Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 3 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. A photograph of a stretch of the Yarra River at Kew. From the 1840s, at the Crown Land Sales, lots adjacent to the river were sold and developed as dairy farms, hence the presence of cattle until the land was subdivided or created into golf courses during the twentieth century. "Yarra Rvr / Kew / 1925"henry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, kew (vic.) — yarra river, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, dairying -- kew (vic.)

Willsmere Park is bounded by the the Yarra River, Green Acres Golf Club, Willow Grove and the Eastern Freeway. The land on which the park is now situated was bought by Thomas Wills at the Crown Land Sales of 1846 (Section 56). From the 1840s to the 1940s it was intensively farmed. The park is dominated by very large playing fields, while planting to the southern boundary was undertaken when the Eastern Freeway was built. It is only along the banks of the Yarra that there is any remnant native vegetation. Willsmere Park is of significance as an area of open land that remains from the flood plain that once dominated northern Kew. (Source: Kew Conservation Study, 1988)Original colour small format polaroid photograph of the Yarra River in flood at the Willsmere Park, taken on 16 September 1993."Yarra River at Willsmere Park Flooding 16.9.93"willsmere park, yarra river -- floods -- kew (vic.)

Willsmere Park is bounded by the the Yarra River, Green Acres Golf Club, Willow Grove and the Eastern Freeway. The land on which the park is now situated was bought by Thomas Wills at the Crown Land Sales of 1846 (Section 56). From the 1840s to the 1940s it was intensively farmed. The park is dominated by very large playing fields, while planting to the southern boundary was undertaken when the Eastern Freeway was built. It is only along the banks of the Yarra that there is any remnant native vegetation. Willsmere Park is of significance as an area of open land that remains from the flood plain that once dominated northern Kew. (Source: Kew Conservation Study, 1988)Original colour small format polaroid photograph of flooding in the Willsmere Park, taken on 16 September 1993."Flooding of shared path from Willsmere Billabong 16.9.93"willsmere park, yarra river -- floods -- kew (vic.), kew billabong

Willsmere Park is bounded by the the Yarra River, Green Acres Golf Club, Willow Grove and the Eastern Freeway. The land on which the park is now situated was bought by Thomas Wills at the Crown Land Sales of 1846 (Section 56). From the 1840s to the 1940s it was intensively farmed. The park is dominated by very large playing fields, while planting to the southern boundary was undertaken when the Eastern Freeway was built. It is only along the banks of the Yarra that there is any remnant native vegetation. Willsmere Park is of significance as an area of open land that remains from the flood plain that once dominated northern Kew. (Source: Kew Conservation Study, 1988)Original colour small format polaroid photograph of flooding in the Willsmere Park, taken on 16 September 1993."Flooding of Willsmere Park from Yarra 16.9.93"willsmere park, yarra river -- floods -- kew (vic.)

Willsmere Park is bounded by the the Yarra River, Green Acres Golf Club, Willow Grove and the Eastern Freeway. The land on which the park is now situated was bought by Thomas Wills at the Crown Land Sales of 1846 (Section 56). From the 1840s to the 1940s it was intensively farmed. The park is dominated by very large playing fields, while planting to the southern boundary was undertaken when the Eastern Freeway was built. It is only along the banks of the Yarra that there is any remnant native vegetation. Willsmere Park is of significance as an area of open land that remains from the flood plain that once dominated northern Kew. (Source: Kew Conservation Study, 1988)Original colour small format polaroid photograph of flooding in Willsmere Park resulting from heavy rain on 15 September 1993."Flooding of Willsmere Park from Yarra 16.9.93"yarra river -- floods -- kew (vic.), willsmere park

Willsmere Park is bounded by the the Yarra River, Green Acres Golf Club, Willow Grove and the Eastern Freeway. The land on which the park is now situated was bought by Thomas Wills at the Crown Land Sales of 1846 (Section 56). From the 1840s to the 1940s it was intensively farmed. The park is dominated by very large playing fields, while planting to the southern boundary was undertaken when the Eastern Freeway was built. It is only along the banks of the Yarra that there is any remnant native vegetation. Willsmere Park is of significance as an area of open land that remains from the flood plain that once dominated northern Kew. (Source: Kew Conservation Study, 1988)Original colour small format polaroid photograph of Willsmere [Kew] Billabong on September 1993."Willsmere Billabong 16.9.93"yarra river -- floods -- kew (vic.), willsmere park

Those sections of Studley Park closest to the River Yarra were set aside as parkland in the 1850s. After initial discussions about whether it was a suitable site for a Government House, much of the land was instead gazetted in the 1860s as the location for a new lunatic asylum, to expand overcrowded mental health facilities at the Yarra Bend Asylum on the other side of the river at Fairfield. Those sections of Studley Park bounded by the Yarra River, Studley Park Road, Princess Street and Fellows Street were subdivided and sold at the Crown Land Sales in 1851. Much of this urban area remained open farmland until the twentieth century, apart from mansions, largely located along the main roads.Original, black and white positive print of what is said to represent Studley Park in 1937. If the attribution and date is literally to be understood, then it would appear that the photograph may have been taken from the Kew side of the river looking across to open farmland in the Yarra Bend Park. If the designation of Studley Park is to be understood more loosely, then it might be a view of what is now East Kew, taken from a section of Kilby Road. Inscribed verso: "Studley Park 1937" studley park -- kew (vic.)