Community connection
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Community map
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Check out what others have shared below about East Melbourne’s assets and strengths.
We asked:
- Where are the places and services that help to improve community life in our neighbourhood?
- Who are the people, networks and organisations who make this neighbourhood special?
- Are there events, walks or open spaces that you love?
- Is there a special tree or park that you regularly go to or a place that you love to visit and enjoy?
- You can also highlight where you see there’s an opportunity for the community and/or Council to help address.
What we know
East Melbourne is an established area to the east of the central city, home to many 19th century homes, iconic landmarks and the heritage listed Fitzroy, Treasury and Parliament gardens.
Parliament House, the Old Treasury Building and St Patrick’s Cathedral are located in the west of the neighbourhood. To the south, East Melbourne encompasses Melbourne’s Sports and Entertainment Precinct, including Melbourne Park, AAMI Park and the world-famous Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Terrace housing is common in East Melbourne’s leafy streets, alongside remnant mansions, some of which are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, and a growing number of residential apartment developments.
East Melbourne has a large health services industry with many medical practitioners locating in the area due to its proximity to local hospitals, including The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Freemasons Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute.
Quick facts
Data is sourced from 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census of Population and Housing, ABS Estimated Resident Population 2021, and 2020 Census of Land and Employment (CLUE).
To access more data on East Melbourne, visit: East Melbourne community profile on profile .id.
To learn more about the ABS Census of Population and Housing, including definitions, visit: Guide to Census data.
City of Melbourne services in East Melbourne
The City of Melbourne owns the Powlett Reserve Children’s Centre, which is operated by a Committee of Management. This centre provides a 51-place education and care centre with integrated kindergarten.
The East Melbourne Library loans of books and other materials for 1,700 members. This year we will purchase approximately 2,800 new books. We have bookable spaces at the library for community use, a local history room and service, computer access with 24-hour Wi-Fi and programs for children, teenagers and adults.
We also manage Cook’s Cottage, the Visitor Information Centre and the Pavilion in Fitzroy Gardens.
We manage and maintain many public spaces across East Melbourne including Burston Reserve, Birrarung Marr, Darling Square, Fitzroy Gardens, Giliot Reserve, Gordon Reserve, Treasury Gardens, Gosch’s Paddock, Jolimont Reserve, Parliament Gardens, Powlett Reserve, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, St Andrews Place Reserve, Stapley Parade Reserve, Weedon Reserve and Wellington Park.
Powlett Reserve Tennis Centre is leased to Victoria Tennis Academy, a five-court facility catering for a range of community tennis programs, coaching and public court access.
What we heard
City of the Future consultation
We invited community members to reflect and share with us how COVID-19 changed your perspective and priorities for the future of the city. Research and knowledge gathering activities with the community took place from 15 June through to 19 July 2020.
- There is an opportunity to make lasting and impactful change, but we should act now. The city needs to adjust to major impacts and economic recovery is crucial to our city’s success.
- The creative sector’s contribution is vital to the city’s economy along with its role in creating vibrancy, social cohesion and unique experiences. It must be a focus in recovery. Opportunities were also identified to accelerate growth through innovation and emerging businesses.
- Building resilience in our community is essential given ongoing uncertainty. Accelerating action on climate change and collective global action are fundamental to economic recovery. There is a strong desire to integrate our city’s ancient and continuous Aboriginal culture and knowledge in responding to contemporary challenges.
- There is great concern about the mental health, equity and wellbeing of our community, particularly vulnerable communities. Community and experts want to see inequality, affordability and inclusion addressed. The desire for more green spaces in our city was consistently linked with health and wellbeing outcomes.
- The digital divide is an issue and we need to consider integrated digital infrastructure that would enable participation in an adaptable, digitally-inclusive and connected city.
See the ideas forum.
Seven initiatives represent our city’s plan for reactivation and recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, they connect our immediate response to the crisis with our city’s longer-term regeneration. By linking the actions that we take in the short-term with the outcomes we want to see in the future, we can ensure that we target our resources to those initiatives that best meet our long term strategic objectives and ultimately deliver maximum benefit for our city and its citizens.
Initiatives integral to immediate recovery
- Prioritise public health and wellbeing
- Reactivate the city
Initiatives integral to our city’s successful regeneration and ongoing resilience
- Build economic resilience
- Expand equitable opportunity and access
- Transform our spaces and buildings
- Strengthen community participation and align to others
- Evaluate and progress
Read the full consultation recap.
The COVID-19 Reactivation and Recovery Plan integrates with the Council planning framework and City of Melbourne’s strategic plans and is designed to help guide and shape our work now and into the future.
Read the COVID-19 Reactivation and Recovery Plan.
Community Vision consultation
To help form our 10-year Community Vision and four-year Council Plan 2021–25, we completed a period of deliberative engagement with a broad cross-section of the community throughout March 2021.
We spoke with more than 750 people who live, work, study, visit or own a business in the municipality to understand what our community values most about the city.
Overall, the community’s top aspirations were for Melbourne to be a city that:
- is healthy and safe
- considers climate change in everything that we do
- is inclusive, accessible and affordable.
Read the full consultation recap.
The community’s feedback was gathered and synthesised into a series of insights and aspirations that helped to create the 10-year Community Vision and four-year Council Plan.
Read the Consultation Report (PDF 1.06MB).
Six strategic directions from the Council Plan include:
- Economy of the future
- Melbourne's unique identity and place
- Safety and wellbeing
- Access and affordability
- Climate and biodiversity emergency
- Aboriginal Melbourne
What we're doing
Capital works
New infrastructure investments in East Melbourne this year include:
- $1,000,000 - Greenline
- $70,000 – New Drainage Infrastructure
- $350,000 – Reduce Speed Limits
- $10,000 – Wayfinding Signage Program – Extending signs to priority areas
- $10,000 – Powlett Reserve outdoor exercise equipment
We will invest $2,719,500 on renewal works in East Melbourne including for roadways, kerb and channel, parks, landscape, library collection and property.
We will invest $285,692 on maintenance works in East Melbourne on community facilities and other property, pedestrian infrastructure and for urban forest health.
Key Initiatives
This year we will:
- Provide accessible creative opportunities to everyone through expanded arts and library programming.
- Commission the East Melbourne heritage review to celebrate heritage places and neighbourhood character.
Strategic work in the CBD
We will progress delivery of:
- Fitzroy Gardens Master Plan
- East Melbourne Urban Forest Precinct Plan
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