Nangak Tamboree
Explore Nangak Tamboree: The bushland and waterways of the Melbourne campus
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Over the next decade, La Trobe University is evolving into a world-class University City of the Future at our 235 hectare Melbourne campus in Bundoora. The new infrastructure will turn our campus 'inside out' and welcome the local community onto the campus as a place to live, learn, work, socialise and stay healthy.
Nangak Tamboree is a key part of our University of the Future.
About the Nangak Tamboree
La Trobe University acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands where its campuses are located in Victoria. We pay our respects to the Wurundjeri people, the Elders past and present.
Nangak Tamboree (nan-nyack tam-bor-ee) means respecting/sharing/looking after the waterway in Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people.
Nangak Tamboree is a very special space on the Melbourne Campus of La Trobe University. A living laboratory for students, staff and the wider community, its waterways connect with the local creeks, attract wildlife and support native flora.
Nangak Tamboree is a biodiverse waterway corridor which links La Trobe University to the wider community and environment. Connecting with Darebin Creek in the south, it runs through the Bundoora campus to the Wildlife Sanctuary and beyond to the north. A long-term project as part of the University’s Master Plan will see this neighbourhood enhanced and protected over the coming years for the benefit of the University and its neighbours.
During the Spring of 2018, the University engaged with the students, staff and the Indigenous community to name the Nangak Tamboree, creating an identity which reflects its Indigenous heritage. You can explore the map to find out more about the naming campaign.
Nangak Tamboree Vision
The project has, through comprehensive internal and external consultation, established a Vision and a suite of short, medium and long term capital works projects to develop this unique bio-diverse waterway corridor, maximising benefits to the land, the university and the community.
Nangak Tamboree will create an inviting, open and culturally aware space that protects our biodiversity and connects our communities. It will maximise the benefits to the University and its neighbours by:
- Building partnerships: Creating a shared stewardship of this valuable regional asset
- Increasing sustainability and improving biodiversity: setting new standards to protect and enhance the natural environment
- Blurring boundaries: Creating new pathways to travel through and new spaces for everyone to meet, live, study, work and play in
- Improving resilience to severe weather events: remodelling the lakes and moat systems to protect our region from the extremes of flooding and drought
- Educating the community: supporting the delivery of tertiary teaching and research while forging new links with local schools
- Respecting cultural heritage: taking a lead from local custodians of the land and sharing an understanding of the value of our waterways
Download the Nangak Tamboree Vision [PDF 1.54MB]
Our projects
A Flood modelling report, Vision and Feasibility Study (suite of short, medium and long-term capital works projects) were published in January 2018. Five projects will help us to enhance and protect Nangak Tamboree by:
- Creating greater campus amenity
- Reducing risk from severe weather events
- Creating teaching and learning, living laboratories
- Increasing habitat for endemic flora and fauna
- Increasing access to the local community and school students
- Recognising and providing connections for Indigenous staff and students.
Find out more about our projects below.
Fozzies Wetland
The Fozzies Wetland project involves a number of works that will improve the wetland habitat – located at the entrance to the Wildlife Sanctuary – to support environmental improvement.
Works include the removal of weeds and sediment; improving the wetland bund and embankment; improving stormwater capture and reuse; and, providing safer pedestrian access to the Wildlife Sanctuary.
The project will also enhance the waterway for a population of endangered native freshwater Galaxias fish living in the wetland.
The project commenced in August 2020 and will be completed by end December 2020.
This project has been assisted by the Victorian Government through Melbourne Water Corporation as part of the Living Rivers Stormwater Program.
Car Park Water Quality Improvement
Stage 1 of the project involves the installation of 12 raingardens (biofilter beds) across three car parks at the Melbourne Campus to naturally treat and clean storm water it before it reaches the moat.
Together with the Fozzies Wetland project, these works will remove pollutants from entering La Trobe’s moat system and flowing into Darebin Creek, including:
- 110 kg of Nitrogen;
- 19 kg of Phosphorus;
- 13,000 kg of suspended solids; and
- 3.6 megalitres of stormwater discharge
The project commenced in August 2020 and will be completed by end December 2020.
This project has been assisted by the Victorian Government through Melbourne Water Corporation as part of the Living Rivers Stormwater Program.
Cycling and Primary Pedestrian Network (shared pathway) project
The Cycling and Primary Pedestrian Network project involves the construction of a shared cycling pathway that connects to the Darebin Creek Bicycle trail to the south and will be integrated in to the La Trobe Sports Park, pass through the heart of the campus, provide access to the Wildlife Sanctuary and connect at the north of the campus near Plenty Road.
The network will connect cyclists and pedestrians with surrounding amenities, through Nangak Tamboree to the wider community and to other links such as the local cycling path network via the Northern Regional Trails Strategy.
As part of this project, students studying Archaeology at La Trobe University were involved in site excavations which uncovered more than 40 indigenous stone artefacts near Darebin Creek.
This project is currently in design.
Gresswell Habitat Link Waterway
This project involves construction of waterway channel, low level bund and water overflow to divert and direct Strathallan Creek.
In collaboration with Melbourne Water, Darebin City Council, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Parks Victoria and Strathallan Golf Club this project aims to improve the environment of the Habitat Link wetlands and reduce the severity of flooding for the Melbourne Campus, holding and diverting flood waters into the Gresswell lakes during incidents of extreme rainfall.
This project is currently in design and has been assisted by the Victorian Government through Melbourne Water Corporation as part of the Integrated Incentives Scheme Program.
Revegetating the Nangak Tamboree
This project involves the revegetation of the Nangak Tamboree. The project covers the full riparian corridor adjacent to the water body that passes through the Bundoora campus. The total area to be planted is approximately 258,000 m2 and will include around 165,000 indigenous plants for the rehabilitation and restoration of ecological values within Nangak Tamboree.
The design phase of this project was completed in December 2019.
Contact Us
For more information about the Nangak Tamboree projects or our University City of the Future plan, get in touch with us.
Project enquiries:
Tony Inglis, Project Director
Infrastructure and Operations, La Trobe University
M 0417 305 956
E A.Inglis@latrobe.edu.au
University City of the Future enquiries:
T (+61 3) 9479 2017
E Future.City@Latrobe.edu.au
W Future-City.LaTrobe
