The 563 is operated by the Dysons group from their depot in Bundoora. It originally ran from either Northland Shopping Centre or Regent station along Tyler St to the East Preston tram terminus. It then ran along Plenty Rd (with some trips deviating via Larundel Psychiatric Hospital on Plenty Rd and/or Bundoora Repatriation hospital opposite Larundel) to Mayfield Drive then along Mill Park Drive, Flemington Drive and Betula Ave to the Mill Park Stables Shopping Centre on Childs Rd. Some trips went directly via Plenty Rd and Childs Rd. When the buses were running to Northland, free transfers were available to/from Regent station, presumably on the 567.
With the 20th July 1986 timetable changes in combination with the tram line extension to Bundoora, the route south along Plenty Rd from LaTrobe University was deleted and the route extended north along Redleap Ave, Hurlstone Crescent and Christie Avenue to Mill Park North, returning via Redleap Avenue. Subsequent timetables throughout the early 1990s extended the northern end of the route until in the 1995 timetable the route reached South Morang. At the southern end the route was truncated further to Bundoora bus/tram interchange for most trips but with the 1995 timetable the route to Northland was reinstated. By the 28th April 2003 timetable, the route had been extended through Yarrambat and Plenty via Kurrak Rd, Yan Yean Rd and Diamond Creek Rd to Civic Drive where it then followed the former 565 route via Apollo Parkways to Greensborough.