Footscray, Victoria
Footscray (/ˈfʊt.skreɪ/ ⓘ FOOT-scray or /ˈfʊt.ɪs.kreɪ/) is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km (3.1 mi) west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Maribyrnong local government area and its council seat. Footscray recorded a population of 17,131 at the 2021 census.[1]
Footscray
Melbourne, Victoria
17,131 (2021 census)[1]
3,400/km2 (8,900/sq mi)
3011
25 m (82 ft)
5 km2 (1.9 sq mi)
5 km (3 mi) from Melbourne
Footscray is characterised by 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. It has recently begun to undergo rapid development and gentrification, and Time Out magazine placed Footscray at 13th in its '50 Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World' for 2019, reflecting its evolving reputation, citing in particular its diverse array of international cuisine, bars and nightlife, as well as its arts scene.[2]
Footscray is named after Foots Cray, on the River Cray in London, England.[3]
Politics[edit]
Footscray falls within the federal electorate of Fraser (currently held by Daniel Mulino from the ALP) since a redistribution prior to the 2022 Federal Election, the state electorate of Footscray (currently held by the ALP's Katie Hall), and the City of Maribyrnong at local level ( 2020 election: 3 Labor, 1 Independent, 2 Green, 1 Socialist councillors). The suburb's historical voting patterns have been fairly typical of a working-class suburb with a high migrant population. Footscray is a very safe state ALP seat, 65% of the vote went to Labor at the 2014 State election.[20]
Consistent with other inner-city electorates in Melbourne, and other state capitals, voter support for the Australian Greens has increased in recent years; the Greens received 17 per cent of the primary vote in Footscray at the 2014 State Election.[20] One third of voters at the Central Footscray booth voted for the Australian Greens in the 2010 Federal election, almost doubling the Greens vote in one election cycle.[21]
At the Federal Election of 2010, the ALP won Gellibrand, which includes Footscray, with 59% of the vote. The Lib/Nat parties got 23%, whilst The Greens saw a swing of +6% with 15% of the vote.[22]
Janet Rice of The Greens was elected to Maribyrnong Council in 2003, re-elected in 2005 and then elected mayor in 2006.[23] Whilst Mayor, Janet had a Mayoral bike instead of a car.[24]
The first Vietnamese woman mayor was Mai Ho, from 1997 to 1998.[25] Mai Ho arrived in Australia in December 1982 with two small daughters and sixteen dollars. By 1997 she was Mayor of Maribyrnong. Twelve months later her daughter, Tan Le, was voted Young Australian of the Year.[26]
Food[edit]
In 2013, there were over 130 restaurants in Footscray, including; 30 Vietnamese, 20 Indian, 17 Chinese and several others featuring Ethiopian, Australian, Indonesian, Italian, Thai, Turkish and Japanese cuisines.[27] Subway and Nandos are the only multi-national corporate food outlets in central Footscray.
Notable restaurants include the Station Hotel, the winner of radio 3AW's "Pub of the Year" award.[28]
The Footscray Market is a large indoor fresh produce and seafood market, with 33 food stalls and 50 general stalls,[29] catering particularly to the various ethnicities and local restaurants. It is located opposite Footscray railway station.
The Melbourne Wholesale Market on Footscray Road (often referred to as the Footscray Traders Market) moved to Epping in 2015.[30]
Another large market in Footscray was Little Saigon, which opened in 1992 to cater to Asian population growth, but had customers from all backgrounds. Little Saigon was noisy and crowded, with a wide array of tropical fruits and Asian produce. However, this market was destroyed in a large fire on 13 December 2016, with more than $12 million worth of damage. As of 2021, there are plans to rebuild the market.[31][32][33]
Culture[edit]
Footscray has some fine 1930s Art Deco buildings, most in disrepair and hidden behind shop signs and awnings.[34]
The former Footscray Town Hall is the only American Romanesque civic building in Victoria. The outside is a mix of Art Deco, Moderne, Celtic, Spanish and Medieval.[35]
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.[36] The 'heavily indebted'[37] local Council approved a 1.8 million makeover for the park in March 2011.[38] In 2019, Council failed to privatise one third of the park.
In popular culture[edit]
Footscray has been the setting of several Australian movies.
In 1992, the film Romper Stomper was set in and filmed in and around Footscray. 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 actual station used for filming was Richmond Station.
The 1994 film Metal Skin and the 2015 film Pawno are also set in and around Footscray.
The song Footscray Station by Melbourne band Camp Cope is about Footscray, where the lead singer and guitarist Georgia Maq, originally from Kew, resides.
Australian pop punk outfit Nö Class frequently reference Footscray in their lyrics, such as their 2018 hit Carry Me Home, which centres around the legendary establishment the Footscray Hotel.
Melbourne band The Smith Street Band recorded the music video for their song 'Shine' as a homage to that of the music video of Its a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) by iconic Australian band AC/DC in the CBD of Footscray along Barkly Street.
