St Kilda's image
by Project Coordinator 1:57pm, 7 October 2009Has the Festival changed the way you think about St Kilda? If it's more than just another beachside suburb what else is it?
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Berto
5:56pm, 9 October 2009
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St Kilda is the greatest part of Melbourne. Melbourne being the greatest city in the world, St Kilda is one enviable spot! It's living, it's relaxing yet full of warmth, you can find every panel of the society living together, the bourgeois, the bohemes, the students and the older people all waving to each others. St Kilda is a melting pot village, a resistance pocket against the mainstream, a one of a kind, fragile and cultural living quarter of Australia.
It's my new home, thank you. xx
sonsofabraham
3:30pm, 15 October 2009
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i love St.Kilda.... i just wish it had more native trees. instead of those ones the possums aren't allowed to live in. St.Kilda's image has changed, but its always been a great place for music, art, culture, festivities... and it will hopefully always be. The festival has definately helped with its positive image.
andrew9
7:26pm, 20 October 2009
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St.kilda's image has changed , its turning into just another suburb where people are more concerned with house prices than enjoying live , the festival , over the 19 years that l have been attending has been fantastic , yes it has become large but it is only one main day of the year , only one . the other days that lead up to the main event are just as fun , lets not go pointing the finger at the festival for St.kilda's image .
Hedrick76
2:40pm, 25 October 2009
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Thats it and plus St kilda has always been Melbourne's place for fun and summer. You cant blame the festival for a reputation that goes back probably as far as Melbourne does.
The festival just welcomes everyone to it and shows that music is still important to evryone
long_term_st_kilda_resident
8:08pm, 22 October 2009
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How does the final day of the festival enhance St. Kilda's image? What's the message? Come here and go on some crappy rides, buy crappy food from vendors that set up shop for the day, drop as much rubbish as you can, get drunk and be crushed listening to some famous band who have nothing to do with St. Kilda.
Hedrick76
2:42pm, 25 October 2009
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serioulsy? you might want to have a closer look. I love it and so do thousands of others. maybe you should join in with us a bit more we can't all be wrong.
St Kilda Local Guy
4:47pm, 27 October 2009
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You should consider moving to another suburb more your pace in life currently then. Im not sure how long you have been here but maybe its you that have changed and hence its time to move to Brighton?
St Kilda Local Guy
5:08pm, 27 October 2009
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In fact my street is really cleaned well after the Festival, I presume yours is too? Plus, you are not forced to eat crappy food, as you would know there is plenty of other good food to eat in St Kilda on Festival day. Thats what I choose t do and you should try it too maybe?
St Kilda Cutie
6:33pm, 27 October 2009
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are you for real........this is the bestest event ever. Seriously, who needs a message when you can just rock on all day.
Jemima_A_83
7:03pm, 27 October 2009
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I don't even think the food is that crappy!! Who doesn't love corn on the cob or those awesome crepes?! Certainly haven't been crushed in the crowd either.
hannah
8:39pm, 29 October 2009
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Have you not heard the people singing together, seen the people dancing to a common beat, or just chilled under the sun, with some nice music.
- “We don’t see the things the way they are. We see things the way WE are.” - Talmund
tomatosoup
2:59pm, 2 November 2009
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How could you make the festival more about St Kilda - for me St Kilda is partly about grungy music (the Espy for example). I do agree that more care by the public would be lovely, however, difficult to manage. Perhaps more awareness of rubbish disposal, better managed responsible serving of alcohol. The crowds can be difficult at times (wading through people takes a lot of energy). We could have more art involved - St Kilda local artists - this is a festival and it doesn't only have to be about music.
Davidson
2:53pm, 14 November 2009
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Strongly agree. For me St Kilda grew out of seediness and poverty. But there was a real community. You just need to hear some of Tim Costello's stories about the place when he was mayor, to understand what we once had.
The festival captures nothing of this community. As you point out, it is little more than a hot noisy day filled with mainstream music, crappy rides, alcohol, corporate marketing, hot dogs in batter, and more alcohol.
The festival doesn't represent what is best about St Kilda, and has changed how others see us.
St Kilda Local Guy
4:51pm, 27 October 2009
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The Festival is one of the very best tools the council could ever hope for in not only showcasing what St Kilda has to offer on the other 364 days a year but for demonstrating to Australia and the world what a progressive and culturally active this council is. There should be more of this. The festival makes opportunities for CoPP residents, artists, vendors and others and this should be applauded.
Jemima_A_83
7:00pm, 27 October 2009
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This is something I've never really thought too much about as such in terms of going to the Festival. I guess though, it's like St Kilda comes alive for the day, all the usual favourite cafes are brimming with people relaxing in the sun, everyone's in high spirits and the foreshore is on show in all its very kitschy St Kilda kind of glory. Surely that can't being doing anything bad for repeat visits from punters afterwards? St Kilda isn't a 'cool' (for want of a better word) as it used to be these days, but the festival as a whole certainly makes me remember why I live just down the road.
