Quarter acre
In Australian and New Zealand English, a quarter acre is a term for a suburban plot of land. Traditionally, Australians and New Zealanders aspired to own a 3- or 4-bedroom house or bungalow on a section of around a quarter of an acre (about 1,000 square metres), also known locally as the Australian Dream or the New Zealand dream. The land was frequently put to use with vegetable gardens,[1][2] fruit trees, or lawns for family recreation.
The quarter-acre aspiration has changed in recent decades, with sub-divisions, infill housing, apartments, and townhouses becoming more common in large cities, and nearby lifestyle farming blocks becoming popular. Most "quarter-acre" sections are not exactly a quarter of an acre. With urban growth, properties tend to be smaller with new sub-divisions averaging a half or less of the classic quarter-acre.
See also[]
- Rood, an Old English unit of area, equal to quarter of an acre
- The Half-Gallon Quarter-Acre Pavlova Paradise, a popular book by Austin Mitchell
References[]
- ^ Fruit and vegetables - food in New Zealand, New Zealand History online.
- ^ Timms, Peter (2006), Australia's quarter acre : the story of the ordinary suburban garden, Miegunyah Press, ISBN 978-0-522-85185-4
- Australian culture
- New Zealand culture
- Housing in Australia