A local community analyst claims that the suburb of Macleod is in serious danger of becoming a forgotten suburb of the north. Barry Henderson is a long-time Diamond Valley resident and claims that Macleod is slowly but surely slipping out of the consciousness of people living in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.
Speaking to The Watsonia Bugle about the supposed problem, Henderson said, “It’s a genuine concern. It really is. When I talk to people who live in the north they’re always mentioning Greensborough, Eltham, Monty and Watsonia, but Macleod just seems to have slipped off the radar.”
When asked why he thought this was the case, Henderson believed it was a lack of clear identity that was hurting the suburb of Macleod. Henderson said, “Greensy’s got the Plaza, Monty has their beloved Were Street ‘vibe’, Eltham looks in the mirror all day and admires itself, and Watsy has a thriving Main Street retail and dining precinct that is unrivalled in Melbourne. But what does Macleod have? Nothing. In recent times, the most exciting thing that happened in Macleod was being the bus terminal while buses replaced trains so that the new Rosanna Station could be built. And if that’s your most recent claim to fame, you’re struggling. They’re so desperate the even tried to become known as ‘Watsonia West’ a few years ago. It’s a slippery slope from here.”
As could be expected, Macleod residents are disgusted by Henderson’s claims. One such resident, who requested strict anonymity, told The Watsonia Bugle, “What a load of garbage. Who is this moron, and what would he know? And besides, we’re not even really part of the stupid Diamond Valley. Our closer proximity to the CBD makes us more of an inner-north suburb, so why would we care what those outer suburban hicks think?”
The Watsonia Bugle 