INNER WEST

Western wonders

Discover the villages that give the west its character, from cultural melting pots Footscray and Sunshine to maritime Williamstown and creative Yarraville and Seddon

FOOTSCRAY & SUNSHINE Once the adopted hometown of southern European migrants, these days Footscray is home to immigrants from China, Vietnam and North Africa, and its restaurant culture is all the richer for it. Stock up on fresh produce, exotic fruits, cheap butchers and specialty grocers, from Chinese to Mexican, at popular Footscray Market (footscraymarketvictoria.com.au). On weekends hole up in a neighbourhood cafe like Rudimentary or Footscray Milking Station, or tuck into authentic Ethiopian fare at Café Lalibela, perfect for dining with a group. Visit Slice Girls West pizzeria or enjoy sweet treats at T Cavallaro and Sons Pasticceria. There are also plenty of pubs where you can while away an evening, from local favourite the Reverence Hotel to stylish gastropub Station Hotel. Celebrate Footscray with music festival Laneway, multicultural extravaganza Emerge in the West or the East Meets West Lunar New Year Festival, or simply chill out in Footscray Park by the Maribyrnong River. Just a short train ride west of Melbourne, Sunshine has an impressive industrial history and is now home to a bustling multicultural community rich in the arts, culture, food and festivals. Visit Hampshire Road strip shopping precinct to experience the culturally diverse restaurants and the best Vietnamese pho in Melbourne.

YARRAVILLE & SEDDON Close to the city yet exuding a cosy village vibe, Yarraville’s appeal is instantly apparent. It is home to the Sun Theatre, a beloved art deco cinema with a bookshop attached which dates back to 1938 (suntheatre.com.au). Cross the road for a milkshake at The Corner Shop (9 Ballarat Street), and be sure to make time to visit pastry chef Matt Forbes’ industrial-chic hangout Cobb Lane (cobblane.com.au) which does some of the best salted caramel doughnuts around. For quirky gifts and trinkets, look no further than Village Idiom (villageidom.com.au). If your visit coincides with the third Sunday of the month, keep an eye out for the Yarraville Farmers’ Market (melbmarkets.com.au), and in February make a beeline for the local festival where you will find something to delight every family member (yarravillefestival.com.au). Tiny Seddon is a charmer. Sample coffee and cakes at a growing number of cafes, or settle in for something stronger at popular neighbourhood wine bar and restaurants. We recommend Middle Eastern delight Advieh (advieh.com.au), which is a short stroll from funky homeware store Sedonia (sedonia.com.au). Compact Ajitoya Japan’s Kitchen is worth a visit, with delectable dishes and a lengthy Japanese craft beer list (ajitoya.com.au). With its timber interior and relaxed atmosphere, Common Galaxia is the perfect place to people watch while sipping one of their legendary brews (commongalaxia.com.au), while wine lovers will adore Seddon Wine Store, which frequently hosts tastings (seddonwinestore.com.au). Seddon Deadly Sins specialises in high quality food served with cute touches, like kids menus presented in Little Golden Book covers (148 Victoria Street). Or catch up on some shopping at vintage treasure box the Diamond Dog (diamonddogvintage.tumblr.com), or bibliophile haven Book Alley (107 Victoria Street).

WILLIAMSTOWN Steeped in maritime history and heritage buildings, today Williamstown is home to restaurants, cafes, galleries and ice creameries. Browse the specialty shops along Nelson Place, or catch the monthly Craft Market at historic Commonwealth Reserve (williamstowncraftmarket.com.au). Spend time exploring the Williamstown Botanic Gardens (corner Osborne and Giffard streets), or head further along the coast to Jawbone Marine Sanctuary where you can explore rock pools or snorkel the reef to discover a diverse range of animal life rarely seen elsewhere in the bay (jawbone.org.au). Put your science know-how against the kids with interactive exhibits at Scienceworks in nearby Spotswood (museumvictoria. com.au/scienceworks), relax over brunch at one of many inviting cafes, or try a local tipple at Two Birds Brewing (twobirdsbrewing.com.au).

Nearby Newport is also worth a visit. The former substation has been converted into a cutting-edge arts facility, which hosts everything from circus shows to visual art to live music as well as monthly markets (thesubstation.org.au). DV

Getting there

TRAIN: Take the Williamstown line from Flinders Street Station to Footscray, Sunshine, Yarraville, Seddon or Williamstown (around 30 minutes). CAR: Take the West Gate Freeway from Melbourne and you will be in Footscray, Sunshine, Yarraville, Seddon or Williamstown in around 20 minutes. FERRY: Ferries depart daily from Berth 1 at Southgate to Williamstown. Visit the website for details (williamstownferries.com.au).

MAIN IMAGE: The Melbourne city skyline and Port Phillip Bay at dawn, as seen from Williamstown.

CITY OF WONDERS

Located within the southeastern region of Melbourne, the City of Greater Dandenong offers a mix of fabulous food and cultural experiences

Welcome to the City of Greater Dandenong, Australia’s most culturally diverse community, with over half its population born overseas from over 157 different birthplaces. It is home to a vibrant theatre, exciting art gallery, places of worship, and a multitude of cultural precincts including ‘Sensational Springvale’ Asian precinct, ‘Little India’ and the ‘Afghan Bazaar’, making Greater Dandenong an ideal base for visitors, and a great stop-off point on the way to the Phillip Island ‘penguin experience’.

Springvale’s retail area offers a unique shopping experience and is one of Melbourne’s best shopping strips for Asian goods and restaurants, with nearly 600 businesses offering modern and traditional clothing, Chinese medicine, beautiful jade jewellery and Duty Free shopping.

You’ll find restaurants offering Vietnamese, Cambodian, Korean, Uyghur, Thai, Chinese, Lebanese and much more. Experience authentic Middle Eastern fare, including traditional Afghani cuisine of rice and shish kebabs and mantu (dumplings), Polish home cooking, smoked smallgoods and traditional baked goods, English pork pies, and the infamous Scottish haggis. Plus a vast array of Indian cuisine, from vegetarian options to delicious meat curries and colourful sweets that leave you wanting more. Burgers and steaks sit alongside modern European offerings, and there are plenty of options for diners with food intolerances, including halal approved, yeast free, nut free, gluten free and more.

Interested visitors can also take part in an interfaith tour of the many denominations represented in the community. From a Hindu or Buddhist temple, a Christian church or a mosque, it’s a great opportunity to see diversity focusing on the religious and faith dimensions of multiculturalism.

Not sure where to start? Why not participate in one of the food and cultural tours?

The memories will linger and the experience will have you coming back for more (greaterdandenong.com/visit).

THE DRUM THEATRE No visit to Melbourne’s southeast would be complete without setting foot inside the renowned Drum Theatre. Situated in the heart of the Dandenong CBD, this purpose built performing arts venue continues to attract culturally diverse audiences with lively and unique theatrical events

and family activities throughout the year.

The building is a landmark, combining the restored elegance of the 1890 former Dandenong Town Hall facade with striking, contemporary architecture. The entire 521-seat state-of-the-art auditorium, stage and fly tower is encompassed in a rich, red oval drum.

The Drum hosts more than 150 performances for over 60,000 patrons each year via a range of professional touring productions, local theatrical performances and community presentations. Performers as diverse as Taikoz, Opera Australia, Circus Oz, and The Wiggles share the stage with a mesmerising assortment of musicals, tribute shows and concerts. In short – there is something for everyone. The Drum is wheelchair accessible, and the theatre provides an Audio Induction Loop facility for hearing aid users throughout the stalls seating area.

The Drum will keep you coming back again and again, with ample free parking and a dazzling array of authentic restaurants offering food from around the world, all within an easy walk from its front door.

PLACES OF WORSHIP The Interfaith Network formalised its beginnings in the City of Greater Dandenong in 1989, when leaders of faith communities agreed to work together for the promotion of harmonious relations in the City’s multi-faith, multicultural community.

As the City of Greater Dandenong is now recognised as the most culturally diverse community in Australia, the Interfaith Network increasingly continues to support its community alongside the many visitors and tourists that attend its tours.

Today, you can take part in tours to places of worship, which usually include an opportunity to visit a Hindu temple or a Sikh gurdwara, a mosque, a Buddhist temple and a Christian church, either of Western or Eastern tradition. The tours provide an opportunity to see and experience religious diversity, and an opportunity to be welcomed by a member or leader of each faith – to learn something of their beliefs, practices and community.

Needto know

To plan your trip, head to greaterdandenong.com/visit

THE DRUM THEATRE Corner Lonsdale and Walker Streets, Dandenong Tel: (03) 8571 1666 drumtheatre.com.au

INTERFAITH NETWORK Level 1, 39 Clow Street, Dandenong Tel: (03) 8774 7662 interfaithnetwork.org.au

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PHOTOGRAPH: VISIT VICTORIA

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