This work forms part of the collection assembled by the historian Dorothy Rogers, that was donated to the Kew Historical Society by her son John Rogers in 2015. The manuscripts, photographs, maps, and documents were sourced by her from both family and local collections or produced as references for her print publications. Many were directly used by Rogers in writing ‘Lovely Old Homes of Kew’ (1961) and 'A History of Kew' (1973), or the numerous articles on local history that she produced for suburban newspapers. Most of the photographs in the collection include detailed annotations in her hand. The Rogers Collection provides a comprehensive insight into the working habits of a historian in the 1960s and 1970s. Together it forms the largest privately-donated collection within the archives of the Kew Historical Society.Harp of Erin (c.1864-1956). Strategically situated on Bulleen Road (High Street) in East Kew, the ‘Harp of Erin’ was built on the corner of Harp Road and High Street. The present hotel is the third to be built on the site. A second, two storey brick and stucco hotel built c.1864 replaced an earlier wooden structure built in 1854 by Edward Glynn. The ‘Harp’ was a local landmark, used by the Melbourne Hunt Club for their meetings. The Club had their kennels behind the hotel, and at meets, red-coated riders might be seen assembling from all directions. The later building was constructed in 1956."Harp of Erin Hotel. Has been altered several times. First built by Edw. Glynn 1851. Not the first which was built in 1854."harp of erin hotel, dorothy rogers

An electrified tram route from Melbourne along High Street replaced an original Horse Tram that terminated at the Kew Cemetery. This new tram only reached the bridge over the Outer Circle railway at the Harp Junction. The line was later extended to North Balwyn.Black and white print positive of the Tram Terminus in High Street, Kew at the Harp of Erin hotel. "Harp of Erin Tram Terminus about 1916. House on left still standing behind delicatessen [in 1978]. / Courtesy Mrs E Bennett, Kew East / Property of Miss Foley."tramways, mmtb, tram terminus, no 48 tram route, harp of erin hotel, trams - kew, trams - kew east

Kew Junction at this stage was a tram terminusThe Harp Junction, East Kew.Annotation on reverse: "East Kew - looking towards city from harp of Erin Hotel - note wooden fence."harp of erin hotel (kew), high street (kew)

An electrified tram route from Melbourne along High Street replaced an original Horse Tram that terminated at the Kew Cemetery. This new tram only reached the bridge over the Outer Circle railway at the Harp Junction. The line was later extended to North Balwyn.Black and white print enlargement of the Tram Terminus in High Street, Kew at the Harp of Erin hotel. The rear of the photograph identifies it as an enlargement donated by Stewart West from an original owned by Miss Foley.tramways, mmtb, tram terminus, no 48 tram route, harp of erin hotel, trams - kew, trams - kew east

The Harp Junction, East KewAnnotations on reverse "KH-73. View from Junction of High St (then Bulleen Rd.) & Strathalbyn St. Kew. Looking toward Boroondara Cemetery. Wall in picture is side of bridge over Outer Circle Railway. Trams later cut across this curve."high street (kew), strathalbyn street (kew east), harp of erin hotel (kew)

Reproduction of newspaper drawing of earthworks near the Harp of Erin in Kew East during construction of the Outer Circle railway.Reverse: " Sketch of blasting near Harp of Erin Hotel, East Kew about 1889

While a number of subdivisions of what was to become Kew East occurred in the 1880s, such as the 'Mount Pleasant Estate' (1888) and 'Monterey Estate' (1888), Glynn's Lot 91 remained open farmland until the Harp Estate (1912) was sold, hence the undeveloped nature of the view in 1907-8.A rare image of the open farmland in the eastern part of Kew looking towards Burke Road in 1907-8.Damaged, and very rare, black & white photograph of what was to become the suburb of East Kew, taken by a member of the Bennett family in 1907-8. The photograph is taken from the Harp of Erin Hotel showing, apart from a building on the left (no longer extant), fenced open farmland stretching into the far distance.HIGH ST LOOKING NOTRTH TO BURKE RD FROM HARP / EDWD GLYNN'S LOT 91 FROM 1851 / GIFT FROM BENNETT FAMILY 22 HARP RD EAST KEW 1980 / 1907-8harp of erin, high street -- east kew (vic), harp estate

