Correction (10 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 between 9 October 2026 and 10 October 2026.
This guide answers one question: which parks near Malvern East have somewhere for kids to play and room to spread out? It covers six places in and around Malvern East. Three are in Malvern East, one is in Ashburton and two are in Glen Iris.
Each one was checked against OpenStreetMap and a council page, and the facilities named below are the ones those pages list. We give no distances or walking routes, because the council pages do not print them.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure playground and skate park | Phoenix Park | Phoenix Park, Malvern East |
| Conservatory and nature play | Central Park | Corner of Burke Road and Wattletree Road, Malvern East |
| Playground, tennis and dog oval | Ardrie Park | Ardrie Park, Malvern East |
| Playground and sports field | Watson Park | 58 Munro Street, Ashburton |
| Sportsground by the wetlands | T H King Oval | 1650 High Street, Glen Iris |
| Barbecue, playground, rebound wall | Dorothy Laver Reserve East | 1-9 Saxby Road, Glen Iris |
Phoenix Park — Malvern East VIC 3145
Stonnington Council describes Phoenix Park as a community park with an adventure playground, a skating facility, a BBQ and open grounds for picnics or kicking a ball around. Its facility list names drinking fountains, a kiosk, picnic tables, shade areas, a skate park and toilets. The council also places a community centre, library and cafe in the precinct.
Water and toilets: the council’s facility list for Phoenix Park names both drinking fountains and toilets.
Central Park — Corner of Burke Road and Wattletree Road, Malvern East VIC 3145
The council says Central Park is home to one of the oldest conservatories in Victoria and is one of a handful of Edwardian public gardens. It lists two playgrounds on the Kingston Street side, plus the Central Park all abilities playground, a nature play space opened in 2023. The conservatory has its own opening hours on the council page, separate from the park, and the council notes staff may not always be present.
Start at: the corner of Burke Road and Wattletree Road, which is the address the council prints for Central Park.
Ardrie Park — Malvern East VIC 3145
Stonnington Council says shaded Ardrie Park features a leafy playground, tennis courts, a BBQ area and an off lead dog park. The same council page says Ardrie Park Tennis Club has four synthetic clay courts, club rooms, floodlights and drink taps. Its separate off-lead list marks the park as oval only, so check which part of the park applies before you let a dog loose.
Start at: McGregor Street, the location the council’s off-lead list gives for Ardrie Park.
Watson Park — 58 Munro Street, Ashburton VIC 3147
Watson Park is in Ashburton and is run by the City of Boroondara, not Stonnington. The council page lists a drinking fountain, seating and tables, and a playground. It also says the park is suitable for cricket, soccer, outdoor fitness training and general sports.
Water and toilets: the council lists a drinking fountain, and we could not find toilets named in the facility line we read.
T H King Oval — 1650 High Street, Glen Iris VIC 3146
Stonnington Council describes T H King Oval as a sportsground, BBQ area and playground next to Gardiners Creek in the Glen Iris Wetlands. It is in Glen Iris, just outside Malvern East. The council page gives no opening hours that we could cite, so check it for facilities before you go.
Weather call: the council page gives no weather advice for this creekside ground, so check the Bureau of Meteorology forecast before you go.
Dorothy Laver Reserve East — 1-9 Saxby Road, Glen Iris VIC 3146
The City of Boroondara lists public facilities at Dorothy Laver Reserve East as a barbecue, drinking fountain, playground, rebound wall, and seating and tables. The council also says it is suitable for sports such as cricket and lacrosse and is used for dog training. That is not the same as an off-lead area, so do not treat it as one.
Water and toilets: the council lists a drinking fountain, and its page says no swimming at the reserve’s water.
Quick answers
Which parks near Malvern East have playgrounds?
Council pages list playgrounds at all six parks: Phoenix Park, Central Park and Ardrie Park in Malvern East, Watson Park in Ashburton, and T H King Oval and Dorothy Laver Reserve East in Glen Iris. Central Park’s council page also lists an all abilities playground, which it describes as a nature play space opened in 2023.
Where can dogs go off lead near Malvern East?
Stonnington’s off-lead list names Central Park and Ardrie Park, both marked oval only. Ardrie Park’s page also mentions an off lead dog park. Dorothy Laver Reserve East is described by the City of Boroondara as used for dog training, which is not an off-lead statement, so confirm the rules on the council page.
Which of these parks have a barbecue?
Council pages list a BBQ at Phoenix Park, Ardrie Park, T H King Oval and Dorothy Laver Reserve East. We did not find one named for Central Park or Watson Park.
Does the Central Park conservatory have set opening hours?
Stonnington Council lists separate opening hours for the Central Park conservatory on its park page, so check that page for the current times. It adds that staff may not always be present during those times, but visitors are welcome to enter and explore the building. Those are the conservatory’s hours, not the park’s.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources between 9 October 2026 and 10 October 2026: OpenStreetMap and council 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
- Phoenix Park: openstreetmap.org/76070531, openstreetmap.org/860041763, stonnington.vic.gov.au/Phoenix-Park, stonnington.vic.gov.au/Phoenix-Park-Library
- Central Park: openstreetmap.org/27944647, stonnington.vic.gov.au/Central-Park, stonnington.vic.gov.au/Off-lead-parks-and-reserves
- Ardrie Park: openstreetmap.org/28678068, stonnington.vic.gov.au/Ardrie-Park, stonnington.vic.gov.au/Off-lead-parks-and-reserves
- Watson Park: openstreetmap.org/28886084, openstreetmap.org/191173041, boroondara.vic.gov.au/watson-park
- T H King Oval: openstreetmap.org/38008169, stonnington.vic.gov.au/T-H-King-Oval
- Dorothy Laver Reserve East: openstreetmap.org/62599663, boroondara.vic.gov.au/dorothy-laver-reserve-east
