Begg's Corner @ Shorncliffe

Begg's Corner is located at the Palm Avenue Railway Crossing

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF BEGG'S CORNER

Begg's Corner is one of the original corner stores established in Shorncliffe and Sandgate. Whilst it is unclear as to when the property actually started trading as a corner store, the house was most probably built during the dying days of the nineteenth century. Originally built as a miner's style cottage, the shop section was to be later added. The area was known as a suburb for stevedores and railway workers - a strong working class area. As Shorncliffe was the "end of the line" the area became popular for railway workers and tourists who would come to the bay-side suburb in their droves at that time for recreation.

During recent renovations it was found that one of the floor bearers in part of the house section had a date in April of 1919. Certainly, several renovations have been undertaken on the site and it is assumed that this was one of these.

During the latest refurbishment, parts of the original picket fence that formed the front veranda of the cottage were uncovered as was the original front door (which is now the door that separates the shop from the residence).

The latest owners of the property are the sons of Wallace and Olga Begg who ran the shop for 50 years until their deaths at home in 1989 and 2003. In spite of many changes over the years, not the least of which are the ones recently undertaken by Bruce and Clive Begg, the property retains its original charm and, as can be seen by the photo above, differs little from its original appearance.

Shorncliffe has changed dramatically over recent years as it became a preferred place for residence for an extremely diverse range of citizens. Unfortunately, the services available in the area have not kept pace with this change and those who seek boutique services have had to leave Shorncliffe to travel to other suburbs. Begg's Corner is a very small corner in the world but it is hoped that businesses can be attracted to it that will fill this void and provide local services meeting local needs.

_{Copyright: Begg's Corner Pty Ltd ACN 111 550 693: P O Box 15065 CITY EAST QUEENSLAND 4002}