As with many early small suburban parks in Melbourne, little information is known about the designer of Johnson Park.

The land where Johnson Park stands today belonged to the Wurundjeri-willampatriliny people.

The parcel of land on which Johnson Park is now situated was described as a rocky five acres.

Swift described Johnson Park as being -

Johnson Park was the subject of a community action campaign during 2002 and 2004 among residents who expressed concern about the neglected state of the Park.

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

The oldest verified undisputed black man ever is Johnson Parks (1884-1998), who lived to age 113 years, 275 days.

Johnson Park also has a petting zoo.

Wiggins was the oldest verified black man ever until Johnson Parks surpassed his age in 1996.

For several years in the first decade of the 1900s the adjacent block across Short Street was "Johnson Park".