New Farm, Queensland

New Farm is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia, two km east of the Brisbane CBD on a large bend of the Brisbane River. New Farm is partly surrounded by the Brisbane River, with land access from the north-west through Fortitude Valley and from the north through Newstead. Merthyr is a neighbourhood within New Farm; until 1975 it was a separate suburb.

At the 2011 Australian Census the suburb recorded a population of 11,330. It has the highest population density in Greater Brisbane with approximately 5,861.7 people per square kilometre.

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.

Amity, New Farm

Amity is a heritage-listed detached house at 101 Welsby Street, New Farm, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1892 to c. 1900. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

History

Amity is a single-storeyed timber residence fronting the Bulimba Reach of the Brisbane River at New Farm. The house was built in 1892 for Thomas Welsby (1858-1941), a prominent Brisbane businessman, politician, historian and sportsman.

Thomas Welsby was born at Ipswich in November 1858 and educated at John Scott's School in Ipswich and Ipswich Boys Grammar School. He worked for the Bank of New South Wales and Australian Joint Stock Bank in Brisbane before leaving to practise as a public accountant, trustee and auditor in 1884. He became a member of the Brisbane Stock Exchange, operated a shipping partnership and audited the Brisbane Municipal Council accounts in 1893.

He was a member of the Booroodabin Divisional Board in 1893-1902 (chairman 1897-1900), and chairman of the New Farm State School committee in 1899-1908. He was instrumental in the formation of the Engineering Supply Company of Australia in 1903, was a director of the Royal Bank of Queensland, and had interests with Sir Robert Philp (Premier of Queensland 1899-1903 and 1907-08) in mining and with GC Willocks, a railway contractor. Welsby was also a trustee for the Mount Garnet railway debentureholders (1901-15), and chairman of Queensland Brewery Ltd (1907-19).