James Venn Morgan was known affectionately as ‘The Father of Kew’. Born in Somersetshire on February 21, 1823, he sailed to Australia in April, 1851. James V. Morgan, was a member of one of the first parties to leave for the diggings. At Chewton, near Castlemaine his party tried their luck in an abandoned shaft, and in two weeks returned to Melbourne after having won 35lb weight of gold. James Venn Morgan was content with his success, and induced his partners to invest their money with him in land. After obtaining the advice of a friend, the party negotiated with Mr Samuel Watts, of Collingwood, who had recently purchased land from the Crown, and from him they took over at £15 an acre about 32 acres of land in the district that is now known as Kew. This land extended from where the Kew Post-office now stands to the locality of the Boroondara Cemetery. Here it was that Mr Morgan decided to settle, and, after having had the land surveyed, the partners apportioned it by drawing straws for the four sections into which it had been divided. One of them sold his holding later in the year for £100 an acre, and was sorry for it afterwards. In 1853 Mr. Morgan built the first house in Kew, and this house is the one in which he still resides. Here with his wife, he settled down to market gardening and dairying. So successful was the new venture that he induced his father and other members of the family to come out to Australia to assist him. Gradually the district became settled, Mr. Morgan parted with a portion of his holding, and subdivided and built on the remainder, which he still retained. In 1884 he found himself in a position to retire from active business.He celebrated his 100th birthday in 1923. He was later to die in the same year. The Argus, 17 January 1923.Rare and historic hand-tinted framed portrait of one of the founding pioneers of the district.Hand tinted photograph in a gilt frame of the Kew pioneer James Venn Morgan (1823-1923).james venn morgan, kew - pioneer families, kew - landowners

The Padbury family were early pioneers of Kew, running for over a century a funeral parlour in Cotham Road. The photograph of Mr Whitman can be reliably dated to 1914 or later due to an article on the establishment of Godfrey Roberts' atelier at the rear of Mr Chenoweth's in Glenferrie Road (Source: 'Godfrey E Roberts Photographic Studio', Hawthorn Kew Camberwell Citizen, 5 June 1914, p. 2)This, and other photographs of members of the Whitman-Padbury families was donated by Mrs Clarrie Thomson, a descendant of the families, and a member of the Society. Mrs Thompson lived at 58 Charles Street, Kew. The donation was made in 1982.Cabinet card, produced by Godfrey E Roberts of Glenferrie Road (Glenferrie), of Mr Whitman, a relative by marriage of the Padbury family. "Whitman" "G E Roberts / Glenferrie Rd / Glenferrie" (photographer)whitman - padbury, pioneer families -- kew

This indenture once formed part of the City of Kew's Municipal Collection. Cr. W.D. Vaughan in his history 'Kew's Civic Century' (1960) records on page 194 that: "The original deed of conveyance of the land being all of Crown Portion 86, Kew, purchased by John Quick, James Venn Morgan, Samuel Derrick and William Derrick was presented by the Historical Society of Victoria on behalf of Mrs Fryer, a daughter of the later J.V. Morgan, to the [Kew] Council on August 5, 1941. Crown Portion 86, comprised all the land between Cotham Road and High Street to an alignment opposite the east boundary of Glenferrie Road. On it the first residential house was built by Mr. J.V. Morgan in 1852." Following the donation, the Indenture was surrounded by other original related text and explanatory notes and framed. The resulting framed documents are the largest framed objects in the collection.The Indenture and the accompanying contextual documents are some of the most historically significant manuscripts to have survived since the settlement of Kew in the 1850s. They provide a link to Kew's most famous pioneering families.Framed 1952 Indenture recording the sale of land in Kew to pioneering Kew families.james venn morgan, john quick, william derrick, samuel derrick, kew (vic) - history, kew (vic) - pioneers, samuel watts, kew (vic.) — municipal collection

The Padbury family were early pioneers of Kew, running for over a century a funeral parlour in Cotham Road. The photograph of the mother and child can be dated to 1889-1900 when the Vita Studios were located at 125 Swanston Street.Rare photograph of members of a notable pioneering family of Kew (vic.). The photograph was donated to the Society in 1982, by Mrs Clarrie Thompson, a descendant of the family.Cabinet card, produced by Grant & Co., Vita Sudios, 125 Swanston Street, Melbourne of an infant, Horace Whitman, sitting on the lap of his mother. His mother was member of the pioneering Padbury family of Kew. "Horace Whitman with mother (nee Padbury)""grant & co -- vita studios - 125 swanston st -- melbourne (vic.), whitman-- cadbury families -- kew (vic.)

Padbury’s Funeral Parlour in Kew was the earliest business of its kind in what is now the City of Boroondara. It was established by John Padbury in 1859. Following his death, the company was renamed A W Padbury & Co. The two-storey building is still [in 2023] extant. Members of the Padbury family married into a number of pioneer Kew families including the Whitmans and Morgans. Rare portrait of a significant Kew businessmanOriginal print positive 'cabinet card'. Portrait of Alfred Padbury, owner of A W Padbury & Co. Son of founder - John Padbury.Reverse: “Alfred Padbury / Son of John Padbury / Whitman”funeral parlours. -- kew (vic.), a w padbury, businesses -- cotham road -- kew (vic.)

