What is the population of Melton, Victoria?

The population of Melton, Victoria is 72,177. Don’t worry if you’re never heard of Melton – it’s a very forgettable satellite town north-west of Melbourne.

Some cities around the world are destined to have a surprisingly large population, yet never appear on the tourist radar. In the UK, that fits Wakefield or maybe Southampton. In the US, it might be Bakersfield, California.

Well, Melton is probably Australia’s version of this city. Named after Melton Mowbray in England, Melton is a stunningly anonymous satellite town of Melbourne. Detached from the Victorian capital by a green belt, Melton manages to be its own entity. It hides away on the Western Freeway between Melbourne and Ballarat (home of Sovereign Hill). It will eventually be subsumed by Melbourne’s city sprawl, but for now Melton is technically on its own.

Things to do in Melton, Victoria

There aren’t many things to do in Melton. It is not a tourist city brimming with activities and attractions. You can go to watch harness racing at Tabcorp Park, or play golf at the Melton Valley Golf Club. But otherwise the Melton Botanic Garden and Long Forest Nature Conservation Reserve are the top choices. Neither provides anything not done considerably better elsewhere in Australia.

Melton Botanic Garden, Victoria — The Melton Botanic Garden is one of the highlights of Melton, north-west of Melbourne.

Nevertheless, Melton is officially a city, and a surprisingly high number of people find the combination of cheap housing and relative proximity to the big city appealing. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released in March 2020, the population of Melton is 72,177.

Melton population growth

The population of Melton is growing very fast, too. In 2009, just 43,896 people lived there.

For comparisons, the population of Melton is about the same as that of Bundaberg in Queensland, Bunbury in Western Australia or Coffs Harbour in New South Wales. The Melton population is a little lower than that of Mackay or Rockhampton in Queensland.