Burswood does not have a high street. It has a river, a large public park, a stadium, a pub that calls itself Australia's largest, and Crown Perth. For a hotel guest that is a fine mix — green space for the morning, events at night — as long as you know you will be crossing the river for the city itself.
Burswood Park
The Burswood Park Board manages 52.9 hectares of gardens and public open space around the resort, with a heritage trail and an events calendar. Its facilities list includes barbecues, playgrounds, picnic areas, gazebos, exercise equipment, drinking fountains and walking and cycle paths, all free to use. The park board's own rule of thumb for public transport: Burswood station is 300 metres from its office and a 15-minute walk through the park from the river foreshore.
The river and the bridge
Crown's Poolside Bar & Grill page points guests to cycling and running tracks along the Swan River. The Matagarup Bridge, which opened to the public in July 2018, gives pedestrians a crossing between Burswood and East Perth; the park board notes that the Matagarup Zip+Climb on the bridge is operating. The park board also names the Causeway as a walking route into the city.
Neighbours on the peninsula
- Optus Stadium — opened in January 2018; the park board describes it as a 60,000-seat multi-purpose stadium. My stadium page covers event days.
- The Camfield — on the river bank, described by the park board as Australia's largest pub, with a beer garden and big screen; dog friendly until 4pm.
- State Tennis Centre — 12 hard courts plus function rooms, according to the park board.
- Burswood on Swan — a riverside events venue for weddings and functions.
- Burswood Watersports Centre — on Camfield Drive, home to the WA Recreational Water Sports Association and its member clubs.
A short history of the name
The park board tells the story well. In 1829 the settler Henry Camfield was granted 1,000 acres of mudflat wetlands on the peninsula and named them "Burrswood" after his family home in Kent. Western Australia's first golf course opened here in 1895, and a racecourse — now Belmont Park — held its first meeting in December 1899. Later came sewage filtration beds, a cement works that dredged shells from the river, and decades of waste disposal. In 1985 the government granted a casino licence, and Burswood Casino, now Crown Perth, opened that December. I tell the longer version in the notebook.
What is changing
Wikipedia, a secondary source, reports that in February 2026 the section of Burswood Park north of the resort began redevelopment into a sports and entertainment precinct called Perth Park, centred on a street circuit. Expect works in that part of the peninsula during your stay; I could not find an official timetable.
For
- 52.9 hectares of free parkland at the door.
- Riverside running and cycling paths.
- Stadium, pub and tennis centre within walking distance.
- Pedestrian bridge to East Perth.
Against
- No shops or high street on the peninsula.
- The city centre is across the river.
- Redevelopment works north of the resort.
Park maps, events and facilities: Burswood Park Board.Official site: crownperth.com.au ↗