Willinda Park

Willinda Park is Banyule's long-standing local reserve between Beatrix Street and Talbot Street in Greensborough, built around a grass running track and a loop walking path that locals use daily. Banyule council designates it off-lead under its council order, so dogs can run free across most of the reserve, with the athletics track and play areas as the carve-outs. Reviews regularly flag cleanliness and the walking crowd, and it reads as a genuinely used neighbourhood park rather than a token off-lead listing.

The dog setup

The off-lead designation comes via council order rather than a fenced enclosure, so the usual conditions apply: effective control at all times. Two exclusions matter here. Dogs are excluded from the athletics track whenever it is in use, and they must stay clear of the playground and BBQ buffers. The area is unfenced, but the reserve is large enough that a proper run is possible, and the walking loop keeps most dogs moving rather than ball-trapping in one corner. The kids' side of the park stays busy on fine afternoons, so mornings are the better off-lead window.

Worth knowing

Track training and junior athletics take over the oval at club times, so if the flags are up or training is underway, keep your dog on the grass margins or come back later. Access works from both Beatrix Street and Talbot Street with residential street parking around both entries, and the two gates let you shorten the lap on hot days. If you need a fence, Malcolm Blair Reserve Fenced Dog Park and Poulter Reserve Dog Off Leash Area are the nearest enclosed alternatives, and Watsonia Dog Park is one suburb over.

The walking loop is shared with runners and prams, so a loose-lead stretch along the path before the free run on the grass keeps both halves of the outing honest. For a post-walk stop, Prelude Coffee & Bagels is the closest dog-friendly cafe, with the rest of the Greensborough strip in easy reach, and the Greensborough shopping strip is minutes away for anything you forgot. Broader options are on the VIC parks list and the Greensborough destination guide.

Max: a proper lap of the track for the humans and open grass for me, and it never feels crowded on weekday mornings.