Information
One of Darra’s earliest shops was opened by Len Bridgwater Snr on the corner of Railway Parade and Scotts Road in 1913. There had been a tiny tin shop before this time, but that one had burned down. There were only a few houses in Darra at that time, with many people were living in tents. This was around the time that the Queensland Cement and Lime Co. (and the Oates sub-division) were established in Darra. The shop was made of chamfer boards, and was quite large, with two entrances and a wide veranda on two sides. Bridgwater used to go to town in a horse and cart to collect stores for the shop. In 1927 he opened a community hall next to the shop.
Citations
Vicki Mynott, Darra by Decade 1820-2010, Inala Heights: Richlands, Inala & Suburbs History Group Inc., 2010.
Image Citations
Bridgwater’s Shop, Darra. Undated. Image: June Piercy (nee Bridgwater).
Map References
MLMS. 8 chain series 1904–1917—Brisbane. 8 chains to the inch. Cadastral map of Brisbane and Suburbs sheet 8. MLMS 8 Chain