A brief history of Seddon :

	No coherent, connected or comprehensive history has been written about Seddon, so what follows are bits and pieces of information that form a mosaic . . .
An extract from the Seddon Murals: Five thousand years ago, when the Eqyptians were building the first pyramids, the sea lapped the edges of present day Seddon.  There was probably a beach where Hyde Street runs. Then the sea began to drop and in time two rivers flowed where the sea had been. People who had lived here for forty thousand years fished, hunted and gathered food along the river banks.
	The Maribyrnong River used to be the 'Mirring-gnay-bir-nong', so called by the Aborigines. Batman changed it to 'Saltwater' but the original name was anglicised to 'Maribyrnong'. If you'd like to give your kids a taste of local history, have them read Salt River Times.  Written by English author William Mayne back in 1980, the book consists of 21 interlinking stories about families living around Salt Water early last (twentieth) century.  See if you can recognise the descriptions of industrial and scenic areas in 'Iramoo' (Footscray).  The book will be best enjoyed by 8-12 year olds.
Seddon Railway Station opened on December 10, 1906 and was named after New Zealand Prime Minister, Richard Seddon. Richard Seddon was born in Lancashire, England. Tempted by goldrush stories from Victoria, he left the UK and sailed to Australia, but the goldfields were worked out.   In 1864 he started work at Williamstown's Railway Workshops, living locally. During this period, he met Louisa Jane Spotswood, whom he later married. But he was still restless. Hearing that gold has been found in New Zealand, he sailed there, only to be disappointed once again.  Instead, he quickly turned his disappointment to politics, first as a local mayor on South Island and then, in 1879, a member of the national parliament.
	By 1893 he had risen through the ranks of the Liberal Party to become Prime Minister, a post he held until his death at sea in 1906.  Conservative by nature, he was still connected with many reforms and, in the words of one contemporary, "seemed not merely Premier but the Government itself". Despite his disappointments in Victoria, he was still fond of this area.  After his death, the local railway station was named Seddon in his honour, and later the locality.  Seddon the suburb only became official in 2001.
Once upon a time, the area bounded by Buckley, Victoria and Charles Streets was known as 'Belgravia' and people gave that as their address. Claude Belcher Smith, builder and registered architect, built the first shop in Seddon.
	Theats of fire among the 30 or so wooden shops in both streets was countered by a hose and reel - located at the corner of Charles and Victoria Street - to be run out by the locals should an outbreak occur.
The introduction of trams to Footscray in 1921 meant prospective shoppers were ferried right by the Charles and Victoria Street shops and into Footscray.  Fruiterer Ambrose Brown tried attracting trade on Friday night by hiring a brass band to play . . . .
	The first bus service between Footscray still runs through the streets of Seddon: Victoria, Charles and Gamon Streets. The service was set up by W. Thorley and consisted of four buses converted from steam propulsion. In the first half of the twentieth century, the Seddon area had several hospitals. Who today remembers MERNE, at 5 Mackay Street, run by Nurse Ralph, or Nurse Ryan's at 46 Pilgrim Street?

Footscray Historical Society website..........
http://www.home.vicnet.net.au/~foothist/