Willinda Park facts for kids

Willinda Park in Greensborough is a special place for sports and outdoor fun. It's located at the end of Nell Street and is looked after by the City of Banyule and a group called the Willinda Park Committee of Management.

This park has a modern athletic track made of polyurethane. It's the home base for several sports clubs, including the Diamond Valley Little Athletics Centre, the Diamond Valley Athletic Club, and Ivanhoe Harriers.

The Park's History

How Willinda Park Got Its Name

Long ago, the land where Willinda Park now stands was used as market gardens. These gardens were owned by a couple named William and Beatrice Linda Holmes. The name "Willinda" comes from combining parts of their names: "Will" from William and "Linda" from Beatrice Linda.

How the Land Became a Park

In 1963, after William Holmes passed away, a government group called the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works bought most of the Holmes' property. This was about 9 acres (3.6 hectares) of land. They bought it to help with drainage and sewerage for the area. Back then, it was common for this board to make such land available to local councils to use as parks or for recreation.

A few years later, in April 1967, Linda Holmes also gave a small, triangular piece of land to the Shire of Diamond Valley. This small piece helped people get to the larger part of the park. You can still see this part today, as it forms the entrance to the park.

Finding a Home for Athletics

When the Diamond Valley Little Athletics Centre started in 1967, they needed a place to practice and hold competitions. They looked at different spots, and a place called A K Lines Reserve in Watsonia was a top choice.

However, before their first competition on September 30, 1967, the Shire of Diamond Valley offered Willinda Park as a home for the athletics centre. Linda Holmes also agreed to this. At first, the park was mostly just an open field, only big enough for a 300-meter track.

Sports and Improvements

What Sports Are Played Here?

Willinda Park is mainly known for athletics. Over the years, the track and other facilities have been greatly improved. For a while, the Greensborough Soccer Club also played their matches here until 1986.

How the Park Has Grown

Athletic competitions have been held at Willinda Park almost every year since 1967. There were only three seasons when competitions moved to other locations because of improvement work being done at Willinda Park:

• 1973/74: Competitions were held at A K Lines Reserve in Watsonia.
• 1999/2000 and 2018/2019: Competitions moved to Meadowglen International Athletic Stadium in Epping.

Today, Willinda Park is a very modern athletic facility. It has an international standard track surface and special lighting. This lighting allows for competitions to be held even at night, which is called twilight competitions.

Images for kids

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  Willinda Park around 1975

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  Willinda Park in 2005