Williamstown, located on the western edge of Port Philip Bay, is one of Melbourne’s oldest suburbs and Melbourne’s first port. The area was settled in 1835, the same year John Batman explored the Yarra River. By the start of the 1840s, a well established convict built town and port was flourishing. Williamstown continued to expand rapidly (especially during the 1850s gold rush) up until major port activates moved from the area.
Today Williamstown is undergoing a resurge in development, its proximity to Melbourne’s CBD has seen it as the prime spot for developers to breathe some new life into the town’s historic buildings, turning the area into one of Melbourne’s up-and-coming fashionable suburbs.
Williamstown is full of attractions, the main street known as Nelson Place is boarded one side by historic buildings that today house plenty of bars, cafés and art and craft shops. On the other side of Nelson Place and along the waters edge is Commonwealth Reserve, here on the 3rd Sunday of the month a craft market is held, it’s also a good place to relax and take in the views of Melbourne’s Skyline from across the water. The area surrounding Commonwealth Reserve and Nelson place has the great charm of a maritime village.
Other Attractions found in the Williamstown area include Melbourne’s first morgue, Scienceworks Science Museum and Planeterium which is partly housed in Melbourne’s old sewage pumping station at Spotswood and a maritime museum operating from a WW2 mine sweeper known as the HMAS Castlemaine located at Gem Pier at Commonwealth Reserve. Continuing the nautical theme is the replica of the sailing schooner the Enterprise, the Titanic Theatre Restaurant located in the former Prince of Wales Hotel as well as the former time ball tower and the Tide Water Gauge House.
Williamstown is easily accessible with the 3 stations of North Williamstown, Williamstown Beach and Williamstown all on the Williamstown line around 15 Klms from flinders Street Station. Another good way to get to Williamstown is via a ferry from Southbank via Scienceworks to Williamstown’s Gem Pier, another ferry service to St Kilda Pier also operates on Weekends. By car, the Williamstown is a just off the western side of the Westgate Bridge.
