Abbotsford, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Abbotsford is a suburb in Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
, 2 km east from Melbourne's central business district
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra
. At the 2006 Census, Abbotsford had a population of 4,327.
Abbotsford is bounded by Collingwood
, Richmond
and Clifton Hill
and separated from Kew
by the meandering Yarra River
. Formerly part of the City of Collingwood, it is now part of the City of Yarra
. Victoria Street
forms the southern boundary to Abbotsford (with Richmond); Hoddle Street the western boundary (with Collingwood); the Eastern Freeway the northern boundary (with Clifton Hill) while the Yarra forms the eastern boundary with Kew in Boroondara.
Some well known Abbotsford landmarks include the Skipping Girl Sign
, Dights Falls
, the former Collingwood Town Hall
, Victoria Park Football Stadium
and Abbotsford Convent
.
Abbotsford is designated one of the 82 Major Activity Centres
listed in the Metropolitan Strategy Melbourne 2030
.
Abbotsford takes its name from the estate of John Orr, which in turn is named after a ford in Scotland's Tweed River
used by the Abbott of Melrose Abbey
.
The area of Abbotsford was first subdivided in 1838 and sold at an auction in Sydney. One of these lots was purchased by John Dight and the lot was later called Dight's Paddock. Dight then further subdivided the land into 12 hectare lots and in 1878 Edwin Trenerry, a Cornwall
-based property developer, purchased a large portion of Dight’s Paddock for his nephew Fredrick Trenerry Brown and proceeded to further subdivide it for a residential estate.
In order to provide recreational facilities for potential residents and hence boost the value of the lots being offered for sale Fred Brown and solicitor, David Abbott created a sports oval and called it Victoria Park in 1879.
Abbotsford quickly established as an industrial area, home to many Irish
, mostly factory workers, and until the construction of Melbourne's sewerage
and drainage systems was regularly flood
ed by the Yarra River. Like many inner Melbourne suburbs, its working class origins have given it a reputation for crime.
Since World War II the area has become quite ethnically diverse, with many Greeks
, Italians
, Vietnamese, Chinese
and more recently Arabs
and Africans
making it their home.
In the 1960s a section of the northern part of the suburb was demolished to make way for the Eastern Freeway.
Along with Clifton Hill and Collingwood the suburb was a part of the City of Collingwood
until former State premier Jeff Kennett
conducted a wholesale merger of local government areas in 1994.
Property values have skyrocketed in recent years and many young professionals have moved to the area and the old industrial areas have experienced significant gentrification
and urban renewal
since 2000.
A steady stream of migration since the 1980s has made Abbotsford home to Melbourne's largest Vietnamese community. So much so that Victoria Street is also known as Little Saigon
. It is best known for its exceptional varieties of Vietnamese food, of which draw tourists to the area from across Melbourne.
and Foster's Lager
. The malt
smell of brewing often fills the surrounding area. Visitors can see the beer making process at the Carlton Brewhouse centre and tour the brewery itself before returning to the Brewhouse for a complimentary ale. Smaller microbreweries such as Moon Dog Craft Brewery are also situated in Abbotsford.
, where the Merri Creek
and Yarra River
join is a short walk from the farm and is a favourite spot for kayak
ers and picnic
ers. Cyclists pass through the Collingwood Children's Farm on the Yarra River Trail which follows the Yarra River from the city to Dight's Falls, where it meets the Merri Creek Trail
. This also forms part of the Capital City Trail
.
Studley Park is an extensive parkland which merges with the larger Yarra Bend Park, contains Dights falls and features within it a golf
course, sports grounds, and small pockets of natural forest.
was the home ground of the Collingwood Football Club
from its inception in 1892 until 2005. AFL
matches are no longer played there, but Collingwood's reserves team are scheduled to play in nine matches per season in the VFL competition from 2010 onwards.
Collingwood Children's Farm
was established in 1979 by the local community with the support of the former City of Collingwood and former Department of Education to give city children "a taste of country life". It is located next to the grounds of the Abbotsford Convent
Arts Precinct and a Steiner School on a bend in the Yarra River. It is a small-holding, fully functioning working farm with Rare Breeds livestock, vegetable gardens and fruit orchards. Community Garden Plots are also a part of the Farm. Eggs and seasonal produce are for sale, and visitors are encouraged to interact with farm animals through activities such as cow milking (daily at 10am and 4pm). The Collingwood Children's Farm is sited on the Abbotsford Precinct Heritage Farmlands, the oldest continually farmland in the state of Victoria
; farming commenced in 1838 (although some evidence suggests farming commenced as early as 1836) and has continued uninterupted since that time. The former convent itself was also home to the Lincoln Early Childhood Studies Institute and a campus of La Trobe University
for a while, but is now the site of a community and arts precinct use after protracted negotiations between developers, the state government and Yarra City Council.
