THE town of Beaudesert began as a ‘private town’ with the auction of town allotments subdivided from Beaudesert Station.
The honour of being the first person to commence a business in town has been given to either Jeremiah Dunn or Thomas Brayford, depending on the writer.
Jeremiah Dunn was a butcher who came to Beaudesert from Waterford in the mid 1860s.
He purchased a section of the Beaudesert Run and named it Bruff Hill.
He established a butchery at the junction of Brisbane Street, William Street, Telemon Road and Kerry Road.
Thomas Brayford is said to have bought several of the blocks that had been put up for sale in 1874 and possibly later in the town extension auction in 1885.
He established a business at the junction of the roads.
Brayford was a very public-spirited man, donating land for the building of a church and also the hospital.
His name lives on to this day with the Brayford Estate being named for him.
Following the arrival of the railway in 1888, the town grew rapidly.
Lahey’s opened a sawmill in 1888 and gave employment to many people.
The Logan and Albert Hotel was opened by David Howard and later owned by George Stretton.
Michael Enright arrived in Beaudesert in 1874.
He married Catherine Plunkett whose father, Thomas Plunkett, commenced the store.
Michael and Catherine soon took over the business. Stores were also operated by Holdgates, M and V Hinchcliffe, and Webb and Co.
In 1885 the population of the township was 25, and by 1895 this number had increased to 240, a thriving commercial hub to serve the productive farmlands of the Logan and Albert Rivers.
