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 1970s. 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. Programme issued by the Hawthorn Operatic Society for a performance of Princess Ida in the Kew Recreation Hall in November. The programme does not include a year date. It does include a cast list, a brief synopsis and a list of the musical numbers.the gondoliers, gilbert & sullivan, arthur dear collection, performing arts -- kew -- victoria, kew recreation hall -- wellington street -- kew (vic.), theatre memorabilia -- kew (vic.), hawthorn operatic society