Did you know that Stephens Park Estate near the Junction Park State School commemorated 100 years following its public auction as a residential precinct?
In January 2023, the areas covering the streets of Ipswich Road, Waldheim Street, Blacket Street (formerly Thomas Street), Stephens Street, Linville Lane, Military Close, Dudley Street East, View Street, Lewisham Street (formerly Creek Street), Ekibin Road (formerly Ekibin Street), Willis Street, Arnwood Place (formerly the Road to Greenslopes), Lambton Street (formerly Rose Street), Lothian Street (formerly Jane Street), Bower Street, Real Street and Annerley Road, went up for auction with 95 “beautiful breezy building blocks.”
The estate was advertised in the newspaper as a “Parklike Residential area immediately surrounding the residences of “Messrs W. and T. Stephens” on Waldheim Street. The residence has been recognised as a local heritage site by Brisbane City Council in 2004.
Thomas Stephens emigrated to Sydney from Liverpool. After marrying Anne Connah, the pair set out to live in Brisbane where they raised 12 children. He became a successful Brisbane businessman, alderman and mayor of the city, who also served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland.
His eldest son, William, also tracked the same path and was regarded as “a real old-time southsider” who was born on Stanley Street.
“In my boyhood, the locality between the Clarence Corner and Fiveways was known as One Mile Swamp, there was little or no settlement at Woolloongabba — it was nearly all forest. There were two or three kilns out there, where they used to make bricks by hand. Bigholes were dug out for clay,” he told The Telegraph in 1923.
“The site of the Brisbane cricket ground was in lowly lying Government reserve. I can remember that Mr. ‘Paddy’ Perkins, when Minister for Lands, proposed to out up tho reserve into allotments and sell it. There was such an outcry against it, however, that the sale, although advertised was cancelled. The East Brisbane State school occupies part of the original reserve.”
Blockside & Ferguson Limited handled the auction and sale of the Stephens Park Estate under easy terms of: “£5 cash deposit, and £1 per month for every £50 of the purchase money or part thereof, interest 6 per cent on half-yearly balance, final payment in 36 months.”
After three days of the auction, Blockside & Ferguson reported a “very satisfactory” sale of 47 allotments. The rest of the properties were negotiated during private sales.
Published 12 March 2023
