39-496: Footscray ( / ˈ f ʊ t s k r eɪ / FUUT -skray ) 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 . Footscray is characterised by
78-592: A high migrant population. Footscray was a very safe state Labor seat, 65% of the vote went to Labor at the 2014 State election. In the 2022 State election, Labor's vote dropped significantly, with a 14% swing towards the Greens and Labor's primary vote falling to 43%. Consistent with other inner-city electorates in Melbourne, and other state capitals, voter support for the Australian Greens has increased in recent years;
117-580: A larger city. The Australian usage is closer to the American or British use of "district" or "neighbourhood", and can be used to refer to any portion of a city. Unlike the use in British or American English, this term can include inner-city, outer-metropolitan and industrial areas. Localities existed in the past as informal units, but in 1996 the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping and
156-637: A modern brick hall after the first hall burnt down in 1982. The group has programs for children aged 7 to 26 and meets at Guadion Park in Barkly Street. The 10th Footscray Scout group is in Essex Street next to the YMCA and has programs for 7- to 15-year-olds. The 5th Footscray group is opposite Seddon railway station and has programs for 6- to 15-year-olds. All are part of Scouts Australia. Maribyrnong Truck Action Group and Less Trucks For Moore work towards cleaning
195-425: A population of 300 and 70 buildings. Around the same year the first bridge was built across Saltwater (now Maribyrnong) River. Between 1881 and 1891 Footscray's population more than tripled from almost 6,000 to 19,000. Between around 1916 and 1940, Burn Brae Private Hospital existed on Ballarat Road. Many babies were born there, including actor Leslie Dayman in 1933. Footscray developed into an industrial zone in
234-463: A redistribution prior to the 2022 Federal Election . At the state level, the electorate of Footscray has been held by Labor's Katie Hall since 2018. Locally, Footscray is part of the City of Maribyrnong, where the council for the 2024–28 term comprises three Greens, three Labor members, and one Independent. The suburb's historical voting patterns have been fairly typical of a working-class suburb with
273-548: A state are malapportioned. The electorate is located on the west side of the Maribyrnong River south of Keilor down to its confluence with the Yarra . It extends west to parts of Derrimut and Deer Park , and includes most of the local government areas of Maribyrnong and Brimbank . The division is named in honour of Malcolm Fraser , who served as Prime Minister of Australia from 1975 to 1983 . Fraser had represented
312-557: A swing of +6% with 15% of the vote. Janet Rice of The Greens was elected to Maribyrnong Council in 2003, re-elected in 2005 and then elected mayor in 2006. Whilst Mayor, Janet had a Mayoral bike instead of a car. The first Vietnamese woman mayor was Mai Ho, from 1997 to 1998. 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,
351-465: 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
390-491: 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. Footscray has some fine 1930s Art Deco buildings, most in disrepair and hidden behind shop signs and awnings. The former Footscray Town Hall is the only American Romanesque civic building in Victoria. The outside
429-489: Is a mix of Art Deco, Moderne, Celtic, Spanish and Medieval. 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. The 'heavily indebted' local Council approved a 1.8 million makeover for
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#1732869929265468-585: Is at the centre of the Kariwara Scout district of Scouts Australia . The word 'Kariwara' means 'West' in a local Aboriginal language. Started in 1909, the 1st Footscray Scout hall is a historic building next to the Footscray Police Station in Hyde Street. 3rd Footscray is the hall seen from the railway line and no longer has youth programs but is home to adult training. The 2nd Footscray Scout hall has
507-485: Is located in Footscray, serving the large Croatian Community in the area. Other Ethnic Community, Migrants and Refugees groups include African, Albanian, Burmese, Chinese, Croatian or Bosnian, Ethiopian, Filipino, Greek, Harari, Hungarian, Italian, Macedonian, Multicultural, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Latin American, Sudanese and Vietnamese. The Footscray Club is a social club that has been part of Footscray since 1894. This
546-414: Is split between the City of Newcastle and City of Lake Macquarie LGAs; and Woodville , which is split between the City of Maitland and Port Stephens Council LGAs. In unincorporated areas , localities are declared by the relevant state authority. Division of Fraser (Victoria) The Division of Fraser is an Australian electoral division in the state of Victoria , which was contested for
585-987: The Committee for Geographical Names in Australasia (CGNA) decided to name and establish official boundaries for all localities and suburbs. There has subsequently been a process to formally define their boundaries and to gazette them, which is almost complete. In March 2006, only South Australia and the Northern Territory had not completed this process. The CGNA's Gazetteer of Australia recognises two types of locality: bounded and unbounded. Bounded localities include towns, villages, populated places, local government towns and unpopulated town sites, while unbounded localities include place names, road corners and bends, corners, meteorological stations, ocean place names and surfing spots. Sometimes, both localities and suburbs are referred to collectively as "address localities". In
624-679: The Black Screen program with Moondani Balluk of Victoria University , and supported the centre's Indigenous cultural program, as well as First Nations artists and members of the community. In 2022, FCAC won the Arts Award in the Victorian of the Year awards. The Women's Circus began at Footscray Community Arts Centre around 1991, and is now based at the historic Footscray Drill Hall, Suburbs and localities (Australia) Suburbs and localities are
663-567: The Division of Maribyrnong. The seat was notionally held by the Labor Party on a margin of 20.6%, which made it a very safe seat for the party. It was duly won by Daniel Mulino for Labor in the 2019 federal election , albeit with a 5.61% swing against him. However, the 2021 Federal redistribution in Victoria has increased the notional margin for Labor to 18.1%. Then- Opposition Leader Bill Shorten had reportedly considered moving to Fraser in
702-617: 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. Asylum Seeker Resource Centre on Nicholson Street gives aid, welfare, and medical care for thousands of asylum seekers. The Australian Croatian Association headquarters
