Correction (5 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 5 October 2026.
Free first: four places made this list, and none of the official pages we read puts an entry price on any of them. Only Montmorency Park has a Montmorency address. Eltham Library and Barak Bushlands are in Eltham, and Willinda Park is in Greensborough, so this is a page about free things in and around Montmorency.
Each entry gives what the official page lists, then one planning line. We have not checked public transport for this page, so use the PTV journey planner before you head out. If you’re keen on an arvo wander, the park and the bushland entries are the place to start.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Where |
|---|---|---|
| A park with ovals, tennis courts and a playground | Montmorency Park | 93 Para Road, Montmorency |
| An indoor option with free Wi-Fi and a gallery | Eltham Library | Panther Place, Eltham |
| Bushland and creek-side views | Barak Bushlands | Falkiner Street, Eltham |
| Walking and bike trails, per the council | Willinda Park | 21A Talbot Street, Greensborough |
Montmorency Park — 93 Para Road, Montmorency VIC 3094
Banyule Council’s page says of the park: ‘It has 2 sporting ovals, tennis courts and a playground.’ It adds that ‘Public toilets are located by the car park’, and describes the reserve as home to ’notable manna gums, trees that form part of the wildlife corridor connecting the Plenty and Yarra rivers’. Wikipedia places a playing field and clubhouse here, ‘in the green belt between Para Road and the Plenty River’. The council page says nothing about opening hours, dogs or barbecues, so check the site before you plan around any of them.
Free first: nothing we read puts a price on getting in, and the council lists toilets by the car park, so this is the easiest first stop on the page.
Eltham Library — Panther Place, Eltham VIC 3095
The library’s page lists Tuesday to Thursday 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. When we read it on a Monday, that day was labelled ‘Today 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM’. The page lists ‘Free Wi-Fi’ and a ‘Coworking Space’, ‘quiet areas for study, and a secure children’s native garden’, and says ‘Our Storytimes are renowned and much loved by local families.’ It also invites you to ‘Enjoy exhibitions by local artists in our Community Gallery’.
Its events list on 5 October 2026 included Reading Dogs with Frida on Wednesday, 7 Oct 2026 at 4:00 PM, Let’s Talk Movies on Thursday, 8 Oct 2026 at 7:00 PM, and Paper Bag Monsters on Friday, 16 Oct 2026 at 4:00 PM. We could not confirm from the pages we read whether each event is free or needs a booking, so check the event page.
Rain backup: with listed study areas, a gallery and free Wi-Fi, this is the indoor option on the page.
Barak Bushlands — Falkiner Street, Eltham VIC 3095
Nillumbik Council describes Barak Bushlands as ‘a peaceful open space and bushland reserve where visitors can enjoy native vegetation, creek-side views and access to the Diamond Creek Trail’. It says the reserve sits north of Main Road. On dogs, the council page says off-leash areas exist and that dogs there ‘must under effective control’, and that a dog ‘must be on a leash within five metres of shared paths, and in the Barak Bushlands Reserve area’. The off-leash areas are drawn on a map image on the council page, so check that map and the signs on site.
Get there: the council gives the address as Falkiner Street, Eltham, and says the reserve connects to the Diamond Creek Trail; look up the route in the PTV planner, because we did not check transport.
Willinda Park — 21A Talbot Street, Greensborough VIC 3088
Banyule Council’s page for Willinda Park lists its features as ‘Walking/bike trails Public toilets Pavilion/hall’. That is the only feature list on the council page, and we found no hours, entry price or event program on it, so treat this as a short listing rather than a full guide.
Plan it: this is the one Greensborough stop on the page, so treat it as a separate trip from the Montmorency and Eltham stops.
Quick answers
What is there to do in Montmorency for free?
Montmorency Park, at 93 Para Road, is the one place on this page with a Montmorency address. Banyule Council lists 2 sporting ovals, tennis courts, a playground and public toilets by the car park, and the pages we read show no entry price.
Which library can I use near Montmorency?
Eltham Library at Panther Place, Eltham. Its page lists Tuesday to Thursday 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, along with free Wi-Fi and a coworking space.
Are dogs allowed at Barak Bushlands?
The council page says there are off-leash areas where dogs must be under effective control, and that dogs must be on a leash within five metres of shared paths and in the Barak Bushlands Reserve area. The areas are shown on a map on the council page, so check it and the signs on site.
What was on at Eltham Library in October 2026?
Its events list on 5 October 2026 included Reading Dogs with Frida on 7 Oct 2026, Let’s Talk Movies on 8 Oct 2026 and Paper Bag Monsters on 16 Oct 2026. That list goes stale quickly, so check the library page for the current program.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources on 5 October 2026: OpenStreetMap, council pages and en.wikipedia.org. Facilities and opening hours change, so check the official page before you go.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Montmorency Park: openstreetmap.org/136485624, banyule.vic.gov.au/Montmorency-Park, en.wikipedia.org/Montmorency,_Victoria
- Eltham Library: openstreetmap.org/48154628, yprl.vic.gov.au/eltham-library
- Barak Bushlands: openstreetmap.org/17372071, nillumbik.vic.gov.au/Barak-Bushlands, nillumbik.vic.gov.au/Parks-reserves-and-playgrounds
- Willinda Park: openstreetmap.org/136953577, banyule.vic.gov.au/Willinda-Park
