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Abbotsford Convent

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60-576: The Abbotsford Convent is located in Abbotsford, Victoria , an inner city suburb of Melbourne , Australia. The Convent is in a bend of the Yarra River west of Yarra Bend Park , with the Collingwood Children's Farm to its north and east, the river and parklands to its south and housing to its west. During the 19th and part of the 20th century, the 6.8-hectare (17-acre) site was occupied by one of

120-496: A flour mill and the Fosters brewery were being established. In the 1870s, Smith Street became the dominant shopping strip, with its tram line established in 1887. Many of Collingwood's grand public buildings were erected in the 1880s, including the post office and town hall. Collingwood also had a strong temperance movement, with two "coffee palaces" springing up in the 1870s, including the large and grand Collingwood Coffee Palace (now

180-507: A gallery, theatre, markets, bakery, bar, cafe and a pay-as-you-feel restaurant. There are 11 buildings on the site; the Convent, Convent Annexe, St Euphrasia, Providence, Rosina, St Mary's, Mercator, Magdalen Laundries , Sacred Heart, Industrial School and St Anne's. The surrounding river valley was enjoyed for thousands of years by the traditional owners of the land, the Wurundjeri , for whom

240-483: A golf course, sports grounds, and small pockets of remnant bushland. Victoria Park was the home ground of the Collingwood Football Club from its inception in 1892 until 2005. AFL matches are no longer played there, but Collingwood Football Club's VFL matches are played each season at Victoria Park, with free public entry. Collingwood Children's Farm was established in 1979 by the local community with

300-541: A number of stone, brick and timber dwellings that date back to the earliest days of the suburb. Collingwood Football Club has a history dating back to 1892 as an incorporated football club. They were once housed at Victoria Park and are now based at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). In recent years they won the 2023 Grand Final against the Brisbane Lions . They have won 16 VFL/AFL premierships, which

360-601: A part of the Farm. Eggs and seasonal produce are for sale, and visitors are encouraged to interact with farm animals through activities such as cow milking. The Collingwood Children's Farm is sited on the Abbotsford Precinct Heritage Farmlands, the oldest continually farmland in the state of Victoria; farming commenced in 1838 (although anecdotal evidence suggests farming commenced as early as 1836) and has continued uninterrupted since then. The former convent itself

420-677: A privately owned toll bridge, or 'Penny Bridge', connected the north end of Church Street to Yarra Bend Park. Abbotsford has a government primary school (Abbotsford Primary School), the University of Melbourne Early Learning Centre and the Sophia Mundi Steiner School , which caters for students from Prep to Year 12. Two railway stations are located in Abbotsford, both on the Mernda and Hurstbridge lines. Collingwood railway station serves

480-427: A residential estate. In order to provide recreational facilities for potential residents and hence boost the value of the lots being offered for sale Fred Brown and solicitor David Abbott created a sports oval and called it Victoria Park in 1879. Abbotsford quickly established as an industrial area, home to many Irish , mostly factory workers, and until the construction of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage systems

540-744: A significant cultural and recreational site. Pedestrians pass through Collingwood Childrens Farm on the Yarra River Trail , which follows the Yarra River from the city to Dight's Falls, where it meets the Merri Creek Trail . This also forms part of the Capital City Trail . On the eastern side of the Yarra opposite Abbotsford, Studley Park , an extensive parkland which merges with the larger Yarra Bend Park , contains Dights Falls and features within it

600-749: A state P-12 school , is located in the suburb. The private tertiary education provider Collarts is located in the suburb with its main campus on Wellington Street, and specialises in design and creative arts degrees. In the 2021 census , there were 9,179 people in Collingwood. 58.4% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 4.3%, New Zealand 3.6%, Vietnam 3.1%, Ethiopia 1.9% and China 1.8%. 68.3% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Vietnamese 4.0%, Mandarin 2.2%, Somali 1.9%, Oromo 1.8%, and Cantonese 1.7%. The most common response for religion

660-496: Is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne , Victoria, Australia , 3km north-east of the Melbourne central business district , located within the City of Yarra local government area . Collingwood recorded a population of 9,179 at the 2021 census . The area now known as Collingwood is thought to have been named Yálla-birr-ang by the Wurundjeri people, the original Indigenous inhabitants of

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720-517: Is bounded by Collingwood , Richmond and Clifton Hill and separated from Kew by the meandering Yarra River . Formerly part of the City of Collingwood , it is now part of the City of Yarra. Victoria Street forms the southern boundary to Abbotsford (with Richmond); Hoddle Street forms the western boundary (with Collingwood); the Eastern Freeway forms the northern boundary (with Clifton Hill) while