741-643: The Greens received 17 per cent of the primary vote in Footscray at the 2014 State Election. 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. 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
780-528: The Victorian federal seat of Wannon from 1955 to 1983 . The division of Fraser was created in 2018 after the Australian Electoral Commission oversaw a mandatory redistribution of divisions in Victoria. Fraser was a new seat created to fill Victoria's allotment of 38 divisions, one higher than the number to which the state was previously entitled. The division was originally located in
819-599: 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. Footscray is named after Foots Cray , on the River Cray in London, England . 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
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#1732869929265858-763: The air in Footscray and surrounding suburbs. Other groups include; Footscray Traders Association, Footscray Asian Business Association, Save Railway Place, Footscray Sings Fair Go for Footscray Rail Residents and Footscray Rotary. Footscray Community Arts, formerly Footscray Community Arts Centre (FCAC), is a centre for contemporary arts, community engagement, cultural development and multicultural arts. Established in 1974, millions of community members have visited FCAC or directly participated in one or more of its many events, initiatives, projects, workshops and programs. The Brown Cabs theatre company has been company in residence since 2012, headed by Torres Strait Islander writer, director, and producer John Harvey. Harvey has co-curated
897-438: The first instance, decisions about the names and boundaries of suburbs and localities are made by the local council in which they are located based on criteria such as community recognition. Local council decisions are, however, subject to approval by the state's geographical names board. The boundaries of some suburbs and localities overlap two or more local government areas (LGAs). Examples of this are Adamstown Heights , which
936-405: The first time at the 2019 federal election . Federal electoral division boundaries in Australia are determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the Australian Electoral Commission . Redistributions occur for the boundaries of divisions in a particular state, and they occur every seven years, or sooner if a state's representation entitlement changes or when divisions of
975-564: The history of the area. The Society has an active membership who take part in a range of activities to assist this endeavour. Records such as rare books, business records and correspondence are held at the Society's headquarters at Ercildoune, built in 1876 as a branch of the National Bank of Australasia . The Society owns this historic building and has had the interior and exterior restored. Tours, forums and discussions are held regularly. Footscray
1014-462: 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 St. In 1839 a punt ( cable ferry ) 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
1053-448: The most prominent places of birth overseas. As of 2021, the median age of people living in Footscray was 34. Maribyrnong Council predicts a population boom will more than double Footscray resident numbers from 14,100 to 30,500 by 2031, requiring about 7000 new dwellings. Footscray is located in the federal electorate of Fraser , which has been represented by Daniel Mulino of the ALP since
1092-556: 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
1131-509: The names of geographic subdivisions in Australia , used mainly for address purposes. The term locality is used in rural areas, while the term suburb is used in urban areas. Australian postcodes closely align with the boundaries of localities and suburbs. This Australian usage of the term "suburb" differs from common American and British usage, where it typically means a smaller, frequently separate residential community outside, but close to,
1170-453: The outer north-west of metropolitan Melbourne and took in the suburbs of Sunshine , Albion , St Albans and Keilor Downs , among others. It was formed from parts of its neighbouring seats of Calwell , Gorton , Gellibrand and Maribyrnong . In the 2021 redistribution , Fraser was significantly adjusted, moving towards the Middle and Inner West of Melbourne from the outer suburbs; losing
1209-465: The park in March 2011. In 2019, Council failed to privatise one third of the park. 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
Footscray, Victoria - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-466: The second half of the nineteenth century, with the manufacturing industry beginning to decline in the 1960s and 70s. The Footscray Magistrates' Court closed on 1 February 1985. Footscray was home to the Aboriginal Woiwurrung and Boonwurrung tribes of the Kulin nation . In 2011, Footscray's 13,193 residents came from 135 countries. In the 2021 census , just over half the population (50.9%)
1287-453: The suburbs of Keilor Downs , Sydenham and several others north of Taylors Road and Green Gully Road to the Division of Gorton, swapping them for parts of Deer Park and Derrimut ; and shifting east to acquire the Inner West suburbs of Footscray, West Footscray, Kingsville, Seddon and parts of Yarraville from the Division of Gellibrand, and gaining Maidstone and the suburb of Maribyrnong from
1326-490: 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. 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
1365-474: Was born in Australia, the main countries of overseas origin are Vietnam (8.5%), India (4.7%), England (2.2%), China (2.2%) and New Zealand (2.0%). With increasing gentrification, the number of Anglo-Celtic Australians has steadily increased in Footscray with neighbouring West Footscray seeing an even more drastic shift. In 2021, the Australian-born population had increased to 50.9%, with Vietnam and India as
1404-402: 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. The Post Office first opened on 12 October 1857. Footscray was declared a municipality in 1859 with
1443-781: Was the meeting place of the lands of the Yalukit-willam , the Marin-balluk, and the Wurundjeri people. 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
1482-435: Was the original Footscray Cycle Club , when cycling became quite popular in Australia in the 19th century. By 1909 the club had built a permanent site on Paisley Street where it still stands today. Early in the last century the club evolved into a purely local social club where members of the local community meet and socialise to this day. The Footscray Historical Society works on a number of local fronts to record and preserve
1521-404: Was voted Young Australian of the Year. 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. The Footscray Market is a large indoor fresh produce and seafood market, with 33 food stalls and 50 general stalls, catering particularly to
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