Peppercorn Park

Peppercorn Park is a small, leafy neighbourhood park tucked behind the residential streets at 9 Waltham Place, Richmond. Set expectations before you go: this is an on-lead park. It is a compact space for a stroll and a sniff, not an off-lead run, and its mature peppercorn and shade trees make it a pleasant detour on a quiet loop through the back streets.

The rules

Yarra City Council lists Peppercorn Park as an on-lead park, so the lead stays on for the whole visit, and that applies especially within 10 metres of the small fenced playground and the picnic settings. Carry bags and clean up; the standard council rules cover everything else. Fines apply to dogs off-lead in on-lead parks across the municipality.

What is on site

Open grass under mature shade, benches, walking paths and the small fenced playground. It is a quiet spot most of the day, which makes it useful for nervous or recovering dogs that just need a calm walk rather than social time. There are no dog water taps, so bring your own on warmer days.

Getting there and parking

Trams run along Swan Street and Church Street, and Richmond Station is within walking distance. Street parking on Waltham Place and the surrounding streets is limited and carries residential restrictions, so public transport or arriving on foot is the easier option.

When to go

Weekday mornings and early afternoons are the calm windows. Weekend mornings and the after-school hours on weekdays bring more locals and playground traffic. If you time it for the quiet side of the day, it is one of the more peaceful green patches in inner Richmond.

Where the lead can come off

For off-lead time, the nearby options are better: Barkly Gardens dog off-leash area and the Citizens Park recreation reserve both give dogs room to run, and Dame Nellie Melba Memorial Park is another designated off-lead ground nearby. More are in the Victoria dog parks guide and the Richmond destination guide.

A short on-lead lap of Peppercorn Park pairs neatly with a walk down to those bigger reserves if your dog wants both a sniff and a run.