Photograph - of a K class four-wheel or single truck tram on a PMTT route 14 (STRATHALBYN ST (Kew) - VICTORIA BRIDGE) tram service, at Harp Road and High St. The reference gives the tram based at Kew Depot in 1928. The tram was originally a Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust tram, though, by the time of this photograph, it has been re-lettered for the MMTB, which took over the PMTT in 1920. The photograph has been marked up for a submission possibly to either Council or the MMTB for a waiting room or shelter at this location. The wall of the Harp of Erin Hotel and a Victoria Bitter sign can be seen on the right-hand side. The original photo appears to have been torn. Original photo mid to late 1920's.Yields information about the K class tram of the MMTB and methods of seeking a tram stop shelter and High Street and Harp Road intersection.Kodachrome cardboard duplicate slide - Black and white reproduction photograph - K class tram 92 - at Harp Road Kew "MP17" in penciltrams, tramways, kew, harp road, route 14, k class tram, tram 92, harp of erin, victoria bitter, high st, strathalbyn st

The Land Boom of the 1880s accelerated the rate of subdivisions in Kew. This subdivision, 'Kew! Kew!' was also impacted by, or resulted from, the decision by the Victorian Government to construct the Outer Circle railway. Construction of the railway began in 1888 and was completed in 1891. Plan of an 1888 subdivision bounded by Bulleen Road (now High Street), Gladstone Street (now Campbell Street?), Park Street (now Adeney Avenue), and Belmore Road (now Harp Road). The 16 lots in the proposed subdivision are bisected by the route of the Outer Circle railway, and next to the proposed Normanby Station (later renamed East Kew). On the plan, local landmarks such as the tram terminus, the Harp of Erin hotel, and the station are located. The street where the lots are numbered , was called Welsh Street on the plan as this was the name of the vendor. Surrounding land owners are also named: G. Smith Esq, Matthew Maher Esq, and Maurice Neligan Esq.outer circle railway, land subdivisions

Pru Sanderson, in her groundbreaking ‘City of Kew Urban Conservation Study : Volume 2 - Development History’ (1988), summarised the periods of urban development and subdivisions of land in Kew. The periods that she identified included 1845-1880, 1880-1893, 1893-1921, 1921-1933, 1933-1943, and Post-War Development. These periods were selected as they represented periods of rapid growth or decline in urban development. An obvious starting point for Sanderson’s groupings involved population growth and the associated economic cycles. These cycles also highlighted urban expansion onto land that was predominantly rural, although in other cases it represented the decline and breakup of large estates. A number of the plans in the Kew Historical Society’s collection can also be found in other collections, such as those of the State Library of Victoria and the Boroondara Library Service. A number are however unique to the collection.The Kew Historical Society collection includes almost 100 subdivision plans pertaining to suburbs of the City of Melbourne. Most of these are of Kew, Kew East or Studley Park, although a smaller number are plans of Camberwell, Deepdene, Balwyn and Hawthorn. It is believed that the majority of the plans were gifted to the Society by persons connected with the real estate firm - J. R. Mathers and McMillan, 136 Cotham Road, Kew. The Plans in the collection are rarely in pristine form, being working plans on which the agent would write notes and record lots sold and the prices of these. The subdivision plans are historically significant examples of the growth of urban Melbourne from the beginning of the 20th Century up until the 1980s. A number of the plans are double-sided and often include a photograph on the reverse. A number of the latter are by noted photographers such as J.E. Barnes.The Belford Heights Estate was a subdivision in Kew East, even though the title of the plan indicates that it was located in Kew. The subdivision had been approved by 1915, and included 105 lots facing Strathalbyn, Kitchener, Hamilton and Beresford Streets, as well as Balfour and Belford Roads. Those lots hand coloured with red probably represent blocks that had been sold. The additional information provided on the plan is also of interest. The plan includes the original location of East Kew State (Primary) School in Strathalbyn Street, which opened in 1892. The inset Locality Plan also includes the route of the Outer Circle Railway and the location of the Wilsmere and East Kew Stations. The location of the landmark Harp of Erin Hotel is also marked on the Locality Plan.belford heights estate, subdivision plans - kew

