Alpha town sales

The urgent need to purchase allotments

A short-term term railway terminus was opened on Alpha Creek on 22 September 1884, but the first sale of town allotments did not occur for another ten months. Despite the number of people already living in Alpha, the first sale was held in the previous terminus Pine Hill on 10 August 1885.

The town was surveyed by JVS Desgrand six weeks after the terminus opened and after people had established businesses and homes. The result was that allotments in the street facing the railway line varied in size and a number had improvements on them. At the first sale, only 10.5% of allotments were purchased. It was not until the mid-nineties that the purchase of allotments increased as the town developed as the centre of a pastoral district.

Notes on the database:

The database lists initial purchases from 1885 to 1899. It includes the date of sales, size of allotments, purchaser and the price paid for the allotment. The cost of surveying allotments has been included when available. Where located, details of the Deed of Grant have also been listed.

Notes provide personal information about purchasers and the value of improvements.  The improvements enclosed in brackets indicate that buildings or other improvements on the allotment had been removed before the lot was purchased at a later sale. The movement of hotel buildings, shops and other businesses from terminus to terminus was common as rail line construction continued.

References:

The information in the list has been obtained from the following series at Queensland State Archives

Series 14026, Sales of Crown Land and Special Leases, 1859-1962.

Series 46, Triplicate Deeds of Grant – Town Lot B Registers.

Alpha town sales, 1885-1899