Sunbury

History

The Sunbury area has several important Aboriginal archaeological sites, including five earth rings, which were identified in the 1970s and 1980s, and believed to have been used for ceremonial gatherings. Records of corroborees and other large gatherings during early settlement attest to the importance of the area for Aboriginal people of the Wurundjeri tribe. One Indigenous name for the area of unknown language and meaning is 'Koorakoorakup'.

Sunbury was first settled in 1836, by George Evans and William Jackson. It was Jackson and his brother, Samuel, who named the township Sunbury, after Sunbury-on-Thames, in Middlesex, England when it was established in 1857. The Post Office opened on 13 January 1858.

Sunbury's connection with the history and development of Victoria is influential because of its most famous and powerful citizen, "Big" Clarke. In 1837, Clarke came to the area, and gained vast pastoral licences encompassing Sunbury, Clarkefield and Monegeetta. His role as one of the biggest pastoralists in the colony, and his power and position within the Victorian Legislative Council, were highly significant in the early years of Victoria.

During the early decades of self-government in the Colony of Victoria there was a continual struggle in parliament, between the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council for ascendancy and the control of government. It was Council members, such as Clarke, who attempted to negate what they saw as the excesses of manhood suffrage, republicanism and Chartism, as embodied in the Assembly, in order to protect their own position.

"Big" Clarke, as a member of the so-called bunyip aristocracy, also helped to frustrate legislative measures involving opening land to small farm selectors. Melbourne Punch depicted Clarke in anti-squatter cartoons, such as "The Man in Possession" In 1859, "Big" Clarke was involved in a scandal around the discovery of gold on his holdings in Deep Creek. Shares in the Bolinda company soared and Clarke sold his shares at the peak of the rush, before the fraud was exposed. The gold assay was actually 'salted', possibly via a shotgun blast of golden pellets into the samples. Clarke claimed the rich assay was proved when washed in a soup bowl. The ever-barbed Melbourne Punch explained how the fraud worked in a cartoon of a chipped Chinese Willow Pattern plate titled "The Soup Plate".

Culture

Sunbury's residents represent diverse cultural backgrounds, and include a major working-class sector, dependent on proximity to major manufacturing and transport hubs, such as Melbourne Airport which is only 17.5 kilometres (11 mi) from the township. A recent trend for people who work in the Melbourne CBD to trade longer commute times for a more economic lifestyle (due to cheaper housing), has seen the population of Sunbury grow in number, with numerous new housing estates ringing the borders of the established township. Sunbury's population was recorded as being 25,086 in the 2001 census, and is estimated at 34,000 in 2016 census, making it the 38th largest urban centre by population in Australia.

Transport

Bus

Ten bus routes service Sunbury:

475 : Sunbury station – Diggers Rest station. Operated by Sunbury Bus Service.

479 : Westfield Airport West – Sunbury station via Melbourne Airport. Operated by CDC Melbourne.

481 : Sunbury station – Mount Lion. Operated by Sunbury Bus Service.

483 : Sunbury station – Moonee Ponds Junction via Diggers Rest. Operated by Sunbury Bus Service.

485 : Sunbury station – Wilsons Lane. Operated by Sunbury Bus Service.

486 : Sunbury station – Rolling Meadows. Operated by Sunbury Bus Service.

487 : Sunbury station – Killara Heights. Operated by Sunbury Bus Service.

488 : Sunbury station – Jacksons Hill. Operated by Sunbury Bus Service.

489 : Sunbury station – Canterbury Hills. Operated by Sunbury Bus Service.

Lancefield – Sunbury – Clarkefield via Romsey and Monegeetta. Operated by Dysons.

Train

Sunbury station is connected by Metro services to Melbourne on the Sunbury Line and by V/Line services on the Bendigo line to both Melbourne and country Victoria. V/Line services are not as frequent as those on the metropolitan Metro service – an approximate hourly frequency is provided by V/Line on weekdays, although on weekends service levels can be as infrequent as once every 80 minutes.

The State Government electrified the tracks between Sunbury and Sydenham in a $270 million investment, bringing more frequent passenger services to the town – these Metro services started operating on 18 November 2012. Frequency was increased again when Metro services on the Sunbury Line started running through the Metro Tunnel, fully opening on 1 February 2026.

Education

Primary schools

Sunbury West Primary School

Sunbury Primary School

Sunbury Heights Primary School

Killara Primary School

Kismet Park Primary School

St Anne's Primary School

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Primary School

Goonawarra Primary School

Holy Trinity Primary School

Secondary schools and high schools

Sunbury Downs College (formerly Sunbury Post Primary School)

Sunbury College (formerly Sunbury Secondary College, Sunbury High School)

Salesian College

Others

Sunbury and Macedon Ranges Special School

Sport

Sunbury is represented in the following sporting leagues:

Athletics

Sunbury Little Athletics Centre Inc

Australian rules football

Sunbury Football Netball Club (Ballarat Football League)

Sunbury Kangaroos Football Netball club ( Essendon District Football League )

Sunbury Kangaroos Junior Football Club (Riddell District Football League) – club official website

Rupertswood Football Club (Essendon District Football League) – club official website

East Sunbury Sporting Group – Seniors and juniors Football Club (Essendon District Football League) – club official website

Bandy

Australian Bandy League is based here.

Badminton

Sunbury Badminton Club Inc

Baseball

Sunbury Titans Baseball club

Basketball

Sunbury Basketball Association

Big V Basketball

Bicycle

Sunbury Bicycle User Group

Cricket

Politics

The City of Hume has two wards which covers Sunbury, Jacksons Hill Ward which covers the southern half of the town and the nearby town Bulla, represented by Cr Jarrod Bell, and Emu Creek Ward which covers the northern half of Sunbury and the nearby town of Wildwood, represented by Cr Kate Hamley. At State level, Sunbury is in the Electoral district of Sunbury, represented by Josh Bull. Federally, Sunbury is located in the Division of Hawke, represented by Sam Rae.

Events

In 2023, Sunbury was the epicentre to a magnitude-4 earthquake, which was felt by residents from Tasmania to New South Wales.

Notable people

Mark Blicavs, Australian rules footballer

Sara Blicavs, WNBL player and Australian Opals player

Matthew Egan, Australian rules footballer

Cameron Guthrie, Australian rules footballer

Zach Guthrie, Australian rules footballer

Mark Johnson, Australian rules footballer

James Kelly, Australian rules footballer

Jamie Maclaren, Australian soccer player, striker for Melbourne City FC, Hibernian F.C. and Australia

Shirley McKerrow, politician, first woman elected Federal President of any Australian political party

Nathan Phillips, actor

David Schwarz, Australian rules footballer

Cassi Van Den Dungen, model, runner-up in 2009 on Australia's Next Top Model

Cameron Wight, Australian rules footballer

Jin Woodman (born 2009), wheelchair tennis player

Linden Hall, athlete