Braybrook is a suburb 9 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its local government area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2011 Census, Braybrook had a population of 8,180.
Braybrook is bounded in the west by Duke Street, in the north by the Maribyrnong River, in the east by Ashley Street, and in the south by the Sunbury railway line and Sunshine Road.
History
Braybrook Post Office opened on 1 December 1860.
Braybrook is primarily an industrial suburb.
Today
Approximately mid-way between the former Councils of Footscray and Sunshine in the heart of the western suburbs before the more recent urban sprawl and due west from the Melbourne CBD along Ballarat Road, Braybrook is starting to resemble a bedroom community due to a recent expansion of the western suburbs of Melbourne which are far less populated than the east. Historically this is due to stigma, but the western suburbs are expanding now due to prime location and rising fuel prices. Some gentrification has occurred in the past decade with many former factory sites developed for modern housing projects (townhouses etc.). More and more first home buyers and developers are focusing on Braybrook and neighbouring Maidstone and West Footscray, but traces of its industrial past may be still evident.
Braybrook has been ranked 95 out of top 314 most liveable suburbs in Melbourne in "2011 Liveability Stakes" by The Age and The Melbourne Magazine.
People
The suburb has produced a number of famous sporting and show business personalities. The late 1960s pop singer Yvonne Barrett resided with her family in Dodds Street. Yvonne Barrett was murdered in 1985 with her funeral service held at Braybrook's Christ The King Catholic church in Churchill Avenue. 1970's Pop sensation Jamie Redfern also lived in the area. Ray "Screamy" Eames the drummer from popular Melbourne pub-rock act The Blue Echoes lived in Braybrook. High-profile Australian rules footballers Doug Hawkins, Ted Whitten and Brian Wilson played for the Braybrook Football Club.
Education
Kindergarten/ day care services:
Schools:
Transport
The Braybrook Community Centre is located at 107–139 Churchill Avenue, Braybrook. The centre offers children's facilities, crafts, English as a second language (ESL), occasional care, computer and Internet facilities, playgroups, health and well-being classes and financial counselling. It also offers rooms and halls for hire. There is also a large community garden featuring sculptures and strawbale/mudbrick buildings. The Western Region Community Health Centre is housed within the centre and offers general medical practitioners, optometry, physiotherapy, podiatry, social work, occupational therapists, speech pathology for children, pharmaceutical program and a women's and children's health nurse. The Braybrook Tool Lending Library, a not-for-profit community service managed by volunteers, is also located within the centre. Woodwork facilities can be hired for classes and activities. The community centre also hosts the Jesus Is Lord Church of Melbourne.
Other community facilities
The Community Hub at 19 Hargreaves Crescent is a base for the Neighbourhood Renewal Team and the Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood Association to collaborate with local residents to bring about change. Local residents are welcome to visit and learn more about Neighbourhood Renewal and the Association. The Hub will be home to the Braidstone Bulletin — a local community newsletter and will have small meeting rooms available for local groups.
The Catholic parish of Christ the King, Braybrook was established in 1952, from sections of Sunshine and West Footscray parishes. In 1958, the parish transferred from its temporary centre in Rupert Street to its present location on 65–67 Churchill Avenue, with the opening of the Catholic Centre.
Attractions
There is a local shopping centre called Central West Plaza, located on the corners of Ashley Street and South Road on the border of West Footscray. It was built on the grounds of a former RAAF base and the shopping centre has a general aviation theme, including a WW2 Vampire fighter plane on display at the Ashley Street entrance. This was moved from the office complex development adjacent in 2003.
There is another major shopping centre on the corner of Ashley Street and Ballarat Road, "Braybrook Plaza."
Most retail businesses in the area are still located in strip malls and small individual shops on Ballarat Road. The strip malls are on South Road, Churchill Avenue and Ballarat Road. A large number of fast food restaurants are on the Braybrook section of Ballarat Road.
Braybrook is near Barkly Village, a section of Barkly Street in West Footscray that hosts many local and ethnic grocers, stores and a Sims Supermarket.
Australian first Masters Home Improvement store is located on Ballarat Road.
Sport
The suburb has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Western Region Football League. The Braybrook Club has produced a number of high-profile Australian rules football stars, including 1982 Brownlow Medalist Brian Wilson (Footscray, North Melbourne, Melbourne and St Kilda football clubs), Ted Whitten (Footscray Football Club) and Doug Hawkins (Footscray and Fitzroy Football Club Football Clubs)
There are also: