Correction (4 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources on 4 October 2026.
Above all a park is a set of features, and that is why this guide opens with them. Each of the seven parks below has its playground, picnic, barbecue, toilet and dog-area details taken from the council directory or Parks Victoria page, and nothing else is added.
None of them is inside Fairfield itself: four are in Northcote, one in Abbotsford, one in Clifton Hill and one in Alphington. None of the sources give trail distances, grades or surfaces, so we do not print any.
Each park was checked against two sources. Facilities change, so check the official page before you go, and the weather call comes from the Bureau of Meteorology, not from us.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Playground, picnic table and toilets | Johnson Park | 12 Palmer Street, Northcote |
| Playground and BBQ tables | McAdam Reserve | 24 Stanley Street, Northcote |
| Playground and BBQ tables | Baden Morgan Reserve | 9-11 Roberts Street, Northcote |
| Playground and a hoops court | Oldis Gardens | East Street, Northcote |
| A riverside weir and walking | Dights Falls | Trenerry Crescent, Abbotsford |
| Big facility list, skate park, dogs | Quarries Park (incl. Quarries Playspace) | 41 Ramsden Street, Clifton Hill |
| Off-lead dogs and a hoops court | Pitcher Park | 1 Keith Street, Alphington |
Johnson Park — 12 Palmer Street, Northcote VIC 3070
The Darebin council directory lists Johnson Park with a playground for children, public toilets on site and a table suitable for picnics. The page is a features list with no description. It gives no trail distance, so this reads as a stop for a short family visit.
Water and toilets: the council lists public toilets on site; it does not mention drinking water.
McAdam Reserve — 24 Stanley Street, Northcote VIC 3070
The council directory lists a playground for children, BBQ tables and seating, and a table suitable for picnics at McAdam Reserve. Those three features put barbecue and picnic tables in the same reserve. The page gives no toilet listing.
Start at: the council lists the address as 24 Stanley Street, Northcote.
Baden Morgan Reserve — 9-11 Roberts Street, Northcote VIC 3070
Baden Morgan Reserve is listed by the Darebin council with a playground for children and BBQ tables and seating. The directory gives no picnic table, toilet or description for it. The address is 9-11 Roberts Street, Northcote.
Distance / grade / surface: the council directory gives none of these, so treat it as a playground stop, not a route.
Oldis Gardens — East Street, Northcote VIC 3070
The council directory lists Oldis Gardens with a playground for children, public toilets on site and a basketball or netball court with hoops. It is the one park here that pairs a court with toilets. The council page gives the address as East St, with no street number.
Water and toilets: the council lists public toilets on site.
Dights Falls — Trenerry Crescent, Abbotsford VIC 3067
Parks Victoria says Dights Falls is an artificial weir built on a natural rock bar across the Yarra, built in the 1840s to provide water to the Ceres flour mill, one of the first in Victoria. Yarra Council says the park is great for jogging, walking and cycling, or simply relaxing with the sound of falling water. The council’s facilities list names car parking, a dog on-leash area, a pavilion and public toilets. Its page also says there is no wheelchair access or accessible toilets.
Start at: the council lists car parking, and Parks Victoria runs a Dights Falls Loop Walk from Yarra Bend Park.
Quarries Park (incl. Quarries Playspace) — 41 Ramsden Street, Clifton Hill VIC 3068
Yarra Council’s facilities list for Quarries Park names an all-abilities playground, barbecue, cricket practice nets, a dog off-leash area, a picnic area, public toilets, seating, a skate park, a soccer ground, a sports oval, and tables and chairs. The council says Quarries Park and Yambla Reserve Pitch are off-leash dog areas, and that there are great views of the city skyline. Its accessibility line reads Fully wheelchair accessible, Accessible toilet, Disabled parking. It is in Clifton Hill, just outside Fairfield.
Weather call: the park is open-air with a sports oval and skate park, so check the Bureau of Meteorology forecast before you set out.
Pitcher Park — 1 Keith Street, Alphington VIC 3078
The Darebin council directory lists Pitcher Park with an area where dogs can be taken off leash, BBQ tables and seating, and a basketball or netball court with hoops. It is in Alphington, on Keith Street. The page does not list a playground or toilets.
Turn-around point: the council lists no trail distance here, so there is no route or turn-around point to give.
Quick answers
Which parks near Fairfield have a playground?
The Darebin council directory lists a playground for children at Johnson Park, McAdam Reserve, Baden Morgan Reserve and Oldis Gardens, all in Northcote. Yarra Council lists an all-abilities playground at Quarries Park in Clifton Hill.
Where can you have a barbecue or picnic near Fairfield?
The council directory lists BBQ tables and seating at McAdam Reserve, Baden Morgan Reserve and Pitcher Park, and a table suitable for picnics at Johnson Park and McAdam Reserve. Yarra Council lists a barbecue and a picnic area at Quarries Park.
Which parks near Fairfield have off-lead dog areas?
Pitcher Park is listed by the Darebin council with an area where dogs can be taken off leash. Yarra Council says Quarries Park and Yambla Reserve Pitch are off-leash dog areas, and lists a dog on-leash area at Dights Falls.
Which of these parks has public toilets?
The council directory lists public toilets on site at Johnson Park and Oldis Gardens. Yarra Council lists public toilets at Dights Falls and Quarries Park, with an accessible toilet at Quarries Park; the Dights Falls page says there are no accessible toilets.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources on 4 October 2026: OpenStreetMap, council pages and government pages. Facilities and opening hours change, so check the official page before you go. The photos are illustrative, from Unsplash: they show the kind of place, not the places on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Johnson Park: openstreetmap.org/23000753, darebin.vic.gov.au/Johnson-park
- McAdam Reserve: openstreetmap.org/27703771, darebin.vic.gov.au/Mcadam-reserve
- Baden Morgan Reserve: openstreetmap.org/27703817, darebin.vic.gov.au/Baden-morgan-reserve
- Oldis Gardens: openstreetmap.org/27703706, darebin.vic.gov.au/Oldis-gardens
- Dights Falls: openstreetmap.org/25947381, yarracity.vic.gov.au/dights-falls, parks.vic.gov.au/yarra-bend-park
- Quarries Park (incl. Quarries Playspace): openstreetmap.org/26116508, yarracity.vic.gov.au/quarries-park
- Pitcher Park: openstreetmap.org/27703618, darebin.vic.gov.au/Pitcher-park