Pru Sanderson, in her groundbreaking ‘City of Kew Urban Conservation Study : Volume 2 - Development History’ (1988), summarised the periods of urban development and subdivisions of land in Kew. The periods that she identified included 1845-1880, 1880-1893, 1893-1921, 1921-1933, 1933-1943, and Post-War Development. These periods were selected as they represented periods of rapid growth or decline in urban development. An obvious starting point for Sanderson’s groupings involved population growth and the associated economic cycles. These cycles also highlighted urban expansion onto land that was predominantly rural, although in other cases it represented the decline and breakup of large estates. A number of the plans in the Kew Historical Society’s collection can also be found in other collections, such as those of the State Library of Victoria and the Boroondara Library Service. A number are however unique to the collection.The Kew Historical Society collection includes almost 100 subdivision plans pertaining to suburbs of the City of Melbourne. Most of these are of Kew, Kew East or Studley Park, although a smaller number are plans of Camberwell, Deepdene, Balwyn and Hawthorn. It is believed that the majority of the plans were gifted to the Society by persons connected with the real estate firm - J. R. Mathers and McMillan, 136 Cotham Road, Kew. The Plans in the collection are rarely in pristine form, being working plans on which the agent would write notes and record lots sold and the prices of these. The subdivision plans are historically significant examples of the growth of urban Melbourne from the beginning of the 20th Century up until the 1980s. A number of the plans are double-sided and often include a photograph on the reverse. A number of the latter are by noted photographers such as J.E. Barnes.The Erin Heights Estate in Kew included just seven lots in in Valerie Street. These were all that remained of this wartime subdivision, the other 11 allotments on Balfour and Belford Roads having already been sold. Balfour Road was to be only a temporary name as the street is currently called Windella Avenue. Now, the parkland opposite the subdivision is the reserve created from the route of the Outer Circle Railway. This Railway reached Kew East in 1925, but had been planned as far back as 1873. The development focuses on the benefits of living in Kew: being at the highest of Kew’s ‘suburbs’; being a good residential area; its rapid growth; and the proximity of the Kew East tram in High Street. In 1917, the electric tramline only extended to a terminus at the Harp of Erin hotel. The terminus is clearly represented on the plan.subdivision plans - east kew, erin heights estate

Prue Sanderson, in her groundbreaking ‘City of Kew Urban Conservation Study : Volume 2 - Development History’ (1988), summarised the periods of urban development and subdivisions of land in Kew. The periods that she identified included 1845-1880, 1880-1893, 1893-1921, 1921-1933, 1933-1943, and Post-War Development. These periods were selected as they represented periods of rapid growth or decline in urban development. An obvious starting point for Sanderson’s groupings involved population growth and the associated economic cycles. These cycles also highlighted urban expansion onto land that was predominantly rural, although in other cases it represented the decline and breakup of large estates. A number of the plans in the Kew Historical Society’s collection can also be found in other collections, such as those of the State Library of Victoria and the Boroondara Library Service. A number are however unique to the collection.Subdivision plans are historically important documents used as evidence of the growth of suburbs in Australia. They frequently provide information about when the land was sold on which a built structure was subsequently constructed as well as evidence relating to surveyors and real estate and financial agents. The numerous subdivision plans in the Kew Historical Society's collection represent working documents, ranging from the initial sketches made in planning a subdivision to printed plans on which auctioneers or agents listed the prices for which individual lots were sold. In a number of cases, the reverse of a subdivision plan in the collection includes a photograph of a house that was also for sale by the agent. These photographs provide significant heritage information relating house design and decoration, fencing and household gardens.In 1928, five residential allotments bordering Segtoune and Windsor Streets were advertised for sale as part of a subdivision. Four of the blocks faced Segtoune Avenue. The auctioneers proclaimed the advantages of the sites: ‘Situate one minute from the High Street Electric Tram, which now runs direct to Spencer Street via Bridge Road and Flinders Street. Opposite the East Kew Railway Station (Outer Circle Line), which may be reopened In connection with the new Line from Kew to Doncaster; Adjacent lo the Kew Recreation Reserve, Sports Oval, and Swimming Bath; Half Minute from the Shopping Centre of East Kew, Accessible to the State School and Other Educational Centres’. The Harp of Erin Hotel and the route of the Outer Circle Railway line are marked on the plan. The Recreation Reserve and Sport Oval refer to Victoria Park. The Swimming Baths were located on the site of the current Kew Recreation Centre.subdivision plans - kew, segtoune street -- kew (vic.), windsor street -- kew (vic.)

