The Faces of Greythorn
A great reason to visit the Greythorn Central shopping centre is to meet local identities Ferdi, Don, Albert, Maddie, Maria, Lily and Evie. These six larger than life statues tell the story of Greythorn through the people who lived and worked in the area from the late 1900s to the mid 1960s when the current bustling shopping centre was built.
The statues depict Ferdinand Finger, a well-known orchardist of the early 1900s; Donald Wood, a notable pharmacist at Greythorn; Albert and Maddie, a father and daughter, representing one of the many families who have settled in the area; Maria, an older lady; Lily, one of the young, hip and fashionable youth of Greythorn; and Evie, representing one of the many businesswomen who set up fashionable shops at Greythorn in the 1950s.
This ambitious project, The Faces of Greythorn Statues, was commissioned by the Greythorn Traders Association and the statues were installed along the shopping strip in 2022.
To listen to podcasts telling the stories of these identities, go here to download the Storytown app
The Greythorn Traders Association has engaged StoryTowns to tell the story of the Faces of Greythorn statues. Download the Storytowns app here and you can listen to six, five-minute podcasts that chronicle the story of each of The Faces of Greythorn statues located at various points of the Greythorn Central shopping strip.
Listeners are transported back in time to when the shopping strip was citrus, cherry and apple orchards and through the stories of each statue travel to the 1950s and 60s when the shopping centre was developed and became a model of modern architecture with legendary architect Robin Boyd designing some of the buildings. Each podcast finishes with details of some of the longest serving shops at Greythorn. There are numerous Greythorn businesses which have been operating for 20-40 years
A star walk
Not only are the Faces of Greythorn Statues a podcast for visitors to enjoy at any time or visit on location and play the podcast as they meander along the shopping strip to visit the six statues, but Walks Victoria named the Faces of Greythorn statues one of their star walks recently. Discover the walk path here
Greythorn’s history
Greythorn’s history is as rich as it is diverse. Over time, it has moved from the 1900s when the area was a highly productive citrus orchard, to being home to a violet farm, a koala sanctuary to where in the 1950s the highly fashionable women of Greythorn made a name for themselves with their high fashion, couture and coiffures. It has now grown into a thriving shopping and community hub which has attracted families from all around the world wanting to live in this prized location in Melbourne’s inner eastern leafy suburbs.
Connection to community
The Greythorn Shopping Centre still retains its close ties with the local community, and its mid-20th century modern ambience. This has been highlighted by the crazy paving garden plantings and new interpretative plaques and seating for pedestrians, which were installed by the City of Boroondara at the western end of the centre in 2018 –2019. This was a major upgrade of the precinct that cost nearly $1 million and was fully funded by Boroondara City Council. In 2018, the RSL Memorial Hall was redeveloped into the Greythorn Community Hub, at a cost of $17 million, funded by Boroondara City Council and the Federal Government.
To read more of the history of Greythorn, please go to the Greythorn Central website here
Who are Storytowns
The Storytowns team are a bunch of travel loving adventurers, who love to get off the beaten track, meet the locals and throw themselves into new experiences. We are an App that showcases local stories for the travelling tourists in an interactive geo-located podcast tour. Go here to find out how to download the Storytowns app: