Madills Farm sits in a natural amphitheatre above Kohimarama, and the fully fenced destination playground at its southern end lets kids run free with the whole bowl of sports fields as a backdrop.
Equipment
Bright, colourful equipment covers preschool through intermediate ages: slides, swings, a giant climbing net, in-ground trampolines, a basket swing, a see-saw and a treehouse-like tower with double slides. A small bike or scooter track loops around the edge for younger riders, and because the play area is fenced, caregivers can let toddlers and older siblings roam the same space without constant hands-on supervision.
Access and Inclusion
The fenced boundary is the standout access feature, removing the road and car park risk that limits how far kids can range at open-plan playgrounds. Car parks sit off Baddeley Avenue and Melanesia Road, with pedestrian access from Allum Street, and security gates control the Baddeley Avenue entrance.
History and Cultural
Before European settlement this was lagoon and raupō swamp that Māori called Waipara rā, or duck water, for the native grey ducks in its wetlands; punts carried people across the lagoon until the late 1920s. The Crown sold 200 acres to Captain Porter in 1842, and Bishop Patterson of the Melanesian Mission bought the property in 1860. Farmer William Madill leased 119 acres from 1919, giving the reserve its name, and the Melanesian Trust Board's 1943 subdivision plan set aside 30 acres for reserve land, though Council did not complete the purchase until 1959. In the interim the site became a de facto tip, known locally as the dust bowl and overrun with wattle and blackberry. A children's playground opened on 3 hectares in 1964, the remaining land was levelled and grassed through the late 1970s, four sports fields followed by 1975, a fifth field arrived in the 1990s, and the reserve became an off-leash dog area in 2004.
Practical Info
Onsite amenities include 2 drinking fountains, and the reserve operates under Council's smokefree policy. It doubles as home ground for Eastern Suburbs and the Kohimarama Yacht Club, so expect it busy on club sport weekends.
