Alphington Park Dog Off Leash Area (Restricted Hours) (Alphington)

Alphington Park lies on the banks of the Yarra River and has some wetlands. A large park with an oval, playground, toilets, BBQs, picnic area and Alphington Wetlands area to explore. This is a really nice park but unfortunately for dog owners, dogs are only allowed off leash before 10am and after 5pm.

The playground is in the north west part of the park and is next to toilets and a water tap with bowl. Dogs are not allowed within 5m of the playground.

This area of the park has some nice display gardens. The Alphington Native Display Gardens demonstrate innovative and sustainable garden design and promote the use of native and indigenous plant and tree species in the home garden.

The display gardens provide practical information and education about native landscapes, sustainability, heritage and horticulture, as well as a place for enjoyment of the whole community. Garden features include: - habitat for native fauna that once naturally occurred in the area - innovative practical landscape designs using native and indigenous plants - sustainable practices to create low maintenance and less resource-dependent gardens.

To the south is an unfenced oval with a path around it. South of the oval is a grassy area dotted with trees which has a bin, toilets, seats and water tap with bowl.

Further south of this area is the wetlands area. A gravel track leads down to the Yarra River where you can see the remains of the Alphington Swimming pool in the Yarra and a children's wading pool. This is an interesting area to explore and there is a track to follow.

Before European settlement, this area was the home of the traditional owners, the Wurundjeri-willam people. The floodplain adjacent to the Yarra River was extensively cleared for farming and little of the original bush remains. It has been recently replanted with many of the trees, shrubs and grasses which are indigenous to the area and a wetlands system created, which is fed by natural rainfall and the stormwater from the nearby streets and houses.

The site also contains the remains of the Alphington Swimming Pool, which was built by local residents in the 1920s and was a focus of community life until the 1960s. The Pool has been partially restored with funds from the Commonwealth Federation Fund and assistance from other benefactors.

From the 1920s to the early 1960s, this section of riverbank was part of the beautifully landscaped gardens of the Renn family property Their glorious home "Runnymeade" stood on the adjacent site. The magnificent gardens surrounding the home won the 1940 Herald Sun and Weekly Times Garden Competition. The stone walls of the terrace gardens and steps to the riverbank remain as a reminder of the past use of the area, as do the oak trees a little further downstream. The riverbank is now being revegetated by AMCOR, the City of Yarra, and local residents with local native plants in an aim to restore its ecological and amenity values. Visitors are invited to enjoy the area, but are asked to respect that it remains private land.

The Alphington Swimming Pool was constructed on the banks of the Yarra River by local residents in the early 1920s and remained a focus of community life until the 1960s. Annual swimming carnivals were held at the Pool and local families often picnicked in the area. After falling into disuse, it was covered with silt from the river and was partly excavated and restored in 2001 by local residents.

The Children's Wading Pool was built in the late 1940s and was supplied with fresh water from a toilet block located north of the original dressing sheds.

Alphington Park Dog Off Leash Area (Restricted Hours) (Alphington)

Access Hours for Dogs:

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