Footscray ( ) is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 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 .
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.
Footscray is named after Foots Cray, on the River Cray in London, England.
History
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-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 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 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.Charlie Lovett's Footscray
The Post Office first opened on 12 October 1857.
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 (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 the second half of the nineteenth century, with the manufacturing industry beginning to decline in the 1960s and 70s.
Along the Footscray–Yarraville riverfront, the Cuming, Smith & Co. acid and superphosphate works at Yarraville and a second acid-fertiliser plant established by the Mount Lyell company on the west bank of the Yarra formed a nucleus of the area's heavy-chemical industry for decades. Cuming, Smith & Co.’s operations intersected with Footscray's civic and transport networks; in 1898 the firm sought Footscray Council support to resolve rail goods congestion affecting its Yarraville works.
Industrialist James Cuming Sr. served as mayor of Footscray in 1891 and was a prominent local benefactor; he also served as president of the Footscray Football Club from 1895 to 1911. A marble bust by Margaret Baskerville, commissioned by public subscription, was originally unveiled at the Railway Reserve in Napier Street, Footscray, then relocated to Yarraville Gardens; it was restored and rededicated on 21 October 2001.
The Footscray Magistrates' Court closed on 1 February 1985.
Demographics
In 2011, Footscray's 13,193 residents came from 135 countries.
In the , just over half the population (50.9%) 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 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 7,000 new dwellings.
Politics The suburb's historical voting patterns have been fairly typical of a working-class suburb with a high migrant population. Consistent with other inner-city electorates in Melbourne, and other state capitals, voter support for the Australian Greens has increased in recent years.
Federal Footscray is located in the federal electorate of Fraser, which has been represented by Daniel Mulino of the Labor since a redistribution prior to the 2022 federal election.
One third of voters at the Central Footscray booth voted for The Greens in the 2010 federal election, almost doubling their percentage of the primary vote in one election cycle. At the same election, Labor won Gellibrand, part of which included Footscray, with 59 per cent of the primary vote. The Lib/Nat parties received 23 per cent of the primary vote, whilst The Greens saw a swing of per cent, with 15 per cent of the primary vote.
State The state electorate of Footscray has been held by Labor's Katie Hall since 2018.
Footscray was a very safe state Labor seat, 65 per cent of the vote went to Labor at the 2014 state election. The Greens received 17 per cent of the primary vote in Footscray at the 2014 state election. In the 2022 state election, Labor's vote dropped significantly, with a 14 per cent swing towards the Greens and Labor's primary vote falling to 43 per cent.
Local 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.
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 female 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, was voted Young Australian of the Year.
Food
In 2013, there were over 130 restaurants in Footscray, including; 30 Vietnamese, 20 Indian, 17 Chinese and several others featuring Ethiopian, Australian, Croatian, Greek, Italian, Thai, Turkish, Sudanese 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 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 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.
Culture Footscray has some fine 1930s Art Deco buildings, some of which are in disrepair and hidden behind shop signs and awnings.
Heritage listings The following places in Footscray are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register: Barkly Theatre (former), at 277-287 Barkly Street Ercildoune, at 66 Napier Street Footscray Park, on Ballarat Road, a urban park that 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. Footscray Primary School, at 100 Geelong Road Footscray railway station, on the corner of Irving and Hyde Streets Footscray Town Hall, also known as Maribyrnong Town Hall, at 61 Napier Street, the only American Romanesque civic building in Victoria; with an eclectic exterior mix of Art Deco, Moderne, Celtic, Spanish and Medieval styles. Footscray Wharves Precinct, incorporating the Saltwater River Crossing Site, on the west bank of the Maribyrnong River Henderson House, at 43-45 Moreland Street Kariwara District Scout Headquarters, at 4 Hyde Street Kinnears Ropeworks, at 124-188 Ballarat Road Saltwater River Rail Bridge, despite its name, across the Maribyrnong River, connecting with The Pebbles, at 57A Droop Street
Arts events and organisations The leading arts organisation for the suburb is Footscray Community Arts, located within the Henderson house complex, on the bank of the river, at 43-45 Moreland Street.
The Women's Circus began at Footscray Community Arts Centre around 1991, and is now based at the historic Footscray Drill Hall, The Drill Hall is also home to the Snuff Puppets, a theatre company founded in 1992 that makes giant puppets. In 2013, the City of Maribyrnong ran a competition for a $170,000 public art installation, won by Vicki Couzens, Maree Clarke, and Jeph Neale that featured massive boulders which form a circle across the intersection at the southern end of the Footscray Mall, symbolising a coolamon, or welcome bowl. The work was installed in June 2013. Phoenix Youth Theatre opened in 2014 at Phoenix Youth Centre at 72 Buckley Street.
Music
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, 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 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.
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.