NEW ACCESSION: Survey, subdivision and estate sale plans for Glencairn Estate, Indooroopilly, 1920s-1960s

State Library of Queensland has recently acquired a set of survey, subdivision and estate sale plans for the Glencairn Estate, Indooroopilly:

The estate lies between the Brisbane River and Harts Road, Indooroopilly. The entire area was owned, before subdivision, by Henry Cooke Morrow, the Managing Director of Morrows Ltd, confectioners and biscuit makers, whose large factory was on the corner of Boomerang Street and Coronation Drive, Milton.

Henry Morrow was the son of the company's founder Thomas Morrow who established the business in the late 19th century. The company was taken over by Arnott's around 1960 to become Arnott Morrow (now Arnott's).

Morrow's house was called Glencairn and is shown in the plans as ‘Existing Dwelling’. It must have been built in the 1920s or 1930s, as it is not shown on the 1920 survey plan.

Henry Morrow died in December 1952. The initial subdivision plan of his property is also, coincidentally, dated December 1952, so clearly planning for the subdivision had already commenced prior to his death.

Dye line survey plan of the estate land by surveyor Harry Raff, dated August 1920, 46 cm x 34 cm:

Dye line survey of the subdivision of the estate by surveyor C. F. Bennett, dated December 1952, 70 cm x 45 cm:

A smaller scale survey plan of the subdivision by surveyors C. F. Bennett and Francis, 42 x 33 cm:

Lot plan for the Morrow Estate (=Glencairn Estate) by C. F. Bennett and Francis, 1950s, 38 x 25cm:

The printed estate sale brochure with prices of each lot recorded in ink, real estate agents John Frew & Co, and Sharp & Musgrave, 1960s, 39 x 25 cm:

A later copy of the same brochure with inked prices in dollars and recording the purchasers of some of the lots, dated 1968:

Veronika Farley - Original Content Librarian, State Library of Queensland

Addendum

In May 2021, researcher Arch Caithness provided the following information -

"Prior to Morrow owning the land a part of the area was owned by Henry Thomas in his wife’s name. Henry is very famous as he was the creator of Bougainvillea Gardens. A 1947 Survey Plan identifies the Glencairn subdivision as well as the Henry Thomas landholding which is next door. On this Plan there is a small strip of land between Morrow's parcel and the Thomas parcel which was owned by Thomas but obviously sold to Morrow around 1949.

The Thomas property incorporates Lots 1, 2, and 7. In 1949 he sold this to the Brisbane City Council on the basis the Gardens would always remains parkland for the use of the people of Brisbane to enjoy. This offer was accepted by J.C. Slaughter who was Town Clerk at the time. Unfortunately 2/3 of the land now sits on the Indooroopilly golf course."