Kevin Kirby Reserve

Kevin Kirby Reserve is Herne Hill's neighbourhood off leash ground, a grassed reserve in Geelong's north western pocket where the City of Greater Geelong's Dog Controls in Public Places Policy allows dogs off leash under effective control at any time of day. That all hours listing puts it ahead of many reserves that switch between on lead and off lead by time of day, and for shift workers or early risers it means the 6am run is as legitimate as the evening one.

The rules are the standard Geelong off leash conditions rather than a free for all: your dog stays under effective control, which means voice or hand signals working without the leash, and dogs are kept 10 metres from playground equipment and the BBQs. Those distances matter at school pickup times and weekend BBQ afternoons, when the reserve shares its space with other users. There is no fencing, so this is a park for dogs with decent recall rather than a training ground for dogs still learning to come back.

Worth knowing

The reserve sits on Heytesbury Street between residential blocks, with street parking along Heytesbury and the adjoining streets. There are no dedicated dog wash or agility facilities here, so bring your own water if you are staying a while in summer, and the grassed area is the whole point: open enough for a good ball session but compact enough to keep an eye on your dog from anywhere on it. Because the listing comes straight from council policy, the off leash status is as solid as it gets; check the City of Greater Geelong's current controls if you are visiting after a rule change cycle. The reserve's quiet residential setting makes it a low stress option for reactive dogs, with fewer passing triggers than the bigger sports ground reserves across Geelong.

Close by with the dogs

Herne Hill's cafe strip is minutes away for the post walk coffee. Sixteen06 is the local espresso stop and Soft Cafe takes over for brunch, while Harold Hurst Reserve is the other green space in the neighbourhood. Our Herne Hill guide and the Victorian park list cover the wider map.