Facilities

Barkly Gardens is a large park in the heart of bustling Richmond, perfect spot for family picnics, dog walking and exercise. Officially opened in 1867, Barkly Gardens is Richmond’s only 19th century residential garden square.

The shady trees and green lawns make it a great place to relax.

Features and facilities 

• Playground
• Drinking fountains
• BBQ (can't reserve)
• Park tables and benches (can't reserve) 
• Pavilion
• Shelter (can't reserve)
• Soccer/cricket ground (Alan Bain Reserve)
• Anzac Memorial
• On street parking (2P/4P)

Designated areas available for hire

Barkly gardens is open to all. If you would like to book a designated area for personal training, sports or an event please see the information below.

Personal trainers 

Personal Trainers are welcome to use the soccer/cricket ground if not already in use for approved sporting events (including training).

Find more on personal trainer permits. 

Personal trainers may not use the gardens to conduct training sessions.

Sports ground bookings

To book the soccer/cricket ground, please refer to our bookings page.

Events

• To book the park for an event, you will require an event permit.

• You can view the map of bookable areas (PDF, 89kb).

• To book a space please log into our booking system. If you are a first time user please register with us.

• Download and read our conditions of hire.

You will need a permit if one of these conditions apply:

• There will be more than 50 attendee.
• Your event is catered by an external supplier.
• You are charging participants a fee to attend.
• You require amplified sound
• You require vehicle access to drop off equipment.
• Your event requires a specific location.
• You are having a wedding ceremony
• You plan to erect large structures (small 3x3 marquees are permitted: must be weighted down and secured safely. Spikes or pegs are strictly prohibited.) 

Rules for events

• A minimum of two weeks’ notice is required for all potential permits.
• Major Events timeframes may differ.
• The event permit must be carried out by the hirer at all times.
• Alcohol may be consumed within the park between 9am and 9pm – no permit required.
• Alcohol may not be sold within the park without an appropriate temporary liquor license.

Dogs off leash area

This park has dog on-leash and dog off-leash zones. The dog off-leash zone is marked in purple.

View map of off leash areas. 

Upcoming works to Barkly Gardens Pavilion

During the COVID-19 lockdowns we saw more and more residents use Barkly Gardens to share precious moments with friends and family. This increased demand naturally resulted in longer queues for the toilets.

We’ve heard your feedback that the current setup is insufficient and will be upgrading the Barkly Gardens Pavilion with three additional toilets. This will bring the facility to five toilets in total.

All toilets will be unisex comprising three general stalls, one ambulant toilet and one fully accessible toilet. The accessible toilet will have a baby change facility for young families visiting the park.

The upgrade has been planned to have minimal impact on trees, greenery and open space.

To make sure this doesn’t impact our resident’s summer, the works are anticipated to begin in April 2023 and take approximately four months to complete. Temporary toilets will be provided for the duration of the construction works. We’ll also have protective temporary fencing, signage and traffic safety measures in place to keep the community safe during the works.

Accessibility 

Barkly Gardens is wheelchair accessible, including accessible parking and bathroom facilities. 

Take a look at this site