Hyde Park, Beaufort Street’s green backyard

Step a few blocks west of Beaufort Street in Highgate and the traffic noise fades. Hyde Park is bounded by Vincent, Glendower, Throssell and William streets, and its lakes, islands and huge old trees have made it a gathering place for well over a century, and for thousands of years before that.

Boodjamooling

Before colonisation, the park was a wetland known as Boodjamooling, also called Third Swamp, part of the chain of lakes and swamps north of Perth. The City of Vincent describes it as an important camping, hunting and ceremonial site for the Whadjuk Noongar people, and it is a registered Aboriginal site of significance.

Becoming a park

The swamp was gazetted as a public garden in 1897, and in 1899 it was named Hyde Park after the famous park in London. A lake formed at its centre, surrounded by more than 600 introduced trees, including pines, planes, jacarandas, Moreton Bay figs and Port Jackson figs. In 1913 the lake was dredged and the soil used to create two islands, with a walkway dividing the lake in two.

In the 1960s the park was refurbished with play equipment, barbecues, lighting and better paths. As visitor numbers rose, the first Hyde Park Festival was held in 1968. It ran until 1985 and was revived as the Hyde Park Fair in 1988, which continues annually. In 1998 Hyde Park was added to the State Register of Heritage Places, and a Conservation Plan followed in 2002.

Third Swamp in colonial memory

Early colonist James Kennedy recalled Perth in the 1850s and 1860s in a 1927 memoir quoted by the City of Vincent: "Most of them camped at the Third Swamp (now Hyde Park)… I have seen 300 camped at the Third Swamp at one time waiting for a corroboree." He described tall paperbark trees whose bark was used to build huts. Noongar people continued to use the area into the early 1900s, even as many of Perth’s wetlands were drained or filled.

Tent city to garden

Before it became a park, the reserve was leased by Perth City Council as a tent city for gold-rush newcomers in the 1890s, when Perth’s population was growing faster than housing could be built. Its gazettal as a public park in 1897 turned a crowded camping ground into the landscaped garden that was later planted with its signature trees.

Nearby: Yoordogoorading

Hyde Park is one of two registered Aboriginal heritage sites near Highgate. The other is Yoordogoorading, the former Stone’s Lake, now the site of Perth Oval (HBF Park). Stone’s Lake was filled in and subdivided from the 1850s, so Hyde Park is the best place to imagine what the chain of wetlands once looked like.

What’s there

According to the City of Vincent, facilities include:

• the lake, in two basins, each with an island used by breeding birds;
• a playground and sand pit at Glendower and William streets;
• an accessible playground and Liberty Swing at Glendower and Throssell streets;
• the seasonal Hyde Park Water Playground at Vincent and Throssell streets;
• toilets (including accessible toilets and baby change) on Throssell and William streets;
• four barbecues, two gazebos, a stage area, water fountains and a kiosk.

Walking the park

A loop of the lake path takes around 15–20 minutes at a stroll. The walkway between the lakes is the classic photo spot, especially in autumn when the planes turn gold, or in late spring when the jacarandas flower. Bring binoculars for the waterbirds on the islands and keep a respectful distance from nesting birds.

Rules and etiquette

• Dogs must be on a lead at all times.
• Don’t feed the birds. Bread is bad for waterbirds and pollutes the lake.
• Use the bins and take larger rubbish home on busy days.
• Book if you are planning a wedding or large event.

Parking and access

Free three-hour parking is available on surrounding streets, but the City of Vincent warns that clearways apply at certain times on weekdays and that it gets busy on weekends and in summer. Buses 60, 950, 960 and 990 pass near the park, and it is about a 20-minute walk from Perth train station.

Combining with Beaufort Street

Hyde Park and Beaufort Street make a perfect pair: a picnic or a lake walk followed by coffee or dinner in Highgate or Mount Lawley. Our walking tour includes a detour to the park.

Picnic planning

Arrive early on summer weekends, when the shaded spots under the big trees go first. The barbecues are near the playgrounds, so they are popular with families. If you are planning a larger gathering, consider booking a zone through the City of Vincent. Pack a rug, water and sun protection, and take your rubbish home if the bins are full.

Seasons

• Summer: shade under the trees and the water playground make it a family favourite. Go early on hot days.
• Autumn: the plane trees colour up.
• Winter: quieter, with the lakes at their fullest.
• Spring: jacarandas and blossom, and busy weekends.

Heritage value

Hyde Park’s State Register listing reflects its Aboriginal significance, its role as one of Perth’s early public gardens and its century-old landscape of trees and lakes. The 2002 Conservation Plan guides changes to protect its character.

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