Footscray
Footscray is a bustling, multicultural suburb on the banks of the Maribyrnong River, on the western fringe of the city. While the sense of industry can still be felt in the nearby docks stacked with colourful shipping containers, the heart of Footscray is one filled with Vietnamese soup joints, Ethiopian cafes, bustling markets, expansive public gardens and riverside bike paths, all within view of the city.Long a working class area due to its close proximity to the factories and warehouses of Melbourne's nearby industrial centre, it is now home to a large concentration of the city's Vietnamese population and increasingly a hub for the growing East African community, home to many immigrants from Ethiopia, Sudan and Eritrea. In fact forty per cent of Footscray's residents were born outside Australia, hailing from 135 countries and speaking more than 80 languages. This ethnic diversity has fostered a vital street culture like no other in Melbourne.
Along Hopkins Street you'll find an endless array of largely Vietnamese restaurants (every local pledges allegiance to their favourite) and Asian grocers. You ll also find pockets of African restaurants and bakeries, as well as the busy Footscray Market and Little Saigon Market. Further afield there are the Footscray Gardens to relax in, the Maribyrnong River to walk or cycle along, and nearby Yarraville if you need a coffee hit. A campus of Victoria University which brings a lot of student life to the area.
Footscray has been the setting of several Australian movies, the most notable being Russell Crowe's breakout movie, "Romper Stomper", which was filmed in and around Footscray in 1992. It deals with a fictional gang of neo-Nazi skinheads and their battle against Vietnamese immigrants. Not all scenes were filmed locally. The "Footscray Railway Station" featured in the movie has a pedestrian underpass, while the real station has an overpass for foot traffic; the station used for filming was Richmond Station. The film Metal Skin (1994) was also set in and around Footscray.
Visit the Footscray Community Arts Centre, for visual art exibitions, music, theatre shows or a latte on the green lawns. In summer outdoor film screenings take place on the banks of the Maribyrnong River.
Footscray is home of the Western Bulldogs, an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League. The team was formerly known as the Footscray Football Club until 1996, and played its home games at the Whitten Oval on Barkly Street, on the edge of Footscray. In 2014, competitive football returned to the Club's home base with the re-introduction of the Footscray Bulldogs into the Victorian Football League (VFL) competition. In addition, Footscray is also represented in the Western Region Football League by the West Footscray Roosters, the North Footscray Devils and the Parkside Magpies.
Footscray Park is one of the largest and most intact examples of an Edwardian park in Australia; characteristic features include rustic stonework, ornamental ponds and extensive use of palms. The 15 hectare park is classified as a heritage place on the Victorian Heritage Register.
Getting there: Footscray Station is only three stops from Southern Cross Station (in Melbourne's CBD) on the Werribee, Williamstown, Sunbury and Watergardens lines. If the train is not travelling via the City Loop, it is only a 6 minute train ride and most trains even run express through the station before it, South Kensington. A wide off road bike path connects the Docklands to Footscray along Footscray Road, riders should be aware the path crosses several dangerous trucks routes, a truck last killed a rider on this route in 2010.
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The St Jerome's Laneway Festival is an international music festival attended by thousands every year in Febuary. In 2013, over 10,000 people attended the one day event.
The Big West Festival is one of Australia's leading community based contemporary arts festivals. It takes place in Footscray and the inner West of Melbourne biennially. The next Big West Festival will be in November 2015 and 2017.
Feasting in Footscray - the annual rickshaw run, is the craziest way to sample authentic Vietnamese food and culture. 1-11 March 2013.
Maribyrnong River. is a beautiful river that borders Footscray on one side, with the other being Flemington. Accessible through Footscray Park, the river has boatside facilities where one can launch a kayak or canoe. Perfect for sunny days, picnics, bike riding and walks through the well maintained footpaths. Absolutely do not visit late at night.
Lunar New Year Festival, Central Footscray,. 10.00am 10.00pm. Chinese New Year street celebration featuring cultural performances and demonstrations, traditional Lion dances, food stalls, traders market place and carnival rides. An annual event you don t want to miss. Fireworks at 9.45pm free.
Footscray has a rich history of music and brass bands, currently being home to the Footscray-Yarraville City Band FYCB, which rehearses weekly and performs throughout the year locally, nationally and internationally. The FYCB conduct an annual Carols by Candlelight event each December in the Yarraville Gardens. They were the 2010 VBL State Champions.
The Hyde Street Youth Band was established in 1928. The Hyde Street Youth Band contributed to the history of the region as the band played the official theme song for the Footscray Football Club (now the Western Bulldogs) while they were playing at the Whitten Oval. The FYCB is one of five A-Grade Brass bands in Victoria and has been successful in the National Championships.
JABULA! An African Community Choir, is run by Sudanese singer Ajak Kwai and percussionist Tawanda Gadzikwa. The choir brings together people from broad skill levels and diverse African heritages. The choir meets fortnightly on Saturdays at the Footscray Community Arts Centre.
With One Voice Footscray A community choir made up of the friendliest, most welcoming bunch of people you could ever meet. Rehearsals are packed with music and a lot of laughs. New members always welcome. Rehearsals on Thursdays 6 7:15pm, African Australian Community Centre, Red Brick Hall (behind the Bluestone Hall), 30a Pickett Street, Footscray.
