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New Farm Park Playground | A Dragon Themed Fortress for Kids

If you are looking for a park that is not far from town and will capture your child’s imagination, try New Farm Park Playground in New Farm, Brisbane. It is one of our favourite in our list of parks and playground reviews on our website.

We loved this park so much we included it in our round up of things to do on a Saturday in Brisbane.

Where is New Farm Park Playground?

  • Address – best access is via Brunswick Street, New Farm

The New Farm area was called Binkin-ba meaning place of the land tortoise, according to the local aboriginal people.

The playground is situated in New Farm Park behind the famous Brisbane Powerhouse and was built as part of The Brisbane Bicentennial Playgrounds Project in 1988.

New Farm Park parking

Parking can be tricky, especially on the weekends. We ended up parking on a local residential street, but make sure you check parking restrictions. Alternatively, just grab a Brisbane City Cat and get off at New Farm Park Terminal and make it a fun day trip. Remember kids travel free on public transport on weekends!

Tell me about the playground

The gardens around the playground are beautiful and are a big part of the park itself. Massive fig trees shade most of the park and the roots are the perfect place for games of hide and seek. Weaving between the roots are a series wooden huts connected by bridges and steps. There are climbing walls going up and slides going down, however we saw kids jumping on and off where their imagination allowed.

For the bigger kids (and even some dads!) there are also 2 tall climbing nets to keep them entertained, or low climbing trees.

The little kids will have a great time running around under the huts (there is a little meeting area built just for them) and practicing their balancing skills on the wobbly bridges. There is also a separate small climbing fort, as well as swings, drums and even a game of twister built into the path.

The boardwalk and paths surrounding the park are great for small bikes and scooters. The playground flooring is a mix of woodchip and soft fall rubber and is unfenced, however is well separated from roads and other areas of the park.

New Farm Park Playground is themed around dragons, and there is a large dragon head and tail built into the ground, as well as cracked eggs scattered around that are perfect for climbing on and in.

If you have children with special needs, there is a sway fun swing and 2 special needs swings and the boardwalk and paths make access easy.

Picnic facilities

If you are coming for a barbeque or picnic on a weekend, I would suggest getting in early. There are 4 purpose-built shelters within the playground area, and 2 have a picnic table underneath. If you miss out on one of these, there are many other picnic tables under the shade of trees.

Alternatively, away from the playground there are numerous picnic tables and barbeques situated along the Brisbane River.

There is a small grassed area which could be used to kick a football, however for bigger games the Central Lawn across the road would be better suited.

New Farm Park playground facilities

Toilets, including baby changing facilities and a wheelchair accessible toilet can be found just across the road from the playground.  

New Farm Park itself has a lot to offer, including numerous sporting facilities, free WIFI and 4 areas which can be booked for special events. The rose gardens on the Central Lawn would make a beautiful backdrop for family photos, as would the river.

Are dogs allowed at New Farm Park?

Dogs on leash are allowed at New Farm Park.

 Playground equipment includes

  • 2 large climbing nets
  • Interconnected bridges and walkways
  • Climbing wall
  • Climbing pole
  • Net swing
  • Spring rocking dragons for little kids
  • 6 swings including 2 special need swings and 1 dual swing (adult & infant)
  • Spinning poles
  • Seesaw
  • Carousel
  • Twister game
  • Junior climbing equipment slightly separate from other equipment with slide
  • Drums, twisting cogs and smaller play equipment

Can I get coffee and snacks there?

New Farm Park - Coffee Hut

New Farm Park Coffee Hut is onsite right beside the playground, with coffee and snacks. If you are after something more, try one of the restaurants at the Brisbane Powerhouse or venture to the other side of the park to End of the Road Coffee Shop.

Make sure you check out New Farm Park Playground for hours of fun!

Photo of author

Janine Mergler

Janine Mergler is a veteran Queensland teacher, graduating from QUT with a BEd majoring in Social Sciences. After many years in the classroom, Janine moved on to academia. She has proudly trained new generations of teachers in her role as a lecturer at Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Education. She has also worked in the Queensland Government as an education specialist, developing education resources and delivering community awareness programs to help families conserve water. Currently she is the owner and editor of Families Magazine, a publication specifically targeted at parents who value a quality education for children.  Janine leads a team of professionals who write about family lifestyle, early childhood, schools and education information and family-friendly events.

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