The former City of Kew in Victoria issued badges to council employees performing public roles. The Society has other badges issued by the City for roles such as Parking Attendant, Swimming Pool Attendant etc. 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. A nickel and enamel identification badge issued to the hall keeper of the Kew Recreation Hall by the City of Kew. The badge is shaped like a shield and is stamped with the users' title.arthur dear collection, performing arts -- kew -- victoria, kew recreation hall -- wellington street, kew civic hall -- cotham road, city of kew