Newmarket, Bearsden Estate, 1939 (Map of the Week)

State Library of Queensland has an extensive collection of historical maps of Queensland, some of which have been digitised and can be viewed online.

Bearsden Estate, Newmarket, Brisbane, 1939. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

This real estate map from 1939 is advertising 27 allotments of land for sale at the Bearsden Estate in the Brisbane suburb of Newmarket. The allotments were situated along Bearsden Avenue and part of Wilmington Street.

Prior to the sale extensive publicity was published in the Brisbane Courier and The Telegraph newspapers. An advertisement published in the Telegraph on February 18, 1939 listed Bearsden Estate's best features...

"27 choice residential site on that beautiful ridge to the left of the Newmarket tramline - 3 miles to the G.P.O with magnificent panoramic views of the bat, river and city, with mountains beyond - gas, water, electric light, telephone, school and shopping centre right on the estate."

Advertisement from The Telegraph newspaper, February 18, 1939

A public auction was held at the site on the afternoon of March 11, 1939. Unfortunately only one of the 27 available blocks were sold at auction on the day. This block of land, situated on the corner of Bearsden Avenue and Wilmington Street, was sold for £220 (equivalent of $18,373 today).

You can view a higher resolution image of this map through our One Search catalogue.

Myles Sinnamon - Project Coordinator, State Library of Queensland