Thornbury's homes
Renters and small homes
24.5% of homes were flats or apartments and 14.6% had one bedroom. 28.8% were owned with a mortgage and 27.1% owned outright.
Three eras of houses
Housing dates from the Victorian era, late Federation and the interwar years. The suburb grew along High Street after the railway joined the city network in 1901 to 1903, and the Housing Commission built in the east in the 1950s and 1960s.
Heritage, sometimes in a hurry
After residents objected to plans to demolish a 1920s manse, Darebin put a temporary heritage overlay on the Thornbury Park Estate Precinct from April 2022.
Two networks
CitiPower's Northcote zone substation supplies part of Thornbury, and it was forecast to run above its cyclic capacity in summer 2024/25. Check your bill to see which distributor you're with.
If you own a rental in Thornbury
Every Victorian rental now needs an electrical safety check at least every 2 years, by a licensed or registered electrician, to section 4 of AS/NZS 3019. If no check has been done in the 2 years before a renter moves in, it has to be arranged as soon as possible.
From 25 November 2025, a rental must meet the minimum standards, including the electrical one, at the time it's advertised. That standard means power outlets and lighting circuits on circuit breakers and safety switches, and in an older house with a fuse board it can mean a whole new switchboard.
If you're renting
You're entitled to know when the last electrical check was done and whether any of its recommendations are outstanding, and you can ask for the record in writing. If a power point is hot, scorched or sparking, stop using it and tell the landlord or agent straight away.
Our take for Thornbury landlords
Book the check before you advertise, not after a renter moves in. A property that has to meet the standard on the day it's listed is the wrong place to discover the board needs replacing.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.