Victoria Park Dog Off Leash Area(Kew)

Victoria Park is a large City of Boroondara parkland on High Street in Kew, and its dog rules are easy to sum up: off lead time happens inside the designated oval boundaries, and the rest of the park is on lead territory. It is open, grassy and framed by mature trees, with real room to run once you are inside the lines.

The dog setup

Off lead access sits within the oval boundaries only. Everywhere else, including the paths and picnic lawns, dogs stay on lead. Boroondara's dog orders apply here: carry a lead at all times even when your dog is off lead, keep them under effective voice or hand control, and clear off the ovals while organised sport is on. Dogs must be on lead within 10 metres of the playground and kept well back from barbecues and picnics in use.

One change matters for owners of flighty dogs: the safety gates that once enclosed the North Oval were removed by the council in May 2022, so this is no longer a fully fenced space. If your dog needs secure boundaries, Hays Paddock in Kew East and Gordon Barnard Reserve in Balwyn North are the closer fenced alternatives.

Max: The eastern oval has steep drop-offs edged with stone walls. If your dog runs wide and fast, keep them off that boundary - the sight lines vanish quickly near the edge.

The vibe

This is a busy multi-use park rather than a quiet dog field. The playground has a flying fox, an accessible trampoline and a sandpit, there is a pump track, a basketball half court and outdoor fitness equipment, and cricket and football clubs use the ovals through their seasons. Weekday mornings and late evenings are the quiet windows, while weekend mornings from about 8 to 11am and fixture times fill up fast.

Getting there and parking

Free street parking runs along High Street and the surrounding local roads. Tram route 48 stops directly out front on High Street, and buses 200 and 207 run close by, so arriving without a car is straightforward.

Close by with the dogs

Yarra Bend Park is a short drive away and offers kilometres of riverside walking. Back in Kew, Foley Reserve and the Outer Circle Linear Park give you more off lead ground to rotate through, and Willo Cafe on Willsmere Road makes an easy coffee stop afterwards.

For more options across the state, browse dog parks in Victoria, or see what else is dog friendly in Kew.