About
The area around Footscray was originally home to the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and the Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation for more than 40,000 years. Maribyrnong is an anglicised version of the Aboriginal term ‘Mirring-gnay-bir-nong’, which translates as 'I can hear a ringtail possum'.
Where the Maribyrnong and Yarra Rivers join was an especially important place as it symbolised the joining of groups who would travel along the river. Many sacred sites have been identified. Read more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the west.
Saltwater to Footscray
The first recorded visit by a European to the area was by Charles Grimes, Deputy Surveyor-General of New South Wales, in February 1803. Grimes and his small party are thought to have stepped ashore somewhere near the reserve that is named after him at the corner of Napier and Maribyrnong Streets, Footscray.
In 1839 a punt was established on 'Saltwater River' (as the Maribyrnong River was then known) near its junction with the Yarra to provide a crossing point for travellers to Williamstown, Geelong and beyond. A settlement known as ‘Saltwater’ evolved around the punt. This site grew into the city of Footscray, named after an English town. Since this time, the area has seen almost constant change as communities and industries have come and gone.
Industrial growth and regeneration
During the second half of the 19th century, Footscray developed into the central powerhouse of Melbourne's industrial wealth. A decline in the manufacturing industry followed in the 1960s and ‘70s.
Today, industrial areas along the river are being redeveloped into higher density residential areas, with residents enjoying the waterside location and city views.
Multicultural Influence
Until the 1940s, the population of the Footscray area was overwhelmingly Australian-born or from the British Isles.
Following the Second World War, waves of migrants and refugees arrived from Europe and the Americas. By 1966, almost a third of the population was born overseas, mostly Italy, Greece, Malta, Poland, the former Republic of Yugoslavia and Germany.
By the 1980s the area was a major location for the settlement of migrants and refugees, particularly from Indo-China, the Middle East and Central and South America. More recent arrivals include people from the Horn of Africa and the former Republic of Yugoslavia.
Source:
https://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/Discover-Maribyrnong/Our-history-and-heritage/The-history-of-Footscray-and-surrounds
Our collection
The Maribyrnong City Council Art and Heritage Collections
The Maribyrnong City Council Art and Heritage Collections
Maribyrnong City Council manages a permanent historical, modern and contemporary Art and Heritage Collection. Dating from the 1850s, the Collection documents, celebrates and interprets the region’s artistic, cultural, social, civic and historical identity and serves to preserve this legacy for the future benefit of the community and visitors.
The Collection includes over 500 paintings, photographs, sculptures, monuments, murals, ceramics, glass, mosaics, textiles, works on paper, historical objects and documents linked to Council’s municipal operations.
The Collection consists of three categories:
• Visual Art Collection
Two and three-dimensional historical, modern and contemporary works of art in traditional and contemporary media by emerging, mid-career and established artists. This is an indoor collection displayed within Council buildings.
• Public Art Collection
Two and three-dimensional works in municipal public spaces consisting of sculpture, monuments, memorials, street art installations, mosaics and murals.
• Heritage Collection
Historical and civic history objects, photographs, sculpture, memorabilia and documents that relate to Council’s municipal operations and are linked to significant people and/or events within the region.
Image Credit - https://cv.vic.gov.au/organisations/maribyrnong-city-council/
James VOLLER
Footscray Town Hall, 2015
digital print on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag
29.7 x 42 cm
