New Farm
Jacaranda-lined streets, timber Queenslanders and the river on three sides. Brisbane's quietly queer "Gay Farm" was crowned Australia's coolest neighbourhood by Time Out in 2026.
Ask a Brisbane local where the gay boys live and most will point you here. The nickname "Gay Farm" comes from New Farm having more same-sex couples than anywhere else in Queensland[6], yet you won't find a single gay bar. Queer life here is domestic and very visible: couples walking dogs along Merthyr Road, long brunches on Brunswick Street, picnic rugs spread under the Moreton Bay figs. When you want a dance floor, Fortitude Valley's bars, including The Wickham, are a bus ride away.
New Farm Park anchors the peninsula with rose gardens and riverside lawns. From mid-October, a violet canopy of jacarandas draws half of Brisbane out with their cameras. At the park's edge sits the Brisbane Powerhouse, a decommissioned power station turned arts centre that kept its graffiti-scarred brick walls. It programmes plenty of queer work, including the Melt festival. On weekends the Jan Powers Farmers Markets fill its grounds with coffee and produce.
Time Out ranked New Farm 29th in its 2026 list of the world's coolest neighbourhoods.[10] yet . It was the highest Australian entry, and nothing in Sydney or Melbourne beat it. Be warned that this is one of Brisbane's priciest postcodes, and it goes quiet after dark. For the best river views, arrive by CityCat from the CBD, or walk the Riverwalk along the water's edge.
Pictures
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City GuideFloating walking connecting New Farm to the CBD
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City GuideRiverside park in charming New Farm
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City GuideArts and culture institution by the river
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