Padbury’s Funeral Parlour in Kew was the earliest business of its kind in what is now the City of Boroondara. It was established by John Padbury in 1859. Following his death, the company was renamed A W Padbury & Co. John Padbury was involved in meetings in 1861, calling for Kew to become an independent municipality. In 1863, he argued that a lunatic asylum would bring business to shopkeepers. His company was located at 13 Cotham Road, next to the rear entrance of the Kew Police Station. The two-storey building is still [in 2023] extant. Members of the Padbury family married into a number of pioneer Kew families including the Whitmans and Morgans. Rare portrait of a significant Kew pioneerOriginal print positive 'cabinet card'. Portrait of John Padbury, first undertaker in Boroondara. Obverse: “Frisby & Mason / Photographers / 134 Bridge Road Richmond”. Reverse: “John Padbury / founder of Padbury Undertakers Cotham Rd Kew / died 90 yrs / Whitman”funeral parlours. -- kew (vic.), a w padbury, john padbury, businesses -- cotham road -- kew (vic.)

Grandma Gibbs of Kew who was the Grandma of Sarah Jane Gibbs-died in childbirth (William Partington's first wife) who was the Grandmother of Eva Partington,A pioneer Greensborough family.Digital copy of black and white studio photograph.ellen partington, ellen whatmough, charles partington, willis vale

From the album of WWI soldier William West (1268) of the 29 Infantry Battalion, 5th Pioneers Battalion. This collection of postcards, photographs and clippings were sent between William and his family and loved ones during the years he was on active service. See also 207 and 220. Postcard with a black and white photograph of a cottage in a garden settingFront "the Queen's cottage, Kew"album, photo album, newspaper clippings, postcard, wwi, photograph, kew, the queen's cottage

thomas judd, parkhill, 20 hillcrest avenue

Sir Henry de Castres Kellett (1851-1924) the son of a hereditary baronet, was born at Mt Gambier, South Australia in 1851. His English title had been created in Ireland in 1801, but the family was originally Norman with the later branches living in England and Ireland. Sir Henry Kellett assumed the title in 1906. Henry Kellett was a prominent Kew retailer, continuing his father’s newspaper and stationery business in Bulleen Road (now High Street). At various stages, he also acted as an insurance, postal and real estate agent. He lived in Walpole Street and later at Lota Begg (now demolished) in Westbrook Street, East Kew. In 1884, Henry Kellett was elected to the Kew Borough Council and served for 40 years; a remarkable example of public service. He was elected Mayor for a single term in 1888-9. Sir Henry de Castres Kellett died in St George’s Hospital in 1924 following a tragic car accident in Cotham Road, Kew while on Council business. The vehicle, in which he was travelling with fellow councillors and the Town Clerk, collided with a tram. Sir Henry Kellett is commemorated in the naming of Kellett Reserve and Kellett Grove.Original artwork by Arthur Wills, descendent of a noted pioneer family, and former mayor of Kew.Two sided illustrated humorous vignettes featuring two noted Kew citizens: Henry de Castres Kellet and Arthur Wills. The latter is the illustrator. The item was illustrated in 1920.mayors of kew (vic), sir henry de castres kellett, arthur wills, willsmere, wills family

This King George III 1797 penny, colloquially described as a ‘Cartwheel’ because of its large size and thick rim, was manufactured in Great Britain from 1797-99. The penny and the twopence were the first coins shipped to New South Wales by the British Government. In 1800, Governor King issued a proclamation that forbade their export. This coin is one of the 132,000 coins sent to Australia in 1800. It is not uncommon to find cartwheel pennies used as containers. They were reputedly used to conceal a more valuable coin or for smuggling. The penny was purchased by the Society as part of a small collection of Henty memorabilia and portraits from the owner of Moorabool Antiques, Geelong in 2021, which had in turn acquired the item from the estate of Dennis Alston of Alston's Antiques in Hamilton, Victoria.This cartwheel penny, used to contain a lock of hair of Thomas Henty (1775-1838), is of statewide significance to Tasmania, where he settled and died, and to Victoria, where his children and their descendants were notable pioneers, squatters and subsequently landowners in the Western District. The item is also of national significance for its strong connection to the Henty family, notable British settlers of southeastern and southwestern Australia in the 1830s. The connection to Kew (Vic.) is that members of the Henty family owned important mansions in Kew in the 19th century. Thomas Henty was the father of Stephen George Henty of 'Findon', and Francis Henty of 'Merino Downs' in the Western District and 'Field Place', Kew. Numerous members of the Henty family are buried in the Boroondara General Cemetery.Object of personal memorabilia. Coiled and bound lock of hair of Thomas Henty contained in a hollowed-out copper 'cartwheel' penny.OBVERSE: Georgius III . D : G . REX / REVERSE: Britannia 1797 / SELLER'S LABEL: Lock of hair from the late Thomas Henty, born 1775thomas henty, henty family, launceston, west tarring -- sussex (uk), tasmanian pioneers, australia - early settlers, cartwheel pennies