Covering 188 hectares, Royal Park is the largest park within the municipality of Melbourne.
As a public park, it has open spaces for recreation and areas of native and indigenous vegetation. Stretches of grass alternate with areas of lightly timbered eucalypt forest, home to possums and a huge variety of birdlife, including rosellas, wrens, robins and birds of prey.
There’s a nature playground where kids can enjoy more than just slides and swings. There’s also a sandpit and water play area, logs, rocks and ropes to climb all over, and a grassy hill for rolling.
Since its earliest days as designated parkland, Royal Park has had a strong tradition as a place for sport. It is widely known for its diverse range of sporting facilities such as the State Netball and Hockey Centre, as well as facilities used by local and metropolitan sporting clubs – cricket, golf, tennis, football, rugby league, lacrosse, baseball, and soccer.