A community kindergarten dedicated to providing children with the best start on their educational journey.

About Balwyn East Kindergarten

Balwyn East Kindergarten believes play is an active learning process, essential for stimulating children’s intellectual, social, physical and creative abilities.

2027 provisional session times

3-year-old kindergarten program

Green group

This program offers 15 hours of free kinder per week.

4-year-old kindergarten program

Red group

This program offers 15 hours of free kinder per week plus 4 hours 30 minutes of optional additional hours.

2027 fees per term

The Victorian Government Free Kinder initiative is available at this kindergarten. Concession rates are not applicable.

3-year-old kindergarten program:

• Green free kinder hours (15 hours per week): Free

4-year-old kindergarten program:

• Red free kinder hours (15 hours per week): Free
• Red group additional hours (4 hours 30 minutes per week): $600

2026 session times

3-year-old kindergarten program

Green group

This program offers 11 hours of free kinder per week.

4-year-old kindergarten program

Red group

This program offers 15 hours of free kinder per week plus 4 hours 30 minutes of optional additional hours.

2026 fees per term

The Victorian Government Free Kinder initiative is available at this kindergarten. Concession rates are not applicable.

3-year-old kindergarten program:

• Green free kinder hours (11 hours per week): Free

4-year-old kindergarten program:

• 2026 additional hours (4 hours 30 minutes per week): $550

Rating against the National Quality Standard

Early childhood education and care services are assessed and rated against the National Quality Standard (NQS) to:

• promote continuous improvement in the provision of quality education and care
• improve knowledge and access to information about the quality of services to help families make informed decisions about their child’s education and care.

See Balwyn East Kindergarten's rating against the NQS and learn more about the rating and assessment process on the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority website

Note: These details were provided by Balwyn East Kindergarten. For the most up-to-date information, visit the Balwyn East Kindergarten website.

Opening hours

Returns chute

Balwyn Library has a 24-hour returns chute at the entrance to the library. 

Contact us

To contact us, you can:

• call us on (03) 9278 4666
• Submit a question using our Ask a librarian form.

Bookable spaces at Balwyn Library

On-site collection

Balwyn library has a range of hard-copy newspapers and magazines.

Newspapers

• The Age
• The Australian
• Australian Chinese Daily
• Australian Financial Review
• Herald Sun
• Neos Kosmos (Greek)
• Saturday Paper

Newspapers are held for one week.

Accessibility features

Parking

Balwyn Library has accessible parking spots, ‌an accessible drop-off area, and ramp and step-free access from the car park into the library.

Toilets

Balwyn Library has accessible toilets with tactile signage.

Other 

• area for assistance animals
• automatic doors
• clear signage
• lift and wheelchair lift access to second floors
• quiet areas
• wide passageways.

The closest defibrillator is next door at McDonald's, 318 Whitehorse Road.

Deepdene Park features 2 refurbished halls which are ideal for meetings and functions. Each hall has:

• a kitchen
• tables and chairs
• heating and cooling
• capacity for 50 people.

Summer sports schedule

The summer season runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 March 2027.

Maranoa Botanic Gardens in Balwyn boasts a stunning display of Australian plants, with more than 4,000 native plants nestled around winding paths.

Bookings are available for up to 50 people for weddings, celebrations and other social gatherings like picnics.

Learn more about booking Maranoa Gardens

Maranoa Botanic Gardens is the perfect spot for relaxing and immersing yourself in some of Australia’s most fascinating and unique flora.

Opening hours

We’re open every day except Good Friday and Christmas Day.

1 November to 31 March: 7:30 am to 8 pm

1 April to 31 October: 7:30 am to 5 pm

We ring a reminder bell 10 minutes before we close the gates each day.

The garden gates are locked outside of these times.

Garden bookings

Please note events are only able to be booked during staffed hours:

• Monday to Friday: 7:30 am to 4 pm
• Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: 10 am to 5 pm
• Closed: Good Friday and Christmas Day

Help us protect this special place

Please help us protect the plants, animals and other special features of these gardens by observing our regulations while visiting.

• Dogs are not permitted in the gardens. You can exercise your dog in the designated dog off-leash area at Beckett Park next door.
• Please do not pick flowers, collect seeds, or remove cuttings from any plants.
• Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times, including around water.
• The gardens are reserved for passive recreation only, ball games are not permitted.
• The pathways are for foot traffic only. Cars, bicycles, skateboards, or roller skates/blades are not permitted.

Water safety

There are some bodies of water at the gardens.

Please be aware of shallow water, submerged objects and variable water depths.

No diving or swimming is permitted.

How to spend your visit

As you wander around, you can discover over 4,000 native Australian plants, including many endangered species.

Enjoy a peaceful stroll under our historic trees, listen to bird calls and relax by the creek. 

If you’re short on time, take the main path for a quick look at our unique flora.

If you’ve got more time, take a leisurely stroll along the gravel trails too.

About the gardens

Maranoa Botanic Gardens plays a significant role as one of the most diverse botanical displays of Australian plants. It’s a rich resource for students, researchers, botanists and nature enthusiasts alike.

Follow the circuit path and discover a collection of around 4,000 native plants, categorised into major vegetation groups from rainforest to arid zone.

History

The story of Maranoa Botanic Gardens began in 1901 when John Watson purchased 1.4 hectares of land for a private garden in Balwyn. He planted a collection of Australian and New Zealand natives.

In the 1920s, the City of Camberwell bought the garden. It was officially opened to the public on 18 September 1926.

The garden was expanded in 1962 to its current 2.6 hectares.

In September 2026, Maranoa Botanic Gardens celebrates 100 years since opening to the public.

Plant conservation

In 2015, we adopted a Conservation Management Plan to guide how we maintain the gardens.

In 2020, the gardens’ name was formally changed from Maranoa Gardens to Maranoa Botanic Gardens in recognition that it has been maintained and cared for over many decades as a botanic garden.

Our team at City of Boroondara continues to manage the gardens sustainably, focusing on climate change resilience and protecting rare native species.

Questions or feedback about the gardens

• Email us: [email protected]
• Phone us: 03 9278 4444

Beckett Park is a unique green space with everything you need for a wonderful outdoor experience.

It is famous for its stone observation tower, maze, extensive playground and indigenous plants.

About the gardens

Beckett Park is next to Maranoa Gardens and is an important revegetation site for indigenous plants. Visitors can walk through patches of grassy woodlands similar to those that existed more than 100 years ago.

There's a wooden maze to lose yourself in and the stone observation tower provides views right across Melbourne as far as Mount Macedon in the north west. This tower is only open when Maranoa Gardens is staffed and not during bad weather. 

The park's shaded tables are a great place to enjoy a picnic lunch.

Formerly known as One Tree Hill and originally a grassy woodland, Beckett Park was a traditional site for Empire Day bonfires in the 1940s and 1950s and is home to a war memorial.