The suburb is probably most notable for the heritage neon 'Skipping Girl' sign along Victoria Street. This is a reproduction of the original
. The older residential sections consist mostly of working class single-storey Victorian terrace houses. Some double-storey terraces are found along the railway line and off the tram line on Victoria Street. Unlike the terraces in the wealthier suburbs of the city, many in Abbotsford remain in a state of disrepair and few have been renovated. Among the notable ones are terraces in Charles Street, and the identical pair of Dorothy and Winniefrir terraces in Lulie Street which are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register
. In recent years, many previous industrial and commercial sites have been redeveloped as housing, including sites along the Yarra river and the Denton Mills hat factory.
Abbotsford is a prominent early industrial area, as a result, there are several outstanding examples of industrial buildings. The most prominent is Denton Hat Mills is a large turn of the century industrial complex designed by architect William Pitt
in polychrome brick in 1888. It was the home to Brush Fabrics until 2004, when plans for conversion to apartments were implemented. Work on the conversion began in mid 2007 and was completed in December 2009.
Prominent hotels include the Carringbush Hotel was built in 1889, its original name was the Friendly Societies Hotel.
City of Yarra heritage walk notes
Between 1857 and 1899 the privately owned tollbridge or 'Penny ' Bridge connected the north end of Church Street to Yarra Bend Park.
Picture of the Penny Bridge
Two railway stations are located in Abbotsford, both on the Epping and Hurstbridge lines. The Collingwood railway station services the middle of the suburb, whilst Victoria Park station
services the northern section and Victoria Park stadium. Nearby North Richmond station also services the southernmost part of the suburb.
Tram route 109
(Port Melbourne
/Box Hill
) runs down Victoria Street
and trams no. 78/79 terminate at the corner of Church Street and Victoria Street (technically in Richmond).
Hoddle Street is one of the most congested roadways in metropolitan Melbourne. The Eastern Freeway feeds into it at the northern end. Much of Abbotsford is serviced by narrow one way streets and is punctuated by the main streets of Hoddle, Nicholson and Johnston Streets.
Hoddle Street is a major busway and includes a dedicated priority bus lane along the length of the Abbotsford section.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 2 km east from Melbourne's central business district
Melbourne city centre
Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra
City of Yarra
The City of Yarra is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the inner eastern and northern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 19.5 square kilometres, and at the 2006 census it had a population of 69,330...
. At the 2006 Census, Abbotsford had a population of 4,327.
Abbotsford is bounded by Collingwood
Collingwood, Victoria
Collingwood is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
and Clifton Hill
Clifton Hill, Victoria
Clifton Hill is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. The border between Clifton Hill and Fitzroy North is Queens Parade and Smith Street. Merri Creek defines the eastern border of Clifton Hill. Its Local Government Area is...
and separated from Kew
Kew, Victoria
Kew is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Kew had a population of 22,516....
by the meandering Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
. Formerly part of the City of Collingwood, it is now part of the City of Yarra
City of Yarra
The City of Yarra is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the inner eastern and northern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 19.5 square kilometres, and at the 2006 census it had a population of 69,330...
. Victoria Street
Victoria Street, Melbourne
Victoria Street is one of the major thoroughfares of inner Melbourne. Running east to west, Victoria Street touches the Hoddle Grid at the intersection of La Trobe Street and Spring Street, opposite the Carlton Gardens. It runs from its terminus at the intersection of Munster Terrace in North...
forms the southern boundary to Abbotsford (with Richmond); Hoddle Street the western boundary (with Collingwood); the Eastern Freeway the northern boundary (with Clifton Hill) while the Yarra forms the eastern boundary with Kew in Boroondara.
Some well known Abbotsford landmarks include the Skipping Girl Sign
Skipping Girl Sign
The Skipping Girl Sign or Skipping Girl Vinegar Sign, colloquially known as Little Audrey, is the first animated neon sign in Australia. The sign is located on Victoria Street within the inner Melbourne suburb of Abbotsford.-Construction:...
, Dights Falls
Dights Falls
Dights Falls is located in Melbourne, Victoria just downstream of the junction of the Yarra River with Merri Creek. At this point the river narrows and is constricted between 800,000 year old volcanic, basaltic lava flow and a much older steep, silurian, sedimentary spur...
