Sunbury, VIC 3429

As a 10 year resident, I have to agree with the majority of positive comments. We also came here from the inner north and bought half an acre and built a fantastic home that has great views, space, its quiet, with neighbours that you actually know. As the area is growing the government could provide better facilities such as a new school, a third entry from Vineyard rd, extra parking and even a real hospital not just a day hospital as the area from here to Macedon has grown and will continue to grow. But the city is an easy (offpeak) 30-35 mins via freeway so I in an emergency there is always the major metro hospitals. BTW, I am a degree qualified professional who works in the CBD, and travel in pretty much 4 - 5 days a week, via car/ motorbike and train. In peak hour allow approx one hour to get in/ out the city each way.

I agree with one of the unhappy posters that you do need to be aware about which area to move to. As the suburb is so large geographically, there are some parts of Sunbury which are definitely better than others. Just like you wouldn't move to Richmond's Housing commission flats, and complain about gangs and drugs, then be aware of area you move to. Its not hard to see the areas where people take pride in their homes, bigger lifestyle blocks etc vs those that really can't/ won't, don't and there are commission areas that you need to be aware of. In my 10 years, about the worst that I have had is mini bikes buzzing past, but it being a country/ city fringe suburb, I'm not surprised, apart from that, I have never had any problems and we see the police patrolling quite regularly. On occasion I have left my garage door open over night, leaving my tools, motorbikes, and bikes exposed and have not had anything taken!

The people of Sunbury aren't as ethnically diverse as other areas, mainly white/ anglo/ european background, but that is slowly changing as well as people find the area now its going to be on the metro rail. But as far as "bogans" goes, there are local people who like their tattoos, hotted up cars and motorbikes, piercings loud music, but again, please point me to a place that doesn't have them and send me a picture!!

I have been involved in the junior (and now senior) footy clubs in the area and now my son's friends are all 16/17/18 y/o boys and pretty much are good kids from good families. Yes there are kids who are so-so or bad, and you do see them around, like teenagers hanging around the train/ bus stops smoking, who would've thought....but please point me to one suburb where every teenager is a saint. And with 35,000 people living in the area, the actual numbers of crimes vs say Collingwood with 7,000 residents may be higher but on a % basis its pretty much normal. Every single suburb has crime, none are immune, the things is though, its generally laid back place and not "unsafe" and I have never been assaulted, or bothered, neither has anyone else in my family or our friends.

As far as the shopping goes, Sunbury covers 99% of your needs, supermarkets, butcher shops, target, Harris Scarfe, Dick Smith, Big W, Bunnings, movies, clothes etc, but if you need something else then Watergardens is 20 mins away. I didn't come for the restaurant scene, but all the basics are covered pretty well.

Its unfortunate that the poster who has made so many negative comments, but from my perspective, Sunbury has allowed us an affordable and comfortable lifestyle, that has meant I don't live with a financial noose around my neck, can send my kids to a half decent school and still have some $$ left to do things in life to enjoy.

Overall a nice place on the city/ country fringe that gives you some space, clean air and the ability to live a fairly comfortable life style.

Moved to Sunbury 12 months ago from a Melbourne suburb to be able to afford to buy a house without a loan as we are on one income.

Pro’s-currently loving the serenity of living somewhere so incredibly quiet, in our particular older estate it sure is anyway. Love the big house blocks, the views, the lovely nature, all the birds, the hills, the beautiful neighbouring country towns and drives, the laid back friendly people. Also loving the proximity to the airport and to the Essendon suburbs. Much prefer the Tulla Highway to the Calder, really nice scenery!
The medical services for blood tests, scans etc are fabulous, very short waits too. The GP’s have been very poor so we are happy to keep returning to our previous area for GP services. Great having Bunnings, Supercheap, Good Guys and alike close by.
Good fenced dog park.
Easy access to the city for nice shopping days etc.

The con’s-
Sunbury itself is missing a lot for us personally. The town has a really dated, icky looking town centre which we almost never utilise due to this (hasn’t changed in 20 odd years it seems), the restaurant’s and cafes are mostly of a really poor standard compared to nearby Melbourne and a thing that also really disappoints us is there is no (decent) fresh fruit and veg shops. I suppose we must be just used to what we perceive as much better quality and choices so we have really noticed the difference. So much so that we still drive to Essendon 2-3 times a week to do our shops etc.

Choose your area wisely in Sunbury. We recommend the Killara, Strathearn and Jackson Hill estates. Actually also like the Rosenthal estate even if it’s not as nature filled as the other end of Sunbury. Much smaller blocks there though and not much shade but still like the look of it.

Sunbury desperately needs a big shopping centre, like a small Westfield but hopefully nicer than Airport West! We go to Highpoint as we find Watergardens not all that. This area has far outgrown what is available here that’s for sure.

Sunbury seems to be quite a dry belt so can look extremely brown in some parts compared to closer to Melbourne or further out. So can be hard to have a nice lawn etc in some areas of it.

Would I recommend Sunbury, absolutely, if it’s what your budget permits, there are some really lovely spots. If you like difference local shops to peruse through and lovely restaurants etc Sunbury is literally the worst we have ever experienced for this.

We will most likely return to our previous area when our budget permits but for now I would be lying to say we weren’t happy here because we are :)

I hope this helps if you are considering the move here:)

busier than it used to be but still quiet enough and green

Renting here atm after 6 years in the city, and we will probably sell our apartment in Hawthorn and buy an actual house here.

If you’re not into the whole “busy weekend” thing, sunbury’s the best. i can spend the day at the vineyard, have a coffee at the local spots, or just walk around the nature reserves. it’s quiet but so fulfilling.

Sunbury’s the place if you’re after a bit of breathing room. my house actually has a backyard (lol), and there’s all this open space around. with the hills and the mountain views, it’s so relaxing. a lot more peaceful than inner melbourne with a 30 min train direct to the CBD!

moved here with the family, and it’s been ideal. sunbury has great schools, lots of parks, and there’s this nice sense of community. the kids love exploring the nature reserves and galaxy land, and we actually feel safe here. it’s a bit more bustling than it used to be, but still feels like home.

love this little (not so little any more) town

I’ve been in Sunbury for 17 years now, and it’s honestly unrecognisable from what people used to think. It had a bit of a rough reputation back in the day, but that’s long gone and couldn’t be further from the truth now.

These days, it’s a safe, vibrant community with families, cafes, and a real sense of pride in the area. The scenery is just stunning too, with hills and mountain views all around — it’s like living in a hidden little paradise just outside Melbourne.

The only downside is it’s definitely getting busier, with more people discovering it.

I have sadly moved to the other side of Melbourne for the wife's work, and we're both already planning out how to make moving back possible

We honestly had no intention of buying in Sunbury — we’d barely even heard of it! Just came up here one weekend to check out the wineries and get a little break from the city. But after spending the day, we were hooked. There’s this amazing blend of nature, history, and community that’s hard to find so close to Melbourne. We ended up looking at properties “just for fun” and realised we could actually afford a beautiful home here. We went from curious visitors to locals in a matter of months — best decision we’ve ever made!

Living in Sunbury feels like a hidden treasure. You’re close to Melbourne, but it has this quiet, countryside feel that’s hard to find. We love spending weekends at the wineries or exploring the local cafés on O’Shanassy. The Galaxy Land playground is a hit with the kids, too!


The other reviews are bang on - this is definitely one of Melbourne’s best-kept secrets for families.