Correction (3 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 2 October 2026 and 3 October 2026.
A park is a list of facilities before it is anything else, so this page starts with the lists. Seven parks and playgrounds in and around Mulgrave made it through our checks: two have a Mulgrave address, four are in Wheelers Hill and one is in Clayton. Each heading carries the place’s own suburb.
For every entry we took fencing, barbecues, toilets, water and dog rules from the council, Parks Victoria or the Melbourne Playgrounds listing, and we name the source in the sentence. Where a source did not give us toilets or water, we say so rather than guess. Check the official page before you go, because facilities and closures change.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Where |
|---|---|---|
| A sports oval, nets and a playground in one reserve | Wellington Reserve | 36-42 Mackie Road, Mulgrave |
| A fully fenced playground with water play and BBQs | Waverley Park Lake Playground | Cavenagh Boulevard (also 22 Edgbaston Way / 89 Stadium Circuit), Mulgrave |
| A shaded playground and a designated off-leash area | Columbia Park Reserve | 26 Columbia Drive, Wheelers Hill |
| Barbecue facilities beside a playground | Lum Reserve | 231-259 Lum Road, Wheelers Hill |
| A playground on the northern side of a reserve | Mulgrave Reserve (dog off-leash area) | 140 Garnett Road, Wheelers Hill |
| An all-abilities carousel and accessible swing attachment | Cambro Road Reserve (pocket playspace) | 9 Cambro Road, Clayton |
| A large regional park with lake views and on-lead dogs | Jells Park (Dandenong Valley Parklands) | Waverley Road, Wheelers Hill |
Wellington Reserve — 36-42 Mackie Road, Mulgrave VIC 3170
Monash Council’s page says the reserve “has lots of room to run around with a sports oval, cricket nets, basketball half-court, fitness equipment and pavilion”. It describes the playground as having “swings, slides, sand pit, balancing logs and other play equipment”, and says “some areas within this reserve are fully or partially fenced”.
That wording matters if you are chasing a toddler: partially fenced is not the same as fenced, so look at the layout when you arrive rather than assuming a gate.
Water and toilets: The Melbourne Playgrounds listing says “there are bins and toilets at the pavilion in the south west corner and water tap with bowl near the playground”.
Waverley Park Lake Playground — Cavenagh Boulevard (also 22 Edgbaston Way / 89 Stadium Circuit), Mulgrave VIC 3170
The Melbourne Playgrounds listing calls it “a fantastic play space which is fully fenced”, with “a water play area with water pump and a winding path for water with sluice gates”. For a picnic, it says “there is a shelter with two tables, water tap and BBQs plus a shaded seating area”.
The same listing says it is “only a short walk” to a Multi-Sports Area with a skate park, a large basketball court with a netball ring on the side, an outdoor gym, two table tennis tables and a large climbing wall. The listing gives three addresses to search for: Cavenagh Boulevard, 22 Edgbaston Way and 89 Stadium Circuit.
Water and toilets: The listing places a water tap at the shelter. Its review text mentions “portable toilets at the moment” and is undated, so we cannot promise toilets; check with Monash Council before you go.
Columbia Park Reserve — 26 Columbia Drive, Wheelers Hill VIC 3150
Monash Council’s page says “this reserve is a designated off-leash area and some areas within this reserve are fully or partially fenced”. It also says “there is a shaded playground with slide, swings and other equipment for the kids”.
The Melbourne Playgrounds listing prints the street number as 28 Columbia Drive, while the council prints 26. Use the council’s number when you set your map.
Water and toilets: We hold no toilet or water listing for this reserve, so confirm on the council page before you go.
Lum Reserve — 231-259 Lum Road, Wheelers Hill VIC 3150
Monash Council calls Lum Reserve “a popular park with a designated off-leash area”. The council also says “the playground, with swings, slide and climbing equipment, complements the BBQ facilities, making this an ideal park for families”.
Water and toilets: The Melbourne Playgrounds listing says there is no water tap in the reserve, so carry water. We hold no toilet listing for it.
