The Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria commenced teacher training in 1909. A two year course was run in cooperation with the Education Department in 1910-14, but from 1917 the Union trained its students independently. In 1922 the Kindergarten Training College was established in Mooroolbeek, Kew. In 1965, the institution, as the Melbourne Kindergarten Teachers' College, became an entity separate from the Union, and in 1973 joined the State College of Victoria as the Institute of Early Childhood Development. It subsequently amalgamated with the University of Melbourne to become the Department of Early Childhood Studies and moved from Madden Grove, Kew, to 234 Queensberry St, Carlton, early in July 1997.Plaque recognising the site of an important educational institution for teacher training.Bronze plaque with raised lettering commemorating the role of the Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria which had opened in 1916"This plaque commemorates the pioneer work of the Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria in the field of teacher education, the Union established training for kindergarten teachers in Victoria in 1916, opened the college on this site in 1922, and granted it autonomy on 1965."institute of early childhood development - kew (vic), free kindergarten union of victoria, early childhood education - kew - victoria

Homemade toys were common in 1943.Mt Beauty's kindergarten had homemade toys.Faded cardboard cover with blue print on its front. 40 pages held by 2 staples on spine.'Furniture / Equipment / and Toys / For the Pre-School Child / A Manual for the / Homecraft worker / Picture of train / Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria' 1943mt beauty, kindergarten, toys, homemade equipment, pre-school

The Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria commenced teacher training in 1909. A two year course was run in cooperation with the Education Department in 1910-14, but from 1917 the Union trained its students independently. In 1922 the Kindergarten Training College was established in Mooroolbeek, Kew. In 1965, the institution, as the Melbourne Kindergarten Teachers' College, became an entity separate from the Union, and in 1973 joined the State College of Victoria as the Institute of Early Childhood Development. It subsequently amalgamated with the University of Melbourne to become the Department of Early Childhood Studies and moved from Madden Grove, Kew, to 234 Queensberry St, Carlton, early in July 1997.Metal plaque commemorating the opening of Mooroolbeek Hall in the Diamond Jubilee Year of the Institute of Early Childhood Development in KewMooroolbeek Hall was opened by Dr Wm C. Radford, AO, MBE, Director of the Australian Council for Educational Research on March 25th 1976 in the Diamond Jubilee Year of the Institute for Early Childhood Developmentinstitute of early childhood development - kew (vic), dr william c. radford, memorial plaques - kew (vic), mooroolbeek hall

The Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria commenced teacher training in 1909. A two year course was run in cooperation with the Education Department in 1910-14, but from 1917 the Union trained its students independently. In 1922 the Kindergarten Training College was established in Mooroolbeek, Kew. In 1965, the institution, as the Melbourne Kindergarten Teachers' College, became an entity separate from the Union, and in 1973 joined the State College of Victoria as the Institute of Early Childhood Development. It subsequently amalgamated with the University of Melbourne to become the Department of Early Childhood Studies and moved from Madden Grove, Kew, to 234 Queensberry St, Carlton, early in July 1997.Small brass plaque mounted on wood commemorating the libraries of the Kindergarten Training College in Kew.The library of the Kindergarten Training College in which are incorporated the Doretta Hedderwick Memorial 1927, the Dorothy Rosner Memorial 1936, the George Sweet Memorial Library - Presented by the Nursery Kindergarten Exrension Board 1950institute of early childhood development - kew (vic), libraries - education - early childhood - kew (vic), doretta hedderwick memorial library 1927, dorothy rosner memorial library 1936, george sweet memorial library, nursery kindergarten exrension board

The Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria commenced teacher training in 1909. A two year course was run in cooperation with the Education Department in 1910-14, but from 1917 the Union trained its students independently. In 1922 the Kindergarten Training College was established in Mooroolbeek, Kew. In 1965, the institution, as the Melbourne Kindergarten Teachers' College, became an entity separate from the Union, and in 1973 joined the State College of Victoria as the Institute of Early Childhood Development. It subsequently amalgamated with the University of Melbourne to become the Department of Early Childhood Studies and moved from Madden Grove, Kew, to 234 Queensberry St, Carlton, early in July 1997.Commemorative plaque indicating the location of a former Kew mansionBronze plaque commemorating the location of Mooroolbeek, one of the great mansions of Kew, demolished in 1968 by the Kindergarten Training College"The original college building "Mooroolbeek" was the home of Sir Frank Madden Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1904-1917. The crest of the Madden family here inset was removed from "Mooroolbeek" when the building was demolished in 1968."institute of early childhood development - kew (vic), mooroolbeek - madden grove - kew (vic), sir frank madden

The Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria commenced teacher training in 1909. A two year course was run in cooperation with the Education Department in 1910-14, but from 1917 the Union trained its students independently. In 1922 the Kindergarten Training College was established in Mooroolbeek, Kew. In 1965, the institution, as the Melbourne Kindergarten Teachers' College, became an entity separate from the Union, and in 1973 joined the State College of Victoria as the Institute of Early Childhood Development. It subsequently amalgamated with the University of Melbourne to become the Department of Early Childhood Studies and moved from Madden Grove, Kew, to 234 Queensberry St, Carlton, early in July 1997.Metal alloy plaque commemorating the opening of a building by the Premier of Victoria, Sir Henry Bolte, on 10th December 1969This building was opened by the Honorable Sir Henry Bolte KCMG MLA, Premier of Victoria, on the 10th December 1969sir henry bolte, commemorative plaques - kew (vic), institute of early childhood development

The Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria commenced teacher training in 1909. A two year course was run in cooperation with the Education Department in 1910-14, but from 1917 the Union trained its students independently. In 1922 the Kindergarten Training College was established in Mooroolbeek, Kew. In 1965, the institution, as the Melbourne Kindergarten Teachers' College, became an entity separate from the Union, and in 1973 joined the State College of Victoria as the Institute of Early Childhood Development. It subsequently amalgamated with the University of Melbourne to become the Department of Early Childhood Studies and moved from Madden Grove, Kew, to 234 Queensberry St, Carlton, early in July 1997.[16]p. : ill., ports. ; 19 x 28 cm. Includes photographs of the Institute, its leaders and students. Included are a chronology and a number of photos (above) of Mooroolbeek, part of the complex, which is now all demolished.institute of early childhood development, mooroolbeek

Notice of Ordinary Meeting of the Council 27th May 1980 Report of the Town Clerk's Department Report of the Town Clerk Insurance Cover Child Care Centres Brooklyn Community Hall Committee of Management Medway Golf Club Payment In Lieu of Rates Board of Works Ratepayers Association Request for Financial Assistance Proposed Lease Citizens' Advice Bureau Office Land Transfer Discontinued Road Right of Way between Marsh Street and Emu Road Maidstone Municipal Accounting Regulations Review Insurance of Building Owned by the Sunshine Helping Hand Association Land Transfer Dickson Street to Sunshine R.S.L. Request for Removal of Tobacco Product Advertisements from Reserves, etc by the Minister for Youth, Sport & Recreation Melbourne & Metropolitan Board of Works Rate Rises Report of the Co-Ordinator of Welfare Services Highpoint West Child Care Centre Requests for Financial Assistance Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria Tallintyre Road Child Care Centre Community Youth Support Scheme Senior Project Officer Residential Tenancies Bill Report of the Chief Health Surveyor Infant Welfare Sisters Projectionist Course Issuing of Septic Tank Approval Notices Health Act Registrations for 1980 Application for Transfer of Proprietorship of Premises Under the Health Act Report of the Superintendent Traffic & By-Laws Shopping Trolleys School Crossing Supervision Lost Dogs' Home Redevelopment Posting of Bills and Advertising Boardings Report of the City Librarian Technilib Report of the City Engineer & Planner Town Planning Enforcement Rural Recreation (Horse Riding and Exercising) 27 - 31 The Esplanade Maribyrnong Amendment No 120 to the Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme Webb Dock Rail Access Town Planning Application Warehouse W.L. Allen Foundry Company 3 Hulett Street Albion Amendment No 104 to the Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme Rezoning Millers Road (West Side between Geelong Road and Corrigan Avenue) Brooklyn Planning Permit Application Transport Depot and Grain Store Lot 1 Francis Street Brooklyn Planning Permit Application Promotion Sign Lot 5 McIntyre Road Sunshine North Planning Permit Application Promotion Sign Lot 14 