780-410: Is bounded by main roads: Smith Street to the west, Victoria Parade to the south, Hoddle Street to the east and Alexandra Parade to the north. Major tram routes are on Victoria Parade ( tram route 109 and tram route 12 ) and Smith Street ( route 86 ), which are on the edge of the suburb. Johnston, Wellington and Langridge Streets are the main arterials going through the suburb. The suburb is served by

840-536: Is historically recognised as the most important Catholic institutional complex constructed in Victoria. Since the turn of the 21st century, the site has become a community art and cultural hub, hosting various cultural institutions across art, music, food, community gatherings, textiles and other disciplines. The former Convent of the Good Shepherd, the most important Catholic institutional complex constructed in Victoria,

900-524: Is located on the site of the former Collingwood Technical School and opened on 13 March 2021. Circus Oz is also located in the Yards on Perry Street and has a purpose-built Melba Spiegeltent . Airline Jetstar , media distributor Madman Entertainment , vitamin brand Swisse and luxury cosmetics brand Aesop have their headquarters located in Collingwood. Many architecture firms are based or have offices in Collingwood and neighbouring Fitzroy , including

960-469: Is notable for its historical buildings, with many nineteenth century dwellings, shops and factories still in use. From its early days large commercial buildings often coexisted with small dwellings, occupied by working-class families and the mixture of industry and community continues to the present time. For example, Oxford and Cambridge Streets are dominated by imposing red-brick factories and warehouses, formerly occupied by Foy & Gibson , but also feature

1020-538: Is notable for its scale and extent, the architectural qualities of the buildings and its range of building types. Some outstanding features are the medieval French ecclesiastic architectural character, the historical importance of the Industrial School and the Magdalen Asylum, the scale and grandeur of the main convent building and formal gardens, the survival of many of these elements and the aesthetic qualities of

1080-496: Is one of Melbourne's major nightlife and retail strips, and has been voted the coolest street in the world. A former industrial suburb, Collingwood is now considered one of Melbourne's gay villages and houses a number of creative arts businesses. The suburb was named after Lord Horatio Nelson's 'favourite admiral' Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood (or, possibly after the Collingwood Hotel which existed there and

1140-536: Is punctuated by the main streets of Hoddle, Johnston, Victoria and Nicholson Streets. Much of Abbotsford is serviced by narrow one-way streets and laneways. Hoddle Street divides Abbotsford from Collingwood and the Eastern Freeway feeds into it at its northern end. Hoddle Street is a major busway and includes a dedicated priority bus lane along the length of the Abbotsford section. ^ = territory divided with another LGA Collingwood, Victoria Collingwood

1200-438: Is served by numerous bus routes, including route 200 (City centre to Bulleen Terminus), 207 (City centre to Doncaster Shopping Centre) and 202 (University of Melbourne to Yarra Bend Park) along Johnston Street; and 246 (Clifton Hill to Elsternwick), 302 (City centre to Box Hill Station), 303 (City centre to Ringwood North), 304 (City centre to Doncaster Shopping Centre) and 305 (City centre to The Pines Shopping Centre). Abbotsford

1260-599: Is the equal-most in the league along with Carlton and Essendon , and also won the 1896 VFA premiership. 3CR is an independent community radio station that is located at the Victoria Parade end of Smith Street. The station has been based in the suburb since 1977 and its frequency is 855AM. PBS 106.7FM relocated from St Kilda to Collingwood and is located at 47 Easey Street. PBS is a community radio station that celebrated its 25th year of broadcasting in 2004. The Collingwood Arts Precinct, known as Collingwood Yards ,

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1320-400: Is unique in that it is the only example of a working inner-city convent farm in a major city, anywhere in the world. The Collingwood Children's Farm (established in 1979) continues this farming tradition. Motivated by his passion for the Yarra, Charles La Trobe set aside land for parklands, now Yarra Bend Park , and for Government House (a concept abandoned in 1842), opposite what later became

1380-637: The Housing Commission of Victoria 's slum reclamation projects, which would see demolition orders for 122 of the suburb's homes. In the 1970s, 150 residents protested against plans for the F-19 freeway, with some putting themselves in front of earthmovers during the construction. In 1979, two women were killed in their home on Easy Street in northern Collingwood in what became known as the Easy Street murders . The Collingwood Action Group formed in 2006 to fight

1440-669: The Sisters of the Good Shepherd , an order of the Roman Catholic church , occupied the site. For a century from the 1860s onwards, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd provided accommodation, schooling and work for female orphans, Wards of the State and girls considered by the State and/or the Church to be in moral danger. There also existed a smaller number of older residents whose ages ranged from young adult to

