I moved my family to the other side of town

Fourteen years ago I helped my first Yarraville clients purchase a beautiful house in the local village. I was familiar with Yarraville somewhat, as I’d worked for a chemical giant previously with a petrochemical facility on Francis St. I was entranced by the village character though. It was diametrically opposing my memory of the suburb’s industrial pocket. Cute Victorian and Edwardian homes, peppered with an eclectic mix of brick 1960’s houses and trendy new townhouses adorned the streets. The vibrant village and the inclusion of small park spaces, all within a seamless walk from the station and an array of cafes and shops had me enthralled.

How had I missed this village in my former work years?

Yarraville’s roots date back to a very different era though, and like so many gentrifying, inner-ring suburbs, things have changed. Once a working class area with tanneries on the banks of the Yarra and smoke belching into the sky, Yarraville’s past is almost just a story.

I’d helped a few clients buy into this wondrous village by the end of 2011. I’d navigated the suburb by car, train and foot, wandering from street to street and familiarising myself with recent sales and the varying land values. Some agents had generously given me their time to canvas the suburb, (special mention to George Alexander who drove me around for hours).

Unlike other postcodes that tugged my heartstrings, this one resonated.

At the time, we lived in Aspendale. For those who may not be so familiar, it’s a beach side suburb on the other side of town and it’s half way between Brighton and Frankston. We enjoyed our time there until my work commute became an ordeal. My drive to North Melbourne generally took over an hour, and with a young child and long work hours, I was missing out on valuable family time. We had toyed with downsizing and moving closer to town, but a tight flat was impractical for space.

I hadn’t considered a ‘more affordable side’ of the city until I’d discovered the inner-west. Assisting a family with a similar move from the south/east to Yarraville was the impetus for my proposal to my family. After securing this house (pre-renovation) below, I asked myself “why couldn’t we do this?”

And the rest is history. It wasn’t exactly a simple task. We had a five year old who had started grade prep and had a new best friend. Our friends and family were mostly on the south-eastern side of town and my husband worked locally, in Chelsea Heigths.

I set my two beloveds a challenge. If we could all catch the train to Yarraville one weekend, spend some time in the village, a park and a cafe, I’d then ask them to consider the prospect of renting in Yarraville for one year. If they agreed, we’d keep our Aspendale house, try our new lifestyle and decide within a year if we were committed to staying.

We had a deal. It involved a new trampoline, and we moved into the ‘green house’, as my daughter called it.

We arranged a place for our daughter at the local primary school, packed up our home, found a suitable tenant, drove over the Westgate bridge with the cats wailing from their cage, and we quickly acclimatised to the hum of the bridge traffic and the notion of street-parking. Dining at local cafes was, (and still is) still a novelty. We loved having the village at our fingertips, and my ten minute commute to North Melbourne was beyond my wildest dreams.

Three weeks later, my husband said “Do your thing. Find us a house.”

I reflect on the decision, and the amazing rewards Yarraville has gifted us. It’s easy to get used to a suburb when you have lived there long enough, but not taking it for granted is important.

Amenity is the first thing that comes to mind when I think about my new ‘hometown’, but there is so much more that often gets overlooked. As comical as the congestion on Anderson Stret can be, there are few villages that still have the picket fence gate closing on the pedestrians as the trains approach. Our narrow street struggles at times with traffic passing in both directions, and on a rainy winter’s night with horns blaring and traffic at a standstill, I know I’m in Yarraville.

Our village streets aren’t just associated with traffic jams though. The annual Yarraville festival sees the streets closed off, as does Hallowe’en. Local businesses adorn their windows with ghosts and ghouls and the villager’s come out with their kids to trick or treat. Like or loathe this once-American tradition, it does bring our village together and it’s joyous.

It could be argued that Mike Smith helped put Yarraville’s beautiful village on the map. The truth is that many people and many attributes have contributed to Yarraville and the suburb it is today. Mike certainly deserves special mention though. He owns and restored the Sun Theatre in the late 1990’s.

Today it brings people from all over, and the stunning theatres have been lovingly rejuvenated with plush leather, and incredible wall and ceiling detail. When asked in this interview with the Maribyrnong Star, “What has been the most rewarding aspect of bringing the Sun Theatre back to life?“, his response was as follows.

“Seeing how much people love the place, people relaxing in the park out front, and hearing about people who got married after going on their first date at the Sun.”

Yarraville’s rich migrant history is very important too. Our cafes tell part of the story, with glorious pastries at Easter time and fabulous food at every corner. The Greek church bells every Sunday are special, as is the sight of the older men who catch up for a coffee and a cigarette every morning outside Java Cafe.

I tried to describe Yarraville to a friend once, but it was difficult. It has a touch of Mailing Road, Canterbury with a twist of grunge. A hint of Puckle Street with an older vibe and a tigher bunch of streets. A bit of Acland street, without the backpackers. And in the distance, the sound of a Boeing 767 can be heard as some of the flights come in.

The amenity and the shops draw crowds often, but for those of us who are lucky enough to live in Yarraville, it’s our sense of community that wins hearts.