Newstead (4006)
Located only 3 km from Brisbane on the banks of the Brisbane River, Newstead (4006) is a mix of commercial and expensive upmarket high rise residential populated by affluent professional couples and singles. Although widely known for its trendy restaurants, Newstead was previously an industrial hub with its timber yards, asbestos factories, wharves, wool stores, and gasworks, the latter established in 1887.
Horse-drawn trams serviced Newstead from 1885 until they were replaced by electric trams in 1897 which in turn, operated until 1968 with the tram depot finally closing in the 1990s. A rail line also operated until it was also closed in the 1990s. Today Newstead has regular bus services, a cross-river ferry and City Cat services linking Newstead to Brisbane and other suburbs along the Brisbane River.
Newstead is known for its historically listed homes, especially Brisbane’s oldest house, Newstead House which was built by station owner, Patrick Leslie in 1846 and later became the official residence of Capt. Wickham, one of Moreton Bay’s first magistrates.
In 2011, 840 people lived in Newstead, their average age is 36 years. Newstead is a multicultural community. Although many residents were Anglo-Australian, a minority were also from the United States, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. English was spoken at home alongside Arabic, Persian, and Cantonese.