The Council Family Hotel was the fifth of the eight hotels to be licensed in Kew during the 19th Century. They were licensed in the following date order: The Woodman Inn (1854), The Harp of Erin (1854), O’Shaughnessy’s Kew Hotel (1855), the Prospect Hill Hotel (1858), the Council Family Hotel (1861), the Princess Hotel (1864), the Clifton Hotel (1868) and the Greyhound Hotel (1873).Rare photograph of a landmark Kew HotelExterior - Council Family Hotel, Cotham Road, Kew, circa 1888.Mr Pat Ryan in doorwayhotels - kew, council family hotel - kew (vic)

The Council Family Hotel was the fifth of the eight hotels to be licensed in Kew during the 19th Century. They were licensed in the following date order: The Woodman Inn (1854), The Harp of Erin (1854), O’Shaughnessy’s Kew Hotel (1855), the Prospect Hill Hotel (1858), the Council Family Hotel (1861), the Princess Hotel (1864), the Clifton Hotel (1868) and the Greyhound Hotel (1873).Rare photograph of a landmark Kew hotelExterior - Council Family Hotel in Cotham Road, Kew (Vic) with Mrs Ryan, wife of the licensee at frontMrs Ryanhotels - kew, council family hotel - kew (vic), licenees - ryan family

The Council Family Hotel was the fifth of the eight hotels to be licensed in Kew during the 19th Century. They were licensed in the following date order: The Woodman Inn (1854), The Harp of Erin (1854), O’Shaughnessy’s Kew Hotel (1855), the Prospect Hill Hotel (1858), the Council Family Hotel (1861), the Princess Hotel (1864), the Clifton Hotel (1868) and the Greyhound Hotel (1873).Rare photograph of a landmark hotel in KewExterior - Council Family Hotel, Cotham Road, Kew, circa 1888.hotels - kew, council family hotel - kew (vic)

Subdivision plans are historically important documents used as evidence of the growth of suburbs in Australia. They frequently provide information about when the land was sold on which a built structure was subsequently constructed as well as evidence relating to surveyors and real estate and financial agents. The numerous subdivision plans in the Kew Historical Society's collection represent working documents, ranging from the initial sketches made in planning a subdivision to printed plans on which auctioneers or agents listed the prices for which individual lots were sold. In a number of cases, the reverse of a subdivision plan in the collection includes a photograph of a house that was also for sale by the agent. These photographs provide significant heritage information relating house design and decoration, fencing and household gardens.This is one of a small number of subdivision plans for commercial property in the collection. The subdivision proposed to create six shop sites in High Street between the Harp of Erin and Station Street. The plan shows this stretch of High Street, East Kew already lined with shops that include the hotel on the corner, the new State Savings Bank, a dentist’s surgery and Lambert’s Store. The High Street Tram was to reach Burke Road in 1925, so the proposed subdivision must postdate that event, and the opening of the Bank in 1926.subdivision plans - east kew, high street - east kew