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.
Before it is anything else, a park is a marked area on a map, which is why this guide begins with the facilities that the council and park pages really list: playgrounds, picnic areas, barbecues and toilets. It covers five parks in and around Nunawading, three in Nunawading itself, one in Mitcham and one in Blackburn.
Each park was matched against at least two sources, mostly Whitehorse City Council pages and OpenStreetMap. Where we could not confirm a facility we say so rather than guess, and we give no distances because none of the sources print them.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Transport-themed playground | Tunstall Park | Luckie Street, Nunawading |
| Open space and a playground | Charles Rooks Reserve | Charles Rooks Reserve, Nunawading |
| Off-lead dog park | Nicoll Park | Nicoll Park (Lane Street / Nicoll Street area), Nunawading |
| BBQ, toilets and picnic area | Halliday Park | 310 Mitcham Road, Mitcham |
| Bushland picnic and playground | Blackburn Lake Sanctuary | Blackburn Lake Sanctuary, Blackburn |
Tunstall Park — Luckie Street, Nunawading VIC 3131
The council’s playground page says Tunstall Park “includes a large playground with a tram/transport theme, accessible swings”. It also says the park offers “multiple swings, slides and linked activity units”, and it gives the location as Luckie Street. That makes it the clearest pick here for a play-first outing.
The council’s rule is that dogs must be on lead in parks not listed as off-lead, and Tunstall Park is not on that list as we read it.
Start at: Luckie Street, the location the council gives for the playground.
Charles Rooks Reserve — Nunawading VIC 3131
The council describes Charles Rooks Reserve as “a popular park for passive recreation, providing open space for nearby residents, walkers and children using the playground”. That line comes from its June advocacy priorities document, which is a funding wish-list, and the same document proposes renewing the playspace. Treat the playground as present today but possibly changing.
We found no street number in the sources.
Water and toilets: We could not confirm toilets, barbecues or tables from the sources we checked, so look for a council notice on site.
Nicoll Park — Nicoll Park (Lane Street / Nicoll Street area), Nunawading VIC 3131
Nicoll Park is on this page for its open space rather than a confirmed playground, because the council pages we found describe it mainly as a dog area. The council’s off-lead map for the park says “All areas are off-lead”, and also says dogs must be 2.5 metres from the perimeter of children’s playspaces and permanent barbeque or picnic areas at all times.
The council spells the name Nicol Park in its off-lead table and Nicoll Park on its park map.
Start at: The council’s map names Nicoll Street, Lane Street and Robyn Drive, and its car park register places a car park beside the tennis clubrooms and Scout hall.
Halliday Park — 310 Mitcham Road, Mitcham VIC 3132
Halliday Park is in Mitcham, and the council lists it with the facilities “BBQ, toilets, playground, picnic area, car parking”. It also appears under the council’s heading of popular playgrounds. A council event notice gives the cenotaph’s address as 310 Mitcham Road.
A council search snippet mentions improvements that included a new basketball half court, though we could not open the full page to confirm it.
Water and toilets: The council lists toilets at Halliday Park; it does not say anything about drinking water in the pages we checked.
Blackburn Lake Sanctuary — Blackburn VIC 3130
The sanctuary’s own site lists “Playground Free Electric BBQ Picnic Tables Toilets Daylight Hours Walking Paths Accessible Visitor Centre 2-4pm Sundays”. The council’s description is “Picnic area, toilets, ornamental lake, playground, car parking”, so the two sources agree on the picnic and play basics. Wikipedia describes it as a 27-hectare bushland park in Blackburn.
One caution: the council lists the sanctuary among the places where dogs are not allowed at any time.
Weather call: The site lists daylight hours only, so check the Bureau of Meteorology forecast before you head out.
Quick answers
Which parks near Nunawading have a playground?
Tunstall Park has a large transport-themed playground, according to the council. The council also mentions children using the playground at Charles Rooks Reserve, lists a playground at Halliday Park in Mitcham, and the Blackburn Lake Sanctuary site lists a playground too.
Which park has a BBQ and toilets?
The council lists Halliday Park with BBQ, toilets, playground, picnic area and car parking. The Blackburn Lake Sanctuary site lists a free electric BBQ, picnic tables and toilets.
Can I take my dog to these parks?
It depends on the park. The council says all areas at Nicoll Park are off-lead, while Tunstall Park and Halliday Park are not on its off-lead list so dogs stay on lead. The council lists Blackburn Lake Sanctuary among places where dogs are not allowed at any time.
When is Blackburn Lake Sanctuary open?
The sanctuary’s own site lists “Daylight Hours” for the grounds and “Visitor Centre 2-4pm Sundays” for the visitor centre. It also lists dated events, so check its What’s On page before you go.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources on 4 October 2026: OpenStreetMap, council pages, en.wikipedia.org, wikidata.org and the places’ own websites. 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
- Tunstall Park: openstreetmap.org/89638997, whitehorse.vic.gov.au/playgrounds, en.wikipedia.org/Nunawading,_Victoria, whitehorse.vic.gov.au/dogs-in-public-spaces
- Charles Rooks Reserve: openstreetmap.org/28949300, whitehorse.vic.gov.au menu PDF
- Nicoll Park: openstreetmap.org/180346613, whitehorse.vic.gov.au/nicoll-park.pdf, whitehorse.vic.gov.au/dogs-in-public-spaces
- Halliday Park: openstreetmap.org/38607472, whitehorse.vic.gov.au/parks-and-bushland-reserves, whitehorse.vic.gov.au/global, wikidata.org/Q21970249, whitehorse.vic.gov.au/playgrounds
- Blackburn Lake Sanctuary: openstreetmap.org/13866919, whitehorse.vic.gov.au/parks-and-bushland-reserves, blackburnlakesanctuary.org, en.wikipedia.org/Blackburn_Lake_Sanctuary, whitehorse.vic.gov.au/dogs-in-public-spaces
