Spotswood, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Spotswood is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
, 7 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay
. At the 2006 Census, Spotswood had a population of 2234.
The suburb is bounded generally by the Geelong railway line in the west, the West Gate Freeway
in the north, the Yarra River
in the east and by the boundaries of the properties below Burleigh Street in the south.
Spotswood was named after J.S. Spottiswoode (shortened Spotswood), one of the first farmers who owned much of the area in the 1840s.
. Scienceworks is near the old sewage pumping station of Spotswood, constructed in 1897. This location was also used as the police headquarters in Mad Max
and for the Academy award winning short film Harvie Krumpet
. The suburb is served by the Spotswood railway station.
, made in 1990-1991, released in 1992, starring Anthony Hopkins
, Toni Collette
, and Bruno Lawrence
. Russell Crowe
, as a minor character. Most of the scenes in Spotswood were shot in the suburb, but the Moccasin
factory is fictional and doesn't exist in Spotswood; the factory scenes in the movie were shot in the old sewage pumping station. Moccasins are a derogatory stereotype for the western suburbs of Melbourne
; implying a lack of class
, culture and sophistication even though they are commonly used elsewhere in Australia.
The suburb was the main location in the clay animation short-film Harvie Krumpet
.
. The Spotswood Cricket Club also plays at McLean Reserve and competes in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association.
Golfers play at the course of the Westgate Golf Club on Creek Street.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 7 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district
Melbourne city centre
Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay
City of Hobsons Bay
The City of Hobsons Bay is a Local Government Area in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprises the south-western suburbs between 6 and 20 km from the Melbourne city centre....
. At the 2006 Census, Spotswood had a population of 2234.
The suburb is bounded generally by the Geelong railway line in the west, the West Gate Freeway
West Gate Freeway
West Gate Freeway is a freeway in Melbourne, Australia, linking Geelong to Melbourne CBD and beyond. It is also a link between Melbourne and the west and linking industrial and residential areas west of the Yarra River with the city and port areas. The iconic West Gate Bridge is a part of the...
in the north, the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
in the east and by the boundaries of the properties below Burleigh Street in the south.
Spotswood was named after J.S. Spottiswoode (shortened Spotswood), one of the first farmers who owned much of the area in the 1840s.
History
Spottiswoode Post Office opened on 1 February 1882 and was renamed Spottiswood around 1903 and Spotswood around 1906.Locality
Spotswood is known for the Victorian Science Museum, known as ScienceworksScienceworks Museum (Melbourne)
Scienceworks is a world renowned science museum in Melbourne, Australia. It is a venue of Museum Victoria which administers the cultural and scientific collections of the State of Victoria...
. Scienceworks is near the old sewage pumping station of Spotswood, constructed in 1897. This location was also used as the police headquarters in Mad Max
Mad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
and for the Academy award winning short film Harvie Krumpet
Harvie Krumpet
Harvie Krumpet is an Australian clay animation made in Melbourne written, directed and animated by Adam Elliot and produced by Melanie Coombs. This short film won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film in 2003, in addition to numerous festival awards and the 2004 Australian Film Institute Best...
. The suburb is served by the Spotswood railway station.
Film
Spotswood was the setting of the eponymous Australian film, SpotswoodSpotswood (film)
Spotswood is an Australian comedy film directed by Mark Joffe, made in 1990-1991, released in 1992 in some locations. It is also known as The Efficiency Expert in America....
, made in 1990-1991, released in 1992, starring Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
, Toni Collette
Toni Collette
Antonia "Toni" Collette is an Australian actress and musician, known for her acting work on stage, television and film as well as a secondary career as the lead singer of the band Toni Collette & the Finish....
, and Bruno Lawrence
Bruno Lawrence
Bruno Lawrence was a New Zealand musician and actor.Initially notable as founder of 1970s musical and theatrical "Blerta", he had well-regarded roles in several major films, and starred on the 1990s Australian satirical TV series Frontline.-Biography:Born David Charles Lawrence in Worthing, West...
. Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
, as a minor character. Most of the scenes in Spotswood were shot in the suburb, but the Moccasin
Moccasin (footwear)
A moccasin is a slipper made of deerskin or other soft leather, consisting of a sole and sides made of one piece of leather, stitched together at the top, and sometimes with a vamp . Though sometimes worn inside, it is chiefly intended for outdoor use, as in exploring wildernesses and running from...
factory is fictional and doesn't exist in Spotswood; the factory scenes in the movie were shot in the old sewage pumping station. Moccasins are a derogatory stereotype for the western suburbs of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
; implying a lack of class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
, culture and sophistication even though they are commonly used elsewhere in Australia.
The suburb was the main location in the clay animation short-film Harvie Krumpet
Harvie Krumpet
Harvie Krumpet is an Australian clay animation made in Melbourne written, directed and animated by Adam Elliot and produced by Melanie Coombs. This short film won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film in 2003, in addition to numerous festival awards and the 2004 Australian Film Institute Best...
.
Sport
The suburb has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Western Region Football LeagueWestern Region Football League
The Western Region Football League is an Australian rules football semi-professional league, based in the western suburbs of Melbourne, for both seniors and juniors.-History:The league was formed in 1931, as the Footscray District Football League...
. The Spotswood Cricket Club also plays at McLean Reserve and competes in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association.
Golfers play at the course of the Westgate Golf Club on Creek Street.
See also
- City of FootscrayCity of FootscrayThe City of Footscray was a Local Government Area located about west of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1859 until 1994.-History:...
- the former local government area of which Spotswood was a part. - City of WilliamstownCity of WilliamstownThe City of Williamstown was a Local Government Area located about southwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1919 until 1994.-History:...
- the former local government area of which Spotswood was a part.