Robson Park

4.5 stars if I could. A reliably uncrowded large park with both plenty of open space and many beautiful old trees for shade and admiring. Plenty of new park seats too. A sampling of the numerous reviews provides an excellent overview of the enjoyable aspects of the park. An aspect of the park not so often highlighted is the age of some of its features, enough of which have been retained or sympathetically managed that the mind's eye can see the park as it was 50 years or more ago - if you saw it then. It is worth spending time to explore for them. The pattern and construction of the pathways through the naturally (and not since artificially levelled) sloping land have been essentially retained, with recent replacement of uneven, lifted and cracked panels rather than replacing the old path borders and entirely concreting over all the older panels. A not entirely sympathetic new long path now enters from the Eastern end, traversing the lower northern part of the park, but it is usefully placed for park access from local (street) footpaths. Essentially it makes a path in the park a connection between the footpath ends of Dobroyd Parade. I prefer walking the Dobroyd Parade footpath from Hawthorne Parade and across Robson Park to that section of the Bay Walk - perhaps, arguably, the "other" footpath of Dobroyd Parade. (Photo 13 is a view of the bay and Bay Walk from the Dobroyd Parade footpath). Consistently, the old small gardens with their rock borders have been retained, including the raised war memorial feature which includes the (pictured) plaque; and where path material forms a cross, in the line of a pathway but discrete from it. Whilst the historic WW1 machine gun in its rock-bordered place has long been removed from the top SW corner of the park near the (pictured) entry sign and associated features, and the old play equipment of the bottom NW corner - of an enormous wooden with iron holding bars whirligig (for the want of a better descriptive word), very high metal slippery-dip, massive iron and heavy wood see-saw and swings - have also been long removed in the name of safety, two of the old huts for sitting protected from the weather remain. Look for the signs of age on thick wooden posts, and elsewhere. Can depressions in the grass still be seen in the vicinity of the old play equipment where deep dirt tracks were worn by running and landing feet for many years? They were really too dangerous to retain, though perhaps the whirligig should have been immobilised and preserved as I have seen nothing like it since, but were immense fun. Sometimes the mind's eye plays tricks here. To add to an experience of times past, perhaps find some time to also visit the vast open space of Timbrell Park diagonally opposite, when not being used for sport, and perhaps fly a kite. Update 8/10/23 In order to obtain the original photographs of the War Memorial feature, and because it was right, I had to pull out a lot of weeds that had overgrown the central cross and the garden bed. I requested of Council to maintain the feature better, and with a (further) weeding and planting of red rose bushes they have now done so. Well done. As I wrote this update in the park a Pied Butcher Bird investigated - so I took their photograph.

Fantastic gem - hidden in plain sight. Always wrote off this park without visiting given how close it is to the main road, but definitely feels a lot more relaxing and scenic than it first seemed. Rarely crowded and full of useful amenities you should visit. Amenities include toilets, benches, bbqs, playground and benches. Playground is well sheltered from the main road in particular.

Beautiful and spacious park with view of Parramatta river across from the street. Toilet facilities and children playground. Plenty of green spaces for gathering and picnic.

Toilets, playground, large open grass space, seats and tables with shade. What more could you want from a local park?

Big big park, there are picnic area there with cover. Can't see park bbq anywhere so we brought our own portable burner for our little lunch