Summary

Minutes of the 'Special Meeting of City Council' held to celebrate the end of World War II at the Melbourne Town Hall on 10 September 1945. The centre spread of the sixteen-page booklet-style minutes features a montage of black and white images of the occasion.

Physical Description

SIxteen pages of lightweight card. Printed throughout with text in brown ink framed by a border of red and blue. The front page features a full colour image of the CIty of Melbourne coat of arms and text in brown ink. An image of a dove holding a laurel branch in its beak is depicted on the back cover. A ribbon of red, white and blue stripes is tied between two holes punched on the left spine. This ribbon ties the Notice Paper to the Minutes of the special meeting.

Significance

These two publications document an important period in world history, the cessation of fighting at the end of World War I, and a city's response to this occasion. They embrace a number of collecting themes: Celebration & Tradition, Military History and Governance.
The Summons outlines the two motions considered at the special meeting: the first a heartfelt gratitude to 'Almighty God', the second the council's 'admiration of the inspiring and outstanding leadership displayed by the Heads of the ALlied Nations'. Both motions were unanimously endorsed and recorded in the minutes. The documents are interesting for the record of people who attended the special meeting, including where they sat. It was a veritable who's who of Melbourne's elite.

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