Historical information

The Kew Philharmonic Society was founded by Dr. Ehrenfeld, c.1946, who was also the Orchestra's first conductor. He was succeeded by Harold Badger in 1954 following the death of the former. During the 1940s and 1950s, the Orchestra played its concerts in the Kew Recreation Hall in Wellington Street. In 1960, the Orchestra relocated to the new Kew City Hall in Cotham Road (the site of the current Kew Library).

Significance

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.

Physical description

A form outlining how subscriptions can be made for the Kew Philharmonic Society. The undated note states that the Society has three concerts per year. It is noted that rehearsals are held in the Kew Music Centre, Beresford Street, Kew. The form includes details of entitlements for ticket holders and annual fees.