard views of Kew. Cover depicts Kew War Memorial set within an embossed cardboard frame. Individual postcards include: Studley Park Road, River Yarra showing new Bridge [Chandler Hwy], High Street showing soldier's memorial, River Yarra at Victoria Bridge, The Yarra at Studley Park, Holy Trinity Church, the [Alexandra] Gardens, New Yarra Bridge [Burke Rd], Soldiers' Memorial and Post Office Kewwashfold family, christian-washfold collection, postcards -- kew (vic.)

An item from an outstanding and diverse photographic collection, assembled by members of the Christian and Washfold families of Kew.10-page souvenir programme for the Kew Canoe Carnival to be held at Yarra Bend National Park on Saturday February 18th, 1939. Proceeds were designed to assist the Victorian Society for Crippled Children. Front cover shows photograph taken at the previous year's carnival. The site of the carnival shown on an internal map was upriver from Macauley's boat house. Photograph on back cover shows canoeists at Kew Boat Sheds, 45 Molesworth Street.kew canoe carnivals, recreation -- river yarra, christian-washfold collection

Dight’s Falls in Studley Park is an artificial weir built on a natural rock bar across the Yarra. The weir was built in the 1840s to provide water to the ‘Ceres’ flour-mill, one of the first in Victoria. The falls were later to become known as Dight’s Falls after the owners of the mill. Later, a pumping station was built on the Kew side of the river, which pumped water uphill to a reservoir in Walmer Street that provided water to the Melbourne Botanical Gardens and to Albert Park Lake. The area around Dight’s Falls was and is frequently used for recreational activities.One of a series of photographs, probably taken by Henry Christian of the Yarra River in Kew. An item from an outstanding and diverse photographic collection, assembled by members of the Christian and Washfold families of Kew.River Yarra at Dight’s Falls, Kew/Fairfield photographed from Kew bank.dight's falls, river yarra, christian-washfold collection

Henry Christian (c.1809-91), the grandfather of the photographer, was one of the first settlers in Kew. He arrived in Victoria with his wife Agnes and son Orlando in 1855 on the Gypsy Queen. He established a rope-making business in Bulleen Road by 1858 but was declared insolvent two years later. In his final years, he was celebrated as one of the oldest living settlers of the district. His son, Orlando Henry Beater Christian (c.1853-1930) became a member of the Hawthorn Band and a foundation member of the Willsmere Swimming Club. Orlando and his wife Elizabeth had four children of which Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) was the eldest.An item from an outstanding and diverse photographic collection, assembled by members of the Christian family of Pakington Street, Kew, comprising professional and amateur photography, depicting individuals, natural and settled environments and the interactions between these worlds. Many of the photographs vividly capture the worlds of three generations of men - Henry Christian, his son Orlando Henry Beater Christian, and his grandson of Henry Christian. The most important photographer was the youngest, Henry Christian, who was a keen explorer, not just of his immediate environment but also of the Victorian wilderness. His major opus is contained in two albums in which he records, sometimes in majestic detail and on other occasions the intimate features of the natural world. His photographic travels during the 1920s, often in solitary ramblings but on other occasions with companions, recall the heroic landscape photography of an earlier era, pioneered by Nicholas Caire. In addition to their aesthetic value, the albums are historically significant records within the State of Victoria, of what is now a distant point in time, and of places that have become radically altered through human intervention.Sepia photograph of the entrance gates to the Kew Asylum. Located in Princess Street, these gates were relocated to Victoria Park in the 1930s/40s. There is a shelter to the left of the gates. A horse-drawn covered carriage is exiting through the gates. An electric light is hung from a metal bar in the centre of the gates. The two-storey gate house on the right of the gates is outside the view of the photograph.kew lunatic asylum, kew lunatic asylum -- gates, henry beater christian, christian-washfold collection