Heart of the West - Brimbank

From food to events, culture to nature, the suburbs of Melbourne’s west have much more than you’d expect. All that’s missing is you.

Outdoor Adventure

One of the west’s biggest natural drawcards is Brimbank Park [Keilor Park Drive, Keilor East]. With the Maribyrnong River running through it, bike trails to explore, picnic areas for relaxing and play spaces for the kids, it’s the perfect location for a fun family day. For something out of the ordinary, check out Organ Pipes National Park [Organ Pipes Road, Keilor North]. It features a set of basalt columns formed by the cooling and cracking of molten lava. You might even spot some kangaroos!

The Arts Scene

Get your dose of culture by paying a visit to Bowery Theatre [309C Main Road East, St Albans]. Named after the late Leigh Bowery, who was born in Sunshine but became influential on the London arts scene in the 80s and 90s, the theatre offers a robust calendar of exhibitions, performances and workshops. The west is also home to awe-inspiring public artworks. Head to Sunshine’s main street to find John Kelly’s Man Lifting Cow sculpture [296–298 Hampshire Road, Sunshine] or, if street art is more your style, explore the streets of both Sunshine and St Albans to delve deeper into the emerging street-art scene. While you're meandering through the streets, keep an eye out for a glimpse of Seeds of Hopes and Dreams, a public art project across St Albans' CBD by artists Andrea Tomaselli and Dianne Beevers. The artworks combine sculpture, lighting, paving and seating elements to celebrate the unique community of St Albans with significance drawn upon the indigenous yam daisy and other related plants for their universal symbolism of hopes and dreams.

Take a Taste

The west side is a multicultural melting pot, which means that when it comes to food, you can pick almost any cuisine and find it. In St Albans, Sunshine and Deer Park you can feast on dishes from Southeast Asia — think Filipino, Malaysian and Vietnamese — as well as flavours from the Middle East and Africa. Head to Keilor Village [Old Calder Highway, Keilor] for an atmosphere that’s reminiscent of a quaint country town, but with a number of outlets serving up big city flavours. Or visit Eat Street at Watergardens Shopping Centre [399 Melton Highway, Taylors Lakes] to refuel before a shopping session.

Discover more of Melbourne’s west by visiting the Discover Your Own Backyard website.