1500-450: The "Banco" development, a large mixed use project on Smith Street. In 2010, over 2,000 people rallied to save The Tote Hotel , a popular live music venue, which became a potential state election issue. The 2016 Bendigo Street housing dispute occurred in north-east Collingwood, in which the community took control of up to 15 empty state government owned houses, in an attempt to provide housing for Melbourne's rising homeless population, in

1560-433: The 1980s has made Abbotsford home to Melbourne's largest Vietnamese community. So much so that Victoria Street is also known as Little Saigon . It is best known for its exceptional varieties of Vietnamese food, which draws tourists to the area from across Melbourne. Abbotsford is home to Carlton & United Breweries , the company which produces Victoria Bitter and Foster's Lager . The malt smell of brewing often fills

1620-623: The Abbotsford Convent precinct. Edward Curr lived on the site from 1842 to 1850 at his estate St Heliers. A news report of 1884 noted that restaurant owner and hotelier, Samuel Moss, 'made a fortune' in goldfields era Melbourne and 'sank some of it in building what is now the convent at Abbotsford'. In 1863, 'four Irish sisters from the Good Shepherd's mother house in Angers, France' bought the 'two large 1840s villa estates, St Heliers and Abbotsford House' to establish their Order. From 1863 to 1975

1680-467: The Eastern Freeway. Along with Clifton Hill and Collingwood, the suburb was a part of the City of Collingwood, until former State premier Jeff Kennett conducted a wholesale merger of local government areas in 1994. Property values have skyrocketed in recent years and many young professionals have moved to the area and the old industrial areas have experienced significant gentrification and urban renewal since 2000. A steady stream of migration since

1740-605: The Sir Robert Peel ("The Peel") Hotel and the Vine Hotel. The original Collingwood Magistrates' Court closed on 1 February 1985, but continued local need saw the establishment of the Neighbourhood Justice Centre court in the suburb in 2007. Despite its name, the Collingwood Children's Farm is in the neighbouring suburb of Abbotsford . The roads within Collingwood are mainly narrow one-way streets. The suburb

1800-475: The Yarra River and the Denton Mills hat factory. As a prominent early industrial area, Abbotsford has various outstanding examples of industrial architecture. The most prominent is Denton Hat Mills, a large turn of the century industrial complex designed by architect William Pitt in polychrome brick in 1888. It was the home to Brush Fabrics until 2004, then converted to apartments between 2007 and 2009. One of

1860-586: The Yarra forms the eastern boundary with Kew, in Boroondara . Some well-known Abbotsford landmarks include the Skipping Girl Sign , Dights Falls , the former Collingwood Town Hall , Victoria Park Football Stadium and Abbotsford Convent . Abbotsford is designated one of the 82 Major Activity centres listed in the Metropolitan Strategy Melbourne 2030 . Abbotsford takes its name from

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1920-411: The absence of adequate public housing. In recent years, the office sector has grown in Collingwood, with a number of developments in its southern former industrial area, with some major companies locating their headquarters in the suburb. Collingwood's topography is mostly flat, but a prominent slope extends from Hoddle Street up to Smith Street, and also along sections of Hoddle Street. The suburb

1980-496: The area. Following colonisation , the suburb was named in 1842 after Baron Collingwood or an early hotel which bore his name. Collingwood is one of the oldest suburbs in Melbourne and is bordered by Smith Street , Alexandra Parade, Hoddle Street and Victoria Parade . Collingwood is notable for its historical buildings, with many nineteenth century dwellings, shops and factories still in use. Its major thoroughfare Smith Street,

2040-470: The convent was added to the National Heritage List on 31 August 2017. Today the site and its buildings are used as an arts, educational and cultural hub, the grounds, historic buildings and gardens are occupied by and host artisans; community and cultural events and cultural institutions, a community classical music radio station ( 3MBS ), a Steiner School ( Sophia Mundi ), live music performances,

2100-533: The elderly. These elderly residents, some of whom had been at the convent since childhood, were housed in a separate dormitory. There were vegetable and fruit gardens, dairy and poultry farms and a piggery. Income to buy what could not be grown or made on-site was generated through lace-making and commercial laundry services. The Convent was able to house up to 1,000 residents and was largely self-sufficient through its farming, Industrial School and laundry activities. As with many such institutions of its era, conditions for

