The electorate of Williamstown is diverse, comprised of residential, industrial and park areas. It includes the suburbs of Williamstown, Newport, Altona, Altona North, Brooklyn, Seaholme, Spotswood, South Kingsville and parts of Yarraville.
The electorate of Williamstown has a rich history that spans long before the arrival of colonisers in the area in 1835. The land on which the electorate of Williamstown is situated is traditionally owned by two clans of the BoonWurrung people of the Kulin Nation. The Yalukit Willam meaning “river home” or “people of the river” lived within the 5km strip at the top of Port Phillip Bay. The Marin-Balluk lived in the area between Kororoit Creek and the Maribyrnong River. Read more about Williamstown here and here.
Williamstown’s settler history began in 1835 following the arrival of John Batman. Suburbs in the Williamstown electorate soon became industrial hubs that provided manufacturing and building jobs to thousands of working-class people. Rich with heritage, our electorate is home to the oldest port, pier, lighthouse, maritime industry, naval dockyards, railway workshops, and train station in Australia.
Today, the electorate has many remnants of its industrial history, and also enjoys a diverse population and a high volume of families. Some of the West’s top attractions include Scienceworks, the Newport Substation, Williamstown beach and Altona beach, Seaworks and Gem Pier.
Some of the key initiatives that are underway or have been completed by the Andrews Labor Government for the Williamstown electorate include:
- $29 million for a new local high school for the Seddon, Kingsville, and Yarraville area, as a part of the Footscray Learning Precinct which opened its’ doors in 2021.
- $3.8 million additional funding for Altona North Primary School to build new classrooms and learning areas.
- $10.2 million for the modernisation of Wembley Primary School’s main building.
- The removal of two dangerous and congested level crossings on Kororoit Creek Road and Ferguson Street in Williamstown, making it faster and safer for pedestrians, drivers and public transport users to travel through these areas.
- $5 million for 500,000 trees in the inner west.
- $650,000 worth of works recently commenced on Gem Pier. These preservation works will see the replacement and repair of piles beneath the Pier as part of the Better Recreational Facilities Initiative.
- World class healthcare will be available right here in the inner west, as the Andrews government gets on with building the $1.5 billion new Footscray Hospital, set to open 2025.