From Orleigh Estate to Orleigh Park

From 1884-85, approximately 271 allotments were for sale from the ‘Hill End and Orleigh Estate’. New residents constructed houses to enjoy river views and breezes. Eight years later, in the 1893 floods, 30 houses were completely washed away. As houses were rebuilt, the riverside allotments remained vacant. Some were abandoned or used for cricket matches and football games. In 1903, the South Brisbane Council held a sale of resumed allotments due to unpaid rates. But the Hill End Progress Association and 292 local residents, petitioned the Council to resume the land instead for a public park or promenade. In 1917, Orleigh Park was opened. 

Paul Granville “The Origins of Orleigh Park” Highgate Hill and its History June 13, 2020

Image: Sales brochure of Hill End Estate, South Brisbane, from 1884. Courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.