About Abbortsfood

Abbotsford is a small inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, nestled in between Collingwood, Richmond and Clifton Hill and separated from Kew by the meandering Yarra River. Formerly part of the City of Collingwood, it is now part of the City of Yarra.

Abbotsford area was once bush along the Yarra River, but was subdivided as an industrial estate in the late 1870s.

Originally the area was home to many Irish, mostly factory workers, and until the construction of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage systems was regularly flooded by the Yarra River. Since World War II the area has become very multicultural, with many Greeks, Italians, Vietnamese, Chinese and more recently Arabs and Africans making it their home.

In the 1960s, much of the northern part of the suburb was demolished to make way for the Eastern Freeway.

The originally working class area long had a reputation for heroin and crime.

Along with Clifton Hill and Collingwood the suburb was a part of the City of Collingwood until former State premier Jeff Kennett conducted a wholesale merger of local government areas in the early 1990s.

Property values have skyrocketed in recent years and many young professionals have moved to the area and the old industrial areas have experienced significant gentrification and urban renewal since 2000.

In recent years, Victoria Street has become associated with Melbourne's Vietnamese community and is home to the biggest and best selection of Vietnamese food in Melbourne and is known as Little Saigon along Victoria Street.

View Larger Map