The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria)This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). The area represented in this detail plan has undergone significant change during the 20th century. The widening of High Street in the 1930s and 1950s involved the shops on the south side of High Street being demolished and later rebuilt to fit the widened street. Another significant loss was the mansion ‘Drayton’ fronting Wellington Street, owned at this stage by Susannah Fenton. Her family name would later to be given to Fenton Way, which was to be built over the grounds of the house following its demolition. The plan of the garden is particularly interesting, containing a batten dome fronting Wellington Street, an ornamental pond, a fountain and a brick and glass conservatory. The notes by the plumbing contractor on this plan are particularly detailed. Pink borders delineate the ownership of the varying parcels of land. Some of the better known owners listed include the real estate agent Cr. Henry de Castres Kellett (bt) and John Padbury, the funeral director. This particular plan provides a clear view of the configuration of the Kew Junction in 1903 and the commercial buildings that surrounded it.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, maps - borough of kew, mmbw 1580, cartography

117 pp : illustrated : Appendices Chapters: Preface / Robert Baker p4. The collection / Robert Baker p5. Cartwheel penny / Robert Baker p6. Creek and old watering stage / David White p10. John Carson: Mayor 1863–4 1 / Julie King p4. Wedding dress / Suzanne McWha p18. Back to Kew 1875 / Judith Scurfield p22. Barnard’s clock / Margaret Robinson p26. Denbigh quilt / Suzanne McWha p28. Fragments of art decoration / Robert Baker p32. Mr Richardson’s sock / Felicity Renowden p36. Kew Volunteer Fire Brigade / David White p38. Kew Where We Live / Judith Scurfield p42. [MMBW} Detail Plan No. 1580 / Judith Scurfield p46. Adeney Avenue / Suzanne McWha p50. Young Workers’ Patriotic Guild / Margaret Robinson p54. Roll of Honor [Thomas Rand] / Robert Baker p56. Alice Anderson in her tourer / Felicity Renowden p60. Kew War Memorial / David White p62. Beaded dance dress / Suzanne McWha p 66. The great flood of 1934 / Desley Reid p68. Depression-era toolbox / Robert Baker p72. War Savings Street / Julie King p74. Kew Public L.ibrary / Suzanne McWha p78. Signature supper cloth / Desley Reid p82. View from the garden of Rockingham / Desley Reid p86. Cr Marie Dalley / Felicity Renowden p90. Centenary of Kew / Robert Baker p94. Doris Dickinson’s gown / Julie King p98. [Model Dairy] Milk bottles / Robert Baker p100. Kew Civic Centre / David White p102. Bicentennial tapestries / Margaret Robinson p106. Crest of the City of Kew / Desley Reid p110. Town Crier [outfit] / Desley Reid p112. Acknowledgements p114. List of works p115.non-fiction'Stories They Tell : A history of Kew through objects' explores diverse narratives from European settlement to the first decades of the twenty-first century. These stories use as their starting point artworks, texts and artefacts from the nationally significant collection of the Kew Historical Society. Limited to 100 copies.collection -- kew historical society, museum catalogues, henty family, cartwheel pennies, kew lunatic asylum, patchwork quilts, john carson, george bouchier richardson, gb richardson, coombs family, james dannock, back to kew 1875, francis barnard, denbigh family, cullis hill & co, ordsall, southesk, kew volunteer fire brigade, jfc farquhar, henry kellett, mmbw detail plan 1580, william nicholls anderson, young workers patriotic guild, roll of honor -- town of kew, alice anderson, kew war memorial, flapper dresses, fairfield bridge, chandler highway bridge, warren trestrail, furniture -- 1930s, war savings streets, kew library, children's libraries, voluntary aid detachments - kew (vic.), rockingham, james govett, centenary of kew, mayoresses -- kew (vic.), model dairy -- kew (vic.), doris dickinson, crests -- city of kew (vic.), town criers -- kew (vic.), joy stewart, australian bicentennial -- kew (vic.), kew civic centre, ak lines mcfarlane marshall, adeney avenue -- kew, wwi