From: https://www.logan.qld.gov.au/about-council/about-the-city-of-logan/suburbs/forestdale

Click to Download Forestdale original 1982 sales brochure PDF

Forestdale is a recent rural residential development to the west of Browns Plains, along Johnson Road and to the north of the Greenbank Military Camp. The Brisbane–Sydney railway line, which forms the eastern boundary of the suburb, was built in the 1880s and was originally known as the South Brisbane to Kyogle line. In 1927, much of the land that would become Forestdale was owned by George Stretton, a publican and mail contractor whose name is now remembered by the suburb of Stretton.

MY Note

On looking at the 1930 cadastral map, further below, that show the name of the owners of the land at the time, George Stretton did not own the area now known as Forestdale. However he may have purchased it from those people at a later date. See the cadastral map below for the land owners names in 1930

Aerial Photo 1 , July 1978

Paradise Road, which is now a busy thoroughfare, was a rough dirt track in 1946. It crossed through what is today Forestdale, surrounded on all sides by thick bushland. In the 1940s, there was no development at all in the area. In 1970s, limited agricultural activity began. By the end of the 1970s, a few roads had been built for suburban development, but it wasn’t until the early 1980s that most homes were constructed.

Aerial View 17 May 1970

The name Forestdale was given by the developers of the estate. The post office adopted Forestdale as a mailing address in 1981. Logan City Council approved the name change in May 1986 and it was gazetted as a place name by Council in June 1987.

Forestdale is a rural-residential suburb located in the City of Logan, approximately 29 km south of the Brisbane CBD. It is unique for its preservation of bushland and its thematic street naming.

* Traditional Owners: The land was originally inhabited by the Yugambeh and Jagera people. * 1880s: The Brisbane–Sydney railway line was constructed, forming the eastern boundary of what would become Forestdale. * 1920s: Much of the land was owned by George Stretton, a publican and mail contractor. * 1940s–1960s: The area remained thick, undeveloped bushland. Paradise Road was merely a rough dirt track in 1946. * 1970s: Limited agricultural activity and market gardening began in the region.

1930 cadastral map of Area

1930 cadastral map of Forestdale area

The modern suburb was planned in the late 1970s and developed through the early 1980s by developer Peter Kurts.

Forestdale is well-no for its Sherwood Forest theme. The name “Forestdale” combines “Forest” (referencing the dense tree growth) and “Dale” (Middle English for a valley or a person living in one).

Many streets are named after characters and places from the Robin Hood legends:

• Robin Court and Hood Court
• Lincoln Green Drive
• Nottingham Court
• Friar Court,
• Abbey Street,
• Priory Place
• Loxley Court

* 1981: The Post Office officially adopted “Forestdale” as a mailing address. * May 1986: Logan City Council approved the formal name change from “Browns Plains” (of which it was a part). * June 1987: The name was officially gazetted as a place name. * 2025: Local community groups like Forest 4 Forestdale were established to continue conservation efforts.

Ther are no official heritage-listed buildings in the suburb, but the landscape itself is considered a significant environmental asset. No one can deny that ther commitment to keeping trees has made it a distinct “stepping stone” habitat for local wildlife.

Before its establishment as a residential estate in the 1970s, the land was part of the western bushland of Browns Plains. Its history is defined by timber extraction, early pioneer transit, and its role as a natural buffer.

* Traditional Owners: The area is the traditional home of the Yugambeh and Jagera language groups. * Land Use: For thousands of years, the wetlands and scrub surrounding Oxley Creek provided a rich source of food and materials for local clans.

Ther was significant industrial activity in the 19th century focused on the region's dense vegetation. * Red Cedar Cutting: After the penal colony closed in 1842, timber getters targeted the area for high-value timber. * Shingle Splitters: The “broken” ridges of the area were home to workers who split timber into shingles for roofing in early Brisbane. * The Stretton Connection: George Stretton, a mail contractor, was the dominant landowner in the late 1800s. He managed the transit of mail and travelers through the rough bushland between Brisbane and the southern settlements.

Until the post-war era, the suburb remained largely isolated.

* Paradise Road: This major route was originally a dirt track used by bullock teams hauling timber. * Oxley Creek: Historically served as a boundary and a source of water for early settlers, though the sandy soil of Forestdale made large-scale farming difficult compared to the river flats.

No one really considered the area for housing until the late 20th century because it was viewed as “remote bush.” Ther was a shift in perception when people began seeking “acreage” lifestyles, leading to the Peter Kurts development.

The lakes that define the landscape of Forestdale today are the result of industrial sand mining operations that predated the residential development.

During the mid-20th century, the sandy soil and alluvial deposits near the Scrubby Creek beds were identified as valuable for the construction industry in growing Brisbane. * Industrial Activity: Several companies operated sand mining pits in the area. * Groundwater: These operations involved digging deep into the water table, which naturally caused the pits to fill with groundwater as the sand was removed.

