R. D. Graham & Son/s

Richard Davies Graham hailed from Wales, emigrating to Australia in 1866 with his wife and young family. He trained as a surveyor in his home country and therefore had a lot to offer a new, developing nation. In 1877 he became a licensed surveyor under the Crown Lands Alienation Act of 1876 which allowed for smaller blocks of land to be made available for town and suburban dwellers. Graham also performed the roles of architect, civil engineer, agent and auctioneer within his firm known as R. D. Graham & Son (or Sons). Although the Grahams had several sons, only four survived to adulthood.

The Grahams lived in Ipswich through the 1870s, adding to their family. By 1881 R. D. Graham & Son had an office in Brisbane and by 1884 was selling land in Ipswich. In 1885 the family company occupied an office in Thomson's Buildings in Brisbane Street, next door to the Australian Joint Stock Bank. This was where  the old Pettigrew's Stores had been. In the same year, Graham purchased the land at what is now 68 Roderick Street. Oznam House, a (now) heritage listed house was built here. 

R. D. Graham & Son were involved in the surveying and opening up of land estates in and around Ipswich.  In 1885 some of these included:

• Allotments in Faerie Knowe Estate, situated on the eastern boundary of Queens Park, priced from 15 to 42 pounds Sterling
• The first section of the new town of Dinmore, touted as the coal-opolis of Southern Queensland
• Walloon land ranging from 60 to 125 pounds Sterling per acre

It is believed that R. D. Graham & Son also surveyed and mapped out the town of Rosewood.

The firm auctioned and arranged sales of the blocks. Often they actually owned the land that they surveyed and auctioned.  This was an expensive way to do business. In fact, by 1886  the company was in financial difficulties with creditors meeting to discuss their options. Wages and leases had not been paid. Apparently, too much property had been purchased and sales were low due to prevailing economic conditions. In 1896 the firm was again adjudicated insolvent. Despite these set-backs, the Grahams continued as lIcensed surveyors. 

After opening up several mines in the area then known as Bundanba (now Bundamba), R. D. Graham did the same in central Queensland, moving north in the early twentieth century. He became a leading figure in the Queensland coal industry. He died in 1918 at the age of 85 and is buried in the Ipswich General Cemetery.