Location
40 Rawson Avenue, Sutherland
Facilities
- Bubbler
- Disabled access
- Floodlights
- MLAK toilet
- Oval / sports facility
- Parking
- Playground
- Scooter / bike path
- Shade
- Toilet
- Accessible play
Waratah Park is an incredible recreational area that features a 22 hectare sports precinct including the Sutherland Leisure Centre and the Basketball Stadium.
Waratah Park forms part of the historic connection between Sutherland CBD and the Royal National Park and is situated on Rawson Avenue, within walking distance from Loftus Railway Station or, Sutherland Railway Station and the UoW satellite campus.
This Regional facility encompasses the open space parkland, bushland and a sporting hub, which hosts:
- tennis courts
- a dedicated athletics field
- a baseball diamond and cricket nets
- sports fields (for Soccer, AFL and Rugby League)
- a cycling track circuit.
This wonderful open space is commonly used for walking and other gentle exercise with a shared pathway running along the length of the site, next to Rawson Avenue. This area has a Masterplan, adopted in 2022, which guides future development on the site.
New All Abilities Playground
This new facility is currently under construction, adjacent to the Leisure Centre to enhance our existing facilities within this precinct.
The play space will provide a vibrant and inclusive recreational facility that enhances the qualities of the area and will offer a unique play experience. The playground design celebrates the distinctive local character of Waratah Park and is accessible from the parking area and community bus stops.
Book a Sporting Facility
Book online or contact the Sport Services Team on 02 9710 0893 or email sport@ssc.nsw.gov.au
The new Waratah Park playground will provide a fantastic space for children of all-abilities to engage in play and delivers shaded seating and social areas where families can come together. It’s a space that has been designed to truly welcome everyone, regardless of age or ability.
The new playground offers engaging play experiences including:
- sand and water sensory play areas
- a flying fox with accessible seat
- accessible carousel and slides
- swings with a variety of seating options
- a junior bike path and musical and nature play features
- shade structures over specific play elements
- natural shaded areas, as well as perimeter fencing.
Other new additions include, a new all-abilities "Changing Places" certified amenities building.
Dogs on-leash
Dogs are prohibited within 10 metres of playgrounds and play equipment, even if they are on leash. We ask that you take care to observe this within the fenced playground area.
Dogs are permitted on-leash in other areas of Waratah Park.
Waratah Park is home to two off-road cycling venues:
- the Short Mountain Bike Track and
- the Waratah Park Cycling Track—purpose-built for both training and competition.
The Cycling Track features three looped circuits, with the longest stretching 1.2km, providing a versatile environment for riders of all levels.
Open to the public year-round, the track is regularly booked by local cycling clubs for events or training. When not in use for organised sessions, the facility offers ideal conditions for beginners learning to ride and experienced cyclists looking to train or stay fit in a controlled, traffic-free (off-road) setting.
Ample parking is available outside of race days.
Take a fun ride with your family or, use this as a staging point for cyclists choosing a longer on-road route.
Further information on our cycleway network can be located here.
Check our other cycling routes and the cycling visitor guide for the Royal National Park here.
To book the cycling track click here.
Nestled within the heart of the Waratah Sports Complex, the Sutherland Shire’s only dedicated turf athletics track provides a vibrant hub for local sports and training.
Designed to meet the needs of athletes of all levels, the facility features a marked running track ideal for sprinting, middle, and long-distance events. It also includes purpose-built long jump sand pits and a secure throwing net area for discus and hammer throw disciplines.
Regularly used for school carnivals, community events, and competitive meets, the track is a vital resource that supports health, fitness, and athletic development across the Shire. The track provides an inclusive space to train, compete, and connect to support an active, healthy lifestyle for the community.
To book the athletics track click here.
Located beside the Sutherland Leisure Centre, this vibrant sporting precinct plays a vital role in supporting local clubs and associations across a variety of sporting codes.
It features:
- Sutherland Shire’s premier AFL field
- Two versatile rectangular sports fields used for football (soccer) and rugby league during the winter season and
- is reconfigured for baseball throughout the summer months to ensure year-round community access.
The precinct also provides a 5-lane cricket net facility and is home to the Shire’s largest dog training group. As a key gathering place for sporting and recreational communities, the facility supports local grassroots participation, development, and connection.
To book the sports fields click here.
Sutherland Dog Training
The Sutherland Shire Dog Training Club hold training meets on most Sunday mornings between 7am and 9am. The training activity is distributed over the Athletic field, Upper field (Rugby League) and Lower field (Soccer and Baseball). The Dog Training Clubhouse is located on the western side of the Rugby League field. Other competitive obedience or agility events are often held on weekday evenings and throughout the year at this location.
Recycling Collection Point
There is a 'Return and Earn' bottle and can recycling centre located between the Tennis Courts at the Basketball Stadium (rear), where our community can deposit their glass and plastic bottles along with aluminium cans for recycling.
Beekeepers club house and apiary
The Illawarra Beekeepers have a permanent apiary and beekeepers museum located inside the cycling track at Waratah Park. They are an active enthusiastic club who welcome visitors to this bee museum and teaching facility. Regular visitors include school groups, Scouts, Probus and other community groups. The Beekeepers club house and apiary can be accessed from the southern end of Eton Street.
Waratah tennis courts has four hard courts with lighting and plenty of available parking. The tennis courts are located on the eastern side of the site below the athletics field.
Find booking information here.