, the former Collingwood Town Hall
Collingwood Town Hall
Collingwood Town Hall is a civic building located on Hoddle Street in Abbotsford, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia.The hall was built between 1885 and 1890 to the design of local architects George R. Johnson in the Second Empire style, rich in detail and prominent mansard roofs and pyramid domes...
, Victoria Park Football Stadium
Victoria Park, Melbourne
Victoria Park is a sports venue in Abbotsford a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Built for the purpose of both Australian rules football and cricket, the stadium is oval shaped....
and Abbotsford Convent
Abbotsford Convent
The Abbotsford Convent is located in Abbotsford, Victoria, an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The Convent is in a bend of the Yarra River west of Yarra Bend Park, with the Collingwood Children's Farm to its north and east, the river and parklands to its south and housing to its...
.
Abbotsford is designated one of the 82 Major Activity Centres
Activity centre
Activity centre is a term used in urban planning and design for a mixed-use urban area where there is a concentration of commercial and other land uses...
listed in the Metropolitan Strategy Melbourne 2030
Melbourne 2030
The Metropolitan Strategy Melbourne 2030 is a Victorian Government strategic planning policy framework for the metropolitan area of Greater Melbourne, intended to cover the period 2001-2030. During this period the population of the metropolitan area is expected to grow by a million people to over 5...
.
Abbotsford takes its name from the estate of John Orr, which in turn is named after a ford in Scotland's Tweed River
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
used by the Abbott of Melrose Abbey
Melrose Abbey
Melrose Abbey is a Gothic-style abbey in Melrose, Scotland. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks, on the request of King David I of Scotland. It was headed by the Abbot or Commendator of Melrose. Today the abbey is maintained by Historic Scotland...
.
History
Abbotsford area was once bush along the Yarra River originally occupied by the Wurrunjeri people.The area of Abbotsford was first subdivided in 1838 and sold at an auction in Sydney. One of these lots was purchased by John Dight and the lot was later called Dight's Paddock. Dight then further subdivided the land into 12 hectare lots and in 1878 Edwin Trenerry, a Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
-based property developer, purchased a large portion of Dight’s Paddock for his nephew Fredrick Trenerry Brown and proceeded to further subdivide it for a residential estate.
In order to provide recreational facilities for potential residents and hence boost the value of the lots being offered for sale Fred Brown and solicitor, David Abbott created a sports oval and called it Victoria Park in 1879.
Abbotsford quickly established as an industrial area, home to many Irish
Irish diaspora
thumb|Night Train with Reaper by London Irish artist [[Brian Whelan]] from the book Myth of Return, 2007The Irish diaspora consists of Irish emigrants and their descendants in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Mexico, South Africa,...
, mostly factory workers, and until the construction of Melbourne's sewerage
Storm drain
A storm drain, storm sewer , stormwater drain or drainage well system or simply a drain or drain system is designed to drain excess rain and ground water from paved streets, parking lots, sidewalks, and roofs. Storm drains vary in design from small residential dry wells to large municipal systems...
and drainage systems was regularly flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ed by the Yarra River. Like many inner Melbourne suburbs, its working class origins have given it a reputation for crime.
Since World War II the area has become quite ethnically diverse, with many Greeks
Greek diaspora
The Greek diaspora, also known as Hellenic Diaspora or Diaspora of Hellenism, is a term used to refer to the communities of Greek people living outside the traditional Greek homelands, but more commonly in southeast Europe and Asia Minor...
, Italians
Italian diaspora
The term Italian diaspora refers to the large-scale migration of Italians away from Italy in the period roughly beginning with the unification of Italy in 1861 and ending with the Italian economic miracle in the 1960s...
, Vietnamese, Chinese
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
and more recently Arabs
Arab diaspora
Arab diaspora refers to Arab immigrants, and their descendants who, voluntarily or as refugees, emigrated from their native lands and now reside in non-Arab countries, primarily in Latin America, and Europe, as well as North America and South Asia, parts of Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and West...
and Africans
African diaspora
The African diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to places throughout the world—predominantly to the Americas also to Europe, the Middle East and other places around the globe...
making it their home.
In the 1960s a section of the northern part of the suburb was demolished to make way for the Eastern Freeway.
Along with Clifton Hill and Collingwood the suburb was a part of the City of Collingwood
City of Collingwood
The City of Collingwood was a Local Government Area located about east-northeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1855 until 1994.-History:...
until former State premier Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
conducted a wholesale merger of local government areas in 1994.
Property values have skyrocketed in recent years and many young professionals have moved to the area and the old industrial areas have experienced significant gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
and urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
since 2000.
