KEW'S CIVIC CENTURY.

Melbourne: Kew Council. Very Good/Good. 1960. First Edition. Hard Cover. 8vo Dust jacket price clipped, light foxing. Brown cloth boards with embossed black titling on spine. Previous owner's inscription on ffep. 208 pp, b&w photographic plates clean and tight. INTRODUCTION. The task of setting down the happenings of the past century in Kew is not an easy one. As the Centenary celebrations in this year of Our Lord, 1960, commemorate a civic event, the following pages must necessarily . place an emphasis on matters relating to municipal developments. In surveying the large field which could be covered in a work of this kind, one cannot but be impressed by the rich heritage that we, as citizens of Kew, enjoy through the contributions of men and women of outstanding character and ability, not only to the development of our own city, but who at the same time have rendered outstanding services to the State and Commonwealth. There is another aspect that is most striking. Throughout the century there has been a persistent endeavour to build Kew a purely residential suburb. In the early days it had the village outlook - large landed estates, where the owners sought peace and enjoyment away from the fret and cares of the business world. In the latter years, with the march of progress and the demands of a widely expanding metropolis, Kew has resisted the blandishments of industrial enterprises wanting factory sites, and the cajoling of investors desiring to erect large blocks of flats. On the contrary, the municipal authorities have legislated for the encouragement of home owners and dwellers. Kew, although within five miles of the General Post Office, is held in very high regard because of this accent on residential properties. Endowed by nature with pleasing landscapes, this heritage of ours is something to be prized and preserved for those who follow after. It has been impossible to cover adequately the whole story of the past hundred years. Another book could be written on the early pioneers of this district, and their historic homes. Splendid work is being done by the Kew Historical Society in gathering and collating information about those who pioneered this municipality and, no doubt, the fruits of the Society's researches will be made available at a later date. There is also another wide field for research in collating the biographies of those citizens of Kew who, during the past century, have made outstanding contributions in the realms of politics, law, medicine, the arts, religion, industry and the armed forces. To mention any would be an injustice to the hundreds who come under this category. There has been a wealth of talent displayed by the sons and daughters of Kew. Finally, I want to express my gratitude to all those who have assisted me in gathering the material for this work. For references to the first half-century I have relied on the work of the late Cr. F. G. A. Barnard, "The Jubilee History of Kew." There are still some volumes of this excellent work in the hands of local citizens and in the Kew Public Library. Special thanks go to the Town Clerk, Mr. W. D. Birrell, M.B.E., and his staff, for their cooperation in making available information regarding minutes, documents and photographs of historic interest. This work I dedicate to the citizens of Kew, in the hope that they will share with me the pride and appreciation of those who have made possible the Kew of 1960, which I have obtained in the preparatory research and subsequent writing of the following pages. W.D.V. .