Virginia Ryan Park Play Renewal

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We’re upgrading the playground at Virginia Ryan Park — help us choose a new play design.

Virginia Ryan Park is a hidden gem nestled in Fremantle, offering a peaceful retreat with mature trees and open lawn areas. Tucked away but easily accessible from Watkin Street and Bolton Way, the striking entry sign welcomes visitors to the park with its distinctive design. Whether you’re seeking a quiet spot to read, take a leisurely stroll, or simply enjoy the beauty of Fremantle’s outdoor environment, Virginia Ryan offers a perfect escape for families, furry friends and locals.

The City's Projects & Place Team has received capital works funding in the 2025/26 budget to upgrade play equipment and enhance Virginia Ryan Park to better serve its local community. Your input will help to ensure the playground replacement meets the needs of all those who enjoy Virginia Ryan. Based on community ideas and needs, as well as the budget, a playground design will be developed, with delivery scheduled for completion within the 2025/26 financial year.

The scope of this park project includes:

  • Replacement of the existing swing and playground equipment at Virginia Ryan Park, which are over 20 years old.
  • Exploring options for hydro-zoning works and winter planting of native vegetation under areas of trees along the edge of the park, this will be happening in 2026.

How can the community influence the project?

We are asking the public to:

  • Learn more about the scope of the Virgina Ryan play renewal project by exploring the Frequently Asked Questions and explainer documents listed below.
  • Share what you currently love about the park and what replacement play designs are most suitable by completing the Virginia Ryan Park Play Renewal Survey.
  • View the associated materials, talk to City officers and provide feedback in person at the Virginia Ryan Park Drop-In-Session (details below)

How can you meet with City Officers to discuss the park upgrade and your feedback?

  • Attend the drop-in session: Drop-in sessions allow the public to meet with City staff to ask questions about the project, seek clarification and guidance on how to best submit feedback. These are informal sessions that allow the public to come and go during the time period provided. To learn more, visit our How We Engage page here.
  • Request a 1:1 or group meeting with city staff to discuss your thoughts.

Join the Virginia Ryan Park drop-in session at the following date and time:

  • When: Saturday 26 July 2025
  • Where: Virginia Ryan Park (adjacent to playground)
  • Time: 9:00 am - 10:30am

City Officers aim to:

  • Work with the community on the design of replacement play equipment for Virginia Ryan that best suits their needs.
  • Collect feedback on the current park amenity and key elements where further improvements could be made if more funding becomes available.
  • Keep you informed, listen to and acknowledge concerns and provide feedback on how public input influenced the project.
  • Work with you to ensure that your concerns and aspirations are noted; provide clarity on questions that may arise.

How can you make your submission?
Submissions can be submitted online via the submission form below, or:

A hard copy of the survey can be sent or picked up upon request by emailing the Community Engagement team here: communityengagement@fremantle.wa.gov.au.

Submissions close 5pm, AWST 12 August 2025.

We’re upgrading the playground at Virginia Ryan Park — help us choose a new play design.

Virginia Ryan Park is a hidden gem nestled in Fremantle, offering a peaceful retreat with mature trees and open lawn areas. Tucked away but easily accessible from Watkin Street and Bolton Way, the striking entry sign welcomes visitors to the park with its distinctive design. Whether you’re seeking a quiet spot to read, take a leisurely stroll, or simply enjoy the beauty of Fremantle’s outdoor environment, Virginia Ryan offers a perfect escape for families, furry friends and locals.

The City's Projects & Place Team has received capital works funding in the 2025/26 budget to upgrade play equipment and enhance Virginia Ryan Park to better serve its local community. Your input will help to ensure the playground replacement meets the needs of all those who enjoy Virginia Ryan. Based on community ideas and needs, as well as the budget, a playground design will be developed, with delivery scheduled for completion within the 2025/26 financial year.

The scope of this park project includes:

  • Replacement of the existing swing and playground equipment at Virginia Ryan Park, which are over 20 years old.
  • Exploring options for hydro-zoning works and winter planting of native vegetation under areas of trees along the edge of the park, this will be happening in 2026.

How can the community influence the project?

