Thornbury

Thornbury is home to a thriving alternative music culture and a diverse population.

Thornbury is 7km north of central Melbourne and in 2022 had a population of about 19,000.

The heart of Thornbury is the Thornbury Village, centred on the High Street shopping strip. Smaller shopping precincts are along parts of St Georges Road, Wales Street and Station Street.

Thornbury is home to many cafes, bars and night spots and has a large alternative music culture. Thornbury also has a higher proportion of LGBTIQA+ people compared with the rest of the Darebin.

For 111 years, Thornbury was part of the former City of Northcote, which existed from 1883 until June 1994.

The Merri Creek Trail and Darebin Creek Trail run on the west and east sides of Thornbury, and are popular paths used by cyclists and walkers.

What's happening in Thornbury?

Find out the latest news and developments going on in your neighbourhood from park upgrades to major planning developments. Visit our Your Say website and get involved with discussion about Thornbury.

Getting Around

Trams, trains and buses run throughout Thornbury. Or you could get out on your bike on one of the amazing bike trails along Merri Creek or Darebin Creek!

Train: Thornbury Station (South Morang line)
Tram: Route 86 and Route 11
Bus: Route 251, Route 250, Route 510, Route 552, Route 567, Walking and Cycling: St Georges Road shared path, South Morang Line Shimmy bike route, Braken Ave shared path, Victoria Road bike lanes, Darebin Creek Trail

Parking maps

For parking restrictions and conditions, try Parkopedia as a guide (but always check the parking signs where you want to park).

For more information

Collect a Darebin TravelSmart map from any of our libraries, our customer service centres or download a copy from our public transport page.

Places of interest

Have you visited the top places of interest in Thornbury? Get out on the greens at Northcote Golf Course, pick-up a great gift from the Makers Market Thornbury, or ride your bike along the velodrome at the International Sports Centre.

Preston South and Thornbury Play Map

Play is so important for children’s health, wellbeing, learning and development. This map is a celebration of simple, inexpensive ideas to get all children playing, while exploring all the wonderful places and spaces Darebin has to offer!

We created the Darebin Play Maps by asking children and families in playgroups, child care centres, kindergartens and primary schools across Darebin what they enjoyed, when and where they played.

The pay maps are designed to be used by children and families to stimulate ideas, give prompts and mark out the local spots that children love to play in.

While every effort has been made to make sure the play suggestions are appropriate, families need to use their own common sense to make sure their children are safe.

Download the Preston South and Thornbury play map(PDF, 4MB)

  1. Darebin International Sports Centre
  2. Thornbury Village
  3. SPAN Community House
  4. Koori Mural on St George’s Road
  5. Made 'n Thornbury Craft Market
  6. Merri Creek Trail
  7. Darebin Creek Trail
  8. Northcote Golf Course
  9. Parks and Reserves
  10. Narrandjeri Stadium

Your community

Connect with your community in Thornbury. Do you want to make your street more sustainable, or do you want to grow veggies with your neighbourhood?

Connect with:

Thornbury history

In 1837 Robert Hoddle surveyed the area later to be known as Thornbury. The name Thornbury came around 1850 when one early settler, Job Smith, named his property after a farm near his English birthplace.

  • In 1889 the railway line was opened with a station built at Thornbury. A cable tramway followed in 1890 running the length of High Street from Northcote to the Preston border.
  • It wasn't till 1904 there was a direct train line from the city to Thornbury, which was linked by railway to Clifton Hill, establishing a faster route to Melbourne.
  • S. G. Tomkins started his dairy at 40 Shaftesbury Parade in 1924. Like many local dairies, he lived in a building at the front of the property and established his milking sheds in the back of the property.
  • By 1914, a small cluster of shops existed on High Street and the first state school opened in 1915 to accommodate 559 children.
  • The Thornbury Picture Palace was the first local picture theatre in Darebin, screening films in a hall for years before relocating to a larger premises in 1912.
  • The Regent Theatre opened on 8 August 1925. The films selected for its Grand Opening were Argentine Love and Hurricane Kid. These silent movies were supported by the Regent Grand Symphony Orchestra.

Find out more at Darebin Heritage.

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