Methodology

Where the list comes from

We read the OpenStreetMap extracts for each state and territory (Geofabrik, snapshot 9 Nov 2026) and keep every leisure=playground point, area and multipolygon. The same object appearing in two state extracts is kept once.

Which playgrounds are listed

• Not listed: access=private, customers, members and similar; playgrounds inside mapped school, kindergarten or childcare grounds unless tagged access=yes.
• Listed: access recorded as public and playgrounds with no access tag (“Access not recorded”).
• Equipment is linked only when a separately mapped item (playground=*) lies inside the playground’s mapped area, or the playground itself carries playground:*=yes tags. Equipment near a playground mapped as a single point is not linked.

Areas

Each location is placed in an ABS ASGS Edition 4 (2026) state, council area (LGA) and suburb/locality (SAL) by point-in-polygon. LGA and SAL are matched separately; a suburb can span councils. Points on the edge of the data or outside the eight states and territories are not listed.

Which areas get their own page

An area gets its own guide when it has at least 5 listed playgrounds and at least two details recorded on 20% or more of them. Smaller areas appear as sections of the larger guide. These thresholds are provisional.

Unknown is not no

When a detail is not recorded we say “Not recorded”. We never turn a blank into “no charge”, “public”, “no fence” or “no shade”.