It was named for the Sydney suburb of Dundas, which was in turn named for Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, who was British Home Secretary 1791–94.
It was located in the northern suburbs of Sydney, including Carlingford, Eastwood and Epping.
For its entire existence, it was a safe seat for the Liberal Party.
Dundas was created when Parramatta was split almost in half.
The new seat included nearly all of the Liberal-friendly areas of the old Parramatta, and was thus a natural choice for Parramatta's former member, Philip Ruddock, to transfer before the 1977 election.