Thursday Doors: Footscray

Back to Melbourne for this instalment of Thursday Doors, specifically to the suburb of Footscray, in Melbourne’s westside.

I suppose you could say Footscray is a very culturally diverse part of Melbourne. If you walk through the main part of the suburb, you’ll find shops and restaurants selling food and wares from various Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries. I think there are probably as many signs in other languages as there are in English (perhaps more signs in non-English languages). 

On most of my trips to Melbourne, I will visit Footscray at some point, maybe a few times, to visit relatives, and to eat pho and banh mi. I reckon not much has changed about the place over the years, but the train station has had a major upgrade recently, and there are some very modern apartment buildings that have gone up in the last few years. Otherwise, I suppose it’s quite rooted in its history.

Unfortunately, most of the restaurants and shops have generic glass doors, filled with signs and posters, but otherwise rather plain. So, instead, here are some local houses:

There are a lot of old houses around, like the one above, still well-maintained and quaint as ever. Sometimes I’m quite impressed by the profusion of greenery in big cities with a reputation of steel and concrete. This photo was taken in late autumn, but it could easily pass for mid-spring.

Typical of Melbourne, there are also a lot of terraced houses like the one below: short, squat houses, tightly packed together (although some terraced houses can be two or three storeys tall)

You might have noticed that the side fence is overrun with some kind of vine. I notice a lot of vines around Melbourne suburbs – a lot more than in Brisbane. Not sure if it’s a climate thing, or a trend thing that makes them more common here…

I also appreciate that while a lot of older buildings get repurposed, communities do try to preserve them. Below is an ex-church, now community centre, which has been around as long as I can remember. On the day I was trying to take this photo, there were a lot of young children running around, so I’m glad I could get a clear shot eventually.

And just as a reflection of the real vibrancy of the suburb, here is my favourite of the lot:

If I remember correctly, this door is either at the back of a supermarket, or under/behind some apartments (maybe it’s an abandoned warehouse). It doesn’t lead anywhere in particular, but instead of leaving it bland and nondescript, someone has painted it over to brighten up the street. Typical Melbourne.

Thursday Doors is run by Norm. Please visit his site to find links to other participating blogs (and add yours to the list if you want to join in!)