History of Docklands

The regeneration of Melbourne's Docklands has provided Melburnians with a spectacular waterfront they never knew they had.

Early History
The area now known as Melbourne Docklands is part of the Lower Yarra Delta, a low lying area that spreads from Princes Bridge to the sea. This was originally a wetland area containing swamps, low-lying vegetation, water fowl and fish. For  many thousands of years, this marshy land between the mouths of the Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers was used as a hunting ground and meeting place by several  Aboriginal communities - the Wurundjeri, the Boonerwrung, Taungurong, Djadja Wurrung and the Wathaurong.

European Settlement
The first European settlers  arrived in 1803, when New South Wales Surveyor General Charles Grimes sailed  into Port Phillip Bay on the Cumberland. These visitors recorded their brief  exploration of the forked waterways, known for many years as Salt Water River (later the Maribyrnong River) and Freshwater River (later  the Yarra River). There was little further exploration of Port Phillip Bay and the  Yarra River until 1835 when John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner founded their  illegal settlement, later named Melbourne. Sanctioned by Governor Bourke in  1837, the fledgling settlement was surveyed by Robert Hoddle, from the top of  Batman's Hill (located south west of where Southern Cross Station now stands).

Early Industry
Early ships visiting the new settlement anchored in Hobson's Bay  (now Williamstown) and transferred freight by boat up the Yarra River. At first  boats were tied to trees, before the first wharves were built on the banks of the  Yarra River in the early 1840s. The swampy land on the western edge of the  developing city quickly became the preferred site for industry due to the cheap  leases that were available, and the close proximity to water transport. By 1860,  Docklands was home to the West Melbourne gas works, railway industry, an  explosives magazine and a pottery works. A number of other industries such as  abattoirs, fellmongeries (dealers in animal skins and hides) and tanneries set up  in the area because of its isolation from the township and proximity to water. One  of the tallow-rendering plants in the area notched up an environmental first in  1867 by being the first Victorian industry to be fined for polluting. Industrialisation  would continue to shape the area's future over the next century.

Development of the Port
Victoria formally separated from New South Wales in 1851. In that year the  Melbourne Chamber of Commerce was formed and began campaigning for a  Harbour Trust to develop wharf and water traffic. The Trust was established in 1877 and shortly thereafter engaged engineer Sir John Coode to advise on developing the docks as a deep water port suitable for heavy shipping.

Sir John Coode  eventually recommended that the course of the Yarra be altered and that the  lands south west of the rail yards be used for another major dock facility. This led to a major dredging exercise to create a new route for the Yarra known as 'Coode  Canal'.

Construction of Victoria Dock commenced in the late 1880s and was  completed in 1892. Constructed in local timber, the dock was applauded as a feat  of engineering and testament to Melbourne's stature as an international city.  Excavating the dock involved removing some 2.3 million cubic metres of earth that  was used to improve the land around the dock and to fill the West Melbourne Swamp.

Port Operations and Decline
By 1908, Victoria Dock was handling an estimated 90% of Victoria's imports. A  central pier was constructed between 1914 and 1916 to further enlarge the dock's  capacity.

Between the early 1900s and the late 1950s, Victoria Dock was  Melbourne's busiest dock, handling a wide range of cargo including coal, steel,  animals, wool, wheat. It maintained this status notwithstanding the economic downturns associated with the first and second world wars.

In the 1960s, the  Harbour Trust began using containerised cargo which required very different  storage to the long sheds lining the docks. New docks and transport infrastructure were built west of Victoria Dock in the 1970s, rendering redundant the dock and  the wharves on both sides of the Yarra. By the end of the decade, these new docks  were handling around 68% of the Port's cargo.

Port activity at Docklands  continued to decline steadily over the next few years, and by the late 1980s it was largely disused and had fallen into disrepair.

Regeneration
In 1991, the Docklands Authority (later becoming part of VicUrban) was  established to oversee the area's renewal. The Docklands Authority was tasked  with creating a waterfront development that would extend the western edge of the  Central City, enhancing its connection with the waterfront.

After a period of  extensive consultation with the community and key stakeholders, a plan for  Docklands was released in 1995. In conjunction with the plan, a commitment was made by the State Government to develop the area.

The first project to commence construction at Docklands was the new stadium in 1997. Commencement of works  on the stadium also triggered the construction of key roads and tram infrastructure to help link it, and the whole precinct, to surrounding areas.

Construction on the first apartments at Docklands commenced in 2000.



Source
The information above is an extract from the 'First Decade of Docklands Report' by VicUrban. For more information or to download a copy, please visit:
http://www.docklandsseconddecade.com/history