The park provides public open space for recreation, as well as sporting facilities (accessed on a fee paying basis) and a wedding and function venue.

The park's bird life includes kookaburras, rosellas, rainbow lorikeets, galahs, and gang-gang cockatoos.

[8] the park was the site of the residence of Orlando Fenwick, a longstanding councillor for the City of Melbourne who had been Lord Mayor between 1871-2.

Planning and development of the park started in 1926, when a plantation of 12,000 wattle trees were laid out in a wide belt as a hedge around the outskirts of the area.

Lawns and flower beds were laid down, winding pathways built, and a small stream trickling through the centre of the park was cleaned and widened and.

On the north eastern slopes, a splendid natural forest, consisting chiefly of poplars, gums, woolly butt and eucalyptus longifolia, was carefully preserved.

Bricks from old tramway chimneys were used extensively, while the roof contained slates from the demolished Yarra Bend Asylum.

Rafters and other timbers came from disused car barns, stones from old rookeries along Alexander Avenue, while the pavements of the promenade in front of the chalet and elsewhere were made from.

The chalet was built on the highest slope in the park, about 320 feet above sea level, and from its balconies a splendid panoramic view of Melbourne was obtained.

Facing Boundary-Road, (now Warrigal Road) was one of the most conspicuous spots in the park, a miniature lake planted with water lilies and stocked with goldfish.

George was responsible for the planning, laying out, design and construction of the Tennis Courts, Golf Course, Pond, Lake, Paths, Walking Tracks, Sports Oval and many other structures in the park.

With the rise of popularity of motor cars in the 1960s and 70s, the MMTB (which was absorbed by the new Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1983) was focusing its attention elsewhere.

The Melbourne Tramways Band (no longer sponsored by Yarra Trams) plays at Wattle Park once a month during spring and autumn.