McIntyre Road Sunshine North Planning Permit Application Illuminated Signs 209 Ballarat Road Maidstone Planning Permit Application Illuminated Sign 264 Hampshire Road Sunshine Planning Permit Application Warehouse & Workshop Lots 308 & 309 Ayton Street Sunshine North Planning Permit Application Extension to Existing Factory Complex Hawthorn Avenue Sunshine North Planning Permit Application Extensions to Existing Service Premises, Residential and Car Park Lot 347 Tamar Drive Deer Park Planning Permit Application Garage (Associated with Car Sales Yard) 199 Ballarat Road Maidstone Planning Permit Application Radio Mast 866 Ballarat Road Deer Park Planning Permit Application Pipe Bridge Extension to Existing Industrial Complex Somerville Road Brooklyn Planning Permit Application Sky Signs 190 Sunshine Road Tottenham Cancellation of Easement St. Albans Road Annual Supply Contract Supply of Bituminous Concrete Consolidation of Title Lots 308 & 309 Ayton Street Sunshine North Plan of Subdivision Main Road West Stage 25 Albanvale Estate Plan of Subdivision Opie Road Albanvale Consolidation of Title Bank of New South Wales Hampshire Road Sunshine Local Government (Land Liable to Flooding) Act 1979 Furlong Road Extension to Station Road Through Albion Explosive Factory Municipal Sunshine Tip Matters Report of Various Interstate Tips Maribyrnong River Essendon Fish Protection Society & Anglers Club Access to West Gate Bridge Multiple Sclerosis Society of Victoria Request for Direct Labour Assistance Finalisation of Warrs Road Private Street Scheme Pedestrian Operated Signals Western Highway (Ballarat Road) Near Darnley Street Braybrook Sewerage Facilities St. Albans Aycliffe Drive Pre-School & Infant Welfare Center Contractor Variations Toilet Blocks Ralph Street Reserve, Robert Bruce Reserve & Tallintyre Road Reserve Report of the Acting Building Surveyor Building Over Easement 61 Dickson Street Sunshine Building Over Easement 288 Station Road St. Albans Building Over Easement 24 Hovell Street Deer Park Wireless Tower 3 Beaver Street St. Albans Wireless Tower Lot 1 Somerville Road Footscray West Report of the Director of Parks & Recreation Recognition of Community Service Royal Australian Institute of Parks & Recreation Annual Conference Sydney 7th to 12th September 1980 Schedule for Authorising of Affixing the Common Seal of the Municipality to Documents Orders of the Day Accounts Submitted for Payment as at 15th May 1980 Delegation of Authority Brooklyn Community Hall Proposal to Construct Right of Way East Side of Sydney Street, King Edward Avenue to Forrest Street Under the Provisions of Division 10 of Part XIX of the Local Government Act 1958brooklyn community hall committee of management, brooklyn hall, cypress avenue, sunshine rsl, dickson street, sunshine, brooklyn, medway golf club, omar street, maidstone, marsh street, emu road, sunshine r.s.l., highpoint west child care centre, rosamond road, maribyrnong, tallintyre road child care centre, tallintyre road, sunshine west, the esplanade, w.l. allen foundry, hulett street, albion, millers road, geelong road, corrigan avenue, francis street, mcintyre road, sunshine north, ballarat road, hampshire road, ayton street, hawthorn avenue, tamar drive, deer park, somerville road, sunshine road, tottenham, st. albans road, st. albans, main road west, opie road, albanvale, furlong road, albion explosive factory, sunshine tip, maribyrnong river essendon fish protection society & anglers club, west gate bridge, warrs road, western highway, darnley street, braybrook, aycliffe drive pre-school & infant welfare center, aycliffe drive, ralph street reserve, ralph street, tallintyre road reserve, robert bruce reserve, station road, hovell street, beaver street, sydney street, king edward avenue, forrest street

Minutes of the ordinary meeting of council held on 27th May 1980 Report of the Town Clerk's Department Report of the Town Clerk Insurance Cover Child Care Centres Brooklyn Community Hall Committee of Management Medway Golf Club Payment In Lieu of Rates Board of Works Ratepayers Association Request for Financial Assistance Proposed Lease Citizens' Advice Bureau Office Land Transfer Discontinued Road Right of Way between Marsh Street and Emu Road Maidstone Municipal Accounting Regulations Review Insurance of Building Owned by the Sunshine Helping Hand Association Land Transfer Dickson Street to Sunshine R.S.L. Request for Removal of Tobacco Product Advertisements from Reserves, etc by the Minister for Youth, Sport & Recreation Melbourne & Metropolitan Board of Works Rate Rises Report of the Co-Ordinator of Welfare Services Highpoint West Child Care Centre Requests for Financial Assistance Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria Tallintyre Road Child Care Centre Community Youth Support Scheme Senior Project Officer Residential Tenancies Bill Report of the Chief Health Surveyor Infant Welfare Sisters Projectionist Course Issuing