Yarraville, Victoria

Yarraville is an inner-western suburb of Melbourne, Australia, 6 km from Melbourne's Central Business District. It is in the local government area of the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2016 census, Yarraville had a population of 14,965.[1] It previously has had a large Greek population.

Yarraville
Melbourne, Victoria
Yarraville
Coordinates37.817°S 144.890°E / -37.817; 144.890
Population14,965 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density2,672/km2 (6,920/sq mi)
Postcode(s)3013
Area5.6 km2 (2.2 sq mi)
Location6 km (4 mi) from Melbourne
LGA(s)City of Maribyrnong
State electorate(s)Williamstown
Federal Division(s)Gellibrand
Suburbs around Yarraville:
West Footscray Kingsville Seddon
Brooklyn Yarraville West Melbourne
Altona North Spotswood Port Melbourne

Formerly a working-class suburb, in recent years Yarraville has experienced rapid gentrification due to its close proximity to the Melbourne CBD. In 2020, Yarraville was named Australia’s coolest suburb and fifth in the world.[2] The suburb lies immediately north of the West Gate Bridge, and immediately west of its namesake, the Yarra River. Features of Yarraville include C.J. Cruickshank Park, Yarraville Oval, Beaton Reserve, Yarraville Gardens, Stony Creek and the Yarraville Village Shopping Strip.

History

Yarraville Post Office opened on 1 September 1872.[3]

Yarraville Village

Located near Yarraville railway station on Anderson and Ballarat Streets, this area of the suburb is renowned in Melbourne for its unique character, architecture and quality of village life. Anderson and Ballarat Streets, in the heart of the Yarraville Village, are lined with refurbished 19th century buildings and dotted with neighbourhood cafés, restaurants and boutique shops.

This village atmosphere is anchored by the restored Sun Theatre and the adjacent Sun Bookshop, a prominent landmark in the Yarraville community with its unique art deco architecture and its 6 cinemas. Notable examples of Edwardian and Victorian architecture can be found in Yarraville.

The Yarraville Village is home to many award winning restaurants and cafes. A reflection of Melbourne's multicultural nature, Yarraville offers an array of world cuisine styles including Greek, Italian, Modern Asian, Indian, Cambodian, Thai, Chinese and Modern Australian.

Retail shops in the village provide an eclectic shopping experience, from books to the work of a local artist, to quality clothes, shoes, gifts, jewellery, wines and gourmet foods.[4]

Transportation

Public transport

Yarraville railway station is a suburban train station located in the centre of the village area, 20 minutes from the Melbourne CBD. The station is serviced by all trains on the Williamstown line, but skipped by express services on the Werribee line. The station is located near Anderson Street in Yarraville Village, access via Birmingham Street to the North (for trains heading towards the City), and Woods Street on the South (heading away from the City). Yarraville station is within the Zone 1 region of Melbourne's public transport ticketing system.[5]

Several bus routes also service the suburb:[6]

Road

Residents of Yarraville have concern about the negative effects of the growing number of trucks using the residential streets. In 2005 the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group (MTAG) was set up by the local community to protest the rising number of trucks. Residents believe they cause excessive noise pollution and air pollution, threatening the health and safety of all in Yarraville.

On 5 April 2006, a large protest organised by residents and MTAG was held in a busy Yarraville intersection, calling for restrictions towards trucks. The large turnout of the protest gained press attention including all major newspapers and network television. This still continues to be a major issue in the Yarraville district.[7]

Places of worship

There are many religious organisations and places of worship in Yarraville, including Baptist, Buddhist, Catholic, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Orthodox and Uniting Church.

Yarraville also houses the Victorian International Buddhist College and Greek Orthodox Language school.

Community

Arts and culture

The area possesses a few musical collectives including the Footscray – Yarraville City Band and the Yarraville Mouth Organ Band. The main film society in the area is the Sun Theatre, located in Yarraville Village. There is also the Yarraville Community Centre which provides a range of resources, classes, activities and services for all ages and abilities.

Yarraville Markets is held on the first Saturday & Sunday of each month. The market is held in the Masonic Hall (Corner of Willis Street & Canterbury Street Yarraville) from 10 am till 3pm. Everything sold at the market is handmade and/or Australian Made.

Festivals

The next annual Yarraville Festival[8] will be held on Sunday, 28 March 2021 in the Yarraville Village and continues to be a major cultural event in the community. The festival caters for more than 25,000 people and is professionally operated by a team of dedicated volunteers that reside in Yarraville. Street performers, carnival amusements, art exhibitions, teddy bear picnics, fashion parades, poetry readings, market stalls and performances across many stages, provide an array of entertainment for all.

Since 2016 the annual Albanian Australian Community Festival has been held at Yarraville Gardens after relocating from Footscray park in 2015.

Sport

Swimming facilities for Yarraville residents are at the Yarraville Swim Centre, 3 Roberts Street West Footscray and at the Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre, Maribyrnong, located next to Highpoint Shopping Centre. The aquatic centre also provides yoga, gym facilities and other recreational activities.

There are many sporting clubs located in Yarraville such as:

Cyclists in Yarraville are represented by MazzaBUG, the Maribyrnong Bicycle User Group.

Media

Yarraville was also the backdrop of the 1999 feature film The Wog Boy, and was mentioned in the 1992 Australian film Spotswood.

Yarraville was also the location for the Network Ten TV series ‘The Wrong Girl’. Yarraville was chosen for its unique village and inner city location.

Two free, weekly suburban newspapers are distributed in Yarraville. The Maribyrnong Leader is part of the News Corporation-owned Leader Newspapers group and The Mail is part of the Fairfax Community Newspapers Victoria. Both are distributed every Wednesday.

Education

Primary schools in the immediate Yarraville area are:

Many local residents are currently campaigning for a high school to be built in the area.[10]

Notable people

See also

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Yarraville (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  2. Manning, James (6 October 2020). "The 40 coolest neighbourhoods in the world". Time Out. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  3. Phoenix Auctions History, Post Office List, retrieved 27 January 2021
  4. Council, corporateName=Maribyrnong City. "404 Error". maribyrnong.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  5. Council, corporateName=Maribyrnong City. "404 Error". maribyrnong.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  6. "Home". metlinkmelbourne.com.au. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  7. Maribyrnong Truck Action Group
  8. Yarraville Festival
  9. Full Points Footy, Yarraville Seddon, retrieved 15 April 2009
  10. "SKYHigh". skyhigh.org.au. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  11. Farouque, Farah. "A straight shooter". smh.com.au. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  12. "Albert Tucker Biography". bightoncemetery.com. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.