The Block 2027 in Sunbury, at a glance
| Location | Jacksons Hill, Sunbury, Victoria (about 40 km north west of Melbourne) |
| Site | Three heritage buildings, formerly the Sunbury Asylum and Caloola |
| Homes | Five main homes for five teams, plus a sixth for The House Next Door |
| Season | 23 |
| Filming | 12 weeks from February 2027 |
| Applications | Open, here is how to apply |
The rumour that would not die has been made official. Scott Cam and Shelley Craft named Sunbury as the home of The Block 2027 at Nine’s 2027 Upfront on 17 September (#NineUpfront), and it is the boldest brief the show has ever set: three heritage buildings at Jacksons Hill, turned into five family homes. Here is what has been reported, who reported it, and what is still under wraps.
Is The Block 2027 in Sunbury?
Yes. Nine revealed Sunbury on its Upfront livestream. Cam called it “the boldest extension ever” and said The Block is “going full Bridgerton”, with contestants transforming “170-year-old villas” on the site. Our rumour tracker has moved the claim from Rumour to Confirmed, and the main location page reflects it.
The three buildings
realestate.com.au and the Herald Sun report that Nine has acquired three heritage buildings at Jacksons Hill from the Victorian Government, on the eastern side of the former Victoria University campus. A Victorian Planning Authority study identifies them as the former Female Infirmary Ward (Building 1), the former Female Admission and Special Wards (Building 2) and the former hospital (Building 3).
A 2017 adaptive reuse study gives a rough idea of the challenge. Building 1 has large rooms of about 70 to 130 square metres on one level and was rated in reasonable condition. Building 2 has smaller rooms around a central spine across two levels and was considered difficult to adapt and in poor condition. Building 3 has larger single level rooms and was seen as the most flexible. Those assessments are almost a decade old and do not tell us the condition today.
How three buildings become five homes
Nobody has said yet. Nine describes the plan as “high-quality and aspirational family homes”, with five teams each creating a home, but there is no floor plan, no breakdown of which building becomes which house, and no word on land size. Nine has also not revealed what it paid for the buildings. Duplexes, apartments or something new: we will update this page when Nine releases details.
The history of the site
Jacksons Hill began as the Sunbury Industrial School in the 1860s and was redeveloped as an asylum in 1879, expanding over the following decades. It operated as a psychiatric hospital until the 1960s, later became the Caloola Training Centre, and part of the precinct was then used as a Victoria University campus. The Victorian Government bought the former university site in 2018 and reports say the three buildings Nine acquired have been vacant since around 2010. The site is on the Victorian Heritage Register.
This is a place with a heavy institutional past, and it matters to a lot of people. Some locals have said the site should stay in community hands, and one wrote that a relative once lived at Caloola and that turning it into homes for a TV show feels deeply personal. Local Member Josh Bull has said the buildings have been empty and deteriorating since 2010 and that works will be refurbished under strict supervision from Heritage Victoria.
Heritage approval and the start date
Because of the heritage listing, Nine needs Heritage Victoria approval for proposed works. Australian House and Garden reports the heritage permit application will be publicly advertised later in September 2026, with submissions open during that period. Filming is meant to start in February 2027, so the approval process is the thing to watch. The usual premiere window is late July or early August, and no premiere date has been announced.
The House Next Door
The Upfront also announced The Block: The House Next Door, a Stan exclusive from 2027. Returning all-star contestants will renovate a sixth property just over the fence on the Jacksons Hill site, working on the same rooms as the main cast, with weekly reveals shown only on Stan. Cam and Craft host. The contestants, judges and premiere date are not yet confirmed.
Will it work as a Block?
Sunbury’s median house price is about $720,000 according to Domain, against about $1.64 million at Mount Eliza, and the outer-fringe location is an unusual test for the show’s usual prestige formula. Buyers advocate Cate Bakos told realestate.com.au that bringing aspirational buyers to Sunbury would need more land than a tight suburban block, and that the parcels would need to be “more generous than anything The Block has seen previously”. Another advocate, Madeleine Roberts, questioned how deep the demand for high end converted homes would be. Both are opinions, and nobody has seen the floor plans or the land allocations.
Who is hosting and judging?
Scott Cam and Shelley Craft are confirmed to return. The Herald Sun understands none of the current judging panel (Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer and Marty Fox) has been confirmed for 2027 yet.
Can I apply to be on it?
Yes. Applications for season 23 are open Australia wide, for teams of two, with a 12 week shoot from February 2027. Our step by step application guide covers the process, the official link and what producers want.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is The Block 2027 being filmed?
Jacksons Hill, Sunbury, Victoria, in three heritage buildings that were formerly part of the Sunbury Asylum and later Caloola.
How many houses are on The Block 2027?
Five main homes for five teams, plus a sixth property for The House Next Door spin-off on Stan.
How much did Nine pay for the Sunbury site?
Not revealed. Nine acquired the three buildings from the Victorian Government but has not disclosed the price.
Is the Sunbury site heritage listed?
Yes. It is on the Victorian Heritage Register and Nine needs Heritage Victoria approval for works.
Do I have to live in Victoria to apply?
No. Submissions are accepted Australia wide, though you must be free for the full filming period from February 2027.
Page update log: 20 September 2026: Page created after the Sunbury announcement at Nine’s 2027 Upfront. 20 September 2026: Expanded with building details, heritage approval, The House Next Door and expert commentary from realestate.com.au, Herald Sun, Domain and Australian House and Garden reporting. Last verified: 20 September 2026.
Sources: realestate.com.au, Domain (“The Block 2027 location revealed: Sunbury”, 17 September 2026), Australian House and Garden and The House Next Door announcement.
#NineUpfront #TheBlock2027
