Hyde Park Perth Guide – Best 6 Things To Do

Hyde Park is a popular and beautiful inner city park in Highgate, Perth, Western Australia. The park is a great place to relax, take a 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 the children, especially the Hyde Park Water Playground in summer (free of charge). You may even witness a wedding, as Hyde Park has been the location for many couples tying the knot.

Locals enjoy walking around the scenic twin lakes and taking a break from hectic city life.

The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage has registered the park as an Aboriginal site of significance.

Things To Do in Hyde Park

• Walk around the lakes
• 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 Festival

Hyde Park Festival is back for 2023! On the 5th and 6th March, visit Hyde Park for lots of family fun organised by the Rotary Club of North Perth.

Location of Hyde Park

Hyde Park is between North Perth and Highgate, about 2 km from Perth’s CBD, and within easy walking distance of Northbridge.

International and domestic visitors will fly into Perth Airport. Find details about visas, prohibited items, currency, and safety in this Australia Travel Guide and tips on arriving into WA and other essential travel information in this Western Australia Travel Guide.

There are car hire booths at Perth airport, but it’s best to pre-book your car rental.

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Facilities in Hyde Park

Some of the facilities of Hyde Park include public toilets, drinking fountains, fitness equipment, picnic benches, park benches, BBQs, a playground and a water playground. A pathway around the lake is perfect for prams and wheelchairs.

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.

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.

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.

Other parks in Perth

My favourite park in Perth is Kings Park, with its panoramic views of the city. There are also some lovely parks in East Perth and Perth city.

Western Australia Travel Guide