Description

La Trobe University’s 255‑hectare Bundoora campus in Melbourne’s north offers a rare blend of historical and modernist architecture set within an expansive urban bushland environment.

The original master-planned campus, designed by Roy Simpson AO of Yuncken Freeman Architects, is regarded as one of the most intact examples of 1960s university planning in Australia, characterised by its modernist buildings, axial layout and integrated landscape. Today, these early structures sit alongside significant contemporary additions, including the La Trobe Sports Park (2022) and the North and South Apartments (2020), reflecting the campus’s ongoing evolution.

Across the campus, open spaces and gardens feature a diverse collection of contemporary public sculpture, while the Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary and Eco‑corridor bring native flora and fauna into the heart of the university.

At the northern edge of the campus, the grounds extend into the former Mont Park Hospital precinct, where heritage buildings remain as reminders of the site’s earlier institutional history.

Welcoming and walkable, the campus offers rich experiences in art, architecture, heritage and nature. A combination of self‑guided and guided tours enables visitors to explore and enjoy the diversity of environments across the site.

What's On

Discover La Trobe Bundoora Campus through a range of tours:

A self-guided outdoor tour will invite visitors to explore the 255‑hectare Bundoora campus, highlighting significant 1960s modernist planning, key architectural landmarks, the La Trobe Public Sculpture Park, and the Nangak Tamboree Eco‑Corridor. This free, self-paced outdoor experience will be available throughout the weekend.

Designed in 1969 by Robin Boyd, the Trendall apartment sits atop Menzies College and was purpose‑built as both a residence and research space for Classical scholar Professor A.D. Trendall. The apartment retains its original Boyd‑designed features, including Fler furniture.

Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary guided and self guided tours 

The 30‑hectare Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary is a fenced conservation area on campus, established in 1967 as an outdoor laboratory for ecology, biodiversity and restoration research. It is home to a range of native flora and fauna including emus, kangaroos and wetland fauna. Visitors can enjoy free self‑guided access across the three days, or join a guided tour.