Whether you want a break from the busy urban jungle, or you wish to venture into local tourism, urban parks are a perfect destination.
They are less expensive, and their serene environment is great for relaxing.
Kings Park Perth, WA, is not an exception.
Attracting over 6 million visitors a year, Kings Park is, without doubt, the most popular city park in Australia. It is an iconic preserve for local and international travellers.
But, what gives it such fame?
•Scenic Panoramas
At Kings Park, visitors enjoy unsurpassed views of Perth City’s central business district, meandering Swan River, Canning River, Marri woodland forest, and Mount Eliza escarpment.
On a clear day, travellers can get a spectacular view of the Indian Ocean from the park’s DNA Tower.
The Federation Walkway is the most popular attraction in Kings Park Perth. It is a 612-meter walkway that starts at the Forrest roundabout, goes through the park’s botanic garden, and ends at the Beedawong Amphitheatre.
Its 52-meter long arched bridge forms a perfect point for photography and sightseeing of various bird species.
The suspended arch is an excellent viewpoint for Kings Park's bushland canopy and Perth City’s skyline.
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Every September, this park hosts the Kings Park Festival, which celebrates Western Australia’s extraordinary wild blooms.
It has been running yearly since 1964. During the whole-month-long event, visitors enjoy free guided tours, gardening advice sessions, wellness activities, and photography sessions.
The function attracts approximately half a million local and foreign visitors.
Besides the natural sceneries, Kings Park Perth is home to West Australia's critical historical monuments.
It harbours the State War Memorial, a precinct built in remembrance of Western Australian service personnel who succumbed in World War I and II.
Besides the State War Memorial, King Park Perth, WA, has several other history-rich memorials. It has Honor Avenue, a road lined with plaques displaying names of soldiers who died in foreign countries.
The avenue has over 1800 plagues.
The park’s Bali memorial honours heroes who helped victims during the Bali bombings and the Edith Dircksey Cowan Memorial clock honours the first woman elected in Western Australia’s legislative assembly.
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From exquisite paintings to handmade artifacts, King Park's aboriginal art gallery exhibits Western Australia’s artists' works.
At the gallery, visitors meet and interact with aboriginal artists as they admire their craft.
The artisans are always ready to shed some light on the Noongar culture, art, and lifestyle.
Featuring the structure of DNA, this tower stands as the highest viewing point in Kings Park Perth, WA.
From this 15-meter tower, visitors enjoy gorgeous views of the park's full expanse and the snaking Swan River.
You can also see Rottnest Island.
With an area of 4.06 square kilometres, Kings Park stands as the largest city park in the world.
It is larger than Central Park, United States' largest city park, and United Kingdom's Hyde Park, combined.
Kings Park was initially known as Perth Park. However, in 1901, when King Edward VII visited Perth, the State Government changed the parks’ name to Kings Park In commemoration of the visit and his accession to the British throne.
Kings Park is located in Perth City’s central business district. The quiet oasis is approximately 1.5 kilometres away from the Western Australia capital.
It overlooks the city’s Perth Water, and Mount Eliza is part of the park.
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Kings Park’s glory is a collective effort of many conservatives, architects, engineers, policymakers, and the Perth Community at large.
Its establishment started in the early 1800s when John Septimus Roe, Swan River Colony’s first surveyor, proposed that the land where King Park lies should be set aside for public use.
In 1872 the State Government, under Governor Frederick Weld, gazetted 175 hectares as a public reserve. In 1890, the government increased the reserve area by 180 hectares. Premier John Forrest was appointed to develop the reserved land as a park.
Forrest put up a fence around the park, built the DNA Tower, and constructed major access roads within it.
He also foresaw the election of the State War Memorial Cenotaph and the Queen Victoria Statue.
Later on, the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (BGPA) took over the park’s management.
The Authority built playgrounds, the Western Australian botanical garden, more memorial sites, and other amenities.
It is 400.6 hectares.
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Visitors who wish to take alcohol in Kings Park can do so with a written permit from BGPA.
However, King Park’s management restricts the use of alcohol along the roads and kids' playgrounds.
The consumption of alcohol shouldn't impact other park users' comfort, and visitors can only consume two drinks in the first hours and one drink an hour thereafter.
BGPA prohibits alcohol contests.
While Kings Perk is the largest city park, it is smaller than many state parks on the outskirts of some urban centres. With 200,000 hectares of land, Chugach State Park stands as the world’s largest.
It is located 13.1 miles away from Anchorage, Alaska, USA. The park boasts an extensive shoreline, tall mountains, massive glaciers, vast hiking trails, rivers, and other geographical marvels.
Visitors can walk around Kings Park using the Memorial walk, Law walk, the Lotterywest Federation walkway, Boodja Gnarning walks, Botanic Garden discovery walk, Bushland nature trail, or Kokoda track.
The trails have varying distances.
It takes approximately one hour using the Memorial walk, 1.25 hours using the botanic discovery walk, 40 minutes using the Lotterywest Federation walkway, 45 minutes using Law Walk, and 25 minutes using the Bushland Nature trail.
Entering, walking, cycling, driving, and parking in Kings Park is free. As well, hosting an event with 49 or fewer persons is entirely free, not unless you wish to hire a venue or you want an alcohol permit.
To host an event with 50 or more attendees, or a corporate event of any size, you will have to book your venue at a fee. The booking fees vary depending on the venue, the number of attendees, and the type of event.
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You can walk your dog in Kings Park.
However, the park’s management prohibits walking your furry friend in kid’s playground areas, Rio Tinto Naturescape Kings Park, and the elevated arch of Lotterywest Walkway.
Guide dogs are exempted from the restrictions.
Your dogs’ leash shouldn’t be longer than two meters, and you are expected to clean up and dispose of its poop.
It takes approximately one to two hours to navigate through the 3-kilometre Lesmurdie Fall walk.
The walk starts at the top of Lesmurdie Falls, heads downhill using concrete stairs, crosses the Lesmurdie book, and goes all the way up to the other side of the valley.
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Walking around the Swan River will take an average of 2-3 hours. The 10-kilometre walk stretches from Elizabeth Quay to the South Perth Foreshow.
The loop is friendly to people of all fitness levels. You can take the tour any time, the whole year long.
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