Seddon Issues and Opportunities

To plan for Seddon's future, Council is in the process of developing a Neighbourhood Plan to establish what is important for the community, what Seddon should look like in the future, how the activity centre should function and direction for the preferred type of built form and future development.

The Plan will also establish how Council will respond to public realm and connectivity challenges, develop strategies to promote economic activity, and clear and implementable design concepts for key public spaces and streets.

Following an early conversation with the community on their long-term vision for the township, we developed an Issues and Opportunities Paper, which was available for comment during July and August 23.

We are now considering feedback with a view to sharing a draft Plan for further comment in early 2024.

The Issues and Opportunities Paper is available to download in the document library.

Next Steps

The Issues and Opportunities Paper and comments gathered during the latest community conversation will inform the development of a draft Seddon Neighbourhood Plan.

This draft Plan will build on the Seddon Urban Design Framework 2010 and consider the future built form within the Seddon Neighbourhood Activity Centre (NAC).

The Activity Centre provides access to local goods, services and employment opportunities and services the needs of the surrounding community.

The draft Neighbourhood Plan will seek to establish:

  • An understanding of existing and future built form of the suburb.
  • Land use and management, including activity centre boundaries, zoning and overlays, housing options, and heritage sites.
  • Strategies to promote economic performance and employment opportunities within the activity centre specifically.
  • Responses to current public realm and connectivity challenges and opportunities (considering Seddon's proximity to Yarraville, Footscray, and the Melbourne City Centre).
  • Design concepts for key public spaces and street events.

This draft Neighbourhood Plan will be shared with the community for additional comment.

Informing the Issues and Options Paper

In August 2022, Council sought community input into the development of a new long-term vision for Seddon.

We received more than 1,000 pieces of feedback in the form of comments, votes, or likes - one-fifth (200) via hard copy postcards, and the rest on our online portal, Your City Your Voice.

Respondents told us they envisioned a future Seddon that:

  • remains 'clean and green'
  • includes more shared and readily accessible spaces, such as community gardens, parklets, public toilets, and more outdoor dining
  • features quality footpaths, cycle networks, and lower speed limits
  • retains its unique culture, heritage, and culture

Based on this feedback, along with internal workshops and specialist advice, we've developed eight key themes we believe are in line with what you have told us you are looking for in a future Seddon:

Seddon is a small dense suburb with working-class roots. It is home to a tight-knit community and a range of high-quality restaurants, bars, cafes, and retail stores.

With a total land area measuring just one square kilometre, it is easy to get around.

Situated south of a rapidly developing Footscray, the tree-lined streets, access to public transport, schools, and proximity to the Melbourne CBD make it a highly desirable place to live, work and visit.

Originally known as Belgravia, its name was changed to Seddon in honour of New Zealand Prime Minister Richard 'King Dick' Seddon, who had lived within its borders.

Seddon was also home to one Margaret (Marge) Tucker – or 'Auntie Marge’ – who is considered one of Australia’s earliest and most notable Aboriginal activists.

Minister Richard 'King Dick' Seddon

Born in Lancashire, Richard John Seddon first travelled to Victoria at the age of 16 fuelled by “a restlessness to get away to see new broad lands”. He worked at the railway workshops in Williamstown and unsuccessfully worked the goldfields in Bendigo before travelling across the Tasman to New Zealand to try his luck in the goldfields there. Seddon, who dominated New Zealand politics for 13 years, is considered one of the greatest and most revered politicians. He was Prime Minister from 1893 to his death in 1906, just 12 days before his 61st birthday while he was returning from a trip to Australia. 1906 was the same year Seddon, Victoria, took his name.

You can read more about Richard Seddon here.

Margaret (Marge) Tucker - or 'Auntie Marge’

Margaret, who lived at 38 Pentland Parade, Seddon, is considered one of Australia’s earliest and most notable Aboriginal activists, who, along with then Pastor Doug Nicholls and William Cooper, represented the Victorian Aboriginal community during the “day of mourning” at Australia’s 150th-anniversary celebrations in Sydney in 1938. She fought for her people all her life based on a philosophy of reuniting black and white in the community. She is quoted as saying “You can’t play a tune on the piano with just the white keys and you can’t play a tune on a piano with just the black keys. To get a tune in harmony you must use both the black and white keys and that’s when black and white come together.”

You can read more about Aunty Marge here and here.

Once upon a time, the main streets of Charles and Gamon accommodated a tram line that ran through the middle of the village. This has since been replaced with central garden beds and tree plantings in the middle of the streets.

Today, Seddon has its own train station on the Werribee and Williamstown line.

Seddon's housing stock is predominantly single-storey Victorian 'workers cottages' and Edwardian terrace houses, with some later double-story early 20th century buildings in the Village.

There are a number of small gardens, parks, playgrounds and reserves - including Harris, Bristow and Mappin reserves.

In 2010 and 2011, as part of the implementation of the Seddon Urban Design Framework, Council allocated funding to upgrade Charles Street between Victoria and Gamon streets, to help foster and strengthen the local community identity.