A steady stream of migration since the 1980s has made Abbotsford home to Melbourne's largest Vietnamese community. So much so that Victoria Street is also known as Little Saigon
Little Saigon
Little Saigon is a name given to any of several overseas Vietnamese immigrant and descendant communities outside Vietnam, usually in the United States...
. It is best known for its exceptional varieties of Vietnamese food, of which draw tourists to the area from across Melbourne.
Industry
Abbotsford is home to Carlton and United Breweries, the company which produces Victoria BitterVictoria Bitter
Victoria Bitter is one of the many iconic beers manufactured in the Australian state of Victoria. VB currently maintains the highest market share of all beer sold in Australia, both on tap and packaged...
and Foster's Lager
Foster's Lager
Foster's Lager is an internationally distributed Australian brand of 5.0% abv pale lager, It is a product of Foster's Group brewed under licence in several countries, including the U.S. and Russia...
. The malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
smell of brewing often fills the surrounding area. Visitors can see the beer making process at the Carlton Brewhouse centre and tour the brewery itself before returning to the Brewhouse for a complimentary ale. Smaller microbreweries such as Moon Dog Craft Brewery are also situated in Abbotsford.
Recreation and leisure
Dights FallsDights Falls
Dights Falls is located in Melbourne, Victoria just downstream of the junction of the Yarra River with Merri Creek. At this point the river narrows and is constricted between 800,000 year old volcanic, basaltic lava flow and a much older steep, silurian, sedimentary spur...
, where the Merri Creek
Merri Creek
The Merri Creek is a waterway in southern parts of Victoria, Australia which flows through the northern suburbs of Melbourne. It begins in Wallan north of Melbourne and flows south for 70km until it joins the Yarra River at Dights Falls...
and Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
join is a short walk from the farm and is a favourite spot for kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
ers and picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
ers. Cyclists pass through the Collingwood Children's Farm on the Yarra River Trail which follows the Yarra River from the city to Dight's Falls, where it meets the Merri Creek Trail
Merri Creek Trail
The Merri Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Merri Creek through the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Following the Path:...
. This also forms part of the Capital City Trail
Capital City Trail
The Capital City Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which circles the Melbourne city centre and some inner eastern and northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
.
Studley Park is an extensive parkland which merges with the larger Yarra Bend Park, contains Dights falls and features within it a golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
course, sports grounds, and small pockets of natural forest.
Local landmarks
Victoria ParkVictoria Park, Melbourne
Victoria Park is a sports venue in Abbotsford a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Built for the purpose of both Australian rules football and cricket, the stadium is oval shaped....
was the home ground of the Collingwood Football Club
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
from its inception in 1892 until 2005. AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
matches are no longer played there, but Collingwood's reserves team are scheduled to play in nine matches per season in the VFL competition from 2010 onwards.
Collingwood Children's Farm
Collingwood Children's Farm
The Collingwood Children’s Farm is a not-for-profit, inner city farm situated on the Yarra River in the Melbourne suburb of Abbotsford, Australia. It is adjacent to, and considered part of the larger Abbotsford Convent complex. The Abbotsford Heritage Precinct Farmlands supporting the Farm are...
was established in 1979 by the local community with the support of the former City of Collingwood and former Department of Education to give city children "a taste of country life". It is located next to the grounds of the Abbotsford Convent
Abbotsford Convent
The Abbotsford Convent is located in Abbotsford, Victoria, an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The Convent is in a bend of the Yarra River west of Yarra Bend Park, with the Collingwood Children's Farm to its north and east, the river and parklands to its south and housing to its...
Arts Precinct and a Steiner School on a bend in the Yarra River. It is a small-holding, fully functioning working farm with Rare Breeds livestock, vegetable gardens and fruit orchards. Community Garden Plots are also a part of the Farm. Eggs and seasonal produce are for sale, and visitors are encouraged to interact with farm animals through activities such as cow milking (daily at 10am and 4pm). The Collingwood Children's Farm is sited on the Abbotsford Precinct Heritage Farmlands, the oldest continually farmland in the state of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
; farming commenced in 1838 (although some evidence suggests farming commenced as early as 1836) and has continued uninterupted since that time. The former convent itself was also home to the Lincoln Early Childhood Studies Institute and a campus of La Trobe University
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...
for a while, but is now the site of a community and arts precinct use after protracted negotiations between developers, the state government and Yarra City Council.