2160-524: The estate of John Orr, which in turn is named after a ford in Scotland's Tweed River , used by the abbot of Melrose Abbey . Since World War II the area has become quite ethnically diverse. The Abbotsford area was once bush along the Yarra River occupied by the Wurundjeri people. In the Woiwurrung language the area is named Carran-carramulk, with 'carran' meaning prickly myrtle. The area of Abbotsford

2220-558: The facade of Woolworths – minus original classical pediment and mansard). At the turn of the century Collingwood's Smith Street rivalled Chapel Street in Prahran as the dominant home of suburban emporiums and department stores. The first G.J. Coles store was opened in the street in 1912. Since the 1950s, Collingwood has been home to many groups battling to save the suburb's unique character against development and gentrification. In 1958 residents rallied at Collingwood Town Hall against

2280-445: The girls was often austere. The large buildings were largely unheated and girls were pressed into laundry and other activities that involved long hours and no pay. Children housed at the convent, as recently as the 1960s, have reported that the daily operation of the convent was draconian. The earliest industrial developments in Melbourne were along the banks of the Yarra River and Abbotsford, Collingwood and Richmond became some of

2340-560: The headquarters of DKO Architecture. The main commercial area is Smith Street , which borders Fitzroy. In 2021, Smith Street was named the coolest street in the world. Collingwood is one of Melbourne's gay villages with several gay oriented entertainment venues. These include the Peel Dancebar which, in 2007, was granted the legal right to ban heterosexual patrons from the bar. By November 2019, sex on premises venue Club 80 had operated in Collingwood for over twenty years, but

2400-583: The heritage stables were at one stage demolished without a permit. The site has since been converted to an apartment development. The former Collingwood Post Office was built between 1891 and 1892 in the Victorian Mannerist style, to the design of John Marsden and is similar to Rupertswood , with its tall tower. Prominent hotels include the Leinster Arms Hotel, established in 1865 and is the only single storey hotel built in Melbourne in that era,

2460-906: The historic Collingwood Town Hall precinct. Among them is the Carringbush Library, a former Church of Christ, built between 1888 and 1889 in the classical style to the design of Jonathan Rankine. It is on the National Trust register. The Sailors and Soldiers Memorial Hall is an unusual looking free classical building constructed in 1927, on Hoddle Street. Like many of Melbourne's inner suburbs, there are few detached houses in Abbotsford. Residential streets are often narrow, and some streets are leafy. A large proportion of houses in Abbotsford are subject to heritage overlay provisions, which protect their heritage value . The older residential sections consist mostly of working class single-storey Victorian terrace houses . Some double-storey terraces are found along

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2520-483: The largest convents in Victoria. For more than 100 years, the Abbotsford Convent provided shelter, food, education and work for tens of thousands of women and children who experienced poverty, neglect and social disadvantage. Recognised as a place of outstanding historic value to Australia and the Commonwealth, because of the site's strong capacity to demonstrate the course and pattern of welfare provision in Australia,

2580-482: The middle of the suburb. Victoria Park station serves the northern section and Victoria Park stadium. Nearby North Richmond Station also services the southernmost part of the suburb. Tram route 109 ( Port Melbourne / Box Hill ), and Tram route 12 ( St Kilda /Victoria Gardens) run down Victoria Street and route 78 terminates at the corner of Church Street and Victoria Street (technically in Richmond). Abbotsford

2640-411: The most important industrial regions in Australia until World War II. The area suffered major social problems as a result of poverty and poor housing, particularly during the depressions of the 1890s and 1930s. The Convent was a significant architectural and cultural landmark for a local community that had included a high proportion of Catholic working class. Today, the former Convent of the Good Shepherd

2700-413: The nearby Victoria Park and Collingwood railway stations , located in neighbouring Abbotsford. Separated north-south cycling lanes began being installed on Wellington Street in 2013 and now run to Victoria Street. In 2018, the northern half of Collingwood and Fitzroy reduced its speed limits to 30 km/h, in a first for Melbourne. Australian author Frank Hardy set the novel Power Without Glory in

2760-424: The nearby junction of the Yarra River and Merri Creek was an important meeting point. The precinct surrounding the convent is the most intact site associated with the first documented European inland contact in Victoria. In 1803 Charles Grimes , Surveyor General of New South Wales , explored the Yarra by boat as far as Dights Falls . This bend of the river has been subject to less change than any other section of

2820-677: The railway line and off the tram line on Victoria Street. Many terrace houses in Abbotsford remain in a state of disrepair although renovations have steadily increased as the suburb has gentrified. Notable examples are terraces in Charles Street, and the identical pair of Dorothy and Winniefred terraces in Lulie Street, which are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register . In recent years, many previous industrial and commercial sites have been redeveloped as housing, including sites along

