MARSDEN
The suburb now known as Marsden was originally part of Kingston, and during the 1870s the
land between Scrubby Creek and Browns Plains Road was owned by Richard Leo and T.W.
Daly. Both purchases were purely speculative, with solicitor Daly transferring the property to
another solicitor, who sold it to auctioneers. The land was then subdivided, but was not
occupied until the 1930s when Waterford blacksmith and former Shire Chairman, Martin
Schneider built a house on the current site of the Marsden Park shopping centre. The area
between what is now First and Fifth Avenues was subdivided into small farms in 1944 by Mr
Bill Anderson, who offered it to ex-servicemen and post war immigrants. The subdivision
was known as “Kingston Park”, and was initially advertised in the Telegraph on 7th July 1944.
Farms
Four-acre farmlets, selected persons are offered as a gift the freehold deed to one or more
four-acre Farmlets, on boundary of Greater Brisbane area, acceptors may use property for
whatever purpose they so desire, but must plant a portion of area with Queensland Nut trees,
which can be supplied. Applicants to call in person to Macadamia Productions Coy. 3rd Floor
Dunstan House, 236 Elizabeth St., between the hours of 9.30 a.m. and noon or 2 p.m. to 4
p.m. Phone B 1508.
One of the provisions of taking up this offer was that $100 (fifty pounds) of macadamia trees
were purchased and planted on a portion of the land. The new owners were given a period of
4 years to clear the land and plant the trees. The frosts that occurred the first winter killed the
trees and residents then turned to poultry and mixed farming. Amenities were extremely
limited. There were no cleared roads and no reticulated water system. There was a shortage of
building supplies due to the ongoing demands of World War II. Mr A.T. Wright, who settled
in the area in 1945, lived in a tent on his land, and had to transport water from Scrubby Creek.
Mr Wright’s children had to walk to and from school at Woodridge.
Anderson sold the Macadamia Production Company to Raymond Percy Spinks in 1950. The
Beaudesert Shire Council was reluctant to undertake any work on the estate while the
residents did not actually own their properties. The Southern Electrical Authority (SEAQ)
would not supply electricity. But people continued to purchase land in this affordable estate.
In January 1956, Brisbane solicitors sought advice from Beaudesert Shire Council as to the
exact locality of the roads for clients wishing to purchase land from the Macadamia
Production Company in the Kingston Park Estate. Raymond Spinks organised a survey of the
land in April 1956 and residents finally got their title deeds.
Land was progressively cleared as more people moved to the area. Mr A.H. Coates brought
with him a tractor and tackle to clear the land, and Mr Cottee had a tractor and a ditcher.
These settlers cleared, grubbed and formed tracks which were to become Browns Plains
Road, and First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Avenues. The settlers also constructed a
bridge across Scrubby Creek. Mr John De Meio also took up land in the area in 1945 and he
grew macadamias, tobacco and strawberries.
The settlers formed the Kingston Park Progress Association, which was very active in
developing the area, and petitioned for telephone and electricity services to be installed during
Local Studies Handout 18: Marsden #6558568
11/06/2010
the late 1940s. The association procured an old loading shed from Sunnybank and transported
it to the site now known as Marsden Park in 1967. Members spent the next few years
upgrading the building to become the progress hall. The Beaudesert Shire Council provided
assistance by clearing two acres for use as a sporting field and matching the association’s
funds dollar for dollar to finance a children’s playground. The park was named Marsden Park,
after Violet Marsden who was one of the oldest members of the association. From 1 May
1976, the Beaudesert Shire Council started using Marsden as a locality name to delineate the
parts of Kingston within its boundaries.
Further subdivisions in the area occurred at this time, when Beaudesert Shire began to provide
reticulated water to the region. Timber Top estate was offered for sale from 1978 and the
Marsden State School also opened at this time, as did a new bridge over Scrubby Creek. By
1981 the Marsden Industrial Estate opened, with a temporary post office established in a local
real estate agent’s office in 1981. Crestmead Estate was also offered for sale at this time. The
suburb was originally to be known as Hubner, after a former councillor, but the estate name
was eventually gazetted. The Crestmead School began classes in 1984. The Marsden Park
Shopping Centre opened in 1985. Burrowes State School opened in 1987 and was named after
the surveyor who undertook a survey of Browns Plains Road in 1876. Marsden State High
School also opened in 1987, closely followed by St Francis’ College, Crestmead in 1988.
In 1992 the Marsden Library opened in the shopping centre and the Crestmead Community
Centre opened. The Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church opened in Macarthy Road 1998,
along with an Islamic Mosque in Third Avenue. The beautiful Cambodian Buddhist Temple
was completed in 2005 following a fourteen year building program. The Marsden Shopping
Centre was upgraded and extended in 2006, with a new library constructed adjacent.
Local Studies Handout 18: Marsden #6558568
11/06/2010