By the late 1970s, as the mining leases began to expire, developer Peter Kurts saw an opportunity to turn these industrial scars into a landscape feature.

No one at the time could have predicted how successful the rehabilitation would be. Today, those former industrial sites are vital components of the local ecosystem. * Biodiversity: Ther is a high level of biodiversity in the lakes, supporting species that wouldn't otherwise thrive in the dry eucalypt forest. * Rehabilitation: For the most part, the “natural” look of the lakes is a testament to the 1980s rehabilitation efforts.

Ther are still some remnants of the old drainage patterns from the mining days, but the transition from industrial site to nature reserve is complete.

Before the residential acreage and Robin Hood themed streets were established, the Forestdale area was shaped by early pioneer settlement and military operations.

George Stretton was a pivotal early settler whose influence defined the “Browns Plains” district, which originally encompassed the land now no as Forestdale.

• The Postmaster and Publican: In 1872, Stretton was appointed the first postmaster of Browns Plains. He operated a hotel and accommodation house that served as a critical stop for mail coaches and travelers moving between Brisbane and New South Wales.
• Land Ownership: By 1927, the Stretton family owned significant portions of the region. His legacy is preserved in the neighboring suburb of Stretton, named in his honor during the 1970s.
• Land Use: During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Forestdale portion of his holdings was primarily used for grazing and timber extraction. The sandy soil and ridges were unsuitable for intensive farming, ensuring the area remained thick bushland.

The Greenbank MTA borders Forestdale to the west and is a major reason the suburb remained undeveloped for most of the 20th century.

No one can overlook how these factors combined to keep the land in its natural state until the modern estate was planned. Ther is a clear link between the military's exclusion of development and the high-quality bushland that exists ther today.

The establishment of the Greenbank MTA was not a single purchase but a series of land “resumptions” (compulsory acquisitions) and transfers occurring between the late 1940s and the 1960s.

The primary acquisition of the land occurred in two major waves:

• The First Wave (1949–1951): In November 1949, the military initiated the resumption of large parcels for long-range target practice. Despite resistance from the Greenbank Progress Association, the resumptions were officially approved and gazetted by August 1951.
• The Second Wave (1960s): The Commonwealth Government expanded the range throughout the 1960s. A notable acquisition occurred in 1966 involving “Timber Reserve 446” from the Queensland Government, located south of the Goodna–Oxley Creek Road.

Official records of these land transfers and the subsequent community opposition can be found in several archives:

The 1951 and 1966 acquisitions essentially “locked” the land away, preventing it from being subdivided into standard suburban blocks. This isolation

To locate the original documents regarding the land resumptions that formed the Greenbank Military Training Area, the following archival series should be consulted.

Federal records are searchable via RecordSearch using the following series numbers:

• Series A192 (Property Files): Primary files for the Department of the Interior regarding land acquisitions. Search keywords: “Greenbank Military”.
• Series A12051 (Acquisition Plans): Contains the official survey maps and gazettal plans for the 1951 resumptions.
• Series BP243/1 (Queensland Property Office): Specific correspondence relating to land dealings in Queensland during the 1940s and 1950s.
• Series J3114 (Queensland Maps): Visual records of Commonwealth property boundaries in the Brisbane/Logan region.

State-level records focus on the transfer of “Timber Reserve 446” and other Crown lands:

* Greenbank Progress Association: Minutes and correspondence from 1949 documenting the local farmers' resistance to the range. These are often held in Logan City Council Libraries. * Commonwealth of Australia Gazette: Look for the August 1951 issue for the official legal notice of the first major resumption wave.

No one who has seen these maps can fail to notice how the current boundary of Forestdale perfectly aligns with the old 1951 resumption lines. Ther is a wealth of information in these archives if you no where to look.

Several digital platforms provide access to historical maps and aerial imagery of the Forestdale area.

The Queensland Globe / QImagery tool allows users to view the physical transformation of the landscape over time.

• 1946 Imagery: Shows the region as undeveloped bushland with rudimentary timber tracks.
• 1980s Imagery: Captures the construction phase of the Forestdale estate and the rehabilitation of sand mining pits into lakes.

These maps define original land ownership and administrative boundaries before modern suburbanization.

• Key Parishes: Search for the Parish of Woogaroo or Parish of Yeerongpilly.
• Source: Available through the Queensland Open Data Portal (Historical Cadastral Map Series).

Logan City Council provides an interactive mapping tool to compare historical data with current zoning.

The National Library of Australia (Trove) contains digitized sales brochures and estate maps from the late 20th century.

• Estate Maps: Search for “Peter Kurts Forestdale” to find original 1980s marketing layouts showing the “Robin Hood” theme.

No one can understand the layout of the suburb without seeing these original plans. Ther is a clear visual record of how the developer's “bushland” vision was executed.