Arts[edit]
In 2013 the City of Maribyrnong ran a competition for a $170,000 public art installation.[41] The winning entry by artists Vicki Couzens, Maree Clarke and Jeph Neale features massive rock boulders which form a circle across the intersection at the southern end of the Footscray Mall, symbolising a coolamon or welcome bowl.[42] The work was installed in June 2013.[43]
Footscray Community Arts Centre (FCAC) is a centre for contemporary arts, community engagement, cultural development and multicultural arts. Since its establishment in 1974, it is estimated that over 2 million community members have visited FCAC or directly participated in one or more of its many events, initiatives, projects, workshops and programs.[44]
Phoenix Youth Theatre opened in 2014 at Phoenix Youth Centre at 72 Buckley St, Footscray.[45]
The historic Footscray Drill Hall is home to Women's Circus, founded 1991,[46] and the world famous Snuff Puppets, founded 1992.
Music[edit]
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.[47]
The Hyde Street Youth Band.[48] 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, and 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.
Festivals[edit]
Emerge in the West 17 May 2015 in the City of Maribyrnong reveals emerging African arts, culture and small businesses that have been growing rapidly in Melbourne's West, marking the start of the week long Africa Day Celebrations in Melbourne.
Founded in 2011, this annual 'Emerge' event is an outcome of MAV's CCD program for emerging and refugee artists and communities, triggering the founding of the Australian-African Small Business Association in 2014 to represent the growing number of African restaurants and cafes in Melbourne's West.
The St Jerome's Laneway Festival is an annual block party held in partnership with the Footscray Community Arts Centre. 15,000 enjoyed the festival in 2015. More recently, the festival is held at Footscray Park.[49]
The Western Bulldogs Community Festival and Family Day is held every summer on Whitten Oval.
Central Footscray Streets are closed for the all-day-long Chinese New Year celebrations organised by the Footscray Asian Business Association (FABA). The Quang Minh Tet Festival celebrations in neighbouring Braybrook were expanded.[50]
The Big West started in 1997 under the name MAP (Maribyrnong Arts Project), it continued for two decades. In 2011 it was attended by over 37,000 people. The last Big West Festival was in November 2015. In July 2016 the Big West board announced a plan to destroy Big West. The local arts community then set up the Save Big West group and failed.
The 'Liveable Melbourne' 2011 survey listed Footscray as the 37th-most-liveable suburb in Melbourne.[51]
In 2008, the State Labor Government designated Footscray as one of six Central Activities Districts.[52] Melbourne's CADs were given planning rules aimed at creating lively mixed use CBD-like districts.[53] The area, according to the local mayor, 'would soon have the second-highest skyline outside the Melbourne CBD'.[54]
Local Footscray real estate agent Darren Dean of Sweeney Estate Agents said one pocket of Footscray – bounded by Geelong Road, Ballarat Road, Victoria Street, the railway line and Moore Street – had been intended for "a mini Manhattan".[55]
"There are cranes popping up in the skyline everywhere over here", he said.
Examples of new real estate developments in Footscray:[56]
Examples of the changing face of Footscray include:
The landscape of Footscray station was upgraded significantly as a result of the Regional Rail Link from 2012 to 2014. Works included:
All works at Footscray station were complete by November 2014.
Transport issues in Footscray:
Community initiatives[edit]
Grasslands Organic Grocery is a non-profit community initiative, established in 1997. All the produce is certified organic/biodynamic; free of animal ingredients; minimally processed/packaged; healthy to use; affordable; locally made; produced by small enterprises that have good working conditions and who are not involved in other unethical or unsustainable practices. Concession card holds get a discount when buying in store, currently only open on Thursdays.
Aussie Rules Football
Basketball
Canoeing
Cricket
Cycling
Football (Soccer)
Gridiron (American Football)
Gyms
Gymnastics
Hockey
Horse Racing
Lacrosse
Martial Arts
Rowing
Rugby
Swimming
Water Polo
Health[edit]
The health needs of Footscray and surrounding residents are served by the Western General Hospital or WHF. The Western General is a large teaching and research hospital responsible for providing a comprehensive range of inpatient and outpatient acute health services. The hospital currently conducts research in gastroenterology, colorectal cancer, emergency care, oncology, respiratory medicine, sleep disorders, and vascular surgery.
Key services at the Western Hospital include acute medical and surgical services, intensive and coronary care, emergency services, renal services, specialist drug and alcohol services, aged care and palliative care. The hospital also serves as one of the teaching campuses for the University of Melbourne's medical program.
The Western Region Health Centre was established in 1964. Services include an African community worker, refugee health nurse, women's health nurse, dieticians, youth health nurse, diabetic educator, podiatrist, counsellors and physiotherapists. Visiting specialists include a general surgeon and paediatrician. Pathology services and dental services are co-located on site.
Two free suburban weekly newspapers are delivered in Footscray on Wednesdays:
Historical newspapers: