Over the line

A pedestrian bridge used to cross the railway line here at the end of Boundary St. The piece of concrete in the foreground is all that remains of that bridge.

People would cross the line from densely populated Montague to work at Kitchens or Dunlops. I'm told it was called the Tipperary Bridge. At that time, the railway line was busy - so much busier than today - carrying freight as well as people.
When it came to be demolished, people occupied the bridge and were forcibly removed by authorities. Without the bridge, they had to walk round by Ingles Street to get to Boundary Street and the factories on the other side.
These two pictures that follow show the bridge as it was experienced by people living close by and from the air.

image Fred Nicholson

State Library of Victoria

The pedestrian bridge as well as the Railway Reserves and Dunlops can be seen in this aerial image - one of many by Charles Pratt. This image is just to tantalise you into following this link to see the image at a high resolution where you can explore the world of the photo by zooming in.
Do you have any recollections of this place?

This will be the site for a school

Following a sustained campaign by Two Schools Now, the Age brought the news on Sunday that money would be set aside in the state budget to purchase the site for a new school. In case you are not familiar with the site at 129-161 Ferrars St, here is a picture of the frontage of the site which is currently owned by Melbourne University.  The site is well located for South Melbourne, Southbank, Montague and public transport. The budget allocation is expected to be for the site acquisition and site planning. Further funding will be required to build the school by which time other developments in Montague will be well underway.

129-161 Ferrars St

Good news though this is, it is clear that there is still a long road ahead. Involving parents, community leaders and educators throughout the long gestation of the school will be important because this will not be a conventional school along familiar lines. It will be a school in a high rise high density context. Examples of other schools in such locations around the world will need to be explored for relevance and adaptation to this context. The site is surrounded by many potential high rise development sites. It makes sense that all developments being planned and their surroundings should be child and family friendly. Every new development near the site should now actively consider its proximity to the school in the analysis of the site context. The interfaces of the new residential developments to Ferrars St will need to be pedestrian friendly and entry points to garages will need to be thought through. The current approach is driving the kids to school will not be an option in this location. That means that even though the site is very well situated for the 96 tram route, the access and approaches will need to be strengthened and made safe for pedestrians. The processes for establishing not just a building but a community around Albert Park Secondary College are a good starting point for this long haul towards a new model school of excellence for the future.
All this suggests that community involvement in a precinct plan for Montague that considers community infrastructure, open space and access and movement networks is essential.
See also Shaun Carney's excellent piece in this morning's Herald Sun

Looking towards the future

At three quarter time when it looked like Port could never come back, the late afternoon sun shone on North Port Oval. The Norm Goss stand is a great place to contemplate the current and future shape of Montague and Fishermans Bend - with the former Kitchens industrial complex in the foreground and the towers of Yarra's Edge behind.
While thus distracted, Port went on to beat the Casey Scorpions 15.11.101 to 14.14.98. What was it that Gary Ayres said at the three quarter time break when Port was four goals down?

Where is ... FBURA?

Well, having established that it is not Fishermans Bend as locally understood, but the Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area, where is it exactly?
Follow this link to the former Department of Planning and Community Development map.

What's in a name and does it matter?

There's a bit of confusion over terminology. The name Fishermans Bend itself has been the subject of debate over the years. Fisherman or Fishermen? Allan Meiers, in his book Fisherfolk of Fishermans Bend offers this definition: 'Fishermans Bend: A term used by Sandridge Council to designate all the land bounded by the seashore at Hobsons Bay, the northermost bend of the Yarra River and Boundary St which divides South Melbourne and Port Melbourne'(piv) The Register of Geographic Names VICNAMES has it definitively registered as Fishermans Bend with some interesting historical information about the fishermen who lived there in the early days. Even this apparently neutral entry is a red rag to Port Melbourne as Fishermans Bend is listed as being in the municipality of Melbourne.
The Minister for Planning, Matthew Guy, has thrown a bit of confusion into local minds by the designation and delineation of the Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area - beginning to be known as FBURA. As understood locally, Fishermans Bend also covers some of the established residential areas of Port Melbourne including the Fishermans Bend estate - yet they are clearly not contemplated to be part of the FBURA. To add to the confusion, Montague is included within the FBURA. Speak to any person who grew up in Montague and they will be fierce in defense of its being a place in its own right - never having been part of Port Melbourne. While Montague was in South Melbourne's jurisdiction, it was most definitely first and foremost Montague.
Where it does begin to matter is when it if put forward as a design rationale for a development.
Thanks to Urban Melbourne for giving the opportunity to look at the  proposal for 132-134 Ferrars St in some detail. The amazing visualisation technology available today even shows the retained street trees in Thistlethwaite St. The architects, Rothe Lowman*, say that the major driver for the design was the early name for South Melbourne, Emerald Hill.
That inspiration is quite misconceived and suggests a lack of understanding of the historical and geographical context of the site.  Every single description of Montague calls up its relationship to the Yarra River as does the planning report. The proximity to the river drives the above ground carparking, and the anticipated sea level rise.  Montague was always prone to flooding, many of its residents worked on South Wharf - Montague was definitely a river place.  Emerald Hill, by contrast and and by definition was a hill. In those days (and perhaps in the future too), those topographical distinctions really mattered.
And is it just me? I thought emeralds were green, not purple but I wouldn't know since I've never owned one.
Sources and further information
http://services.land.vic.gov.au/vicnames/
http://urbanmelbourne.info/
http://www.rothelowman.com.au/
The Fisherfolk of Fishermans Bend is available from the Port Melbourne Town Hall Assist counter or directly from the Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society.
*also architects for Aqueous apartments in Nott St, Port Melbourne

Proposal for 134 - 142 Ferrars St fails the test, 1

134 - Ferrars St, cnr Ferrars and Thistlethwaite St, Montague

Not unexpectedly, the Port Phillip Council did not support the proposal for a 49 storey development at 134 - 142 Ferrars St, and has asked the Minister for Planning to refuse the application.
Not unexpected because the proposal failed the Council's assessment on a range of tests - most importantly that it greatly exceeded the height and scale preferred in the Council's adopted Montague Structure Plan. The environmental performance of the proposal was not considered adequate.
The proposal was assessed against the Montague Structure Plan in the absence of a plan for the Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area (FBURA). There is also no development contribution plan in place. The planning report recommended that no permit should be granted until such a plan is in place and added that 'this is preferable than piecemeal agreements between the Minster for Planning and developers, which may result in ad-hoc, uncoordinated and inconsistent works within the FBURA.'
Port Phillip Council's adopted Precinct Structure Plan is sensitive to the fine grain of the Montague precinct - of which more in future posts on Port Places.

Never has there been such wholehearted support for urban renewal as in the Montague area - it is the scale, integration and coherence of the precinct that is the issue.
Minister Guy told the Herald Sun on Wednesday 24th April that "We are deeply worried about liveability in some of our outer urban areas in places that we've inherited, which had no infrastructure upgrades for a decade or so"
Observers are equally concerned that liveability is created in the FBURA. Liveability is not an artifact in itself, but the product of a range of attributes. Considering one application in isolation when there are another 21* apparently in the pipeline in the absence of any plan for development contribution, cumulative impact, community facilities and streetscape improvements does not give confidence that liveability is being created here.
*Marc Pallisco The Age 27 April 2013

125-133 Thistlethwaite Street

The property, zoned Capital City Zone (CCZ1), was sold on the 24 April for $4.2m.
Lemon Baxter described the property as representing "an unprecedented future high rise development opportunity. Similar sites within the area are proposing applications for high rise of between 21-50 Levels (STPA)."

As reported by Marc Pallisco in The Age on April 20, 2013 the "Thistlethwaite Street site is the first offered for auction in Montague since last year's Capital City 1 rezoning. The agents expect $4m which would reflect a land rate of about $3,300 a square metre. Before the rezone, the rate per square metre of land was about $2,000."