West Footscray

Prior to European colonisation, the area of West Footscray was originally home to the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Boonwurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation.{{cite web |title=The history of Footscray and surrounds |url=https://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/Discover-Maribyrnong/Our-history-and-heritage/The-history-of-Footscray-and-surrounds |website=City of Maribyrnong |access-date=29 March 2025}}

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.{{cite web |last1=McDougall |first1=Megan |last2=Summerton |first2=Michele |last3=Peters |first3=Sera-Jane |title=West Footscray Inter-war and Post-war Heritage Precinct Study |url=https://hdp-au-prod-app-marib-yourcity-files.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/9016/4567/9833/West_Footscray_Inter-war_and_Post-war_Heritage_Precinct_Study_2021.PDF |website=Maribyrnong City Council |access-date=29 March 2025}}

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.{{cite web |last1=McDougall |first1=Megan |last2=Summerton |first2=Michele |last3=Peters |first3=Sera-Jane |title=West Footscray Inter-war and Post-war Heritage Precinct Study |url=https://hdp-au-prod-app-marib-yourcity-files.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/9016/4567/9833/West_Footscray_Inter-war_and_Post-war_Heritage_Precinct_Study_2021.PDF |website=Maribyrnong City Council |access-date=29 March 2025}}

File:James Govan’s house West Footscray.jpg

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."{{cite web |last1=McDougall |first1=Megan |last2=Summerton |first2=Michele |last3=Peters |first3=Sera-Jane |title=West Footscray Inter-war and Post-war Heritage Precinct Study |url=https://hdp-au-prod-app-marib-yourcity-files.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/9016/4567/9833/West_Footscray_Inter-war_and_Post-war_Heritage_Precinct_Study_2021.PDF |website=Maribyrnong City Council |access-date=29 March 2025}} James Govan, whose heritage-listed Georgian revival house still stands at the corner of Essex Street and Summerhill Street,{{cite web |title=House at 98 Summerhill Road |url=https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/28336 |publisher=Victorian Heritage Database |access-date=29 March 2025}} was a major quarry operator who supplied bluestone for Melbourne landmarks such as the Melbourne Town Hall and Goldsborough Mort Wool Store.{{cite web |title=Footscray Conservation Study |url=http://images.heritage.vic.gov.au/attachment/5221 |publisher=Heritage Victoria |access-date=29 March 2025}} Govan drowned in 1886 after falling in a flooded quarry hole on departure from the Albert Hotel.{{cite news |title=Case of drowning in Footscray |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11581058 |access-date=29 March 2025 |work=The Argus |publisher=National Library of Australia |date=29 November 1886}}

West Footscray Post Office opened in 1914.{{Citation | last = Phoenix Auctions History | title = Post Office List | url = http://www.phoenixauctions.com.au/cgi-bin/wsPhoenix.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&filter=*Footscray*West* | access-date = 13 April 2021}} The area's first school, known as Tottenham State School but now called Footscray West Primary School, was established on Argyle Street in 1915.{{cite news |title=Footscray West Primary School centenary |url=https://maribyrnonghobsonsbay.starweekly.com.au/news/footscray-west-primary-school-celebrates-centenary |access-date=29 March 2025 |publisher=Star Weekly |date=2 September 2015}}

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.{{cite web |last1=Crotty |first1=David |title=Olympic Tyre & Rubber Co. |url=https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/6210 |publisher=Museums Victoria |access-date=29 March 2025}}{{cite web |title=Banbury Village |url=https://www.cedarwoods.com.au/project-finder/projects/banbury-village |website=Cedar Woods |access-date=29 March 2025}}

In 2018, a warehouse fire in the southern part of the suburb caused by illegally stored chemicals burned for 16 days.{{Cite web |last=Ilanbey |first=Chris Vedelago, Cameron Houston, Sumeyya |date=2019-11-07 |title=What happened to us in West Footscray? Firefighters call for answers after toxic fire |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/what-happened-to-us-in-west-footscray-firefighters-call-for-answers-after-toxic-fire-20191106-p5382j.html |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=The Age |language=en}}

