Wise-ing up to Docklands

According to Greg Wise, you only get out of Docklands what you put in.

Greg and his wife Julie moved to the area a few years ago and initially found it difficult to meet people and make friends when living in a high-rise suburb.

But then they discovered the Docklands Community Garden.

“We thought it would be very interesting for us on many fronts. It would give us an opportunity to meet more people who are similarly interested, have some free time and get involved in the community,” Greg said.

For the past three years Greg and Julie have been part of a core group of community members who have kept the community garden running.

“The garden has been, to us, an insight into Docklands because once you meet some people in a group, then they have other friends who you meet,” Greg said.

“We got involved in other social and community aspects of Docklands and have developed a very broad group of friend and community associates.”

Having been born and spent most of their lives in Perth, Greg and Julie first moved to Melbourne 15 years ago.

After returning to Western Australia for a few years, the pair then returned to Melbourne and moved into the Docklands apartment they had originally purchased for their daughters.

“We’d enjoyed our first stay in Melbourne because it’s such a vibrant, dynamic city compared to Perth,” Greg said.

“It was always going to be exciting to come back and it was even more exciting because we moved back to Docklands, which is very central to everything that happens in the city of Melbourne.”

Greg said he loved the lifestyle in Docklands because everything was so accessible.

“We’ve lived the suburban life and had the half acre block and the house. At my age I no longer want to spend my leisure time maintaining things and renovating and mowing lawns,” Greg said.

“I’m much more interested in getting into the city and being involved in the culture and the food, the people and the entertainment.”

“Docklands gives us a very convenient opportunity to do all of those things, so we’re really enjoying our lives socially and in a community sense.”

While he loves living in Docklands, Greg says the main thing he would live to see developed in the suburb is a greater connection with the arts.

“There’s no cinema or theatre,” he said. “Although none of that is far away, I think it would definitely help the culture of Docklands and community engagement within Docklands.”

But, for the most part, Greg says Docklands is a great place to live and can’t imagine leaving.

“Once you crack that outer skin of Docklands, there’s a great culture, lots of lovely people and lots of things to do.”