The good news in Docklands continued as we celebrated Melbourne’s 180th birthday on the water!

The good news in Docklands continued as we celebrated Melbourne’s 180th birthday on the water!

The good news in Docklands continued as we celebrated Melbourne’s 180th birthday on the water!

It had rained pretty much all week and the weather forecast predicted a chance of rain. The day arrived and it was overcast. But as the clock ticked on to 11am the clouds parted and the sun came out, bringing a glorious day to Docklands – as it often does.

The success of the day must be attributed to the Docklands community pulling together and working harmoniously with the Melbourne Day Committee. Melbourne’s waterways are a unique asset and, if properly activated, will consistently deliver the spectacle we saw on Sunday.

Around 30 vessels of all shapes and sizes filled Victoria Harbour festooned in bunting, sounding their horns and assembling in quiet reflection to hear Father Bob Maguire deliver his Blessing of the Fleet, which was done in a manner only Father Bob can.

The day was sponsored by City of Melbourne, Lend Lease, Docklands Chamber of Commerce, MAB, Melbourne Passenger Boating Association and acknowledged the work of the Mission to Seafarers. The Melbourne Day Committee saw the Blessing of the Fleet as a unique and colourful backdrop to complement the main Melbourne Day 180th birthday celebrations. That decision ensured the word would get out and through the effective support of Destination Docklands and their PR agency Hot House Media we had great coverage on Channel 9 and the Herald Sun.

The mighty PR machine of Melbourne Day ensured consistent messaging through social media and major sponsorship by Gold 104 and Docklands’ own Melbourne Water ensured the day would be a success. The result saw many more people in Docklands than has been seen before enjoying the Sunday Market, the stage with Russell Morris and Daryl Braithwaite, activities at the Docklands Library, a “welcome to country” by Aunty Diane Kerr, a mighty fine didgeridoo performance by Stan Dryden and much, much more! Tony Sdregas, owner of the Black Cod said he would like to see Docklands like this every weekend!

The free ferry service was once again a very popular attraction and it struggled to keep up with huge demand – long queues and not enough ferry capacity meant long waits! This is evident of a pent up demand for a regular water service in Docklands! Many ferry passengers took the opportunity to discover the Community Hub and Shed 2 and join the tour of the Alma Doepel to learn more about Melbourne’s maritime history.

One of the stars of the show was the tall ship Enterprize, a replica of the vessel that first brought settlers to Melbourne in 1835. She celebrated the day cutting a magnificent spectacle in full sail as she offered free cruises throughout the day. This event is something that only our waterways can effectively offer visitors to Melbourne, the most liveable city in the world!

Melbourne Day is also the birthday of the Enterprize, who turned 18 this year. She was built to ensure a significant part of Melbourne’s history would be preserved and accessible to the people of Victoria. Her keel was laid at the Polly Woodside Maritime Museum in 1991 and she was completed in the old Ports and Harbour’s yard at Williamstown. The vessel was launched by Felicity Kennett on Saturday, August 30, 1997 at Hobson’s Bay. For information on the Enterprize and her programs, visit
www.enterprize.org.au

I’d like to thank all the volunteers who helped out on the day from William Angliss TAFE and the Mission to Seafarers. In addition to all the generous sponsors, I want to acknowledge the crew from Upfront Events who did the job of co-ordinating the two events into one big day for Melbourne and the waterways that are often so under utilised. What a day to have been in Docklands!

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