The sculptor of the Shakespeare sculpture was Andor Meszaros of Kew, Melbourne. The unveiling was undertaken by Mayor Arthur W. Nicholson. The statue was presented by L.F. North, general Manager of the Fidelity Trustee Company Limited, representing the late H.P. Stevens as one of the benefactors whose generosity enabled the Statue to be erected. The "portrait statue" shows how people saw Shakespeare as he wanted to be seen; as author-actor bowing to the applause. His position implies modesty, the knowledge of his own worth; majesty. his movement is at once humble and royal. The statue was positioned so people approaching or leaving Ballarat Civic Hall will see the statue full face, and the bowing attitude enables them to continue to study the face even from a few feet distant. The base in in the form of an Elizabethan stage, and is designed so that its sides correspond to the existing angles of its position. The proposal to erect a Statue of Shakespeare in Ballarat stemmed from a movement in 1889, when a committee was formed and a meeting held to inaugurate the proposal. At the initial meeting 258 pounds was contributed to the fund, which was later built on by further donations. In 1935 the fund stood at 945 pounds. In 1939 a bequest of 100 pounds was received from the estate of the late Frank Gale. In October 1952, the Fidelity trustee Company Limited notified of an extract of the will of Harry Person Stevens, in which be bequeathed the sum of 2,000 pounds to the fund for the erection of a Statue of William Shakespeare. In 1957 it was felt the fund had accumulated to an amount sufficient to carry out the intentions of the fund. at that stage the money in hand was approximately 4,000 pounds.A small committee was appointed to further the proposal. In May 1959 a panel of adjudicators met to determine the winner of a limited competition amongst sculptors. The committee comprised Cr G.L. Scott, Cr K.C. Webb, Cr W.E. Roff, J.H. Heinz representing the Fidelity Trustee Company Limited, and R.P. Evans of the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery. Norma Redpath, the nominee of the Victorian Sculptors' Society was present in the capacity of an adviser. Four page leaflet printed for the City of Ballarat Ceremony of handing over, accepting and unveiling the Shakespeare State at the Ballarat Civic Hall. The Shakespeare sculpture is cast in bronze and sits on a Stawell stone base. stevens, fidelity trustee company, gale, ballarat civic hall, shakespeare, north, nicholson, stawell stone

Arthur Henry Dear was an employee of the City of Kew, acting as Hall Keeper of the Kew Recreation Hall in Wellington Street, and later the new Kew City Hall in Cotham Road. The Arthur Dear Collection contains memorabilia - tickets, programmes, invitations - as well as his identification badge. Items in the collection dates from the 1940s to the 1960s.The Kew Recreation Hall (Wellington Street) and later the Kew City Hall (Cotham Road) were major locations in suburban Melbourne in the postwar period for civic and private events including theatre productions and exhibitions. The Arthur Dear Collection (in conjunction with the scrapbooks compiled by Marion Tilley) provide a comprehensive snapshot of performing arts in Kew during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The collection includes valuable data about performances, performers, directors etc., during this period. Programme for performances by The Young Theatre of Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater by Martha B. King in the Arrow Theatre, the Kew Recreation Hall and the Oakleigh Town Hall. The programme includes a cast list, cast profiles, a synopsis and information about the activities of the Young Theatre Movement. 4 pp.arthur dear collection, performing arts -- kew -- victoria, kew recreation hall -- wellington street, theatre memorabilia, the young theatre