La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary (Bundoora)

The La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary (Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary) was set up in 1967 as a project in the restoration and management of indigenous flora and fauna. The Wildlife Sanctuary's primary aim is to provide opportunities for learning about indigenous flora and fauna through engaging with the community.

We offer a range of tour and education experiences that focus on natural history and biodiversity. On our experiences you will not only discover a range of habitats and the animals that live here, but also discover much about the history and function of the area and its ecosystems.

The La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the Melbourne (Bundoora) Campus of La Trobe University opposite Car Park 8.

Opening Hours:

Admission Times

Cost:

General admission is by gold coin donation
Guided Tour Details and Costs

Access for Dogs:

Dogs are not permitted in the sanctuary.

Review:

The Sanctuary has a nursery, small visitors centre, some outdoor seating, large shelter with tables, information boards and the large fenced enclosure.

The visitors centre near the entrance has photos, stuffed animals, various specimens including snakes preserved in jars and a display of nests from different birds.

At the entrance to the enclosure, which has a gold coin entry, pick up a plastic covered map to use for the walk. The gates are locked at 3pm but there are some emergency phone numbers displayed at the entrance to call if you happen to get locked in. There are two designated walks but you are free to make up your own route using the map. The short route is 15 minutes and the longer walk is about 30 minutes long. There are lots of paths and tracks crossing the area and we actually found it quite difficult to follow the route. We tried to find the historical dunny but got a bit lost and had to back track quite a long way to find it. That gave us the sh1ts. After we found it and realised it was not very exciting - only a concrete foundation with a few loose bricks, that really gave us the sh1ts even more!

Apart from seeing the wildlife (mainly birds), taking in all the information on the panels scattered throughout the site and having a nice walk, there were a few quirky elements to add interest. Keep a look out for the ant sculptures - we found Dominant, Antagonist, Antisocial and Emergant and The Goat 'Monorail'. The La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary staff and volunteers are an ingenious group of people, often creating unique solutions to issues we face and trying to minimise overall impact - not just ecologically, but also economically. The Goat Monorail was introduced as a means of controlling weeds on the track throughout the Sanctuary. Giselle, the goat, would be attached via a leash to a single wire line that ran along the track. She could move freely up and down the track and keep it clear of vegetation. Persistence and ingenuity has paid off. The vegetation throughout the sanctuary is such that the goat monorail is no longer necessary.

There are toilets within the fenced area near gate 14.

The Sanctuary is open on Sunday (but not Saturday) which has the advantage of free parking at the University.

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