Mulgrave Reserve (dog off-leash area) — 140 Garnett Road, Wheelers Hill VIC 3150
Despite the name, this reserve has a Wheelers Hill address. The Melbourne Playgrounds listing says “on the northern side of the reserve is a playground and a grassy area dotted with trees”, and that the park is managed by Monash City Council.
The listing carries a warning sign that reads “snakes share this environment”, so keep to the paths and keep children and dogs close.
Water and toilets: The listing mentions bins near the pavilion and no water tap, so bring your own water. We hold no toilet listing for it.
Cambro Road Reserve (pocket playspace) — 9 Cambro Road, Clayton VIC 3168
This is a pocket playspace and the only entry in Clayton. Monash Council says the pocket playspace “features classic play equipment such as slides, double swings, monkey bars and play unit”.
It also lists accessible features, “such as an all-abilities carousel, an accessible swing attachment and accessible pathway”. A pocket playspace is a small neighbourhood playground rather than a full park, so plan a short stop.
Water and toilets: We hold no toilet or water listing for this one, so confirm on the council page before you go.
Jells Park (Dandenong Valley Parklands) — Waverley Road, Wheelers Hill VIC 3150
Parks Victoria says “the playgrounds at Jells Park will entertain adventurers of all ages and abilities all day long” and suggests you “come prepared for a picnic or barbecue”. It also describes T House as offering “a serene escape with lake views”.
For dogs, Parks Victoria says visitors can bring up to four dogs and “journey on-lead around much of this park”. It says there are no dog off-lead areas at Jells Park, and that the nearest is at Nortons Park. It also says dogs are not allowed in playgrounds or conservation areas. When we read the page on 3 October 2026 it carried two notices: the Koomba Boardwalk was closed until further notice, and a bird flu alert was in place.
Water and toilets: Parks Victoria says “a fully accessible Changing Places facility is available at the Visitor Centre”. We hold no toilet list for the park beyond that.
Quick answers
Which of these playgrounds are fenced?
The Melbourne Playgrounds listing calls Waverley Park Lake Playground “fully fenced”. Monash Council says some areas of Wellington Reserve and of Columbia Park Reserve are fully or partially fenced. We hold no fencing statement for the other four.
Where can I take a dog off the lead?
Monash Council describes Columbia Park Reserve and Lum Reserve as designated off-leash areas. Jells Park is on-lead only: Parks Victoria says it has no dog off-lead areas and names Nortons Park as the nearest. Always check the signs on the day.
Which parks have barbecues?
The Melbourne Playgrounds listing says the shelter at Waverley Park Lake Playground has BBQs. Monash Council says Lum Reserve has BBQ facilities, and Parks Victoria suggests bringing a picnic or barbecue to Jells Park.
Is there an accessible playground?
Monash Council lists an all-abilities carousel, an accessible swing attachment and an accessible pathway at Cambro Road Reserve in Clayton. Parks Victoria lists a fully accessible Changing Places facility at the Jells Park Visitor Centre.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources between 2 October 2026 and 3 October 2026: council pages, the places’ own websites, OpenStreetMap 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
- Wellington Reserve: monash.vic.gov.au/Wellington-Reserve, melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/wellington-reserve-dog-off-leash-area, openstreetmap.org/25932862
- Waverley Park Lake Playground: melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/waverley-park-playground-edgbaston-way, openstreetmap.org/994820419
- Columbia Park Reserve: monash.vic.gov.au/Columbia-Park, melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/columbia-park-dog-off-leash-area, openstreetmap.org/5213167
- Lum Reserve: monash.vic.gov.au/Lum-Reserve, melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/lum-reserve-dog-off-leash-area-wheelers, openstreetmap.org/5213161
- Mulgrave Reserve (dog off-leash area): melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/mulgrave-reserve-dog-off-leash-area, openstreetmap.org/28997107
- Cambro Road Reserve (pocket playspace): monash.vic.gov.au/Cambro-Road-Reserve, openstreetmap.org/448604114
- Jells Park (Dandenong Valley Parklands): parks.vic.gov.au/jells-park, openstreetmap.org/153976439
