Glebe Park

Glebe Park is a four-hectare green space on the eastern side of Canberra’s city centre, offering a quiet change of pace within Civic. Its broad lawn, paved paths and mature plantings give it the feel of a traditional English park, with English elms and oaks providing shade in summer and turning golden in autumn. Stone fencing, steel railings and formal gateways define the edges, while the park’s ten named gates reflect the area’s history since European settlement.

There is plenty here for a relaxed visit. Families can use the children’s playground, while walkers and runners can follow the paths through the park. Picnic tables, drinking water, toilets and electric and gas barbecues support longer stays, and the large grassy area works well for an informal break in the middle of the city. Wheelchair access is available. The park also includes a stage and a distinctive 19th-century-style rotunda, adding interest for visitors exploring rather than simply passing through.

Art and heritage are part of Glebe Park’s character. One of its notable features is a large sculpture of Eglė, the Queen of Serpents, donated by the Lithuanian community in Australia. Other plantings commemorate United Nations Day in 1989 and the Diamond Jubilee of the Horticulture Society of Canberra. The park sits within a former 40-hectare glebe transferred to the Church of England by Robert Campbell in the early 1840s, when the area was known as Canberry. After a community campaign to preserve its historic trees and create a public park, Glebe Park was officially named in 1983 and opened in 1989. It is listed with the National Trust (ACT) and Australian Heritage Commission.

Its central location and mix of open space, facilities and historic details make Glebe Park suitable for family outings, solo walks, quiet picnics and public gatherings. It is also used for weddings, festivals and other events, with a permit potentially required. Access is available from Akuna, Bunda, Cooyong, Coranderrk and Ballumbir streets, although parking outside the park is limited and time-controlled. Glebe Park is on Ngunnawal Country, and dogs are not permitted.