West Footscray, Victoria
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| West Footscray Melbourne, Victoria | |||||||||||||||
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 Clarke Street pop-up park | |||||||||||||||
  West Footscray | |||||||||||||||
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| Coordinates | 37°48′32″S 144°52′26″E / 37.809°S 144.874°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 11,729 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 3,090/km2 (7,990/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3012 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 35 m (115 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 3.8 km2 (1.5 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 8 km (5 mi) from Melbourne | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Maribyrnong | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Footscray | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | |||||||||||||||
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West Footscray is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km (4.3 mi) west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Maribyrnong local government area. West Footscray recorded a population of 11,729 at the 2021 census.[1]
History
[edit]Prior to European colonisation, the area of West Footscray was originally home to the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Boonwurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation.[2]
Footscray proper was well-established as a settlement by the mid-19th century, centered around a punt across the Maribyrnong River. Originally referred to as "Upper Footscray," allotments of land in what is now West Footscray began sale in the 1850s. Alexander Dove, a Scottish sea captain who would become the first chair of the Footscray municipal council, purchased a large allotment with an existing 13-room homestead and lived here until the 1890s, despite the surrounding allotment being subdivided in the 1880s, with the surrounding streets (Soudan Street, Khartoum Street and Dongola Street) named for the Australian participation in the British intervention in Sudan. Dove Street, slightly to the south, is named after him.[3]
Despite continued land speculation throughout the 19th century, West Footscray (and neighbouring Maidstone) was slow to develop, owing in part to transportation difficulties; a road connection to Melbourne through the West Melbourne Swamp was not built until 1863, and while the railway line was built in 1859, trains did not stop in the area until the opening of Tottenham railway station in 1891. In 1860, a traveller passing through by train observed "some half-dozen wooden houses standing in gardens surrounded by stone walls and hedges." In 1865, of the 163 residents and businesses in the broader Footscray municipality, just 12 listed addresses in Upper Footscray.[4]
As with many other suburbs of the City of Maribyrnong and City of Hobsons Bay, West Footscray was rich in basalt, and quarries formed an important part of its 19th century industry, with the Melbourne Punch nicknaming the area "Stoneopolis."[5] James Govan, whose heritage-listed Georgian revival house still stands at the corner of Essex Street and Summerhill Street,[6] was a major quarry operator who supplied bluestone for Melbourne landmarks such as the Melbourne Town Hall and Goldsborough Mort Wool Store.[7] Govan drowned in 1886 after falling in a flooded quarry hole on departure from the Albert Hotel.[8]
West Footscray Post Office opened in 1914.[9] The area's first school, known as Tottenham State School but now called Footscray West Primary School, was established on Argyle Street in 1915.[10]
In 1934, Olympic medallist Frank Beaurepaire established the first factory of the Olympic Tyre Company on Cross Street alongside the railway line. Tyre manufacturing continued here until 2001; the building has now been converted to residential apartments.[11][12]
In 2018, a warehouse fire in the southern part of the suburb caused by illegally stored chemicals burned for 16 days.[13]
In recent years West Footscray, like other suburbs in Melbourne's inner-west, has experienced increasing gentrification.[14][15][16]
Demographics
[edit]In the 2021 census, 61.2% of people living in West Footscray were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were Vietnam (6.1%), India (3.7%), England (2.2%), New Zealand (1.9%) and the Philippines (1.7%).
The most common ancestries in West Footscray were English (25.9%), Australian (24.6%), Irish (11%), Scottish (8.3%) and Vietnamese (8.1%). As in neighbouring Footscray, this is a significant increase in Anglo-Celtic ancestry on the previous 2016 census, reflecting the gentrification of Melbourne's inner western suburbs.
62.2% of people in West Footscray only spoke English at home. The next most common languages spoken at home were Vietnamese (8.2%), Italian (1.8%), Cantonese (1.6%), Mandarin (1.5%) and Telugu (1.4%).
The most common responses for religion in West Footscray were no religion (46.7%), Catholic (18.3%), not stated (7.1%), Buddhism (5.8%) and Islam (3.8%).
The median age of a West Footscray resident was 35, three years younger than the Victorian median age of 38. 40.9% of residents had a university degree, higher than the total Victorian figure of 29.2%. The median household income was $1,989 per week, higher than the Victorian median of $1,759.[1]
Medicine
[edit]- The Western General Hospital's grounds are located in Footscray although in an area many local residents consider to be West Footscray (Formerly Western General Hospital, Footscray Hospital).
- The hospital's Emergency and Triage entrances are located in Eleanor Street, Footscray.
- The Western Private Hospital is located adjacent to the Western Hospital, on the corner of Eleanor and Marion Streets.
- A large number of other private medical practices are also located on Eleanor Street and Stanlake Street.
- There are two Veterinary Practices located on Barkly Street. West Footscray Veterinary Clinic and VetCall.
Culture
[edit]
Barkly Village is a section of Barkly Street in West Footscray that hosts many local and ethnic grocers, stores and shops. The area has a long history of multiculturalism and includes many stores owned and operated by Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Anglo, Thai and Italian Australians. There is a particularly large Indian grocery store, "Bharat Traders", located here as well as independent supermarket Sims, at the end of the "Barkly Village" section of the street. Also along this strip is the Melbourne Chinese Bible Church.
Construction of the new West Footscray Community Centre has been completed. It incorporates a local library, replacing the former West Footscray Library on the same site. The site is a part of the "Barkly Village" strip.
