Docklands Editorial Image

Docklands was once Melbourne’s largest and busiest port, but by the late 1980s it had become a derelict industrial wasteland. Before the foundation of Melbourne, Docklands was a wetlands area consisting of a large salt lake and a giant swamp known as West Melbourne Swamp at the mouth of the Moonee Ponds Creek. It was one of the open hunting grounds of the Wurundjeri people, who created middens around the edges of the lake. At Melbourne`s foundation, John Batman set up his home on Batman`s Hill at Docklands, marking the westernmost point of the settlement. However, the rest of the area remained largely unused for decades. The advent of rail infrastructure in the late 1860s saw the City`s industry gradually expand into the area. With inner-city living becoming more popular and Melbourne’s population set to soar, the Victorian Government saw an opportunity to extend the western edge of Melbourne’s central business district and reconnect the city to its historical waterfront.