New Farm Park is a huge park that’s exceptionally popular amongst locals as a large, well-equipped slice of greenery not far from the CBD.
Set out over an expansive 37 acres, there are numerous reasons for the park’s popularity in Brisbane; it’s easily accessible from the CBD, it offers a solid array of facilities, and it’s a lovely, greenery and floral environment in which to relax.
History of the Gardens
The changing land use in and around New Farm Park, from Aboriginal resource, to convict farm, from tenant farming to racecourse, from elite residences to suburban subdivision, and finally to parkland, reflects the evolution of Queensland’s history, and the process of the creation of open spaces as an area’s population grew.
Redesigns of the park demonstrate changes in parks philosophy and use over time, with a shift in emphasis from genteel Edwardian ornamental gardens and leisure activities, to barbeques and jogging.
The basic Edwardian layout of the park, designed by Henry Moore, remains largely intact today, along with remnants from the late 1940s/early 1950s garden redesign undertaken by Harry Oakman. Various structures and rose gardens have also come and gone, but many of the earlier tree plantings remain.
New Farm Park’s 15.0076 hectares currently contains a wide variety of trees, both mature and recent plantings, including jacarandas, poincianas, figs, palms, and coral trees.
The central lawn within the jacaranda drive contains the remnants of the post-1948 rose garden arrangements, and an area of rainforest has been planted behind the library. In the shade of the trees near the kiosk site is an understorey of tropical plants, a character of park planting that is a distinct aspect of Brisbane’s historic parks and large gardens.