of Septic Tank Approval Notices Health Act Registrations for 1980 Application for Transfer of Proprietorship of Premises Under the Health Act Report of the Superintendent Traffic & By-Laws Shopping Trolleys School Crossing Supervision Lost Dogs' Home Redevelopment Posting of Bills and Advertising Boardings Report of the City Librarian Technilib Report of the City Engineer & Planner Town Planning Enforcement Rural Recreation (Horse Riding and Exercising) 27 - 31 The Esplanade Maribyrnong Amendment No 120 to the Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme Webb Dock Rail Access Town Planning Application Warehouse W.L. Allen Foundry Company 3 Hulett Street Albion Amendment No 104 to the Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme Rezoning Millers Road (West Side between Geelong Road and Corrigan Avenue) Brooklyn Planning Permit Application Transport Depot and Grain Store Lot 1 Francis Street Brooklyn Planning Permit Application Promotion Sign Lot 5 McIntyre Road Sunshine North Planning Permit Application Promotion Sign Lot 14 McIntyre Road Sunshine North Planning Permit Application Illuminated Signs 209 Ballarat Road Maidstone Planning Permit Application Illuminated Sign 264 Hampshire Road Sunshine Planning Permit Application Warehouse & Workshop Lots 308 & 309 Ayton Street Sunshine North Planning Permit Application Extension to Existing Factory Complex Hawthorn Avenue Sunshine North Planning Permit Application Extensions to Existing Service Premises, Residential and Car Park Lot 347 Tamar Drive Deer Park Planning Permit Application Garage (Associated with Car Sales Yard) 199 Ballarat Road Maidstone Planning Permit Application Radio Mast 866 Ballarat Road Deer Park Planning Permit Application Pipe Bridge Extension to Existing Industrial Complex Somerville Road Brooklyn Planning Permit Application Sky Signs 190 Sunshine Road Tottenham Cancellation of Easement St. Albans Road Annual Supply Contract Supply of Bituminous Concrete Consolidation of Title Lots 308 & 309 Ayton Street Sunshine North Plan of Subdivision Main Road West Stage 25 Albanvale Estate Plan of Subdivision Opie Road Albanvale Consolidation of Title Bank of New South Wales Hampshire Road Sunshine Local Government (Land Liable to Flooding) Act 1979 Furlong Road Extension to Station Road Through Albion Explosive Factory Municipal Sunshine Tip Matters Report of Various Interstate Tips Maribyrnong River Essendon Fish Protection Society & Anglers Club Access to West Gate Bridge Multiple Sclerosis Society of Victoria Request for Direct Labour Assistance Finalisation of Warrs Road Private Street Scheme Pedestrian Operated Signals Western Highway (Ballarat Road) Near Darnley Street Braybrook Sewerage Facilities St. Albans Aycliffe Drive Pre-School & Infant Welfare Center Contractor Variations Toilet Blocks Ralph Street Reserve, Robert Bruce Reserve & Tallintyre Road Reserve Report of the Acting Building Surveyor Building Over Easement 61 Dickson Street Sunshine Building Over Easement 288 Station Road St. Albans Building Over Easement 24 Hovell Street Deer Park Wireless Tower 3 Beaver Street St. Albans Wireless Tower Lot 1 Somerville Road Footscray West Report of the Director of Parks & Recreation Recognition of Community Service Royal Australian Institute of Parks & Recreation Annual Conference Sydney 7th to 12th September 1980 Schedule for Authorising of Affixing the Common Seal of the Municipality to Documents Orders of the Day Accounts Submitted for Payment as at 15th May 1980 Delegation of Authority Brooklyn Community Hall Proposal to Construct Right of Way East Side of Sydney Street, King Edward Avenue to Forrest Street Under the Provisions of Division 10 of Part XIX of the Local Government Act 1958 Ordinary Business Victorian Railways South Road Housing Estatebrooklyn community hall committee of management, brooklyn hall, cypress avenue, sunshine rsl, dickson street, sunshine, brooklyn, medway golf club, omar street, maidstone, marsh street, emu road, sunshine r.s.l., highpoint west child care centre, rosamond road, maribyrnong, tallintyre road child care centre, tallintyre road, sunshine west, the esplanade, w.l. allen foundry, hulett street, albion, millers road, geelong road, corrigan avenue, francis street, mcintyre road, sunshine north, ballarat road, hampshire road, ayton street, hawthorn avenue, tamar drive, deer park, somerville road, sunshine road, tottenham, st. albans road, st. albans, main road west, opie road, albanvale, furlong road, albion explosive factory, sunshine tip, maribyrnong river essendon fish protection society & anglers club, west gate bridge, warrs road, western highway, darnley street, braybrook, aycliffe drive pre-school & infant welfare center, aycliffe drive, ralph street reserve, ralph street, tallintyre road reserve, robert bruce reserve, station road, hovell street, beaver street, sydney street, king edward avenue, forrest street, south road

Photographer notations on slide: At the Leather Exhib. at T. Hall Melb 1933 Age Published: Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854- ), 1933 THE EXHIBITS. (1933, September 20). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 16. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205109730 Published title: THE EXHIBITS. A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE. Curios, Novelties, Working Displays Published Caption: ONE OF THE NOVELTIES – AN OUTSIZE IN SHOES Research by Project Volunteer, Louise McKenzie: Our photo is dated 20 September 1933, and shows a happy, chubby-faced young girl sitting in a very over-sized girl’s shoe. It is labelled – “Shoe, An Out Size, loaned by Messrs Blackman & Rose”. (1) It is an effective way to capture the attention of the readership and alert them to the Melbourne Leather Show 1933. This show was designed to be a drawcard of extraordinary proportion, and there is no doubt that this leather exhibition was a really big deal for Melbourne. It completely took over the Melbourne Town Hall, and was open from 10.30 am until 10.30 pm. It seemed to contain something for everyone – the military, the man about town, the home handyman, the housewife, the child, the sporting types, the domestic workers, the outdoor enthusiasts, the horseracing fans, car enthusiasts, those wishing to show off the latest fashion – both men and women - and those just intrigued by a lot of fascinating and wide ranging exhibits. One of the most comprehensive descriptions of the Exhibition accompanies the photograph, and is worth quoting in full: “PROMINENT among exhibits which first attract attention in the foyer of the Town Hall is a comprehensive display of leather articles used by the defence forces. A conspicuous legend states that leather plays an important part in national defence, being used for saddlery, tool containers, holdalls, range-finding, surveying and signalling equipment, explosives factories, harness accoutrement, bandsmen's equipment and clothing. Three models of horses and several figures of soldiers wearing leather equipment illustrate the lesson, and a great range of leather goods used in military training and work variegate the display. Nearby are Texas cowboy, buckjumping and breaking-in saddles; whips, a walking stick, made of leather and numerous other curios. The general exhibition occupies the whole floor space of the main Town Hall, and is subdivided by partitions running most of the length of the hall. A bewildering variety, of leather goods presses for close and leisured inspection. Here and there operatives in charge of working machinery give practical demonstrations of factory processes in the production of footwear. Polishing materials are well represented. One attractive exhibit includes two bush huts constructed of leather, with wattle bark for roofing. Opossums, rosellas and a kookaburra add touches of bush realism. Adjacent exhibits include bags, fishing boots, leggings, leather covers in all colours. Factory Processes. One exhibitor has installed an automatic cinema apparatus and screen, which projects various factory processes in making a shoe, the operator being shown at work. Elsewhere an interesting exhibit depicts the five stages in the manufacture of sole leather, and the tanning materials employed. "Very handsome effects are achieved in the interior appointments of motor cars, which are attended by figures of smart chauffeurs in leather coats. Motor-trimming leather is said to be more durable and hygienic than fabric materials, and cheaper. The neat finish of the material, its excellent appearance, certainly make a very favourable impression. It takes the hides of three beasts to cover the cushions, squabs and door panels of a full-sized sedan, while to finish the entire interior, including quarter-panels and head linings would take four or even five. Special Exhibits. Amongst the special sections the display arranged by the handicrafts and home industries- committee of the Country Women's Association of Victoria is a notable one. In all there are about 130 entries which are in four classifications, viz., hand-tooled or embossed leathers, suede, hand-made gloves and undecorated leather. The glove section attracted the most numerous entries, a number being the work of members and craft subscribers of the Country Women's Association. In the leathercraft competition, organised by the Country Women's Association, the judges yesterday awarded the first prize for bookbinding (the only prize given in this division) to Miss M. Alston, of South Yarra. There is also a creditable display of exhibits submitted by boys of the orthopaedic section of the Children's Hospital at Frankston. Amongst the novelties on view in other portions of the exhibition were the following: — Leather coats worn by Sir C. Kingsford Smith on his Atlantic flight. Model Wellington boot, Phar Lap's saddle. Melbourne Cup winner's saddle. Longest whip in world, 108 