Hyde Park Perth in Autumn: Locals Guide
Kaya/hello, I’m Wendy, a local Perth mum who was always on the lookout for parks to take my daughters. Hyde Park became one of my favourites and I visited on a regular basis.
Hyde Park is a beautiful inner city park in Highgate, Perth. It’s a great place to relax, walk, or entertain children. Bird lovers enjoy sitting by the picturesque lakes as many birds occupy the islands. This city oasis is perfect for a picnic or BBQ, with the huge trees providing shade in warmer months.
The playgrounds are excellent for children, especially the Hyde Park Water Playground in summer (free of charge). You may witness a wedding, as Hyde Park has been the location for many couples tying the knot.
I enjoy walking around the scenic lakes and taking a break from hectic city life – my favourite time is autumn when the landscape is filled with golds and browns.
The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage has registered the park as an Aboriginal site of significance.
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Things To Do in Hyde Park
- Walk around the lakes
- Photograph the autumn colours
- Play with kids in the leaves
- Spot local bird life
- Let children cool off in the water playground
- Have a family picnic
- BBQ your breakfast/lunbch/dinner
- Drink coffee while kids enjoy the playground
Hyde Park Location
Hyde Park is between North Perth and Highgate, about 2 km from Perth’s CBD, and within easy walking distance of Northbridge.
Hyde Park Facilities
Facilities of Hyde Park include public toilets, drinking fountains, fitness equipment, picnic benches, park benches, BBQs, a playground and a water playground. I would walk along the pathway around the lake while my girls slept in their pram.
Parking near Hyde Park
There’s parking around the perimeter, but finding a spot in peak times can be hard. There’s also parking in the side streets but be careful of any parking restrictions that may apply.
I usually park on the side streets which has a limit of three hours. This is plenty of time for the park.
If you don’t want the worry of parking, it’s a 20 minute walk from Perth train station through Northbridge.
History of Hyde Park
Hyde park was originally wetlands and part of a chain of lakes that stretched from Claisebrook to Herdsman Lake. The Whajuk Noongar people moved between these lakes, the coastal plain, and the hills following the Noongar six-season calendar. These areas were important to them for food and their spiritual way of life.
The area was settled by Europeans in 1829 and given the name “Third Swamp”. Hostile encounters between European settlers and the Noongar people culminated in the execution of Whadjuk Elders as well as the massacres of numerous Noongar families.
When Yellagonga died in 1843, his people were dispossessed of their land around the Swan River Colony. They retreated to land in the north, including Third Swamp, known to the Noongar people as Boodjamooling. This area continued to be a main campsite for the Nyoongar people but was also used by the homeless and travellers, followed by miners en route to the goldfields in the 1890s.
The main lakes were drained between 1855 and 1883, which led to settlement north of Perth. By 1897, 15 hectares of Third Swamp were gazetted as a public park. Two years later, it was renamed Hyde Park.
The Best Time to Visit Hyde Park
My favourite time of year for a walk in Hyde Park is autumn, when the leaves turn a beautiful brown and gold. If you want a picnic and to let your children play in the water playground, summer is the best time to visit Hyde Park. Spring is a pretty time of year, too, when the spring flowers start to appear. Flies can be a nuisance if you’re eating though.
What trees are around Hyde Park Perth?
The main trees you see around the lake are the London Plane Tree which are the ones that create the beautiful autumn colours in Hyde Park. Other trees in the park include Moreton Bay Figs, Port Jackson Figs, Jacarandas, Peppercorn Tree, Jarrah, Western Australian Red Flowering Gum, and Carob Tree.
Are dogs allowed in Hyde Park, Perth?
Dogs are allowed in Hyde Park Perth, providing they are kept on a lead and under control at all times.
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