Explore Bundoora: Historic Hospital, Wildlife Sanctuary, Working Farm Tours

BUNDOORA, Three venues within a few tram stops of each other are offering guided tours, self-guided walks and animal-feeding sessions this month, giving locals and visitors a way to explore the suburb’s layered past and green spaces without leaving the city.

The Bundoora Homestead Art Centre, the Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary and Bundoora Park Farm each open their gates on different schedules and price points, from free guided history tours to a gold-coin donation entry at the sanctuary. The concentration of activities within reach of Tram route 86 makes it possible to bundle a few stops into a single day out.

History tours at the homestead

Bundoora Homestead Art Centre runs free guided history tours on select Saturdays and Thursdays at 11:30 a.m., according to the Darebin council events calendar. The tours walk through the building’s Queen Anne architecture and its earlier life as a repatriation hospital for returned servicemen. The homestead is located near Tram route 86 stop 63, the council says. No booking fee is listed; the tours are listed as free.

The homestead’s history tours are scheduled on select dates rather than daily, so anyone planning a trip should check the council’s online event calendar for availability before heading out.

Wildlife walks and farm feeding sessions

Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary, the former La Trobe University sanctuary, offers self-guided walks every day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., except Saturdays when it is closed. Entry costs a gold coin donation. The sanctuary also books guided night and twilight tours for group bookings, according to the sanctuary’s visitor information. Tram route 86 serves the area.

Bundoora Park Farm is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and runs scheduled animal feeding sessions at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tractor rides cost $3.30 and pony rides are available for children aged 2 to 8. Adult entry is around $12.70. The farm is accessible via Tram route 86 stop 61.

The three sites are close enough that a visitor could start with a morning history tour at the homestead, walk or take the tram to the sanctuary for a midday wildlife walk, and finish with an afternoon feeding session at the farm. The farm’s 4 p.m. closing time means the animal feedings at 3 p.m. are the last chance of the day to see the sheep, goats and poultry up close.

Public transport links make the circuit feasible without a car. All three venues sit along the same tram line, and the farm and homestead are within a short walk of their respective stops.

For anyone planning a visit, the key details to confirm in advance are the homestead tour dates, they are not daily, and the sanctuary’s Saturday closure. The farm operates every day, but the pony rides have an age limit of 2 to 8 years, and the tractor rides are an extra cost on top of the entry fee.