feet long. (33 metres) [See our photo, to left of Girl in Shoe] Diminutive shoes. Pair of shoes 65 years old. Pair of men's working boots 75 years old. Larwood's, Tate’s and Pataudi’s cricket boots. [Three internationally revered cricketers of the day] (2) Picture frame made of leather bought 63 years ago. [See our photo, to right of Girl in Shoe] Leather frame, powder bowl, &c. Saddle used by world's champion buckjumper in U.S.A. Mexican cowboy outfit. Miniature saddle and bridle. A fireman's helmet made of sole leather. (3) Sample of the leather hat worn by porters at the Billingsgate Fish Market, London. (4) From South Australia there have been obtained sets of harness for donkeys, goats and camels, the equipment being displayed to good advantage on stuffed representations of the animals mentioned. Close to the platform is a glass case containing snow shoes and coats which have been used in Antarctic exploration work. Trade Display. Amongst the trade exhibits may be seen in operation a slipper turn shoe sewing machine, with heeling and channelling facilities, and the various stages in the production of ladies' sandals are shown. There is a wide contrast between sole leather of varying degrees of thickness on view in one stall and the choice samples of ladies' footwear in another — footwear, by the way, which could almost be used as ornaments, so dainty in colour and production are they. Again, there are displays of upholstering leathers of such soft texture that they could he readily mistaken for some of the finest cloth. Those who may be particularly interested in the production of chamois leather may gain an insight into the materials and chemicals used in the "working up” of this variety of leather. Supplies of glace kid (5) are tastefully arranged, and there may also be seen bags of all shapes and sizes, including satchels, suit cases and "sporting" cases, and bags for tennis players and golfers. Further variety is given to the exhibition by the display of antique hides, brightly coloured, with punching balls, boxing gloves and batsman's pads. There are crocodile skins and snake skins so cleverly "Worked up" that one could be almost pardoned for betraying an affection for such unpopular creatures.” “ Another wonderful article on this Exhibition, published the same day in one of the opposition daily newspapers, The Argus, is in the weekly article “Women to Women”, entitled “A Great Victorian Industry: Many Uses for Leather”. This weekly column was penned by Vesta, and she writes, with much purpose: “Yesterday afternoon I paid a hurried visit to the Leather Exhibition now being held in the Melbourne Town Hall and I was disappointed to find that the early visitors to the main exhibition were almost all men. Women, I think, should make a point of seeing every exhibition of our great industries, for women are the buyers of household requisites and goods for their own use and their tastes, and opinion influence also, to a large extent, the purchases of men. So, the welfare of industries is more or less in their hands and it becomes a duty for them to inform themselves fully of the extent and the quality of the manufacturing that is done here. The value of the output of the Australian boot and shoe factories alone was in 1930-31, the latest year for which the figures are given, Stg 3,750,000. Fully two thirds of that amount must have been spent by women on boots and shoes for themselves and their children. In a host of other directions, in the purchase of handbags, travelling bags, belts and straps, cushions, furniture coverings, purses, notebooks, spectacle cases, their annual expenditure must be very high. Their interest, therefore, in this industry is practical, and their support of it should be governed by knowledge of comparable values and qualities of the goods they buy. From the point of view of women, however, the exhibition itself is rather disappointing. There is an amazing collection of good stuff on show, but most of it is not displayed in a fashion that attracts attention. I was surprised, for example, at the range and quality of the leathers displayed, the suppleness of the finer qualities, and the varied range of colours and designs. But they are shown in such a fashion that if one set out deliberately to look for them it would be quite easy to miss most of them.” …It was surprising, too, that no one seemed to have taken advantage of the present fashion of wearing coloured gloves, or the cult of glove making, which the Country Women’s Association has fostered so successfully. Outside the collection of chamois leathers I saw no skins which were suitable to glove making. (6) However, it is perhaps a little unfair to be highly critical of the exhibition, inasmuch as it is the first of its kind. The material is there, undoubtedly, for a splendid show of every phase of this enterprising industry, and I am confident that experience will prove to those concerned that it