The North Kew Baby Health Centre was located in Peel Street, Kew. It opened in 1930 and closed in 1992.Item with strong provenance used at the a local Kew baby health centre in the 1950sGreen and white enamel oval baby bath donated by Sr Bell of the North Kew Baby Health Centre following its closure in 1992 after 62 years.north kew baby health centre, babies' baths

The North Kew Centre was the third established at North Kew. It followed a lease of a house at 50 Willsmere Road. The Peel Street building was designed by Mr Chipperfield. Messrs McIntosh and Taylor were the successful tenderers, the price being 1,240 pounds. The North Kew Baby Health Centre was finally opened on 18 June 1930 in the presence of the mayor, councillors and citizens of Kew, and representatives of the Infant Welfare Council. A report in The Age of 19 June described the opening in detail as well as the features of the new Centre. These included: "The rooms ... filled with flowers, pink and mauve hydrangeas and native heath, and the walls are adorned, with a charming frieze, representing windmills, flocks and a fairy tale goose girl. On the walls are hygiene editions of the funniest of Belloc's "Cautionary Tales" revised as posters, Outside there is promise of a gay garden, and a lovely view of green fields sloping to a shining bend of the river." Early photographic record of the opening of an early baby health centre in Kew.[Badly damaged] black and white photograph of the opening of the North Kew Baby Health Centre in Peel Street. The photo is mounted on card, and shows mothers and their children on the veranda, and officials at right. The latter includes the Mayoress and probably Vera Scantlebury. All mothers wear hats as do most of the children. [When the photograph was presented to the Society in 1979, it was described in the first Acquisitions Register as framed. Some time after that it was removed from its frame and badly broken. A separate photocopy of the original photograph is also held in the collection.]Earliest inscription: "Peel Street Health Centre / Official Opening 1930 / donated by Sr Costello and Sr Bewish [sic] 1979 / Copy purchased by ..... for Centre". Old Accession number in Texta: "KH-133 Kew Historical Society". Separate later label: "Opening North Kew Baby Health centre 1930". north kew baby health centre, peel street (kew), baby health centres - kew (vic)

In May 1939, the Railway Commissioners agreed to lease a site at the Kew Railway Station to construct a new baby health centre. Designed by the Kew City Building Surveyor, Rowland Chipperfield, the Centre, previously conducted at the Walpole Street Town Hall, was transferred to the Denmark Street site. Colourised photograph of the single-storey cream tapestry-brick Baby Health Centre with curved corner, steel lettering "BABY HEALTH CENTRE", round porthole window and terracotta tiled roof. Built on the former Kew Railway Station yard, designed by City Surveyor Rowland Chipperfield. Photograph shows the centre before the construction of the Country Roads Board towers, looking north-east with entrance pergola and newly landscaped beds.baby health centres, maternal and child health, city of kew, denmark street, rowland chipperfield