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Newtown, an older inner-city residential suburb, immediately west of the CBD has become increasingly popular for home owners.

It is approximately 6 km and is characterised by older-style houses, minutes from the city but still retaining a peaceful suburban feel - there are14 parks and it is serviced by various bus routes.

Before European settlement, Aboriginals such as the Giabal group inhabited the area.

First surveyed in 1851, a number of 130 acres was offered for sale in 1858 and George Thorn, an Ipswich merchant, purchased a great part which was known as Thorn's Paddock.

In 1865 Newtown was surveyed as town lots making it one of the city's older suburbs.

In 1877, 52 allotments fronting Russell, Wallace, Claremont and Holberton streets were offered for sale.

Many substantial buildings were erected in Newtown in the later 1800s and early 1900s, including Weetwood, Tor, Ascot House, Kerrielaw and Gladstone House, as good as the Queensland heritage register-listed Spreydon in Warra Street, and Elphin House in Anzac Avenue.

In 1899, the Christian Brothers built St Mary's College on West Street and 9 days after the Anglican Church opened The Glennie School for girls, the Presbyterian affiliated Spreydon College opened in 1908 and when taken over by the church nine days later, it touched to East Toowoomba and afterwards became known as Fairholme.

Newtown State School opened in 1924.

The Catholic Church opened St Ursula's College in 1931 and the Our Lady of Lourdes primary schooling in 1940.

Clifford Park, Toowoomba's metropolitan racecourse was set apart as a racing reserve in 1860 and has thrived ever since.

Newtown's main public space, Newtown Park, opened in 1913 and is the website of the Land Rose Garden.

Trent and Lindal Donovan, residents of Newtown for more than two years, lived on West Street until only recently when they sold their house due to the act of trucks which use the street.

An advantage of life in Newtown was its nearness to the CBD and Trent would pass to work.

"The local amenities are heavy with doctors and chemists providing good services and all were close," said Lindal.

"The restroom of being near to town holds in it the trouble of being faithful to town, with wheelie bins knocked over and letterboxes and fences fair game at night," Trent said.

Trent's Nanna Ball has lived there happily for more than 50 years and isn't going to run anytime soon.

There are several shopping centres dotted about the suburb, the largest, Clifford Gardens, has a form of stores, banks, supermarkets and eateries.

"Newtown offers great inner-city life and is popular with home buyers," Myles Cosgrove from Ray White Toowoomba said.

"There are true character streets with some of the most historic homes of Toowoomba in the suburb," he said.In 2006, 58% of the homes in Newtown were owner-occupied and 38% were rented.

Couples with children comprised 23% of all households, 30% were single-parent homes, 14% group households and 23% childless couples.

Tommy Skou from PRD Nationwide was the patrol beat officer of Newtown for 12 days and lived in the police house there. He has seen big changes in the suburb over the years.

"The burden of Newtown has changed with a lot of home owners moving in to the area," he said.

"It is a character precinct of Toowoomba with much of open green spaces and parkland."

Sources: RPData, REIQ,

www.queenslandplaces.com.au,

www.toowoombarc.qld.gov.au