1857 Dalby Town Allotment Sales
The North Australian, Ipswich and General Advertiser
12 May 1857
On the 27th and 28th ultimo, the Government gratified us by offering for sale the first portion of the Township of Dalby, the whole of these allotments so offered met with great competition, and were purchased, many of them at an extraordinary high figure, thereby drawing from the pockets of the Dalby people a sum approaching £1000 - to which I suppose we must say farewell ! doubtless our wants for bridges &c., will meet with a ready forgetfulness.
There is no doubt had as much more ground been open for sale it would have met with ready purchasers; as many retired from the room without a shadow of a chance of becoming freeholders on the banks of the Myall, much to their annoyance. We therefore trust that the higher officers of her Majesty's Government will see the necessity of gratifying the wishes of the Dalby people, by, again witnessing another spirited competition for the waste lands of the Crown.
12 May 1857
On the 27th and 28th ultimo, the Government gratified us by offering for sale the first portion of the Township of Dalby, the whole of these allotments so offered met with great competition, and were purchased, many of them at an extraordinary high figure, thereby drawing from the pockets of the Dalby people a sum approaching £1000 - to which I suppose we must say farewell ! doubtless our wants for bridges &c., will meet with a ready forgetfulness.
There is no doubt had as much more ground been open for sale it would have met with ready purchasers; as many retired from the room without a shadow of a chance of becoming freeholders on the banks of the Myall, much to their annoyance. We therefore trust that the higher officers of her Majesty's Government will see the necessity of gratifying the wishes of the Dalby people, by, again witnessing another spirited competition for the waste lands of the Crown.
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1857 Survey plan of the Town of Dalby
The surveyor has imposed a squared grid system on the informal town layout that had developed. He succeeded in locating the Plough Inn (NW corner of Bunya and Myall Streets) on a separate block but the property of FW Roche (the King of Dalby) on Drayton Street between Myall and Arthur Streets was truncated by Drayton Street. Drayton Street was aligned roughly along the track (dotted) from Drayton. |
Part 1857 Survey Plan - corner of Bunya and Myall Streets.
This area was the centre of the settlement in 1857. Note the following allotments:
- Plough Inn - Section 9, Myall Street
- FW Roche's Lots 5 - 10 Section 15, Drayton Street
- Donald McLaran's Lot 20 Section 15, Bunya Street
- Duncan McLaren's Lot 7 Section 14, Scarlet Street
1857 Record of sales.
It appears that Donald McLaran bought early in the auction and at £18 paid a premium for his strategic half acre allotment located between FW Roche and the Plough Inn. Brother Duncan showed more patience and paid only £4/-/6 for his more remote half acre in Scarlet Street. FW Roche paid £25/19/- for 3 acres on which his premises were located.
It appears that Donald McLaran bought early in the auction and at £18 paid a premium for his strategic half acre allotment located between FW Roche and the Plough Inn. Brother Duncan showed more patience and paid only £4/-/6 for his more remote half acre in Scarlet Street. FW Roche paid £25/19/- for 3 acres on which his premises were located.
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Parts of Certificates of Title for Donald McLaran's & Duncan McLaren's town allotments purchased in 1857.
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Progress of Dalby township proved to be slow, not helped by a downturn in the economy. Donald sold his allotment in 1864 (see left) but sale of Duncan's allotment has yet to be determined. But by Jun 1866, there were reports of a Dalby building boom, following the arrival of the railway. The main centre of town had shifted from the Plough Inn area to Cunningham Street.
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The last bark hut in Dalby
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9 Jun 1866 Darling Downs Gazette
DALBY (From the Dalby Herald.) Considerable activity in the building trade in Dalby may be expected in the course of a few weeks. First and foremost the erection of the Railway terminus, to cost £10,000, will shortly be commenced. Mr. Roche, we understand, is about to have erected a range of stores of brick at the corner of Myall and Drayton streets, and for which plans have been prepared. The committee of the School of Arts are about to call for tenders for the erection of a new building of wood on the reserve set apart for that purpose. In addition to these several other buildings are spoken of as likely to be commenced as soon as building materials become more plentiful. |
Large rentals may be secured for small cottages, and we would urge upon our enterprising townsmen that money judiciously invested in such property is likely to be exceedingly remunerative for some years to come. As yet there has not been any perceptible increase to the population of the town, but, directly the buildings spoken of above get fairly under way a very considerable influx will take place. Excessively high rents will but cause the bulk of the working population to become 'dwellers in tents,' who would readily otherwise pay from 12s to 15s per week for a small cottage.