The Manning Community Hub in Manning is a fantastic family destination, combining great Playgrounds, wide open spaces and handy community facilities in one spot. Located beside James Miller Oval on Bradshaw Crescent, it’s an easy place to spend a whole morning playing, exploring and even popping into the library.
The Hub features two separate Playgrounds positioned on opposite sides of the oval, so kids get the best of both worlds. The first, larger Playground is best suited to children around three and over. Here you’ll find a big climbing structure with ropes, climbing walls and monkey bars, plus two slides – a smaller straight slide accessed by stairs, and a taller, twisty slide reached via a rock-climbing wall, rope bridge, or climbing wall and stepping stone bridge. The layout creates lots of different challenges for different ages and abilities, and there’s plenty of sand underneath for softer landings and sand play.
Around the main structure are extra pieces of equipment to keep kids busy, including a set of swings (one toddler swing and one standard swing), a see-saw and a fun bouncy surfboard. There’s also a section at the back that works well for younger children, with features like bongo drums and colourful balls for more sensory-style play.
The sand area is spacious enough for games of chasey and hide-and-seek underneath the equipment. The only part that may need a helping hand for younger ones is the monkey bars, as they’re quite high and require more upper-body strength.
One edge of this Playground is naturally shaded by mature trees, giving a pleasant cool spot on warmer days. While there aren’t built-in benches right by the play area, families often perch on the low wall that borders the space – perfect for supervising, resting or laying out snacks and drinks while the kids play.
Across James Miller Oval you’ll find the second Playground, which is designed with younger children in mind. This area is covered by shade sails, making it a good choice as the day warms up.
The junior Playground features a small, low-to-the-ground play structure with a gentle slide, a tunnel, a small climbing ramp and more bongo drums, ideal for toddlers and preschoolers building confidence. There’s also a sand play table and chairs with fun shape cut-outs, great for pouring and scooping sand.
In the surrounding sandpit, kids can climb onto a ride-on digger to scoop and dump sand, bounce along on a springy bug, or relax together on a circular swing. The equipment is spaced so little ones can wander and explore independently while carers watch from the low wall that edges the area, again doubling as very handy seating.
One of the big benefits of the Manning Community Hub is the extra facilities close at hand. Unisex toilets are located on the lower level of the main Hub building, making it practical for longer Playground visits. A lift connects the oval level with the upper level, so you can easily combine your play with a visit to Manning Library for a browse, storytime or rhyme time session, and prams can move between levels without any trouble.
The wider Hub precinct also includes community and family services such as Manning Child Health Clinic, the Manning Community Hall, sporting clubrooms and an early years’ centre that houses Manning Community Toy Library and a playgroup space. This makes the area a real one-stop location for families with babies, toddlers and school-aged children.
Parking is available via the undercroft car park off Bradshaw Crescent, and the site sits conveniently close to Welwyn Avenue shops. After a play, it’s just a short walk up Bradshaw Crescent to Welwyn Avenue for coffee or lunch, making it simple to turn a quick park visit into a relaxed outing. With its mix of Playgrounds for different ages, big grassy oval, modern facilities and the bonus of the library and community services, the Manning Community Hub is a lovely, family-friendly place to visit in the inner south.
The Manning Community Hub, Manning
Address: Lot 571, 9 Bradshaw Crescent, Manning WA 6152 (adjoining James Miller Oval)
Opening Hours (Manning Library within the Hub – check before you go):
Monday: 9:30am – 5:30pm
Tuesday: 9:30am – 5:30pm
Wednesday: 9:30am – 7:00pm
Thursday: 9:30am – 5:30pm
Friday: 9:30am – 5:30pm
Saturday: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Official Website: City of South Perth – Manning Community Centre / Manning Community Hub
Location
Member Reviews
Place Categories: Playgrounds, With Shade, and With Toilets
