Ipswich



Ipswich is located 40 kms west of Brisbane and is sited on the Bremer River. To the east is the capital city Brisbane, and to the west are the rural and agricultural areas of the Brisbane, Lockyer and Fassifern Valleys. The city is ideally positioned on the national road network - 40 minutes drive from Brisbane, an hours drive from the Gold Coast and 60 minutes drive from domestic and international air and sea ports.

Ipswich is the oldest provincial city in Queensland. From an area in economic death throes after the decline of traditional mining and rail industries, Ipswich is now Queensland s fastest growing city. The population ticked over 200,000 just before Christmas 2016. It is rising almost twice as quickly as Greater Brisbane and that rate will accelerate to four times as fast within the decade. Unlike most regions around Brisbane, Ipswich still has a healthy, and growing, manufacturing sector worth more than $1 billion a year. The city has 14 major industrial and business parks and is aggressively targeting national and international logistics, warehousing and manufacturing companies.

Ipswich hosts regular national and local festivals and events such as the Queensland Open Golf Championships, Ipswich Cup - the city's annual major horse race, drag racing's finest at the Winternationals held at Willowbank Raceway, Queensland 400 V8 supercars at Queensland Raceway, Ipswich Festival and Ipswich Show.



As Queensland's oldest provincial city, Ipswich has a rich history. It is renowned for its architectural, natural and cultural heritage. Ipswich proudly preserves and still operates from many of its historical buildings and homes, with more than 6000 heritage-listed sites. Ipswich also has a range of charming townships within the western rural areas of the city, each with its own legitimate claims of historical significance.


The Workshops Rail Museum

The acclaimed, award-winning Museum should be on every Ipswich visitor's to-do list. Steeped in history - it was once the workplace of over 3,000 railway workers and visitors enter via the historic Timekeepers' Building - it merges the romance of yesteryear with the exciting technological breakthroughs of the present. The old boilershop houses the museum, where you're dwarfed by beautifully restored locomotives and carriages, and where kids and kids at heart will marvel at Queensland's largest model railway featuring detailed real-life scenes of the state.

The Museum's huge model railway is the largest model railway of Queensland anywhere in the world. See suburban Brisbane, busy ports, costal landscapes, the cane and coal fields, outback Queensland and the iconic Kuranda Railway in Cairns. Tiny cameras are mounted in the display to see the view from inside this miniature world.

Don't forget to take a tour into the still active Blacksmith Shop and Steam Shop to see Queensland Rail s skilled tradespeople maintaining and restoring the gems of the heritage fleet, including the oldest operational loco in the country. It's a real Workshop so you must wear enclosed footwear. There is a cafe on site and a parent's room. The Museum is fully pram accessible. Open daily 9:30am to 4:00pm. location: North Street, North Ipswich.



The Workshops Rail Museum operates steam train trips on a regular basis. Some travel through the Brisbane metropolitan area, others do return trips to the historic railway town of Grandchester.


Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway

All aboard for a historical steam train journey along the former industrial coal line built in the late 19th century. Feel and hear the train rumble from inside the carriages, over a short 30 minute bushland journey or longer trip from Bundamba Racecourse to Swanbank by the Lake. Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway operates a selection of steam and diesel locomotives with vintage timber carriages on its weekend operations. On the round trip you get to go to the lake for a picnic lunch or ride a heritage bus to old mining areas. In 1881, Ipswich mine owner Lewis Thomas received parliamentary approval to build a 2 km tramway from the Main line at Bundamba to his coal mine at Blackleg Gully. This was followed in 1886 by a 1 km extension to the West Moreton Colliery at Swanbank and finally the line was extended from the West Moreton Mine, three kilometres to New Swanbank Colliery in 1895. It is along these lines that this heritage railway runs. Location: T L Cooney Ave, Ipswich. Ph (07) 3103 0871.