will be worth while next time to devote a great deal of attention of the method of display.” With further research, it transpires that “Vera” is in fact NZ born Stella May Allen (nee Henderson) (1871-1962), a journalist, the first woman in NZ to begin a law course, in 1890-91). She later worked at a law firm while she completed her degree. Study of the law had always been open to women in NZ, but its practice was still barred to them. Her case “…led to amending legislation in 1896 allowing women to practise as barristers or solicitors. However, on gaining her LL.B. in November 1897 she did not apply for admission to the Bar. Instead, she became the Wellington-based correspondent and leader-writer for the Lyttelton Times. Her appointment, the first for a woman, was not welcomed by the all-male Press Gallery, and special permission had to be obtained from a subcommittee of the House before her presence was accepted. In 1900 she married Edwin Allen, a senior leader-writer for the Wellington Evening Post, and they moved to Australia in 1903 when Edwin Allen took up the post of foreign affairs leader-writer and parliamentary man for the Melbourne Argus. As Patricia Keep notes in her excellent entry of Stella Allan in the Australian Dictionary of Biography: “In 1907 The Argus commissioned her to write a series of articles on the first Australian Women's Work Exhibition held in October. They aroused much interest and next year The Argus invited her to join its full-time staff and begin a weekly section on the particular interests of women. She adopted the nom de plume 'Vesta' and called the column 'Women to Women'. Her work was unique in an Australian daily paper at that time. Her pages extended to cover every aspect of women's affairs, children's interests and community welfare, and 'Vesta' became a household word for authoritative information and advice on such matters. An excellent needlewoman and first-rate cook herself, she thoroughly tutored her staff in the work and needs of women in both country and city, as well as providing the usual training for cadet journalists. She conducted interviews and also visited the country to see at first hand the results of bushfires, mouse plagues, droughts and floods. In 1910 she was one of three women foundation members of the Australian Journalists' Association. “…she found time to become deeply involved in community affairs. She was an original committee-member of the Victorian Association of Crèches and of the Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria, and had much to do with the early days of the Victorian Bush Nursing Association, the Baby Health Centres Association and the Queen Victoria Hospital. She was a member of the National Council of Women, first in New Zealand and then in Melbourne, and of the Country Women's Association from its inception. … in 1924 she was appointed substitute delegate for Australia to the fifth assembly of the League of Nations at Geneva and was a delegate to the second Pan Pacific Women's Conference in Hawaii in 1930. A meeting held in the Melbourne Town Hall in 1938 by representatives of all the main Victorian women's organizations paid special tribute to her work and influence. She retired next year to England where she continued to write for the Argus, contributing articles on the experiences of women and children in wartime.” It is little wonder that “Vesta” was unafraid to take to task both the women of Victoria, and those who created the exhibition! One item which appears to have gone unnoticed, or at least unreported, is a framed article in the background of the photo of the chubby girl in the shoe. The display frame is labelled “Leather from the Human Skin, Tanned and Dressed by French artists.” The exhibition was certainly a cabinet of curiosities! A charming article in The Argus is a nice note on which to end. It gives a quick history and overview of the Australian leather industry and its unprecedented, and possibly unexpected, development and success, and states with pride: “Though Victoria is the largest leather producer in the Commonwealth all tanners in the Commonwealth can look back with pride on the long march of progress.” Footnotes: (1) “Blackman and Rose”. Messrs Blackman and Rose were shoe manufacturers, from 1927 located at 200 Noone Street, Clifton Hill. The Melbourne Circle describes their building as a “fine-looking building in the Federation ‘blood and bandage’ style.” It was built around 1912 for Puttifoot and Bloom, boot manufacturers, and today the building is apartments. (2) These cricketers were household names in the day: Tate: Maurice Tate, “English cricketer of the 1920s and 1930s, and leader of England’s Test bowling attack for a long time during this period. The founder of modern seam bowling. “ Larwood: Harold Larwood, “English right-arm fast bowler and the main exponent of the bowling style known as “bodyline”. Used to considerable effect in the 1932-33 Test