Footscray, Seddon + Yarraville

These ever-changing neighbourhoods feature a fascinating landscape of international cultures offering loads of cheap and tasty food, a variety of lively arts and community festivals and an exciting bar, restaurant and café scene.

Shop

Central Footscray is a global hub that is as diverse as it is convenient. In one corner sits Little Saigon, in another corner, Little Africa and in between, there’s the iconic Footscray Market. Woven amongst all of this are laneways of street art to explore, little eateries, quirky bars and left-of-field nic-nac shops to browse. Footscray is a food shopper’s haven and Little Saigon Market [63 Nicholson Street, Footscray] offers a huge range of super cheap produce, exotic fruits and vegetables. The bustling Footscray Market has a meat and seafood hall, nut and deli shops, Asian and continental supermarket, and fresh fruit and veg stalls. Beyond central Footscray you’ll find interesting local villages to explore and attractions unique to the area. Just a few minutes by train from Footscray station is the Yarraville Village, well known for its mix of fashionable boutiques, cafes, homewares and bookstores. Similarly, neighbouring Seddon Village is emerging as a hotspot for great shopping and quirky buys. For a different shopping experience altogether visit Highpoint in Maribyrnong, one of Melbourne’s largest shopping centres boasting over 500 stores.

Eat+Drink

On one hand, Footscray is a global village of diverse cuisines and on the other, it’s a dynamic contemporary experience. Sitting side by side with diverse cuisines from Africa, the Middle East and Asia are the offerings of a new wave cafe and small bar scene where hip venues are popping up alongside the traditional eateries that have become Footscray icons. Nearby Yarraville Village and Seddon Village are home to a terrific mix of contemporary and classic dining options and an increasing presence of small bars to join the traditional Australian pub experience.

See+Do

The Maribyrnong River is lined with rolling parklands, picnic spots, meandering riverside bike paths and formal gardens, most notably, the 15 hectare Footscray Park [40 Maribyrnong Boulevard, Footscray], one of the largest and most intact examples of an Edwardian park in Australia. The Footscray Community Arts Centre is a community-engaged, contemporary arts centre working with local, regional and international arts communities to present a year-round calendar of exhibitions, performance, workshops and classes. 2016 AFL Premiers, The Western Bulldogs proudly call Footscray’s Whitten Oval [417 Barkly Street, Footscray] home and the Bulldogs Shop is a must-visit destination for fans.

Beyond central Footscray you’ll find interesting local villages to explore and attractions unique to the area. Catch the train from Footscray station and head further west to discover Yarraville Village, well known for its art deco Sun Theatre and dining and shopping. Similarly, neighbouring Seddon Village is worth a stroll for its range of cafes, bars, gift shops and produce stores.

Venture slightly off the beaten track to find the biggest Chinese temple in Australia, The Heavenly Queen [20 Joseph Road, Footscray], newly built in honour of ‘Mazu’ Lin Mo Liang (A.D. 960-987).