Bundoora is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km north from Melbourne's Central Business District. Its local government areas are the Cities of Banyule, Darebin and Whittlesea. At the 2011 Census, Bundoora had a population of 25,709. Bundoora is the headquarters of La Trobe University, Bundoora Campus. Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) also has a campus situated in Bundoo
ra. The word Bundoora is derived from "Kelbundoora", the name of a 19th-century Wurundjeri tribesman. The Bundoora area was originally inhabited by the Kurnaj-berring tribe of the Wurundjeri clan. Prior to European settlement, there were several large wetlands that were utilised by members of the Kurnaj-berring tribe. Europeans first arrived in the Bundoora area, known at the time as the Parish of Keelbundora, in 1835. The land for surveyed in 1837 by William Wedge-Drake to allow for the sale of land. The land has previously been owned by members of the Port Phillip Association such as John Batman, who grazed their sheep there without regard for the Wurundjeri clan. The land was subsequently auctioned in Melbourne in 1838 with Bundoora being sectioned off into two areas of approximately 400 hectares. The land was purchased by well-off individuals and land speculators who resold the land within a few months, this time in blocks of 100 to 300 acres (40 to 120 hectares). It was primarily used for sheep grazing and grain production. Bundoora Post Office opened on 1 October 1863. In 1899 John Matthew Vincent Smith, a well known horse breeder, purchased a 600-acre (242 hectare) property known as 'Bundoora Park'. The property was used to raise racing horses. A competition was held in the same year to design a homestead for the property. Sydney Herbert Wilson, who designed the Malvern Town Hall, claimed the prize of 50 pounds. The Bundoora Homestead remains a significant example of Queen Anne style Federation architecture. Bundoora is home to Mount Cooper. Mount Cooper is located within Bundoora Park, a large (180 ha) public park. Often claimed to be metropolitan Melbournes highest point. Bundoora is situated on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people, and the name "Bundoora" is derived from "Kelbundoora", the name of a 19th-century Wurundjeri man.
