I work as a systems analyst in IT for the government and came to Docklands when we were told in 2021 when we were coming back into the office full-time. At that time I was living in the outer suburbs and didn’t want the long commute any more. I wanted a nice, balanced lifestyle where I could spend my mornings walking to work and have all of the fun things that the city holds on my doorstep in the evenings.

Since I moved into Docklands, I’ve become more and more involved with the community here and in raising awareness and advocating for it. Before I was a systems analyst I worked in a very customer service-focused area of government, which taught me a lot and gave me a greater understanding of some of the challenges faced by people with disabilities and mental health struggles. I've had quite a bit of exposure to the things that lead to people having mental health concerns and how debilitating loneliness issues can be, as well as how important having good community supports and building connection between people is in countering those. I guess I just wanted to be part of that as a solution.

I’ve never really had a negative opinion of the precinct. I had been here quite a few times, usually to Costco or out to dinner on the waterfront, and, I've always seen it as quite a pretty place with a lot of potential. In terms of living here, it wasn't my first consideration, but I realised that I could buy an apartment here that wasn't any more expensive than living in a suburb 20 minutes out of the city. I can live right next to the CBD and have everything I want, and it's actually cheaper and probably healthier for me to be located here than to sit behind a car, in traffic, doing the daily commute from the outer suburbs.

I think what surprised me the most was how many families there are here. Docklands comes across as a suburb where single people or couples might live and that people move away from as they get older and have kids, but it's been interesting to see how the suburb has evolved to become quite a family-orientated place.

I go walking in the morning around the waterfront and it's very quiet, very peaceful and serene. In the afternoon it's just so busy and vibrant. I go walking with friends who have dogs, and you don’t walk very far without someone stopping you and having a conversation. It's just so filled with life down there. 

I've been on New Quay Promenade in the evening and overheard visitors go “Do people actually live here?” Yes, people live here and they love it.

Another thing that surprised me is just how beautiful Docklands can be in the evenings, with the sunset reflecting off the buildings and everything as a perfect mirror image in the water. I take so many photos, even though I have Docklands on my doorstep, because it just changes every day. I think the last time I went out, we were photographing Docklands in black and white, just to get the lines of the buildings and how that all looked together with the contrast and the light and shadow.

It’s really a stunning place.

We've got a really good active online resident community and I often connect with people through that, and once a fortnight we have a mahjong group that meets to eat and play in the function room at Gold Leaf restaurant I’m a regular at the fortnightly mahjong group. That only started in May, but it’s become hugely popular. One of the locals, whose wife is from Hong Kong, had created an app that could teach him how to play the game. One night when a group of us were out for dinner they showed it to us, and we thought it would be a great thing to do in person so we encouraged them to apply for funding through City of Melbourne community grants to run a regular group.

The mahjong group just keeps growing and growing since Paul and Shirley started it about 6 months ago. I didn't know how to play when I first joined, but they Paul and Shirley, who run the group, taught everyone, and n. Now those of us who are more experienced sit at tables and teach new players. We've met quite a few new people as a result, and often people new to Docklands who are looking for something to do and to connect with other people. Ultimately, that’s what it’s all about, having a place for people to meet up, get to know each other, and just have fun playing a game. It’s nice.

I've met quite a few people through the chat club and podcasting course I went to at Docklands Neighbourhood House, too. We still have a social group that meets up every now and then to go for walks and chat about everything that’s been going on together.

I also belong to a Melbourne writers' group which is run over on the South Wharf side of Docklands which I found through the MeetUp app, which by the way is what led me to the DNH podcasting course.  One of the other writers mentioned to me that they had been using podcasting as a way to display their fiction, reading out each chapter as an episode. I had never thought of that as a creative way to express your writing and it sounded really cool.

One place I love is the Library at the Dock makerspace. It’s wonderful seeing so many people being creative. Everyone's curious about what other people are doing because you're there doing creative things, so you obviously have something in common. Once you get in there, it’s like there are toys everywhere for you to use, 3D printers, laser cutters and vinyl cutters. I even got to use the recording studio there as part of the podcasting course. Honestly, there's so much stuff down there I could spend days at a time in the library. The fact that it’s right on the waterfront makes it even better, it's so pretty. 

In terms of going out, I love Cargo and Berth, just sitting down there on the waterfront and having a meal and being around friends is so much fun. I love going for breakfast at Cocobei as well, and the local fish and chip shop on New Quay Promenade. Docklands Den has great food too, we’re kind of spoiled for choice here.

I also love just going to some of the parks in the area. Newquay park is great, but I think my favourite is Buluk Park, right next to the library.  I live nearby so I can just come down with my laptop and sit and write, it’s a really peaceful little park. I always see families playing there and people laying on picnic blankets, sleeping or meditating or just looking up at the sky. It’s just such a nice place to  sit and switch off.

It has to be the sun setting over the Bolte bridge. I like to get some loukoumades from Docklands Den and then go for a walk around the harbour at sunset. Start at new Quay with the reflection of the sun off the buildings and do the whole circuit of the water down to the end of Victoria Harbour Promenade. You can see the colours of the sky as they change and the bridge as it lights up in whatever colour it is that evening. 

Citylink will often align the Bolte Bridge lighting to support a particular charity on a particular date, and here's actually a website where you can find out what colour it will be and what charity it signifies.

I think  concentrating on building community connection now that we're starting to see more families living here, you don't have the people that have lived here their whole lives yet, everyone who lives here has come from somewhere else. So, you really must make an effort to bring people together to form ties with each other. There needs to be more thought and effort put into giving the people that live here more opportunity to strengthen ties with each other, and more places that we can be together and connect.