James Service's Ornate Silver Tea & Coffee Service

A presentation silver tea & coffee service - from the Estate of James Service (1823 - 1899), 12th Premier of Victoria: an ornate five-piece service by Martin Hall & Co (Sheffield, 1860; additionally marked for the importers, Kilpatrick & Co of Queen Street, Melbourne) with lengthy engraved endorsement to the elaborately decorated coffee pot 'Presented to the Honb'le James service J.P., M.L.A. By the inhabitants of emerald hill as an acknowledgement of his Untiring and Successful Efforts to have this Township the first Proclaimed Municipality in Victoria and to promote its interests whilst he was a member of the Municipal Council - also as a mark of their esteem and high appreciation of his Impartiality and Uprightness as the first and Twice-elected Chairman and chief Magistrate of the Municipality. Emerald hill, October 1861'. The four major pieces also bearing the family crest and motto 'Vivis Sperandum'. All housed in a custom-built felt-lined timber case with brass fittings. Emerald hill was the name given to the municipality of South Melbourne during the period 1855-83. The name described the elevated area which rose above land that was mostly swampy, on alluvial soil and sand. The hill is a protruding area of volcanic origin, giving rise to green vegetation which contrasted with the dun-coloured, swampy vegetation. Emerald hill had a census population of 3504 in 1854. Dissatisfaction with the council led to emerald hill being proclaimed a separate borough on 26 May 1855. It became a town on 1 March 1872 and a city on 21 September 1883. Four days later the name was changed to South Melbourne. James service was born in Scotland. As a young man he worked in a Glasgow tea importing business, Thomas Corbett and Company. In 1853 he arrived in Melbourne as a Company representative, and the following year went into business on his own forming James service & Company, importers and wholesale merchants, which became a large and prosperous organization still in business many years after his death. He was a founding member of the emerald hill municipal council in 1855, and of the Commercial bank of Australia in 1866, going on to become a prominent banker and representative of Melbourne business interests. Service was elected to the Victorian Legislative assembly for Melbourne in a by-election in March 1857, retaining this seat until August 1859. He then represented Ripon and Hampden from October 1859 to around August 1862, Maldon from May 1874 to March 1881 and Castlemaine from June 1883 to February 1886. He was a moderate liberal in the context of Victorian politics, but as a free trader he increasingly sided with the conservatives, since all the more radical liberals were protectionists. He was President of the board of land and works in the Nicholson government from 1859 to 1860 and Treasurer in the Kerferd government from 1874 to 1875. His attempt to cut tariffs in his 1875 budget led to the fall of Kerferd's government. When Graham Berry's radical ministry fell in March 1880, service formed a minority government. In May service admitted that he could not go on and asked the Governor, Lord Normanby, for a dissolution, which was granted. But the elections did not improve Service's position and in August he resigned, allowing berry to return to power. In March 1883 the liberals under Berry's successor, Sir Bryan O'Loghlen were defeated at elections, and service formed a new and much stronger government, taking the Treasury as well as the Premiership. When service agreed not to attempt to reduce tariffs, berry joined him as a minister; such was the fluidity of party politics at this time. The young Alfred Deakin held office for the first time in this government. The service government lasted three years and passed some important legislation, including a public service Act which removed political patronage from the public service, a new factories Act and a new Lands Act.