David@StKildaRoad
10:50am, 29 October 2009
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St kilda has matured beyond the need to create events like the Festival to attract visitors to it. St Kilda offers good restaurants, a beach, good cultural activties year round - it no longer needs the festival - well at least not one on a such a large scale.
The festival would make sense in Brunswick or Northcote where the younger student demographic live.
Jemima_A_83
11:47am, 29 October 2009
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I think that comment is really out of touch. St Kilda absolutely offers a great range of activities, bars, restaurants and a beach all year round, however I know simply by spending time with my wide range of friends who range in age from 20 - 45ish that noone really wants to spend time in St Kilda at moment. The city, Balaclava/Windsor and inner North seem to the place that people want to go and people really screw their nose up at St Kilda. The majority of my friends won't go near the area with a ten foot pole unless it is for the Festival or to visit a friend.
I think you're also forgetting the economic impact of such events to an area. The benefit of these things is likely to be not only intended for residents.
daffodil
4:14pm, 1 November 2009
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Actually a lot of traders HATE the St Kilda festival. It is only good for hospitality/alcohol-serving businesses.
Jemima_A_83
11:22pm, 5 November 2009
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I would have thought that was a bit short sighted of the traders then. Having a few hundred thousand people through the suburb for the day is pretty good free publicity even if they don't sell much!
Davidson
2:59pm, 14 November 2009
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That's so far from what really happens, it made me smile.
Most traders close on the day to avoid shoplifters and drunks and because they lose alot of business - and so make a loss.
Consider this year. The Festival is on Valentine's Day - traditionally one of the busiest days of the trader year. Many will have to close because of the festival and miss out on what is a critical trading day.
But I'm sure they'll be happy with the free publicity. :)
Jemima_A_83
7:50pm, 15 November 2009
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I have never noticed 'most' businesses closed at the festival, in fact I would say most of them are open especially given most of them are restaurants and bars who I'm guessing make an absolute killing on the day. I can understand it for retail businesses but a lot of those now are the stores of larger companies and I've never seen any of those close.
The amount of exaggeration on this forum is unbelievable.
dzray43
11:44am, 29 October 2009
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if any killjoys try and change st kilda people will vote and agitate with their feet, their ingenuity etc. HANDS OFF!
Adrian Jackson of Middle Park
3:14pm, 29 October 2009
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No, as its only one day in 365 days of the year. St Kilda is really mutton dressed up as lamb but its still mutton. Some of the shops and cafes are great but over priced when compared with my local shops in Middle Park which are less numerous but better. St Kilda is still full of drunks, druggies, whores, pimps, dole bludgers, vagrants and losers who stop St Kilda returning to a civilized suburb it once was in the late 1800's and early 19th century. It need a lot of urban renewal with the crappy 1950/60/70's flat raised to the ground and new trendy flats replace them and hopefully the tenants mentioned above. Port Phillip is the 5th most prosperous municipality in Victoria and I would like to see it the most prosperous in the near future. As they said in "Muriel's Wedding" - Ya can't stop progress"
ranchsam
4:23pm, 29 October 2009
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It takes all types to make the world go round and to keep it interesting. With out all of these colourful characters in St Kilda it would be extremely sterile, pompous and uninspiring, just like some of the other suburbs in the surrounding area. No thanks!
ClaireWyndham
11:44am, 30 October 2009
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stkildastateofmind
11:46pm, 1 November 2009
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that's so funny, middle park is definitely the place for you! i don't really care what you think about our homes in st kilda because if you use the word 'trendy' and you live in middle park then i can only imagine how little taste and creativity you possess. However using the term 'whore' was out of line...are you a misogynist? to all the people out there who this man from middle park was referring to, please continue feeling welcome in st kilda, the place wouldn't be the same without you.
Adrian Jackson of Middle Park
6:43pm, 12 November 2009
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Line up 100 big bulldozers in Brighton Rd and scrape St Kilda into the sea is one final solution to all that over crowding and grung. Then rebuild a nice, clean middle class suburb with lots of owner occupiers rather than dole bludgers. Lets have some nice classical music for the new improved festival too.
tomatosoup
3:04pm, 2 November 2009
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St Kilda is like a mixed cocktail - lots of interesting ingredients. Why have progress for the sake of progress. There is a downside to fast gentrification and that is the displacement of socially disadvantaged groups (some of which you mentioned as a negative above). These people make St Kilda such an interesting place to hang. These people also have as much right to live in St Kilda as anyone of a more effluent social standing.
andrew9
7:29pm, 29 October 2009
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ahh l own one of those 1950 flats and love it and the area .