The suburb has its own #wefo hashtag on Twitter
The Footscray YMCA is located on Barret Reserve, Essex Street. 10th Footscray Scout, open to all youth aged 6–26, share the reserve with the YMCA meeting in a their hall on Graham St.
The 2nd Footscray Scout Group is located at Gaudion Reserve, Barkly Street. The group has a website and is open to youth aged 7 to 26 years. It is part of Kariwara District.
Shorten Reserve on Essex Street is home of the Druids Cricket Club and the West Footscray Roosters, a local Australian Rules Football team.
Johnson Reserve on Essex Street is home to a local Soccer team, and League games are regularly played on Sunday afternoons. The North Footscray Devils are also located there and North Footscray and West Footscray are usually locked in battle.
The Women's Circus is based in West Footscray in the Drill Hall.
Phat Quang Temple, a Vietnamese Buddhist temple, is located in the suburb.[17]
Education
[edit]There are three kindergartens:
- Kingsville Kindergarten (Located in the southern part of the suburb, but in an area many residents consider to be part of Kingsville or Yarraville).
- Scots' Kindergarten.
- West Footscray Neighbourhood House.
There are two primary schools in the West Footscray area:
- Footscray West Primary School.
- St John's Primary School, a Catholic school which is technically situated in Footscray, but in an area many residents consider to be a part of West Footscray, also a Catholic school.
There is another Catholic School, Corpus Christi Catholic School located in the southern "Kingsville" part of the suburb.
The Western Scout centre is a training centre for the adult volunteers of Scouts Australia and one of six such sites in Melbourne. Their office in the new complex at 77 Ashley Street includes equipment donated by the Footscray Rotary Club.
Transport
[edit]The following bus routes that pass through West Footscray;
- 216 Caroline Springs – Brighton Beach via Deer Park West, Sunshine, Footscray, Melbourne, St Kilda Road, Prahran (every day). Operated by Kinetic Melbourne.
- 219 Sunshine Park – Gardenvale via Sunshine, Footscray, Melbourne, St Kilda Road, Prahran (every day). Operated by Kinetic Melbourne.
- 220 Sunshine – Gardenvale via Footscray, Melbourne, St Kilda Road, Prahran (every day). Operated by Kinetic Melbourne.
- 411 Footscray – Laverton via Geelong Road, Altona Gate SC, Altona, Altona Meadows (every day). Operated by CDC Melbourne.
- 412 Footscray – Laverton via Geelong Road, Altona Gate SC, Altona, Altona Meadows (every day). Operated by CDC Melbourne.
- 414 Footscray – Aircraft station via Geelong Road, Laverton North (Monday to Saturday). Operated by CDC Melbourne.
West Footscray has two railway stations on the Sunbury line; West Footscray and Tottenham. West Footscray was completely rebuilt and moved 200 metres west of the original station location as part of the Regional Rail Link, with the new station opening on 14 October 2013. As part of Metro Tunnel works, a third platform was built on the Cross Street side of the station to allow services to terminate. Work commenced in 2018 and was completed in 2020.
Sport
[edit]The suburb has two Australian Rules football clubs competing in the Western Region Football League, West Footscray Football Club and North Footscray Football Club. The Druids Cricket Club is also based in West Footscray, playing at Shorten Reserve.[18]
The Footscray United Soccer Club plays at Hansen Reserve.[19]
See also
[edit]- City of Footscray – West Footscray was previously within this former local government area.
- 2018 West Footscray warehouse fire
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "West Footscray (Suburbs and Localities)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 21 July 2022. Cite error: The named reference "abs" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "The history of Footscray and surrounds". City of Maribyrnong. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ McDougall, Megan; Summerton, Michele; Peters, Sera-Jane. "West Footscray Inter-war and Post-war Heritage Precinct Study" (PDF). Maribyrnong City Council. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ McDougall, Megan; Summerton, Michele; Peters, Sera-Jane. "West Footscray Inter-war and Post-war Heritage Precinct Study" (PDF). Maribyrnong City Council. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ McDougall, Megan; Summerton, Michele; Peters, Sera-Jane. "West Footscray Inter-war and Post-war Heritage Precinct Study" (PDF). Maribyrnong City Council. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ "House at 98 Summerhill Road". Victorian Heritage Database. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ "Footscray Conservation Study". Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ "Case of drowning in Footscray". The Argus. National Library of Australia. 29 November 1886. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ Phoenix Auctions History, Post Office List, retrieved 13 April 2021
- ^ "Footscray West Primary School centenary". Star Weekly. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ Crotty, David. "Olympic Tyre & Rubber Co". Museums Victoria. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ "Banbury Village". Cedar Woods. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ Ilanbey, Chris Vedelago, Cameron Houston, Sumeyya (7 November 2019). "What happened to us in West Footscray? Firefighters call for answers after toxic fire". The Age. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Michael, Karen (17 October 2017). "West Footscray: As richer residents move in, can it keep its character?". Domain. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ Durut, Charlotte (29 June 2018). "What has triggered West Footscray's suburb growth?". realestate.com.au. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ Davies, Elwyn (1 March 2024). "Will downtown Footscray ever really change?". The Westsider. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ "THÀNH VIÊN GIÁO HỘI". The Unified Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of Australia – New Zealand. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ Full Points Footy, West Footscray, archived from the original on 10 May 2008, retrieved 15 April 2009
- ^ "Footscray United Soccer Club Directory Listing - Maribyrnong City Council". www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015.
