Sports Clubs in Kew in the final decades of the 19th century and in the early 20th century were often umbrella organisations with facilities for a number of sports. Typically in Kew, this included teams in lawn bowls, tennis and croquet. The Kew Bowling Club was formed in 1880 while the privately owned Auburn Heights Recreation Club was opened in 1904. The croquet courts at the Kew Recreation Club were opened in 1906, two years after the Club's formation. By 1998, the two Clubs decided to amalgamate at the Auburn Heights site in Barkers Road, forming the Kew Heights Sports Club. The combined club was itself taken over by the Melbourne Cricket Club in 2012 becoming MCC Kew Sports Club. In 2017 MCC Kew closed and its landholding was subsequently sold to Carey Baptist Grammar School. Both the Kew and Auburn Heights Clubs assembled important collections. These historically significant and large collections were donated to the Society in 2020. The collections include manuscripts, pictures, trophies, plans, honour boards etc. References Barnard FGA 1910, 'Sports and Pastimes' in Jubilee History of Kew Victoria: Its origin & progress 1803-1910. Chapman J & C 1999, The history of the Auburn Heights Recreation Club, 1904 to 1908. Reeve S 2012, City of Boroondara: Thematic Environmental History, p.216.The combined collections of the four sporting clubs making up the collection number hundreds of items that are historically significant locally. They are also significant to the sporting history of the greater Melbourne area and to the sports of lawn bowls and tennis in Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection illuminates two of the Victorian historic themes - 'Building community life' through forming community organisations and 'Shaping cultural and creative life' by participating in sport and recreation.Croquet mallet, Shaft made of a number of separate rectangular sections of pale wood, mostly wrapped with cotton cord and strips of leather. The rectangular head is made of a darker heavier wood and it is banded with a strip of lighter wood.croquet -- mallets, croquet -- equipment, auburn heights croquet club, auburn heights recreation club

The family members are identified as follows: Back row (L to R): Percy Leigh with Phyllis, Robert Beckett (junior), Herbert Ingamells, Annie Leigh with Marjorie, Harry Leigh, Clara Beckett, Arnold Bear (brother of Olly Beckett), William Beckett with Edna, Ben Gray. Middle row (L to R): Robert Gray, Ethel Beckett, Polly (sister-in-law of Harry Leigh), Nelly Ingamells, Eliza Beckett with Esther Leigh, Alice Beckett with Basil, Dorothy Beckett, Olly Beckett, Emma Gray with Norman. Front row (L to R): ??? (a Leigh brother), Kate Beckett, Mabel Beckett, Cyril Ingamells, Bert Gray, Elsie Leigh with Ethel Ingamells. Robert (John Robert) Gray, Ben Gray and Norman Gray were 3 of 6 children of John Gray and Emma Beckett who married at Guildford Villa in 1888. Norman was born in 1901 and looks to be c.3 years old in this photo; the youngest in the family was Evelyn (b 1906) so this would give an approximate date for the photo of 1904. The donor, Wendy McLellan is the daughter of Minnie Caroline Beckett (1907-1998) and Francis James Renkin who married on 13 March 1934. Peter Renkin (formerly of 59 Guildford Road, Surrey Hills, now Shoreham) is her brother. Exact date photo was taken was 17 September 1904.Black and white photo at Guildford Villa, 4 Essex Road, Surrey Hills, home of the Beckett family. The family is formally posed with croquet equipment on the lawn of the substantial Victorian-style home which has 3 chimneys and a veranda on 2 sides. victorian style, croquet, percy leigh, phyllis leigh, robert beckett (junior), herbert ingamells, annie leigh, marjorie leigh, harry leigh, clara beckett, arnold bear, william beckett, edna beckett, ben gray, robert gray, ethel beckett, nelly ingamells, eliza beckett, esther leigh, alice beckett, dorothy beckett, olly beckett, basil beckett, emma gray, norman gray, kate beckett, mabel beckett, cyril ingamells, bert gray, elsie leigh, ethel ingamells