New Farm Park is a generous riverside park for a slow Brisbane day: lawns, mature trees, rose gardens, play spaces and a short connection to the river sit in one easy-to-use setting. It has been a Council park since 1914, covers 15 hectares and is listed in the Queensland Heritage Register. The appeal is not a single must-see feature; it is the choice to make the visit as active or unstructured as you like.
Start with the shape of the day
The current Council park guide (opens in a new tab) lists the park at 1042 Brunswick Street and open from 8.30am to 11pm daily. For a quiet visit, bring a picnic and settle on a lawn near the roses, mature jacarandas or poincianas. For a family outing, make the playgrounds the anchor. For a river-focused afternoon, use the paths and nearby Powerhouse side of the park as your direction of travel.
The Edwardian bandstand rotunda gives the central landscape a little formal character, while the riverfront and broad open areas make the park feel less structured. It is worth walking before choosing where to stop: shade, activity and river breeze can be quite different across the site.
Use the facilities as shared park spaces
Council lists two playgrounds, picnic shelters, electric barbecues, toilets, taps and water bubblers, a coffee kiosk, library, basketball half court, croquet club, tennis courts and sporting fields. These make the park practical for different groups, but most are ordinary shared facilities—not private bookable amenities. Pack what you need and expect to share tables, barbecues, lawns and play areas with other visitors.
Free parking is available on the internal ring road, reached from the Oxlade Drive entrance, with accessible spaces marked by signage. There is also free and paid street parking around the park. Walking, cycling and public transport are useful alternatives; check Translink’s Journey Planner or Council’s bike paths map before you travel.
River access deserves its own plan
New Farm Park River Hub connects the park and Brisbane Powerhouse to the river. Its pontoons support different short-term uses, including passive craft such as kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards, plus recreational and commercial vessels under the relevant conditions. Fishing is allowed from the pontoons, but boating activity takes priority; net casting, crab pots and overnight mooring are not allowed.
If arriving by water or organising a commercial pickup, read the Council rules rather than treating the hub as an informal launch site. Inner pontoon use is limited to two hours and conditions differ for commercial vessels. That extra check is especially important on busy weekends.
Book only when your gathering needs it
Council offers four bookable areas—Powerhouse View, River View, Ferry View and the Rotunda—for weddings, birthdays and other gatherings. A booking applies to the chosen site, not every facility nearby: you cannot reserve barbecues, most shelters or playgrounds. Check capacity, power and marquee conditions through the booking page before inviting a group.
For an everyday visit, the best plan is simpler: arrive with a picnic, wander through the gardens, choose a place that matches your group, and leave time to follow the river. That is enough to make New Farm Park feel like a destination rather than just a patch of green between other Brisbane plans.
Sources
Sources last validated: 14 September 2026.