One of my very favourite suburbs…. Williamstown

Is a buyer’s agent allowed to have a favourite suburb? Of course. Everyone who knows me, understands how much I love the inner west’s Yarraville. it’s my home, our office base, and a location I resonate with deeply. But if I could pick another favourite, it’s Williamstown.

I’ve toyed with good descriptors for Williamstown for a couple of decades now. This beautiful maritime port suburb has an incredible history, and it’s a superb place to visit for daytrippers, too. For those who have travelled around Australia, it has common themes with Fremantle and Hobart, albeit a bit smaller. Colonial era buildings made of bluestone, stunning and grand Edwardian era weatherboards with full wrap-around balconies, and impressive Victorian stone double and triple-storey terraces adorn some of the streets in this gorgeous postcode.

Williamstown doesn’t just grip me for it’s architecture, though. The walking options, the Botanical Gardens, the beautiful vista of our city across the bay, and the beautiful ocean to the south evoke all kinds of joy for me.

I’m not on my own. This suburb’s median weekly incomes rank in the top 9% compared to the rest of Melbourne.

Williamstown registers an IRSAD (Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage) decile score of 10. This score positions 3016 in the highest tier for socio-economic advantage. It is little wonder that doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and other high income earners call this postcode home.

Another interesting demographic note relates to the median age of Williamstown residents. As at last Census collection, the suburb’s median age sat at 45, compared to the state median age of 39.

Williamstown’s history makes it particularly special. Many Melburnians will be familiar with Robert Hoddle; the surveyor who originally surveyed our city grid in 1837. Melbourne’s oldest suburbs are documented to include Fitzroy, Collingwood and Richmond from 1838-1840. However, Williamstown was surveyed by Hoddle, with land sales commencing in 1837. Back then, the Yarra River divided William’s Town from the city, hence it wasn’t yet considered a suburb of Melbourne.

These days, Williamstown’s streets are broadly protected with Heritage overlays, and plenty of historically significant buildings are heritage listed. The pink denotes the heritage overlay, which is different to a heritage listing. Heritage overlays vary, from precinct to specific historical attributes, but broadly, a heritage overlay doesn’t necessarily restrict an owner from renovating or extending. However, a heritage listed property will carry far more restrictions.

It is not unusual for a heritage listed property to attract a lower price tag than an equivalent property simply set in a heritage overlay. Understanding the difference, and the impact on ownership control is important.

Not all of Williamstown is affected by a heritage overlay though. A more recent development on the former “Rifle Range” site offers houses and townhouses on smaller sized blocks. Built in the late 1990’s, Rifle Range is home to a lot of families in the area. As a buyer’s agent, I’m careful and cautious about structural integrity and foundations in this precinct. Some of these properties have required underpinning, and it’s always a key part of our due diligence to understand any such history associated with footings and foundation.

Williamstown’s breadth of dwellings in intriguing too. Prices range from sub-$500,000 to almost ten million dollars. A sale record was set in 2025 with this $9.15M, off-market transaction, (below).

Just last month, this renovated two bedroom boutique apartment offering a courtyard on title, situated within a stone’s throw of the ocean sold for $543,000. An eligible first homebuyer could secure a property like this and be relieved of their stamp duty obligation completely.

Where else in Australia could a two bedroom dwelling like this, within 10km of the CBD transact for a price like this?

Pricing is varied because dwelling types are so varied. REA reports the current median values as follows.

2-bedroom houses: $1,102,000
3-bedroom houses: $1,485,000
4-bedroom houses: $1,850,000

Despite the high median prices, Williamstown represents enormous value for a lot of potential buyers including first homebuyers.

For those who haven’t explore this beautiful suburb, it’s an easy ride on the train, or a ferry from Southbank. Whether it’s a wander along the strand, a visit to the the HMAS Castlemaine off Gem Pier, a walk along Jawbone reserve, browsing the shops along Ferguson Street, or my favourite…. enjoying a meal at Sebastian, wondrous Williamstown is worthy of a visit.