The Park is situated approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the central business district of Melbourne and is a significant public recreational space for local Northcote residents and the surrounding community.

Early documents suggest that William Howitt may have been the designer of Johnson Park but the matter cannot be proved definitively.

These native people formed part of the same language group as those who lived between the Maribyrnong and Werribee Rivers, extending northwards to Mount Macedon and eastwards to Wilson's Promontory.

The soils are generally uniform shallow dark grey textured expansive clays over basalt with some rocky outcrops.

As the pressure for parks increased, the Mayor of Northcote called a public meeting on 7 December 1906 in the Town Hall.

In 1913, five acres of land was bought by Northcote Council on the flat low lying basalt soils between Rucker Hill and the Darebin Creek.

Visitors taking part in the Tour of the City were requested to assemble in the Town Hall, at the Westbourne Grove entrance, at 2 pm.

Local residents formed a group called Friends of Johnson Park to advocate for immediate restoration and improvement works.

In 2014 local community members resurrected their concerns about the care and maintenance of the horticultural environment of Johnson Park.

Subsequent meetings of community members, and one with a Darebin City Council representative, resulted in a commitment to work together to rejuvenate and care for the living environment in the park.

In October 2014 Darebin City Council planted numerous replacement trees, protected by vandal guards.