One of Australia’s most iconic automotive manufacturing sites is preparing for a dramatic transformation, with Ford’s former Broadmeadows factory in Melbourne tipped to become a large-scale data centre precinct.
Nearly 10 years after the final locally made Ford Falcon rolled off the production line, plans have emerged to redevelop the historic Campbellfield site into a six-building digital infrastructure campus led by Singapore-based developer Zerra DC.
The proposal, lodged with the Victorian Government, would reshape the famous 300-340 Barry Road property into a modern technology hub featuring multiple data centres alongside office facilities. While the project is yet to receive final approval, it signals another major shift in the changing identity of Australia’s former automotive heartland.
From Falcons to Fibre Networks
For generations of Australians, Broadmeadows was synonymous with Ford manufacturing.
The plant officially opened in 1959 and quickly became one of the country’s most significant automotive facilities. Just a year later, Ford launched the first Australian-built XK Falcon from the site, beginning a manufacturing legacy that would span more than five decades.
At its peak, the factory employed over 5000 workers and produced more than 600 vehicles every day. It built every generation of the Ford Falcon right through to the final FG X series, as well as the Territory SUV, Fairlane, LTD, Cortina, and even the short-lived Ford Capri convertible.
The end came on October 7, 2016, when a Kinetic Blue FG X Falcon XR6 sedan became the last vehicle to leave the Broadmeadows production line, closing a defining chapter in Australia’s car-making history.
Ford Still Maintains Engineering Presence
Although manufacturing ceased years ago, Ford has not completely left Broadmeadows behind.
Parts of the original 45-hectare property remain active, including Ford’s heritage-listed Product Development Centre on Sydney Road. The facility continues to play a key role in the company’s Asia-Pacific engineering and design operations.
Several Australian-developed performance projects, including the 2019 Mustang R-Spec and the 2026 Mustang Dark Horse T8-Spec package, were engineered there.
Broadmeadows also played a central role in the development of the current Ford Ranger and Everest, working alongside Ford’s You Yangs proving ground near Geelong.
A Wider Shift Across Victoria’s Automotive Sites
The Broadmeadows redevelopment reflects a broader trend unfolding across Victoria, where former automotive manufacturing locations are increasingly being repurposed for technology, logistics, and industrial projects.
Earlier this year, Melbourne’s former Holden Special Vehicles headquarters in Clayton was demolished to make way for another data centre development. That site previously housed manufacturing operations for Volkswagen, Nissan, Volvo, and HSV across several decades.
Meanwhile, the former GM Holden proving ground at Lang Lang was recently sold to an Australian defence contractor, bringing an end to decades of automotive testing at the rural Victorian facility.
For many Australians, the Broadmeadows transformation carries both nostalgia and symbolism. The site that once powered Australia’s automotive industry may soon help power the nation’s digital future instead.
