Did you know that Collins Estate was once described as the “most delightful” and “most cheerful” section of Ipswich Road in Annerley in the 1880s?
Prior to the separation, the Stephens Division, which had Annerley as its centre, was mostly a rundown suburb filled with dairy farms and the lands within the Collins Estate belong to the Parish of Yeerongpilly. However, after the 1880s, parcels of land were being auctioned off to the public.
The Collins Estate was established for residential development after ratepayers succeeded in their petition to create the Stephens Division as a separate entity from the Yeerongpilly Division.
In June 1887, Collins Estate was auctioned off by Hooker, Son & Elliott with 199 suburban allotments. The section covered blocks of land near Ipswich Road in the west and Ekibin Road in the south. It comprised five streets: Rose, Jane, Alice, Annie and Mary. These were later renamed to Lambton Street, Lotian Street, Bower Street, Real Street and Gustavson Street.
In its advertisements, Collins Estate’s selling points were its “rich chocolate soil” set among a “beautiful gentle slope.” This made the land ideally suited for growing fruits and vegetables.
This area was apparently the “envy of passersby” for its excellent roads. The coveted location was close to Junction Hotel, the first hotel in Annerley, and the tramway. These facets made the estate the most convenient place to build a home or business.
The auction resulted in 53 sales within two hours with a rate between £25 to £92 per land. The auction was well-attended and was considered a success.
Published 10 February 2023
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