Canning Street Escarpment

Over a period of three years, a volunteer taskforce from FMV has transformed a section of the Canning Street Escarpment, between the sports oval and the Tea Gardens. They have almost cleared the area of Boxthorn, English Broom, Scotch Thistle and Fennel and have replanted the site with a variety of shrubs that enjoy conditions on the riparian slope. With special aftercare watering and weed control the plantings are now well established and soon going to transform the appearance of the whole area. This is an ongoing project and new volunteers to help with future activities here.

Birds of The Maribyrnong Valley (1987)

This beginners guide to local birds and their habitat was produced by the group with funds from the Department of Conservation & Environment.

Birds of the Maribyrnong Valley (2012) by FMV.

The Other River(1989)

An educational kit comprising of a 24 minute informative video and a teachers guide.

Maribyrnong - River & Parklands DVD (2012)

Heritage Signs

With illustrations and text depicting historic places and events in Keilor, Sunshine, Footscray and Essendon, these signs were designed in collaboration with the local historical societies and are located along the river.

Grimes Flemming Bicentenary (2003)

A re-enactment of the first navigation of the Maribyrnong River by Grimes and Flemming in 1803 was staged in collaboration with Living Museum of the West.

Memorial Tribute – Holt & Pat Pettit

Olive Patricia Pettit nee Schilling was born in 1920 in Richmond to migrants who had arrived from England the year before. She was the eldest of four girls and as a youngster was regarded as very attractive, bright and sporty: “a clever girl who could have done anything”. Patricia went to schools in Williamstown and trained as a secretary. War broke out when she was still a teenager and although her pilot fiancé was killed in action, Pat met and married a young scientist John Rischbieth. While living at Williamstown they had two children, Patricia (1945) and Nick (1949); moved to Maribyrnong in 1950 and had their third child David in 1959. <Click here to read the complete article>