Location

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History

The suburb now known as Marsden was originally part of Kingston. 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 then 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 Bill Anderson, who offered it to ex-servicemen and post-war immigrants. The subdivision was known as Kingston Park, and was advertised in the Telegraph on 7 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 Street, between the hours of 9.30 am and noon or 2 pm to 4 pm. Phone B 1508.

One of the conditions of taking up the land was that $100 (fifty pounds) of macadamia trees were purchased and planted on a portion of the land. The new owners were given four years to clear the land and plant the trees. However, frosts occurred during the first winter and killed the trees, and most residents turned to poultry and mixed farming. Amenities in the region were extremely limited. There were no cleared roads and no reticulated water system. There was a shortage of building materials 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 were leasing the properties (the properties were not freehold). The Southern Electrical Authority would not supply electricity. However, people continued to purchase land in this affordable estate. In January 1956, Brisbane solicitors sought advice from Beaudesert Shire Council as to the exact surveyed location of planned roads for clients wishing to purchase land from the Macadamia Production Company in the Kingston Park Estate. Spinks organised a survey of the land in April 1956 and residents finally received their title deeds.

Land was progressively cleared as more people moved to the area. A H Coates bought land and arrived with a tractor and tackle to clear it. Mr Cottee had his own tractor and a ditcher. These settlers cleared, grubbed and formed tracks that eventually became 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. Part of his farm is now a council park.

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 the late 1940s. In 1967, the association procured an old loading shed from Sunnybank and transported it to the site now known as Marsden Park. Members spent the next few years upgrading the building to become the progress hall. The Beaudesert Shire Council supported them 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 in the 1970s, when Beaudesert Shire began to provide reticulated water to the region. Timber Top estate was offered for sale from 1978. The Marsden State School also opened at this time, as did a new bridge over Scrubby Creek. In 1981, the Marsden Industrial Estate opened, with a temporary post office established in a local real estate agent's office.

Crestmead Estate was offered for sale in 1981. The suburb of Crestmead was originally to be known as Hubner, after a former councillor, but the estate name was eventually gazetted. Crestmead State 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 on Macarthy Road in 1998, along with an Islamic Mosque in Third Avenue. The beautiful Cambodian Buddhist Temple was completed in 2005, following a 14-year building program. Marsden Shopping Centre was upgraded and extended in 2006, with the new Marsden Library constructed in adjacent parkland.