Rosewood Railway Museum

This railway museum recalls the sights, sounds and smalls of the days of steam railways - the lamps (on display) and the station-house, the platform, the tickets, the posters, athe uniforms and the connecting stage-coach. Helpful volunteer staff help to bring that long-gone era back to life. The Australian Railway Historical Society (Qld), which operates the museum, runs day or half-day tours, usually on a monthly basis, using preserved steam engines and wooden carriages from Queensland Rail's heritage fleet. These engines and carriages are owned and maintained by Queensland Rail for charter for special excursions. Tours operate to a range of destinations including Toowoomba in the west and the north coast. Long distance tours to other areas in Queensland also operate on an annual basis. Location: 57A Freeman Road, Rosewood, Ipswich. Ph (07) 5464 4552

Kunkala station

Rosewood Rail Tours

On running days (usually sundays), Red Tred, an historic railcar, runs on every hour and makes its way up the steeply graded line from Cabanda, until about 10-15 minutes later it arrives at Kunkala station, the highest point on the line. A round-trip takes about an hour, which leaves some time at Kunkala to grab some refreshments and have a look around. The restored route climbs a spur of the Little Liverpool range providing 180 degree scenic views from Mt Flinders to the Great Dividing Range while visitors experience all the sights, sounds, and atmosphere of an authentic historic steam train journey. The railway is located approximately 20 km west of Ipswich. Location: Cabanda Station, Rosemount Lane, Tallegalla.


Brisbane Valley Rail Trail

The Brisbane Valley Rail Trail, or BVRT, is a recreational trail that traces the old Brisbane Valley rail line that commenced at Wulkuraka, near Ipswich, and continued to Yarraman, west of Kilcoy. This 20km section of the trail follows the former rail corridor from Diamantina Boulevard, in the Ipswich suburb of Brassall, to the rural township of Fernvale. A relatively shorter section of the BVRT, Ipswich to Fernvale (or vice versa) is perfect for a fun family adventure as you traverse through farmland, forest and picturesque rural settings along this off-road, traffic-free trail.

The surface of this section varies between sand, grass, gravel and rough stretches with exposed rocky ballast. The trail changes all the time, with sections that are shaded and others exposed. By using the Brassall Bikeway, users can easily connect The Workshops Rail Museum in North Ipswich, and then travel via the road network to the historic Ipswich Central precinct (6.5km total) with its funky eateries, quirky shops and attractions like Queens Park and the Ipswich Art Gallery. Alternatively, users can access the BVRT by catching the train to Wulkuraka Train Station and travelling 3.5km along the Brassall Bikeway to join the trail.


Queens Park

If all of the above leaves you all railwayed out and sell a little peace and quiet, you might find it at Queens Park, one of the oldest parks in Queensland. A monument there was erected in 1864 and it still stands under the grand, established shady trees. The childrends playground has used the city's coal mining history as its inspiration, and features a flying fox, fixed model train, Liberty Swing for people in wheelchairs to enjoy a ride and water pumps to cool off. The Environmental Education Centre is connected to the indoor-outdoor Queens Park Cafe, not far from the renowned Ipswich Nature Centre (opened in 1936) to view lots of furry animals such as wombats, bilbies and quolls. Nearby is the heritage-listed Incinerator Theatre, designed by Walter Burley-Griffin and home to the Ipswich Little Theatre. To complete your visit, stroll around the beautiful and relaxing Japanese Nerima Gardens.



Queensland MotorSport Museum

Anyone interested in morotsport will find to plenty to see and do at this motor museum. The focus is on Australian motor racing, with the including many classic racing cars, Bathurst racer replicas and bikes as well as Australian motor racing memorabilia. The museum is closed during September as it is moved to new premises. Location: Lower Ground Floor, Ipswich City Square, Bell Street, Ipswich. Ph (07) 3137 0822.



