Historical information

Pru Sanderson, in her groundbreaking ‘City of Kew Urban Conservation Study : Volume 2 - Development History’ (1988), summarised the periods of urban development and subdivisions of land in Kew. The periods that she identified included 1845-1880, 1880-1893, 1893-1921, 1921-1933, 1933-1943, and Post-War Development. These periods were selected as they represented periods of rapid growth or decline in urban development. An obvious starting point for Sanderson’s groupings involved population growth and the associated economic cycles. These cycles also highlighted urban expansion onto land that was predominantly rural, although in other cases it represented the decline and breakup of large estates. A number of the plans in the Kew Historical Society’s collection can also be found in other collections, such as those of the State Library of Victoria and the Boroondara Library Service. A number are however unique to the collection.

Significance

The Kew Historical Society collection includes almost 100 subdivision plans pertaining to suburbs of the City of Melbourne. Most of these are of Kew, Kew East or Studley Park, although a smaller number are plans of Camberwell, Deepdene, Balwyn and Hawthorn. It is believed that the majority of the plans were gifted to the Society by persons connected with the real estate firm - J. R. Mathers and McMillan, 136 Cotham Road, Kew. The Plans in the collection are rarely in pristine form, being working plans on which the agent would write notes and record lots sold and the prices of these. The subdivision plans are historically significant examples of the growth of urban Melbourne from the beginning of the 20th Century up until the 1980s. A number of the plans are double-sided and often include a photograph on the reverse. A number of the latter are by noted photographers such as J.E. Barnes.

Physical description

The subdivision plan for the Clutha Subdivision is one of the largest in the Society’s collection. The plan includes a map of the proposed allotments, photographic views to the north and south, and information about the kinds of buildings that could be constructed on the allotments. The subdivision was bounded by Studley Park Road, and Carson, Stevenson and Edgecombe Streets. Two new streets, Mackie Court and Younger Street were created as part of the subdivision. The subdivision took its name from ‘Clutha’, the home of John Carson, who was to become Mayor of Kew in 1863. A Report to the City of Boroondara outlined how: ‘The Clutha estate was progressively developed from 1940, with new houses under construction on the Studley Park Road, Carson and Edgecombe Street frontages by 1941. By 1943, directory listings were available for all addresses with the exception of Mackie Court. Building ceased after the government’s prohibition on civilian building was enforced from 1942, with little change in listings until the 1950s when the remainder of the subdivision was developed’.

Inscriptions & markings

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Subjects