Category: History & Area

Only 14 kilometres directly north of Melbourne's CBD, with direct access from arterial roads, the Hurstbridge train line, and No 86 trams, is the area most commonly known as 'Mont Park'. Its boundaries, though loosely defined, are essentially Plenty Rd to the west, Kingsbury Drive to the south, Greenwood Drive, the Strathallan Golf Club and Gresswell Hill to the north and Waiora Rd, Cherry St and Gresswell Forest to the east

The Mont Park (Springthorpe, Macleod, Bundoora south) area has significance to local indigenous peoples, the Wurrundjeri tribe of the Kulin nation, due largely to its height and command of outlook to the south and east, its formerly lush natural corridor with a rich variety of native fauna and native vegetation and significant topological landmarks.

Since European settlement of the mid 1800's, the area has been a constantly changing back drop for:

• specific purpose farming and grazing of horses, dairy cattle and pigs;
• hospital, asylum and medical research locations;
• water storage and reticulation;
• railway development and access;
• parkland, golf and cricket clubs;
• natural, wildlife, and botanic landscape features;
• the site of LaTrobe University and most recently of an award winning urban housing, community and landscape development called Springthorpe.

From 1902 to 1996, the land and establishments were owned and run by government, as the location of first, Kingsbury and then Mont Park hospitals and asylum. Later Larundel and Plenty hospitals and various other health, aged care, mental health, psychiatric and war veteran treatment, care and rehabilitation facilities were established.

The history of the area is rich. This project aims to capture many of the stories, which have until now, been either untold or have remained outside a cohesive, heritage approach to the area.