2880-420: The river and the valley has changed little since early days of settlement. Land at this bend of the river has been used for farming since the first formal land sales occurred in 1838, although anecdotal evidence indicates squatters were present before this date. The Abbotsford Precinct Heritage Farmlands, upon which the former convent is sited, are the oldest continually farmed lands in Victoria. The entire site

2940-417: The suburb is now part of the City of Yarra local government area. Collingwood has many buildings listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and several notable commercial and public buildings. Yorkuprhire Brewery, built in 1880 to the design of James Wood, with its polychrome brick and mansard roof tower, was once Melbourne's tallest building. For many years it has been subject to development proposals and

3000-649: The suburb's most prominent hotels is the Carringbush Hotel. It was built in 1889 and was originally named the Friendly Societies Hotel. Others prominent hotels include the Park Hotel, Yarra Hotel and Yorkshire Stingo Hotel. The Retreat Hotel on Nicholson St was the filming location for the Australian drama series The Sullivans (1976–1983). There are five bridges on the eastern boundary. Between 1857 and 1899

3060-494: The support of the former City of Collingwood and the former Department of Education to give city children "a taste of country life". It is located next to the grounds of the Abbotsford Convent Arts Precinct and a Steiner School , on a bend in the Yarra River. It is a small-holding, fully functioning working farm with rare breeds of livestock, vegetable gardens and fruit orchards. Community Garden plots are also

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3120-615: The surrounding area. Visitors can see the beer making process at the Carlton Brewhouse centre and tour the brewery. More recently established microbreweries are also located in Abbotsford. Dights Falls, where the Merri Creek and Yarra River converge, is a short walk from the Collingwood Children's Farm . The area was a significant meeting place for peoples of the Kulin nation, where trade, ceremonies and law matters would take place. It remains

3180-409: The surrounding farmland and rural setting. Abbotsford, Victoria Abbotsford ( Woiwurrung : Carran-carramulk ) is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia , 2 km (1.2 mi) north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District , located within the City of Yarra local government area . Abbotsford recorded a population of 9,088 at the 2021 census . Abbotsford

3240-428: Was No Religion at 58%. Collingwood's housing consists of a large number of high-rise housing commission flats and a number of older single and double storey former workers cottages on small subdivisions. More recently older warehouses and factories have been converted into apartments and there has been modern townhouse infill and medium density unit development. The City of Collingwood existed from 1855 until 1994,

3300-611: Was also home to the Lincoln Early Childhood Studies Institute and a campus of La Trobe University for a while, but is now the site of a community and arts precinct use after protracted negotiations between developers, the state government and the Yarra City Council. The Skipping Girl Sign , the first animated sequence neon sign in Australia, is located at 627 Victoria Street. Abbotsford contains some impressive public buildings, most of them centred on

3360-714: Was closed in 2020 after the sale of its building. Collingwood Technical School was established in July 1912 as a trades and technical training school. The school closed in 1987 and, combined with the Preston Technical School , was the basis for the formation of the Melbourne Polytechnic , which has a Collingwood campus on Otter Street. In 2022, work began on a major upgrade to the Melbourne Polytechnic Collingwood campus. Collingwood College ,

3420-520: Was first subdivided in 1838 and sold at an auction in Sydney . One of these lots was purchased by John Dight and the lot was later called Dight's Paddock . Dight then further subdivided the land into 5 acre (12 hectare) lots and in 1878 Edwin Trenerry, a Cornwall -based property developer, purchased a large portion of Dight's Paddock for his nephew Fredrick Trenerry Brown and proceeded to further subdivide it for

3480-421: Was named after the admiral) by surveyor Robert Hoddle , under instructions from Superintendent Charles La Trobe , in 1842. Subdivision and sale of land in Collingwood began in 1838, and was mostly complete by the 1850s. Collingwood was declared a municipality, separate from the City of Melbourne on 24 April 1855, the first to follow the state's major population centres of Melbourne and Geelong . Collingwood

3540-474: Was proclaimed a town in 1873, and later a city in 1876. Collingwood's early development was directly impacted by the boom in Melbourne's population and economy during the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s and 1860s. This resulted in the construction of a large number of small dwellings, as well as schools, shops and churches to support this new population. Around the same time, large industrial developments such as

3600-425: Was regularly flooded by the Yarra River. Like many inner Melbourne suburbs, its working class origins have given it a reputation for crime. Since World War II the area has become quite ethnically diverse, with many Greeks , Italians , Vietnamese , Chinese and more recently Arabs and Africans , making it their home. In the 1960s a section of the northern part of the suburb was demolished to make way for

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