Convicts & Colonials: Gardens & Yards

Garden Allotment versus Town Allotment
The Land Act which was passed and became law on 22 June 1842 classed property as Town Lots, Suburban Lots, and Country Lots. Interestingly there is no mention of Garden Allotments but the land at Little Ipswich (now West Ipswich) was surveyed as Garden Allotments in 1842. As the name suggests, blocks of land surveyed within a town or city were referred to as town or city allotments. A 'Garden Allotment' is an allotment that is primarily cultivated by the owner/occupier for production of vegetable and fruit crops to be consumed by the family.

The Gardening Calendar articles in The Darling Downs Gazette and General Advertiser recommended the types of vegetables and flowers to plant during the different seasons. In December 1858 readers were advised to plant celery, cucumbers and vegetable marrow. It was time to prune fruit tress and to tend to the vines. In the flower garden, weeds should be cleared and dahlias and taller plants should be staked. In the field it was recommended that advanced cotton plants were staked and potatoes dug.