Named for William James Farrer (1845–1906), who was a wheat-breeding pioneer, many of whose experiments were conducted at Lambrigg near Tharwa. The suburb's streets are named after agriculturalists,[2] except for Lambrigg Street, which was the name of Farrer's property in Tharwa.
Farrer is a relatively large suburb for Canberra, with over 3,300 residents. It was named on 12 May 1966, after William James Farrer, who had lived in the area late in the 19th century, making a significant contribution to wheat-breeding in New South Wales by producing climate species, thus extending the wheat-belt and enabling the breeding of resistant wheat.
The suburb's size resulted in possession of its own oval, located next to the primary school, a scout hall for the local group named Long Gully. Four playgrounds are at various locations, with the main one 'Farrer Nature Play & Adventure Trail' adjacent to the Scout Hall. Pearce's Melrose High School and Wanniassa's Erindale College are only 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) and 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) away respectively. While the small convenience store is often frequented by locals, Farrer is in proximity to Southlands Shopping Centre at Mawson and Woden Plaza in Phillip, only 4.2 kilometres (2.6 mi) away. Canberra Hospital in Garran is nearer still, at 3.8 kilometres (2.4 mi).