Seafarers precinct opens in Docklands

Docklands has a new jewel on the Yarra River. After more than a decade of vision, planning and careful heritage work, the long-awaited Seafarers development at North Wharf officially opened its doors on June 19.

The revitalised section of North Wharf has given Melbourne back one of its most treasured maritime assets as a new mixed-use precinct – crowned by the new Seafarers Rest Park.

At the official opening City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece proclaimed that, “today, I am the happiest mayor in the world”, adding that the new park and revitalised promenade represented the first completed section of the council’s Greenline project.

“With lush greenery, a fun play space, and new paths, Seafarers Rest is a wonderful example of what the Greenline project is all about, and I’m excited to see everyone make the most of this 200-metre riverfront transformation,” Cr Reece said.

Delivered by family-run developer Riverlee, led by the Lee family, the $600 million project stands as a testament to patient stewardship and careful urban renewal. It revives a once-forgotten corner of the Yarra-Birrarung’s waterfront, seamlessly blending Melbourne’s port history with contemporary urban life.

The centrepiece of the transformation is the 3500sqm Seafarers Rest Park. Gifted to the City of Melbourne, the new park features generous lawns, rope swings, walking and cycling links, native landscaping, and a dedicated platform for live music and markets.

The park sits beside the restored heritage Goods Shed No.5 and its landmark shipping crane – a beacon of Docklands’ industrial past, now reimagined for future generations.

Riverlee worked painstakingly with heritage consultants to retain more than 2000 original artefacts from the Goods Shed and used more than 4500 sqms of reclaimed and recycled timber across the project. The result is a precinct that both celebrates its maritime heritage and responds to contemporary sustainability values.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece praised the Lee family’s commitment, noting that Riverlee founder and chairman Clement Lee’s journey – from international student to developer giving back to Melbourne – embodied the best of the city’s multicultural story.

“This part of the Birrarung holds a special place in Australia’s maritime history – once a place [where] ships set off on journeys to Antarctica, and now set to be a new favourite spot for people to stroll, play or take a moment to relax,” the Lord Mayor said.

Beyond the park, Seafarers delivers Australia’s first 1 Hotel & Homes – 277 rooms and 114 luxury hotel-branded residences, making 1 Hotel’s Australian debut. Its interiors are designed to blend seamlessly with the park’s greenery. With more than 7000 plants indoors and native landscaping outdoors, the experience links the hotel directly with its riverside environment.

Riverlee’s development director David Lee reflected on the family’s journey.

“This park is our gift back to Melbourne – a city that has given us so much,” Mr Lee said.

“For over a decade, we have worked with care and purpose to regenerate this once-forgotten stretch of waterfront. Now open to all, this park is a place for families to gather, for communities to connect, and for visitors to experience this very special stretch of the Yarra River.”

Nestled between the historic Mission to Seafarers building and Seafarers Bridge, landscape architects OCULUS led the park’s design, inspired by the site’s rich port heritage and ecological past.

Timber seating evokes shipping crates, maritime artefacts tell the area’s story, and “woody meadow” plantings of native grasses and wildflowers restore a sense of the river’s original environment. •