Adrian Jackson of Middle Park
1:18pm, 8 November 2009
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Get rid of the St Kilda Marina (not RMYS sailing boats) and restore the beach there. Most of those motor launchers just sit there doing nothing; some as dodgy tax deductions. The beach is continually being encroached upon be it the Marina, the walk promenade, or tacky building like the new Sea Baths and its large ugly car park. Landscape the ground level car park as parkland and only use the subterranean parking for cars. More space for users including the St Kilda Festival
LaLola
3:46pm, 31 October 2009
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On Festival Sunday I often hear the excuse, as someone is pissing or vomiting in my garden or turning up the volume on their stereo to compete with the live music, ‘but it’s St Kilda Festival’. The implied message being that anything goes on Festival Sunday, including trashing the place, and themselves.
It’s hard to say whether the Festival manufactured the ‘party central’ image of St Kilda, or whether it was done through the proliferation of bars and clubs and the accompanying street violence. Perhaps they feed of each other.
Tony
10:01pm, 5 November 2009
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Umm the party image of St Kilda has been around a lot longer than St Kilda festival and in fact a lot longer than anyone on this forum?
Davidson
3:02pm, 14 November 2009
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St Kilda used to be the seedy gangland/prostitute part of Melbourne. It was also where the artists lived.
The party image of St Kilda is a recent thing.
Jemima_A_83
7:53pm, 15 November 2009
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St Kilda has been Melbourne's playground since it's inception. Do your research. Someone else on this forum did and I followed it up. Turns out they were right. The party image is not a recent thing at all. Well there you go :)
pasha
5:40pm, 1 November 2009
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Part of what makes St Kilda a very special suburb are the range of activities and attractions that set it apart from all other bayside suburbs. The council's hosting of the St Kilda Festival is especially important because it provides a platform to celebrate australian music that is free and accessibe to everyone. It also provides a reason for people to visit St Kilda who otherwise may not come. Every large scale event will examples of poor behaviour from a minority, but this is the case with any large scale public event and is not a reason in itself to change the nature of the festival which I think is managed really well by council.
Betty
10:36am, 4 November 2009
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St Kilda is an iconic suburb whose residents are anything but uniform. The festival used to reflect this in it's programming and this event therefore served as a bonding agent for the local community.
The changing of the direction of the festival in the early 2000's has alienated many residents, residents that are happy to be actively involved in a public celebration of their home. I believe that many residents feel that the less inclusive fesival format has negatively effected their connection to and vision of the city.
I still attend the (Sunday) event but strangely enough every year I see less and less long term locals there. I find this ironic as one of the reaons that visitors attend is to get a "slice of St Kilda life." Little do they know many have cleared out for the day.
I would love to see the event once more celebrate the city AND its people.
Adrian Jackson of Middle Park
11:12am, 4 November 2009
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St Kilda is not a "city" anymore since the councils amalgamated; it is simply a suburb. If you mean the city to be Port Phillip then that is fair enough but the festival must celebrate what the rest of us represent too and not just the St Kilda suburb.
stkildastateofmind
2:30am, 5 November 2009
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does st kilda festival really need to represent other areas of port phillip? it's a festival celebrating st kilda, that's why it's called st kilda festival. maybe u could start a middle park festival...its such an exciting place!
Tony
10:36pm, 5 November 2009
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Also I had family visit from overseas a couple of years ago and so I took them to the St kilda Festival. They were amazed and had a fantastic day and I know they went home and told all their friends about it and St Kilda. This I know because their friends then all asked to come and stay with me so they could see this amazing thing!
The festival gives St Kilda an international reputation and gives melbourne an event to be proud of, this is how a city's reputation is made.
hopeforthefest
10:04am, 16 November 2009
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great story, i know from working in the suburb and on the day, locals, national and international visitors come to the fest and love it. How could they not?, it is such a great, well organised fest where everyone- for one day- gets to feel what having St Kilda as a home is like.
This is great for our suburb of St Kilda and its image, sharing is caring!!
CraMar
3:41pm, 8 November 2009
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St Kilda is iconic and it needs an iconic festival to match its image.
daffodil
11:33am, 12 November 2009
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I have long thought that Festival Sunday sends a message that it’s fine to party, trash and generally despoil St Kilda. Note: this is different to seeing St Kilda as a place to visit for restaurants/bars, a place of entertainment or the enjoyment of outdoor spaces.
hopeforthefest
10:08am, 16 November 2009
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um... it is fine to party and have a good time. Life, love and laughs. Music, dance and good times. There is rubbish from the fest in the precinct for a few hours afterwards, i think we can handle it.
I live here and have worked here for years and every morning walking to work the day after Fest Sunday, i could noe belive how quickly the streets go back to normal and how clean they are.
Adrian Jackson of Middle Park
2:58pm, 14 November 2009
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The Australian Defence Force (Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force and The Australian Army) should be invited to set up a stall at the festival along with some capital equipment like artillery from the local Army Reserve unit and some armoured vehicle from Puckapunyal. Perhaps a RAAF air show too.