We are asking the public to:

  • Learn more about the scope of the Virgina Ryan play renewal project by exploring the Frequently Asked Questions and explainer documents listed below.
  • Share what you currently love about the park and what replacement play designs are most suitable by completing the Virginia Ryan Park Play Renewal Survey.
  • View the associated materials, talk to City officers and provide feedback in person at the Virginia Ryan Park Drop-In-Session (details below)

How can you meet with City Officers to discuss the park upgrade and your feedback?

  • Attend the drop-in session: Drop-in sessions allow the public to meet with City staff to ask questions about the project, seek clarification and guidance on how to best submit feedback. These are informal sessions that allow the public to come and go during the time period provided. To learn more, visit our How We Engage page here.
  • Request a 1:1 or group meeting with city staff to discuss your thoughts.

Join the Virginia Ryan Park drop-in session at the following date and time:

  • When: Saturday 26 July 2025
  • Where: Virginia Ryan Park (adjacent to playground)
  • Time: 9:00 am - 10:30am

City Officers aim to:

  • Work with the community on the design of replacement play equipment for Virginia Ryan that best suits their needs.
  • Collect feedback on the current park amenity and key elements where further improvements could be made if more funding becomes available.
  • Keep you informed, listen to and acknowledge concerns and provide feedback on how public input influenced the project.
  • Work with you to ensure that your concerns and aspirations are noted; provide clarity on questions that may arise.

How can you make your submission?
Submissions can be submitted online via the submission form below, or:

A hard copy of the survey can be sent or picked up upon request by emailing the Community Engagement team here: communityengagement@fremantle.wa.gov.au.

Submissions close 5pm, AWST 12 August 2025.

  • Sense of Place: Virginia Ryan Park

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    When it comes to projects such as Viriginia Rya Park's play renewal, we start with a thorough internal review, expert input, and community engagement to assess the needs of both the City and its residents. This place process includes an in-depth analysis of the location, its surrounding context, and various factors that may influence the area’s development or improvement

    Click here to view the Virginia Ryan Park Place Process Explainer

  • Frequently Asked Questions

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    What upgrades to Virginia Ryan Park will be covered in this project? When will the playground renewal happen? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for more information.

    Read the FAQ here.

  • Sketch: What we are planning for the park

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    Want to see where the focus is with play upgrades? This handy sketch outlines the area of play renewal planned for Virginia Ryan Park.

    Click here to view the sketch - What we are planning for the park

  • Key Document: City of Fremantle Public Open Space Strategy 2024 - 2034

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    The Virginia Ryan Park project takes into consideration the aims and directions laid out in the City's Public Open Space Strategy 2024 - 2034.

    In today’s rapidly changing world, public open spaces serve as vital sanctuaries, providing communities with places for recreation, relaxation, social interaction, and connection with nature. As population growth, climate change, and urbanisation pose significant challenges, the value of these spaces becomes increasingly evident.

    The purpose of the City of Fremantle Public Open Space (POS) Strategy is to provide a clear strategic direction and framework for the provision and management of POS within the City. In doing so, the Strategy recognises the challenges presented by the City’s declining POS provision per person and limited opportunities for new POS acquisition. The City’s future directions for public open space is to ensure it continues to serve its purpose to allow the community to participate and connect in a functional, flexible and sustainable environment.

    You can read the Public Open Space Strategy 2024-2034 here.

  • Related: Our Strategic Community Plan

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    The Virginia Ryan Play Renew project aims to implement solutions with strategic, long-term thinking and guidance that speaks to the City of Fremantle’s 2024-2034 Strategic Community Plan, as well as the City’s asset renewal program related to parks, reserves and play equipment.

    The City's 2024-2034 Strategic Community Plan is the City’s most significant guiding document and establishes the community’s long-term aspirations and vision for Fremantle’s future. The Plan drives the City’s planning, budgeting, resource allocation and service delivery over the next decade, and was developed in direct collaboration with people who live, work, and play in Fremantle. This project meets a number of key focus areas set out by the community - most importantly that Fremantle is a "Liveable City that is vibrant, socially connected and desirable" with "sustainably designed and optimised urban and natural environments."

    Read the Strategic Community Plan here.


Page last updated: 09 Jul 2025, 04:14 PM