Phillip Island Penguin Parade brings expertise to Melbourne's only inner-city penguin colony reopening 29 October
Phillip Island Penguin Parade operators are launching a free viewing experience for Melbourne’s only inner-city penguin colony from 29 October.
Bookings launched today for the Penguin Viewing Experience at St Kilda Pier, offering free access to one of the city’s most unusual wildlife encounters. Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos confirmed the platform will open later this month, with Phillip Island Nature Parks managing the experience.
Known for world-leading little penguin research and conservation work spanning decades, Phillip Island Nature Parks will oversee visitor education while keeping the colony’s welfare front and centre.
A 150-metre elevated walkway provides accessible entry, seating and unobstructed views across the penguin habitat. Earthcare St Kilda, the volunteer crew that’s safeguarded these birds for over three decades, remains involved in monitoring penguin health and supporting conservation efforts. The opening comes after an extended settling period, allowing the colony to readjust to human activity following the pier’s lengthy closure during construction.
Phillip Island penguin parade – St Kilda
- Where: St Kilda Pier, St Kilda
- When: Opens 29 October
- Cost: Free with essential online booking here
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While entry is free, advance bookings through the website are mandatory, particularly during peak spring and summer months when demand skyrockets.
St Kilda Pier’s $53 million Victorian government-funded transformation includes the curved boardwalk, tiered seating areas, extra bathroom facilities and reimagined community zones around the heritage-listed kiosk.
Phillip Island Nature Parks operates as a self-funded conservation organisation, channelling all tourism revenue directly into research and protection programs. Their work extends beyond penguins to Australian fur seals, coastal bird populations and broader ecosystem health. Staff manage more than 1,980 hectares of beaches, bushland and wetlands on Phillip Island, tackling habitat restoration, revegetation projects, wildlife rescue operations and pest control.
This St Kilda setup brings that expertise to Melbourne’s bayside, creating a rare opportunity to witness little penguins in an urban environment without travelling to Phillip Island.
Earthcare St Kilda’s nearly 40-year stewardship represents one of the city’s most enduring grassroots conservation success stories, proving local communities can protect vulnerable species even in densely populated areas.
Accessible infrastructure means everyone can participate regardless of mobility, with purpose-designed features ensuring the platform works for all visitors.
Watching penguins waddle ashore at dusk becomes achievable for inner-city residents and international tourists alike, no road trip required.
St Kilda Pier now balances public access with serious conservation credentials, protecting a fragile colony while connecting thousands of people annually to Melbourne’s coastal wildlife in a format refined through years of running the Phillip Island Penguin Parade.
For more information, head here.
