I was born in the early 1960s. Growing up in Footscray was beautiful and clean back then. It was all Europeans and their shops. It had a very different and lively vibe back then. I mourned when the Coles Variety Store and Coles New World stores closed down. It was the beginning of the end. Plairre's Bakery in Leeds Street, and further up was a Polish cake shop, which have all long shut down. This was tragic. I was sad when The Grand cinema also closed down in Paisley Street in 1987. With my family gone, we packed up and left. I always remember the 60s as a kid and the 70s as a teenager in Footscray. It was busy, vibrant and had every shop you ever needed. Footscray was THE shopping centre with everything. The final death knell was when Forges had closed down, but we'd already left by then. Footscray was very beautiful even into the mid 80s but then it bit the dust. I hate gentrification. This is just what ruined Footscray. It created a great divide. Everyone was the same before, working class, no snobbery at all back then. When it was great, ppl from other areas turned their noses down at it. Now that it's gentrified, and not even a shadow of its former self, ppl are saying how great Footscray is. They obviously didn't know it or lived there back then. I will never forget those great old days when every time I went into the shopping precinct, I'd always bump into old friends I knew, in the Nicholson Street Mall also. Towards the end of my stay, I no longer knew anyone there. The friendly faces vanished 1x1. With the previous generation gone, I felt no need to remain. For all those who lived there back then, thank you for the beautiful times and memories. I will never forget those ppl, those friends, the friendly happy faces of those who lived there, the shops and those times, all of which will never return. It's heart breaking. Just too sad how a place can change so much to the point of no longer being familiar and recognisable.
Hello Johanna. Yes its hard to take isnt it....seeing great old buildings just disappear overnight. Im not from footscray but sunshine. But sunshine has gone the same way as footscray. Soon, the next generation will knock down more, and build more, without even caring about the hard working class people that would stand shoulder to shoulder in times of hardship. i cant believe how life has changed just in my lifetime! Not only buildings, but the political correctness and so on. Make me feel ill. The crazy laws, the whole things makes me want to go back into time.
I was born and bred in Yarraville , lived 58 years in the west , the one thing that really piss;s me off is the lack of respect young people , council workers and the authorities have in regards to out right vandalism , this scourge of "so called street art" is nothing more than VANDALISM , If the REAL locals with some pride got out and painted over this crap / rubbish as soon as it was seen it would soon disappear but no it gets put into the too hard basket or it's not my job , but for fuck sake IT IS YOUR TOWN . One look at the old Yarraville post office freaking disgusting and all the " latte sippers on the pop up grass" don't seem to care that their little inherited slice of history is being ruined by lazy arse hole vandals . Clean up the shit and the shit heads will leave .
I particularly remember the UFS dispensary, it was just around the corner at the Footscray end of Picket Street. We used to walk up there, and follow the row of shops along the railway cutting, to get to the main shopping precinct. There were a couple of two story terrace houses in Pickett Street, which although once grand had fallen on hard times by the sixties. They were eventually demolished, and a large carpark created where they once stood.
The photo of the metro west sign at 1:08 is that the before photo and the pic of the commonwealth bank the after. If so they are at different ends of the mall in Footscray.
the decline of old Footscray probably has more to do with the Australian government floating the dollar and the American government swapping the gold standard for the petro dollar then any other reason you may think
Just like Springvale , Dandenong ,Box hill and many more everyone complains about the filth now but we just let it all go because we were told trying to stand up against it was wrong .
tHE JOKES ON YOURSELVES,, the older generation folk have died off ,,( Born in the 20's,30's,40's ) & their offspring born in the 50's,60's,70's have moved out to other suburbs or even interstate,,or overseas & a long time ago,,,now that it has changed they complain ???? Well youse only have yourselves to blame for not continuing to have lived there & "UPHOLDING THE FORT " or running / supporting the local businesses,,, during the last 30 or so years ago Unfortuatnely thats the price of progress,fashion & changing times ,,,,,,,,,,,
I grew up in West Footscray. The Footscray now is a place I wouldn't let a rat lose in. A Crime ridden Junkie Haven. Graffiti on every square inch of buildings. It's revolting.
I was born and bred in Footscray, but I have to say that I dont regret leaving it. Footscray is very different to the place I grew up in, I am not a fan of gentrified suburbs, it can take a towns soul. I miss the days where is was unfashionable to live on the wrong side of the river. I miss the Foostcray of old. Footscray is nothing like the wonderful working class community it used to be.
Hello i lived in byron st footscray for 60 years R I P old footscray it was the best place in the world to grow up i n what can i say ,,,,,,,want to hear some stories HA HA HA hay steve
typical of a clown who thinks they know it all.we dont drink.& typical of the "group think" mentality of your reply.the answer is very clear .footscray is a hole that used to be great heroin.over zealous multiculturalism destroyed a once vibrant city.you'd never fear for your life if you went down the mall during weekdays in the early 70's today its a cesspit.so fuck you.couldnt give a stuff about your shit collectivist, hive like mind whose days are ending.re: aboott govt win thank god
As the creator of this video let me set a few things straight, firstly I have been a resident of Footscray all my 55 years and yes I remember all those things and more. If you put your stubby down and watch it properly, you will see that the point I was making is that the once great city of Footscray that had heart and soul has been trashed by all those things in the video, hence all the before and after shots.The question asked is Footscray better or worse? we know the answer don't we?
what do you mean we dont know? we fuckin do..footscray used to be a great place in the 70's now its been totally trashed..forges at xmas time, plaires cake shop at the tram stop..coles at the mall skates billiard house.pinnies at footscray sports center.grand cinema..all gone..totally trashed..yeah we dont know do we?..typical comments from a trendy ring in
