Area Info
New Farm Area Info
New Farm is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia, located 2km east from the Brisbane CBD on a peninsula on the Brisbane River.
Geography
Newfarm is surrounded by the Brisbane River, with land access from the north west through Fortitude Valley and the east through Newstead.
New Farm, Queensland is at coordinates 27°28′05″S 153°02′53″E / -27.468, 153.048 (New Farm, Queensland)
Attractions
At the south-eastern end of the peninsula is the historic New Farm Park. The suburb derives its name from the fact that the peninsula was used as a farming area in the early years of Brisbane's History. Brunswick Street is the main street running northwest-southeast up the centre of the peninsula. To the south of Brunswick Street the suburb is characterised by large ornate Queenslander style houses, shady streets lined with large trees and tall apartment buildings, predominantly along the river. More modest Queenslander style houses dominate the north of Brunswick Street where there are fewer large trees and apartments.The suburb has one main commercial area close to New Farm Park, called 'Merthyr Village'. A wide variety of businesses also successfully operate along Brunswick Street and in adjacent streets heading back to Fortitude Valley. The former electric tramway power station, located at the eastern end of New Farm Park, has been converted into a community arts and performance space called 'The Powerhouse'.
History
From 1885 to 1897 New Farm's transport needs were served by horse drawn trams, which operated along Brunswick Street, as far as Barker Street. In 1897 the horse trams were replaced with electric trams and the line extended, with trams ultimately running as far as Macquarie Street and down to the river at New Farm Park. The electric trams ceased operation on 13 April 1969, since then the suburb has been served by diesel buses.
New Farm's developed a reputation in the late 1980s as a drug-addled, low-rent culture depicted in Andrew McGahan's grunge novel 'Praise' which is set largely in the suburb. Along with the Fortitude Valley, New Farm has a Brisbane wide reputation as a centre of drug use and prostitution.
Since then, and like many Brisbane suburbs, New Farm has experienced much 'gentrification' and 'infill development' throughout the 1990s and the years since 2000. However, New Farm maintains its diversity, being known for its long established Italian community and its now home to a large gay community. It is also known for its many restaurants and cafes and for illegal street prostitution after dark along the Valley end of Brunswick Street .
On the 23rd of January 2007, Part of the upcoming movie "Fool's Gold" (starring Kate Hudson) was shot at New Farm Park.
Reference: Wikipedia