Yarraville and Seddon

 One of the aspects of Melbourne which is intriguing is the number of suburbs of which I had never heard before buying our apartment.  We only became aware of Yarraville when reading about the Melbourne Circle (a set of walks in a circle around the CBD).  Seddon had an even lower profile - I only realised where it was - between Yarraville and the centre of Footscray - from street signs on this walk.  The visit was part of our Melbourne Stations Project.

Before getting to the walk we did it is necessary to comment of the process for getting there.  We decided that the best route was to go to Flinders St Station and take a Williamstown train to Yarraville.  On getting to Flinders St we were told by a helpful staffer that we would have to get off at North Melbourne and take a bus due to track work.  Bugger: we should have taken the Metro Tunnel from ANZAC.  The bus trip was appalling: very crowded and slow as we dodged around suburban streets.  

Jumping ahead, at the end of the walk (Footscray Station) we found that the Metro Tunnel was also closed as they were removing material left over from the construction phase.  The project cost was about $14 billion and couldn't even leave the site clean.  

We have been avoiding taking trips to Frankston and Geelong as those routes seem to be in a state of constant 'bus replacement' but have been using the Tunnel with great enjoyment.  Now the State Government is buggering that up as well.  I thought Victorian was an adjective relating to geography, but in the context of public administration it seems to be more like an reference to history.

Enough with the negative vibrations.  The images begin at the Yarraville Station.

This is the Western side of the station with a substantial building - presumably the ticket office and waiting room.  The Eastern side is merely a platform and roof (we noticed a similar concept at Windsor).  The station was opened in 1871and its history is summarised here.

We headed off past the Sun Theatre.  This has a rather chequered history, which seems to be in an upwards phase at present.

On one of our train trips to Williamstown I had noticed another theatre - or at least a building labelled St Georges Theatre - on the opposite side of the tracks.  The site opened as a Hall in 1891 and in 1913 became a cinema.  It transformed into a ballroom in 1959 and finally into apartments in 2010.

As we headed towards my first waypoint (Yarraville Gardens) we checked out the housing styles, with weatherboard cottages still common.  

The residents make good use of their verandas and front yards.  Lots of pot plants are common ....

.. while this collection of figurines etc was unique and amusing.

Getting away from the station a few McMansions were evident.

This attractive brickwork was much more appealing.  I note the iron bars on the windows (not evident on the more modest cottages).

It was a bit hazy but the CBD was still visible. 

A very pleasant entrance to the Gardens which appeared to be very well maintained by Maribyrnong City Council.  

The statue was sculpted in 1916 and placed on Napier St (nearer Footscray Central) and rededicated here in 2001.  James Cuming seems to have been well worthy of the honour.

Although still Winter - in fact mid Winter - there were quite a few flowers around the Garden. Here are penstemons and camellias near a Northern entrance to the Gardens.

Another notable local.  In trying to find out about Ralph Kenyon I came across this City Document about the Gardens generally.  He was a gardener with the City of Footscray 1945 – 1977.

Looking across the Gardens this huge edifice turns out to be an exhaust stack from the Westgate Tunnel.

A more panoramic view showing the entrance to the tunnel, Melbourne CBD and cranes in the Port.

Moving up Hyde St we got into Seddon, which is definitely being gentrified.  I was interested to note only one 'no junk mail' sticker here for 16  boxes.  I think this reflects junk mail being replaced by on-line spam.  Also of interest at the key lockers, suggesting that short term rentals are in use for at least 4 units (or the owners keep forgetting their keys).

Very little graffiti or street art apart from one offering of Pam the Bird.

Hard to read the inscription at this scale but this is the First Footscray Boy Scouts hall.  It dates from 1925 and is now the HQ of scouting in the District, with this troop no longer active.

After a very pleasant chat with some counter staff at the Council Offices (trying, unsuccessfully, to track down some printed trail maps, and buying some prawns at the Market) we hopped on a bus, see lead in grizzle, back to Flagstaff Gardens.  Just as crowded as the way out, but at least on main roads not the back streets.