Bundoora, Kingsbury and Macleod

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Bundoora is located 16kms north of the city and home to campuses for RMIT and La Trobe University, so there are students living alongside long-term families who enjoy the space of the suburb.  

The word Bundoora is derived from "Kelbundoora", the name of a 19th-century Wurundjeri tribesman.   At the 2011 Census, Bundoora had a population of 25,709.

Kingsbury was named after Bruce Kingsbury VC, who died in Papua New Guinea during the Second World War.  This suburb is 12 km north-east from the CBD and at the 2011 Census had a population of 3,362. 

At the 2011 Census, Macleod had a population of 9,606 and is 14km north-east from Melbourne's CBD.  Macleod was named after Malcolm Macleod, who acquired land in the area in 1903.

Find out the latest news and developments going on in your neighbourhood from park upgrades to major planning developments. Keep informed and get involved!

  • La Trobe Glider - A new free bus service for students and the community travelling in a loop around the La Trobe University campus. Runs Monday-Friday from 8.30am to 9.30pm.

Bundoora, Kingsbury and Macleod are well connected by tram, buses and trains. Travelling to La Trobe University and NMIT Bundoora Campus by public transport is quick and easy.

A view of Plenty Road, Bundoora

Bundoora
Train: No station in Bundoora, nearest - Keon Park Station [South Morang Line] or Macleod Station [Hurstbridge Line]
Tram: Route 86
Bus: Route 564, Route 548, Route 570, Route 573, LaTrobe Glider
Walking and Cycling: Darebin Creek Trail, Bundooa Park trails

Kingsbury
Train: No station in Kingsbury, nearest - Reservoir Station [South Morang Line]
Tram: Route 86
Bus: Route 550, Route 561, Route 562, Route 566, Route 958
Walking and Cycling: Darebin Creek Trail

Macleod
Train: Macleod Station [Hurstbridge Line]
Tram: No tram in Macleod, nearest Route 86
Bus: Route 561, Route 548, Route 513
Walking: Gresswell Forest Nature Conservation Reserve

Parking Maps:
For parking restrictions and conditions see: gis.darebin.org

For More Information:
Collect a Darebin TravelSmart map from any of our Libraries or Customer Service Centres. 

Have you visited the top places of interest in Bundoora, Kingsbury and Macleod? Explore the La Trobe University campus, spot a kangaroo at Bundoora Park, or hike up to the top of Mt Cooper for a beautiful view of the city skyline.

A shelter at Bundoora Park
  1. Bundoora Park
  2. La Trobe University
  3. Bundoora Homestead Arts Centre
  4. Darebin North East Community Hub
  5. Mt Cooper Lookout

See Maps:
Darebin Guide: gis.darebin.org

Connect with your local community in Bundoora, Kingsbury and Macleod. Are you keen to start a new sport or explore the local history?

Lancaster Gate exterior

In 1837 Robert Hoddle surveyed the present day Preston area and its surrounds forming the Jika Jika parish.

Bundoora Repatriation Mental Hospital c1930s. A nurse standing in a ward dining room. Australian War Memorial.
  • Bundoora had been known as Springfield, Prospect Hill and Janefield. Janefield was named after the wife of James Miller Brock.
  • Janefield became known as Bundoora in 1863 when the first post office was built on the corner of Grimshaw St and Plenty Rd.
  • The property ‘Bundoora Park’ was purchased in 1899 and subsequently used for breeding horses. The new owner, prominent horse breeder J.V. Smith, set about developing the magnificent homestead and surrounding gardens. 
  • It was the rural aspect of Bundoora that made the area attractive as a site for mental hospitals in the early 1900s. Mont Park opened in 1912 as a facility for the treatment of the mentally ill.
  • Macleod railway station opened in 1911, 9 years after the railway line passed though.

Find out more at:
Darebin Heritage
Website: heritage.darebinlibraries.vic.gov.au