What’s your connection with Footscray?
While I grew up in Keilor East, my connection with Footscray goes back many generations, with my four-times great-grandfather coming out to Footscray from Aberdeen, Scotland, around the 1880s. My father and grandfather both attended the old Footscray Technical School, and I did my VCE years at Footscray City College, so three generations studied at the one school. I also studied library and information services at VU’s Footscray Nicholson campus and have now worked in Footscray for the last 10 years.
What are the biggest changes in that time?
The biggest changes I have seen to Footscray are the changing of the cultures. When I was at Footscray City College (1996-97), we started seeing the entering of the Indian and Sub-Continental communities, followed by the influx of the African communities, in particular the Ethiopian. Now it is the “gentrification” of Footscray, with what seems to be a new influx of “eastern suburban hipsters” to the community.
What do you love best about the area?
I think the mix of people in Footscray is what really makes Footscray. We would have to be the most multicultural suburb in Australia – every race, creed and culture under the sun is here. Changes that I would make are really things that I now miss from Footscray, like Forges. When Forges closed, it was very tired looking and it felt like no money had been spent on the store for at least 10 years.
What are your favourite local places?
There are a few places I like to go to. For coffee, Addis Cafe and Roastery is a must. For cheap eats, I like both the Vietnamese bakeries for banh mi and the Vietnamese restaurants for pho. For burgers I prefer Burger Business in Nicholson Street … and a few good little bars like Littlefoot and The Night Heron.
How did the Footscray Mechanics’ Institute come about and why was it important?
The Footscray Mechanics’ Institute started in 1856-57 and was seen as an important place for social and educational purposes of the workers. The term mechanic used to refer to any skilled or sub-skilled worker, regardless of trade. They were the forerunners of both public libraries and TAFEs. At Footscray, we still run our library and feature a collection of 21,500 books, mainly fiction. We also still retain our old billiard room, but this is not open to the public.
What purposes does it still serve today?
Our library provides our members with a mix of both the latest titles and items that the public libraries have long since thrown out. Many of the titles we have are also out of print. Some were published from the 1960s and ’70s, with some of the most wonderful cover art. There are many crime fiction titles and we also have a very large collection of Mills & Boon-style romances as well. Our membership is small in number, but they are dedicated readers.