RAAF Amberley Aviation Heritage Centre

The Royal Australian Air Force's RAAF Base Amberley is the Force's largest base, employing over 5000 people. It is 40kms south-west of Brisbane on the outskirts of Ipswich. RAAF Amberley Aviation Heritage Centre is housed in four hangars located inside the secure zone of RAAF Base Amberley and admission to the base is tightly controlled. The Centre continues to grow as more aircraft and artifacts are restored, loaned or donated for display. A feature of its displays is that you can get up close and personal with its aircraft and other exhibits. The Heritage Centre is The centre is open by pre-arranged appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays to Community and School Groups, and on Public Open Days on the third Sunday of every month, except December and January, 9am - 3pm. Location: Southern Amberley Road, Amberley. Take the Centenary Highway through Yamanto and follow the Cunningham Highway to the RAAF Base Amberley turn-off to the right, at Willowbank, as you turn right off the highway.
Brief History

The European history of Ipswich began with the exploration of the Bremer River in 1826 by Captain Patrick Logan, the commandant of the convict settlement at Brisbane. He discovered hills of limestone along the banks of the Bremer, an din the following year, sent an overseer and five convicts to quarry limestone and to erect a lime-burning kiln. This settlement was known as Limestone. This Ipswich owed its foundation to the presence of mineable limestone close to the Bremer River.

The convict period, when very few settlers were admitted, began in 1827 and lasted for fifteen years. The place was initially little more than a convict camp for supplying lime and sheep for Brisbane needs.

In 1842, following the opening up of the region to free settlement, the site for a town was surveyed at Limestone Station. The following year the new town was renamed Ipswich. Being at the intersection of routes to the Darling Downs and Upper Brisbane Valley gave Ipswich strategic significance. For a time townspeople and graziers alike hoped that it would become the capital port on the river. However after Queensland separation from New South Wales, Brisbane leapt ahead and became the new state's capital city.

While the colony of Queensland was struggling for independence, so too was the fledgling settlement of Ipswich, which gained municipal status in 1860. But for the shortage of cotton during the American Civil War, the town might have been grievously retarded, due to droughts, floods and then high unemployment and depression in the later 1860's. Because of the demand for local produce and manufactures, Ipswich was commercially buoyant by the end of the 1870's and enjoyed prosperity during the boom of the 1880's. As coal was required for the increasing number of steam engines employed in boats, trains, mills and works, there was remarkable growth of mining to the north and east of the town from the mid-1870's onwards. Miners swelled the population of the Ipswich area.

By this time, however, American had regained its economic impetus, so that local farmers turned increasingly to dairy farming. Floods, droughts and severe economic depression also affected the Ipswich area by 1893. Nevertheless Ipswich was partially insulated by its relatively diversified economy.

By 1901, when Australian colonies became a federation of states, the district headed into another period of prosperity including industrial, business and residential growth. The mining impetus was renewed, railways and tramways were laid to tap the coalfields, engineering works opened and meat preservation plants developed.

The inter-war years were varied in fortune for Ipswich. Following the disruption of the First World War in 1914-18, the region, like the nation at large, was riding on a wave of euphoria. Then one of the worst droughts ever hit the area in 1930, accompanied by the Great Depression, and followed by the Second World War in 1939-45. Nevertheless industry remained significant and the area gained a military air base at Amberley as well as air raid shelters and other installations.

During the post-war period of immigration and reconstruction, Ipswich got back onto its feet. Progress continued with the development of new collieries and expansion in meat and butter processing, the production of timber products and the introduction of chemical and tobacco manufacture in general, accompanied by a marked growth of industry at Redbank. In 1949 the Moreton field was still the largest producer of coal in Queensland, with 67 small mines yielding 47 percent of the State's output.

By 1960 the railway workshops at north Ipswich employed 2500 people while coal mining engaged 3000 and the woollen mills another 1000. Other major works included sawmills, foundries, brickworks, potteries, printeries, engineering and boiler making works, plywood and bondwood factories and abattoirs. The total population was 43,200.

Agriculture was still important, especially cotton, closely followed by barley, sorghum and wheat. Other crops included maize, lucerne, potatoes, soy beans and onions. None of these crops except barley, which was used locally in the production of malt, were processed in the area. Though little timber remained in the vicinity, other reserves were being used for production purposes. The major joinery, cabinet-making and woollen textile industries were in New South Wales and Victoria, while the engineering and steel fabricating industries supplied the needs of both the southern states and Queensland. Since then, however, changes in the Queensland economy have seriously eroded the traditional mining, industrial and agricultural base, so that Ipswich is now developing in new directions.






Ipswich Town Hall