Where the term actually comes from
"Astro turf" is a genericised trademark. AstroTurf was a specific branded synthetic sports surface developed for the Houston Astrodome in the 1960s — a short-pile product built for ball roll and sports performance, not for looking like a home lawn. Over the following decades the brand name became the generic word Australians (and much of the English-speaking world) use for artificial grass broadly, in the same way "Esky" became shorthand for any portable cooler regardless of who made it. The original branded product is a small, specific slice of a much bigger modern category.
Product classes, at a glance
Modern artificial turf splits into distinct product classes by use case, and knowing which one you actually want matters more than the search term you typed to get here:
- Landscape/lawn turf — general residential use, typically 35–45mm pile, built to look like a lush natural lawn.
- Pet turf — shorter, denser pile with a liquid-permeable backing and odour-control infill.
- Putting green — very short, dense pile (around 13mm) built for consistent ball roll.
- Sports turf — pile height ranges from about 10mm (tennis) to 60mm (football/rugby) under the SAPIA industry Code of Practice, with fibre type and infill varying by sport.
For almost everyone landing on this page, landscape/lawn turf is the relevant category — the sports-specific product most people picture when they hear "astro turf" is a narrower, less common home purchase than the term suggests.
What it costs
Landscape turf in Melbourne typically runs $90–130/m² supplied and installed for a standard residential job, spanning roughly $75–160+/m² across budget, mid and premium tiers. See our full Melbourne cost guide for the tier-by-tier breakdown and what actually separates a cheap lawn from an expensive one.
The Melbourne angle
Whatever you call it, artificial grass has a genuinely strong case in Melbourne around shade and winter wet. Real grass needs a baseline level of sunlight to grow and recover, and Melbourne has plenty of established-tree, south-facing and heavily overshadowed yards where natural lawn has always struggled — artificial turf doesn't rely on light at all, which is a structural advantage, not a marketing spin. Suppliers commonly pitch this as a "no mud in winter, no dust in summer" line — a reasonable, directionally accurate description of the shade and drainage benefit, but it's their framing rather than an independently verified claim, so take it as a fair summary rather than a guaranteed outcome for every yard. For more on this, see our guide to artificial grass for shaded Melbourne yards.
Astro turf questions we get asked most
Is astro turf the same thing as artificial grass?
In everyday Australian usage, yes — most people searching "astro turf" mean general artificial grass for a home lawn, not the sports-specific product the term originally described. Technically the two aren't identical, but the search intent almost always points to landscape turf.
Where does the term "astro turf" actually come from?
It comes from AstroTurf, a specific branded short-pile synthetic sports surface developed for the Houston Astrodome in the 1960s. Like Jacuzzi or Esky, the brand name became the generic word people use for the whole product category, long after the market moved well beyond that original product.
What's the difference between astro turf and landscape turf?
The original AstroTurf-style product was a short, dense pile built for sports performance and ball roll. Landscape turf for home lawns runs a longer pile — typically 35–45mm — designed to look and feel like natural grass rather than perform like a sports surface. If you're after a home lawn, landscape-grade product is almost always the right category, whatever the search term used to find it.
How much does astro turf (artificial grass) cost in Melbourne?
Most Melbourne homeowners land in the $90–130/m² supplied-and-installed range for a standard residential lawn, with budget, mid and premium tiers spanning roughly $75–160+/m² depending on pile density, backing and UV-resistance grade. Our full cost guide breaks down the tiers and what drives the price.
Does artificial turf suit Melbourne's shaded, wet winters?
This is one of the genuinely strong Melbourne arguments for it. Real grass needs sunlight to grow, so shaded yards and patches under established trees often stay patchy no matter what you do; artificial turf doesn't rely on light at all. Suppliers commonly frame this as a "no mud in winter, no dust in summer" pitch — a reasonable general description of the shade and drainage benefit, though it's their framing rather than an independently tested claim.
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