In recent years West Footscray, like other suburbs in Melbourne's inner-west, has experienced increasing gentrification.{{cite news |last1=Michael |first1=Karen |title=West Footscray: As richer residents move in, can it keep its character? |url=https://www.domain.com.au/news/west-footscray-as-rich-residents-move-in-can-it-keep-its-character-20170503-gvwqx2/ |access-date=29 March 2025 |work=Domain |date=17 October 2017}}{{cite news |last1=Durut |first1=Charlotte |title=What has triggered West Footscray's suburb growth? |url=https://www.realestate.com.au/news/what-has-triggered-west-footscrays-suburb-growth/ |access-date=29 March 2025 |work=realestate.com.au |date=29 June 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Davies |first1=Elwyn |title=Will downtown Footscray ever really change? |url=https://thewestsider.com.au/will-downtown-footscray-ever-really-change/ |access-date=29 March 2025 |work=The Westsider |date=1 March 2024}}

West Footscray is effectively divided into two halves by the railway line and Sunshine Road. The northern half, between Braybrook and Footscray proper, is largely residential, while the southern half, between Tottenham and Kingsville, is a mixture of residential, commercial and industrial zoning.

Like all of Melbourne's western suburbs, West Footscray sits at the eastern edge of the Victorian Volcanic Plain grasslands, with the soil being rich in basalt and basaltic clay.{{cite web |title=Bluestone |url=https://livingmuseum.org.au/footscray-bluestone/ |website=Melbourne's Living Museum of the West |access-date=14 April 2025}}{{cite web |title=How Soil Conditions Affect Building Foundations in Sydney vs. Melbourne |url=https://www.ozgeos.com.au/how-soil-conditions-affect-building-foundations-in-sydney-vs-melbourne/ |website=Oz Geos |access-date=14 April 2025}}

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.{{Census 2021 AUS | id = SAL22756 | name = West Footscray (Suburbs and Localities) | accessdate = 27 March 2025 | quick = on}}

File:Holi Festival in Barkly Village, West Footscray.jpg Festival in Barkly Village]]

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, [http://www.bharattraders.com.au/ "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 [http://www.mcbc.net.au/ 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 inaugural Footscray West Writers Fest was held in 2025.{{cite web |title=Footscray West Writers Fest |url=https://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/festivalcity/Festivals/Past-Festivals/Footscray-West-Writers-Fest |website=Maribyrnong City Council |access-date=14 April 2025}}

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.

Phat Quang Temple, a Vietnamese Buddhist temple, is located in the suburb.{{cite web|url=https://www.phatgiaoucchau.com/p107/thanh-vien-giao-hoi |publisher=The Unified Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of Australia – New Zealand |title=THÀNH VIÊN GIÁO HỘI|accessdate= 14 July 2021}}

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 women's soccer team, Maribyrnong Swifts, with several games usually hosted on Sundays.

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:

• [http://www.fwps.vic.edu.au/ Footscray West Primary School].
• [http://www.stjnmdst.melb.catholic.edu.au/ 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.

File:Clarke St Pop-up Park, West Footscray.jpg

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.

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.{{Citation | last = Full Points Footy | title = West Footscray | url = http://www.fullpointsfooty.net//western_region_football_league.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080510071130/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/western_region_football_league.htm | url-status = usurped | archive-date = 10 May 2008 | accessdate = 15 April 2009}}

The Footscray United Soccer Club plays at Hansen Reserve.{{cite web |url=http://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/Directory/Agency.aspx?Mkey=401&S3Key=103 |title=Footscray United Soccer Club Directory Listing - Maribyrnong City Council |website=www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119143912/http://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/Directory/Agency.aspx?Mkey=401&S3Key=103 |archive-date=2015-11-19}}

• City of Footscray – West Footscray was previously within this former local government area.
• 2018 West Footscray warehouse fire

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/Page/Page.asp?Page_Id=1146&h=1 West Footscray Suburb Profile]

{{City of Maribyrnong suburbs}}

Category:Suburbs of Melbourne

Category:Suburbs of the City of Maribyrnong