Whittlesea City: Shows, Heritage and Nature

Whether events, historic places or outdoor activities are the deciding factor for you depends on your travel plans.

Whittlesea Show: Dates and Program

An October 2025 article by the City of Whittlesea describes the Whittlesea Show as an event held annually on the first full weekend in November at the Whittlesea Showgrounds in Whittlesea. If you want to plan your trip around the show, check the dates for the specific edition.

The program items described for 2025 include showjumping, woodchopping and an animal area. There are also market stalls, cooking and craft demonstrations, live entertainment, and interactive and historical displays. Competitions, demonstrations and exhibition areas all feature side by side.

History and Culture Across the Municipality

Westgarthtown is a historic dairy farming settlement founded in 1850 by German and Wendish immigrants. Today, it lies in the residential suburbs of Thomastown and Lalor within the City of Whittlesea. The settlement’s history is also explored at Ziebell’s Farmhouse Museum and Heritage Garden in the Westgarthtown Pioneer Precinct in Thomastown. The focus is on German and Wendish families who came to Australia to establish dairy farms north of Melbourne.

The original Ziebell farmhouse, barn and outbuildings have been restored by the City of Whittlesea. Visitors can explore the farmhouse, bathhouse, smokehouse and cart shed. Another historic site is Le Page Homestead: the house was built in the 1850s and is surrounded by gardens.

MoPA Thomastown also offers a distinctive focus: the single-storey museum has excellent accessibility and facilities, and is home to WHOA!, Australia’s first wheelchair-accessible climbing structure.

Trails, Parklands and Nature

For walks, the City of Whittlesea provides six easy-to-follow maps. They are designed for people of all ages and abilities, including wheelchair and pram users. The maps cover Bundoora, Epping/Lalor, South Morang, Thomastown, Mernda Villages and Mill Park. Before making plans, check the current availability of the maps on the council website.

The Epping North heritage trail combines natural and cultural heritage. Its features include historic sites and landmarks, as well as local flora, fauna and ecological values. The bunjil nganga Parkland offers a different experience. At 114 hectares, it is the largest parkland in the City of Whittlesea, with a network of 3.6 kilometres of walking and cycling trails. The hills offer views, and birds of prey, bush birds, small marsupials, skinks and kangaroos can be spotted in the parkland.

Nearby, Yan Yean Reservoir Park offers picnic areas and walking trails, along with native plants and wildlife. The RMIT Bundoora campus is home to six rare and fragile scarred trees. They are a reminder of resource-gathering techniques practised by hundreds of generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.

More Places to Visit in the City of Whittlesea

Funfields Theme Park is a major visitor attraction within the City of Whittlesea. Its attractions include waterslides, a wave pool, a toboggan ride and family-friendly rides. If you are weighing up culture, parkland and rides, their different focuses can help you tailor your trip to your interests.

Discover more destinations: Mill Park, Campaspe Shire, Greater Geelong City, Yarra Ranges Shire, Colac Otway Shire, Moorabool Shire, Glenelg Shire, Baw Baw Shire.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.