The Maribyrnong River, which begins on the slopes of Mount Macedon and flows to Port Phillip, has played a major role in the occupation and development of western Victoria. Aboriginal tribes have frequented its banks for at least 40,000 years. The river has been part of the rapid developments that have occurred in the last 50 years. The river was known as Saltwater River before its present name came into common usage.
Most people will first meet the Maribyrnong River at Keilor where a bend almost circles Horseshoe Bend Farm and a wider sweep rings the main Brimbank Park. These waters provide good canoeing and three ponding points have been designed to enable children and adults to discover the delights of catching fish with a hand net. The park has barbecues, picnic tables and shelters, and a shared cycle/walking path starts in the park and continues on to Footscray.
Very little remains of the Riverview Teagardens near Canning Reserve. Here the ladies would be brought up the river for an afternoon of dancing and dining. Today, there is a boat landing at Canning Reserve. An unspoilt section of the river takes a wide sweep around the Department of Defence land with its remains of the Explosive Factory. Parklands on either side of the river include Maribyrnong Park and Fairbairn Park where there are boat landings and picnic facilities.
The river flows past Footscray Park with its Scotchman's Hill from where the famous Melbourne Cup can be glimpsed at Flemington Racecourse on the opposite side of the river. Just downstream from Dynon Road Bridge it is possible to board a pleasure boat for a leisurely trip up the river. From here on the river passes through the industrial area of Footscray with its historic jetties and bridges before it joins the Yarra at Fishermans Bend.
While far from being one of Melbourne's shopping destinations, Footscray houses two large markets. The Footscray Market is a fresh produce and seafood market, catering particularly to the various ethnicities and local restaurants. Another large market is Little Saigon, which opened in 1992 to cater to the growing Asian population, but now has customers from all backgrounds. Little Saigon is noisy and crowded, with a wide array of tropical fruits and Asian produce.
There are also a number of interesting shops selling traditional African clothing, art and hair products.
Like Victoria Street in Richmond, Hopkins Street running through the heart of Footscray is home to a number of very cheap Vietnamese restaurants and noodle shops.
The area centered around the Footscray Hub has become a Little Ethiopia of sorts, and Nicholson Street in particular is lined with African cafes and restaurants, mostly serving traditional Habesha cuisine (that of Ethiopia and Eritrea), characterized by stews and curries dished up on layers of flat bread called injera. Very tasty and ridiculously cheap. Victoria Street, Seddon, often considered a part of Footscray, has numerous cafes; in 2013 Common Galaxia opened and it serves Scandinavian open sandwiches on designer tables.
While many factories and warehouses are still to be found in and around the suburb of Footscray, many former industrial sites are being transformed into modern housing estates. Perhaps the largest of these is the former Footscray Ammunition Factory in a prime elevated position overlooking the banks of the Maribyrnong River with views across to Flemington Racecourse and the Melbourne city centre.
The eastern portion of Footscray, in the fork between the Yarra River and Maribyrnong River, contains railway yards, Appleton and Swanson Docks which were the site of the 1998 Australian waterfront dispute and the Melbourne Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market. The market houses 400 businesses, employs 3000 people and supplies 60 per cent of Victoria's fresh produce, it is due to move to Epping in 2013 14. In 2005, the State Government announced the closure of the Melbourne Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market to make way for an extensive redevelopment of the Port of Melbourne and the construction of new freight rail links to the area.
The headquarters of Lonely Planet Publications are located in eastern Footscray on the banks of the Maribyrnong River], adjacent to the Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail. Lonely Planet has published over 100 million books and in 2013 the BBC sold Lonely Planet to an American company for $75 Million.
Footscray Wharf, 1944
Footscray is part of the City of Maribyrnong and was built largely on the traditional lands of the Kulin nation. For thousands of years, Footscray was the meeting place of the lands of the Yalukit-willan, the Marin-balluk and the Wurundjeri. Koories stalked game, collected food and fished along the river junction, estuaries, swamps and lagoons. Within Melbourne's western region, the Marin-balug and Kurung-jand-balug clans of the Woiwurrung cultural group, and the Yalukit willam clan of the Boonwurrung cultural group shared the luscious resources around the Maribyrnong Valley.
The first European to visit the area was Charles Grimes in 1803. A park, where he landed, is named after him at Napier Street. Footscray is named after Foots Cray, on the River Cray in Kent, England. In 1839 a punt was built on the Maribyrnong River, it was the only connecting link between Melbourne and Geelong, Ballarat, Castlemaine and Bendigo. The Punt Hotel opened three years later and was the first building in the area. During the first decade drovers transporting cattle and sheep provided the only business at the hotel. After 1851, when gold was discovered out west, the pub did a roaring trade with diggers. Part of the old pub still stands and it has been renamed The Pioneer.
Footscray was declared a municipality in 1859 with a population of 300 and 70 buildings. Around the same year the first bridge was built across Saltwater River. Between 1881 and 1891 Footscray's population more than tripled from almost 6,000 to 19,000. Footscray developed into an industrial zone in the second half of the nineteenth century, with the manufacturing industry beginning to decline in the 1960s and 70s. Footscray became characterised as a very diverse, multicultural central shopping area, which reflects the successive waves of immigration experienced by Melbourne, and by Footscray in particular. Once a centre for Greek, Italian and former Yugoslavian migrants, it later became a hub for Vietnamese and East African immigrants in Melbourne.