series in Australia. Pataudi: Iftikhar A K Pataudi, “an Indian prince who in the 1930s played Test cricket for England, and in the 1940s played Test cricket for India (as Captain) – the only test cricketer to have played for both India and England. (3) “sole” leather “… is the thickest and most resistant material existing in the tanning industry … made from vegetable tanned leathers, usually bovine butts, processed in a special way to make them the hardest type of leather in existence.” (4) The hats worn by porters at Billingsgate Fish Market were also known as a “Bobbin” and look quite squat and rather unsophisticated. They were made of wood and tarred leather, with a “flat, hardened top designed to support large rectangular boxes of fish. The upturned brim protected the porter’s head against fish juice draining from the boxes of fish which would be carried on top of the hat. Some hats featured a small drain hole at the rear to allow this collected juice to drain down the back of the carrier. The hats were made using the ‘cuir bouilli’ technique. The leather was immersed in water which was heated until the leather began to shrink. It was then removed and put on a wooden former. The leather was stitched together to make the hat while still wet, and then held in place until dry.” (See article and photo on the London Museum website) (5) Glace kid – described on the Boston Museum of Fine Arts’ Cameo database as “A smooth glossy leather originally prepared from goat or sheepskin. Early glace kid had a shiny surface that was originally prepared by tawing the skin in a mixture of alum, table salt, flour, and egg yolk. Today, glace kid is prepared from many types of vegetable or chrome tanned leathers. The smooth polished surface is obtained mechanically by shaving, glazing, ironing, and/or rolling the dry leather.” (6) In the 1930s, Melbourne’s glovemaking industry was characterised by local manufacturing, with key producers like Simpson’s Gloves Pty Ltd in Richmond and the Stagg Glove Company in Clifton Hill leading the market. These factories produced high-quality leather gloves, handbags, and specialty gear, often employing a clear gendered division of labour and training young, local women. Museum Victoria holds the Simpson’s Gloves Collection, comprising over 1200 items, and the University of Melbourne Archives holds the company’s business records. References: THE EXHIBITS. (1933, September 20). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 16. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205109730 EXPORT LEATHER. (1929, September 17). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 17. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4037647 LEATHER EXHIBITION (1933, September 18). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 10. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11693362 (1933, September 23). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 21. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page522766 WOMEN TO WOMEN (1933, September 20). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 13. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11694034 Australian Dictionary of Biography, Stella May Allan (1871–1962) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/allan-stella-may-4998 WOMEN TO WOMEN (1930, January 22). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 13. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4063888 Museums Victoria, Simpson’s Gloves, 486-496 Victoria Street, North Richmond, VIC, Australia https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/2702 The Argus. (1927, October 31). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 20. Retrieved February 7, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3888451 Melbourne Circle: stories from the suburbs: “Boots and all in Clifton Hill” https://melbournecircle.net/2015/11/20/bootmakers-of-clifton-hill/ Wikipedia, Maurice Tate, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Tate Wikipedia, Harold Larwood, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Larwood Wikipedia, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iftikhar_Ali_Khan_Pataudi Buy Leather Online Italy, Sole leather: https://buyleatheronline.com/en/blog/outsole-and-insole-leather-n7 London Museum, Porters hats, https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/v/object-731122/hat-porters-hat/ Cameo Database, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Glace Kid, https://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Glac%C3%A9_kid VICTORIAN LEATHER HAS WON RENOWN (1937, September 22). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 31 (March of Progress Supplement). Retrieved February 7, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1108704 Photographer notations on slide: "At the Leather Exhib. at T. Hall Melb 1933 Age B5".displays, melbourne town hall, leather, children, shoes, 1930-1939, industry, hats, gloves