[Quick disclaimer: A lot of “D” suburbs that are well-established today did not appear in photograph archives or articles until well after Federation.]
Darra
Darra came into being as part of Dr Stephen Simpson’s Estate (Wolston and Woogaroo) in the 1840s. After 1870, Darra became a stopping-place on the Ipswich-Brisbane Train line, being about 13 kilometres from Brisbane. Settlers gradually moved into the area.
Until the end of the 19th century, Darra was mostly bushland with the occasional Queenslander-style house on acreage. Residential building and industry gradually encroached on that bushland.
In the 1910s, a proposal to merge Darra and nearby Jindalee into an “Industrial Garden City” (whatever that meant) came to naught, but it did leave behind some intriguing plans and paperwork.
Dutton Park
By contrast, Dutton Park, only 3 kilometres from central Brisbane, owed much of its growth to a cemetery, a gaol and an orphanage. Its closeness to the river, train lines and main roads meant that Dutton Park became known for factories and industry for many years.
Eventually, the attractiveness of Dutton Park as a residential area moved the factories out and housing in. Here’s a visual tour of Dutton Park over the years.
Views of the Dutton Park Cemetery in the 1870s-1880s. My, the dead had some nice real estate.
River views at the turn of last century.
All photographs unless otherwise stated, are from the digital collection of the State Library of Queensland, and are out of copyright.
Moreton Bay and More 