Orange Grove Estate, Coopers Plains, 1885 (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.

Orange Grove Estate, Coopers Plains, 1885, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

This real estate map from 1885 advertises 160 allotments of land for sale at the Orange Grove Estate,  located in the Brisbane suburb of Coopers Plains. The allotments were situated along Middle Street, Highgate Street, Hammersmith Road (now Hammersmith Street), Hill Street (now Nyleta Street), Boundary Street and two government roads (now Orange Grove Road and Musgrave Road).

Prior to the sale extensive publicity was published in Brisbane newspapers.

“The Orange Grove Estate is situated on the Logan Railway, between the Salisbury and Cooper's Plains Stations, and in close proximity to the latter. The Orange Grove Estate is thirty minutes by road from town and fifteen by railway....Some of the special advantages which this estate possesses are:
- Its unrivalled healthy situation
- Its unusually large allotments
- Its beautiful permanent spring water
- Its easiness of access to the city
- Its unbroken allotments
- Its having no unhealthy swamps
- Its close proximity to schools and post office
- Its conveniences as to rail and road"
(Brisbane Courier, August 28, 1885).

Advertisement, The Telegraph, August 15,, 1885

A public auction was held at the site on the afternoon of February 29, 1889. The Brisbane Courier newspaper reported the results of the sale.

“Messrs G.T. Bell and Co., in conjunction with Messrs A. Lucas and Co., report a most successful sale on Saturday last of the Orange Grove Estate, at Cooper's Plains. There was a large attendance, and bidding spirited, every allotment in the estate found a bona fide purchaser; 160 allotments average £11 5s. each, total, £1799.” (Brisbane Courier, August 31, 1885)

A higher resolution image of this map can be viewed through our One Search catalogue.

Prints of this map are also available through the Library Shop.

You can browse a compendium of our previous maps of the week on our blog.

Myles Sinnamon – Project Coordinator, State Library of Queensland