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. 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. Nixon NV 1980, The History of the Kew Bowling Club 1880-1980. 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.Small brass dinner gong with two strikers, believed to have been used in the Kew Bowling Club. [The item is part of the large historic Kew Bowling Club collection (1880-1988) gifted to the Kew Historical Society in 2020].kew bowling club - wellington street - kew (vic), clubs - lawn bowls - kew (vic), dinner gongs

Base of this dinner gong is made from a name plate off a steam engine that was found in the Northern Territory. The two ends supporting the gong are made of either anti tank of anti aircraft bullets that are soldered into salt and pepper shakers that were acquired from a Chinese 'Joss House' in the Northern Territory. The kangaroo and boomerang were copied from an Australian penny.Brass dinner gong suspended on a stainless steel kangaroo and boomerang. Side pillars are made with brass bullets standing on brass salt and pepper shakers. Also includes brass gavel. Trench art made by VX19808 William CurtisAustralian Commonwealth Military Forces rising sun badge on front of gong.trench art

Dinner gong - Albert Park Lodge No.262 (Freemasons)ephemera, ww1, general

From the home of the late Mr and Mrs W.J. Sebire, C1890Beaten brass dinner gong with silver trim on two supporting horns at side, mounted on a wooden base. Mallet is silver with hanging ring and leather surround on knob. Has a leather hanging strap.gongs, gong strikers

Hand theatre made "trench art", utilising used artillery brass shell casings, of various calibres, hand made with such "tools" as were available at the time. They have been decoratively trimmed at the mouth of each with a "scalloped" pattern, the shallowest casing mounted on small arms casings as "feet" and the large casing inverted engraved and embossed with a depiction of the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces "Rising Sun" badge.This "Dinner Gong" and "Striker" are significant Historically and Socially, as it is believed to be the only example of a dinner gong and striker made in theatre as contemporary "trench art" by serving members of this group. Around the top of the main part of the Gong are stamped the initials of the Australian members of the Royal Flying Corps at the time, it is of possible National historical significance, as they were such a small group at best, and a highly vulnerable group, quite likely to not survive the conflict. This group and their desendants went on to be a part of the formation of the Australian Flying Corps, the beginings of the Royal Australian Air Force. It relates to the embrionic stages of a part of the now Australian Defence Force.A commemorative Dinner Gong construted from Artillery Shell Casings of various sizes. The largest cut short at the bottom, mounted on rifle or machine gun casings cut short as 'feet'. A slightly smaller diameter inverted as the 'gong' with decorative engravings depicting, a Rising Sun emblem on a decorated back ground, 'AFC' (Australian Flying Corps) crowned wings, on the same decorated back ground. The open ends of these larger casings is 'scalloped' and decorated beautifully, while the closed ends have a 'pie crust effect around the flanged edge. There is a biforcated mount at the top to hold the 'striker' made from white metal ballastered rod with a wooden eliptical knob. On the top around the striker mount are stamped the initials of those believed to be the first Australian Aviators in the then AFC.

A black and white photograph of Murchison Street in Marysville in Victoria.A black and white photograph of the main street in Marysville in Victoria. This is now known as Murchison Street. This postcard was produced by Murray Views in Gympie in Queensland as a souvenir of Marysville.POST CARD STAMP REAL (illegible)/ AUSTRALIA BY MURRAY (illegible) Tuesday 1st/ Dear Ade,/ Well here I am/ as I said/ writing/ to you. I have 8 minutes/ before the dinner gong goes so/ I'd better hurry./ We're having a super/ time, but the weather is/ shocking. Today we put/ on our raincoats, golf shoes/ & umbrellas & walked to/ the Taggerty River & back/ via Talbot Drive. It/ was lovely (& wet(. It's about/ 6 miles or maybe more./ I didn't think you or John/ would come on such a / terrible day. How's work?/ Think of me eating, sleeping/ & playing won't you./ There are 17 people here. There/ were 30 when we arrived./ Doesn't the Main Street look/ beaut? That's how it really look./ Saw "Mad About Men" here on/ Saturday night. Extra good/ show. Must close. See you/ Friday week. Love Pat.murchison street, marysville, victoria, murray views pty ltd, murray views no 17, postcard, souvenir

The Melbourne cable tramway system operated between 1885 and 1940.Former Melbourne cable tram bell used for fortnightly and annual meetings of Ringwood Apex Club, mounted on timber base with metal shields showing presidents for each year from 1966 to 2003. Ringwood Apex Club closed in 2003-04.This dinner gong, formerly a Melbourne cable tram bell, was donated by inaugural secretary Wal Hodgson 21.10.67. President shields - Martin Verhoeven 1966-68, Colin Steel 1968-69, Neville Fuller 1969-70, John Ritchie 1970-71, Allan Penman 1971-72, Graeme Kruse 1972-73, Graeme Bathie 1973-74, Terry Amos 1974-75, Richard Baxter 1975-76, Noel Stokes 1976-77, Neville Burns 1977-78, Wayne Barlow 1978-79, David Collyer 1979-80, Don McKinnon 1980-81, Ken Rice 1981-82, Vic Beesley 1982-83, Geoff Bonsall 1983-84, Peter Phillips 1984-85, John McGowan 1985-86, Harry Bell 1986-87, Ross Barry 1987-88, Steve McMahon 1988-89, Peter Hookey 1989-90, Philip Pomaroff 1990-91, Keith Walker 1991-92, Greg Cowan 1992-93, Peter Watts 1993-94, Bernard Klewer 1994-95, Mark Burton 1995-96, Colin Robertson 1996-97, Stuart Gay 1997-98, Barry Williams 1998-99, Tom Jackson 1999-2000, Trevor Hallum 2000-01, Ashley Crow 2001-02, Trevor Hallum 2002-03, Michael Pumpa 2003-04.