The suburb is probably most notable for the heritage neon 'Skipping Girl' sign along Victoria Street. This is a reproduction of the original
Public buildings
Abbotsford contains some impressive public buildings, most of them centred around the historic Collingwood Town Hall precinct. Among them is the Carringbush Library, former Church of Christ built between 1888 and 1889 in the classical style to the design of Jonathan Rankine. It is on the National Trust register. The Sailors and Soldiers memorial Hall is an unusual looking free classical building constructed in 1927 on Hoddle Street.Housing
Like many of Melbourne's inner suburbs, there are few detached houses in Abbotsford. Residential streets are often narrow, and some streets are leafy. A large proportion of houses in Abbotsford are subject to Heritage overlay provisions, which protect their heritage valueCultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
. The older residential sections consist mostly of working class single-storey Victorian terrace houses. Some double-storey terraces are found along the railway line and off the tram line on Victoria Street. Unlike the terraces in the wealthier suburbs of the city, many in Abbotsford remain in a state of disrepair and few have been renovated. Among the notable ones are terraces in Charles Street, and the identical pair of Dorothy and Winniefrir terraces in Lulie Street which are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which establishes Heritage Victoria as the permit authority...
. In recent years, many previous industrial and commercial sites have been redeveloped as housing, including sites along the Yarra river and the Denton Mills hat factory.
Commercial and industrial
William Pitt (architect)
William Pitt born in Melbourne was an architect, public servant and politician working in Victoria, Australia in the later part of the 19th century and early 20th century....
in polychrome brick in 1888. It was the home to Brush Fabrics until 2004, when plans for conversion to apartments were implemented. Work on the conversion began in mid 2007 and was completed in December 2009.
Prominent hotels include the Carringbush Hotel was built in 1889, its original name was the Friendly Societies Hotel.
Bridges
There are five bridges on the eastern boundary.- A footbridge across the Merri Creek at Dights Falls
- The Johnston Street, Studley Park Road bridge. First bridge (wood) 1858, replaced (iron) 1876, current424; enwikiUserID=12557839; enwis Bridge footbridge connecting Gipps Street and Yarra Bend Park. The site of Hodgson's Punt. The punt can be seen in Chevalier's painting 'Studley Park at sunrise' (1861)The painting.. By 1861 the punt had stopped operating. It was probably put out of business by the Penny Bridge nearby. According to a letter to the Argus the Punt was still operating in 1856 but a coronial inquest reported in the Argus of 1859 said the body had been found 'near where the old Hodgson's Punt crossed the river.'
- The 1892 Walmer Street footbridge connecting Walmer Street Kew and Burnley Street RIchmond
- The 1884 road bridge connecting Victoria Street to Barkers Road Hawthorn (later widened). This bridge replaced a ferry.
City of Yarra heritage walk notes
Between 1857 and 1899 the privately owned tollbridge or 'Penny ' Bridge connected the north end of Church Street to Yarra Bend Park.
Picture of the Penny Bridge
Educational facilities
Abbotsford has a government primary school (Abbotsford PS) and the Sophia Mundi Steiner School which caters for students from prep to year 12.Transport
Victoria Park railway station, Melbourne
Victoria Park is a railway station on the Hurstbridge and Epping lines in Abbotsford, Melbourne, Australia. The station is elevated, is in Metcard Zone 1 and is unmanned....
services the northern section and Victoria Park stadium. Nearby North Richmond station also services the southernmost part of the suburb.
Tram route 109
Melbourne tram route 109
Tram route 109 or simply The 109 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs between a terminus in Box Hill and a terminus near Station Pier in Port Melbourne...
(Port Melbourne
Port Melbourne, Victoria
Port Melbourne is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km southwest of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government areas are the cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, Port Melbourne had a population of 13,293....
/Box Hill
Box Hill, Victoria
Box Hill is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 14 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whitehorse. At the 2006 Census, Box Hill had a population of 8,616....
) runs down Victoria Street
Victoria Street, Melbourne
Victoria Street is one of the major thoroughfares of inner Melbourne. Running east to west, Victoria Street touches the Hoddle Grid at the intersection of La Trobe Street and Spring Street, opposite the Carlton Gardens. It runs from its terminus at the intersection of Munster Terrace in North...
and trams no. 78/79 terminate at the corner of Church Street and Victoria Street (technically in Richmond).
Hoddle Street is one of the most congested roadways in metropolitan Melbourne. The Eastern Freeway feeds into it at the northern end. Much of Abbotsford is serviced by narrow one way streets and is punctuated by the main streets of Hoddle, Nicholson and Johnston Streets.
Hoddle Street is a major busway and includes a dedicated priority bus lane along the length of the Abbotsford section.
See also
- City of CollingwoodCity of CollingwoodThe City of Collingwood was a Local Government Area located about east-northeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1855 until 1994.-History:...
– the former local government area of which Abbotsford was a part.