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Ipswich, Queensland

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Ipswich is a city and Local Government Area situated on the Bremer River in South East Queensland, Australia. It is located approximately 40 kilometres south-west of the state capital, Brisbane. The Ipswich LGA comprises an area of 1,207 km² and has a population of approximately 137,000.

Attractions include the Ipswich Art Gallery, the Workshops Rail Museum, steam trains, more than 500 parks, wineries, and cafes, restaurants, cinemas and shopping centres. 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, Winternationals car drag races, Ipswich Festival and Ipswich Show.

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History

The area was first explored by European colonists in 1826, when Captain Patrick Logan, commandant of the Moreton Bay penal colony, sailed along the river and discovered large deposits of limestone and other minerals. In 1827, the first convicts and overseers arrived to mine the area, and the town that built around this industry became known as Limestone, and is remembered by one of the main streets through the city centre named Limestone Street to this day. In 1843, the settlement officially became known as Ipswich, making Ipswich the oldest provincial city in Queensland.

Mining of coal and other valuable minerals continued well into the 20th century. Ipswich has suffered somewhat from this establishment as a mining city, but recent efforts have made strides in improving its reputation.

Ipswich was proclaimed as a municipality on March 2, 1860, and became a city in 1904. Ipswich was also originally nominated to become the State Capital of Queensland, as it was the most prominent city due to its mining capabilities, however Brisbane was chosen instead due to it having an ocean port (Port of Brisbane), whereas Ipswich relied on barges coming up and downstream on the Bremer River.

In 1880s and 1890s, with land in nearby Brisbane becoming fully developed, and very expensive for housing, many new large scale housing estates became attractive for buyers in Ipswich with lower prices and bigger lots. Such new housing estate sprung up in Springfield Lakes, Collingwood Park, Redbank Plains with acreage estates in Karalee and Barellan Point. Many residents commute each day to Brisbane for work, however local industries employ people from all over the metropolitan area.

As south-east Queensland grows, Ipswich is experiencing a investment and building boom. The central city mall has been refurbished and will soon extend across the Bremer River with the riverbanks to be landscaped into public parklands. The huge Orion shopping centre located in Springfield is well under way and a new four star hotel has been erected.

Economy

Ipswich is the site of the RAAF Base Amberley, the largest operational Royal Australian Air Force base in Australia. Based here are the 1st and 6th Squadrons, flying F-111 strike aircraft, and 38 Squadron's Caribou transport aircraft.

Ipswich is also home to a campus of the University of Queensland and the annual Ipswich Cup horse races. Ipswich is also the location of [The Workshops Railway Museum] to commemorate the first trainline in Queensland from Ipswich to Grandchester, approximately 25km to the west. The present Ipswich Station is a major transport interchange.

A large shopping complex is being developed in the Springfield suburb which was, when designed (and possibly when completed), the largest shopping centre in the southern hemisphere. Accompanying this is a satellite campus of the University of Southern Queensland, which has its primary campus in Toowoomba.

Redbank Plaza shopping mall has had 8 cinemas added as well as a fourth floor of shopping. Three clear retail and service hubs are developing outside Ipswich central and besides Springfield. Brassall to the north, Yamanto to the South, and Booval in the central east.

The traditional Ipswich dwelling has always been a detatched home on land, however this is changing as housing demand and a desire to live closer to amenities increases. Several large apartment buildings are planned or under contruction in the Ipswich CBD.

A recent approval for the extention of a transport corridor through Springfield to Yamanto has opened the Ripley valley in the city's south for residential development. It is expected this area will eventually house more than 115,000 people.

Large manufacturing industries have also relocated to Ipswich. An Aluminium products factory has just been built and a high quality paper manufacturer will soon begin construction of a new facility.

Ipswich is situated between Brisbane and the farming areas to the west and is therefore set to play a role in the planned recylcing of city water for use in agriculture.

Prominent locals

Sportspeople

Politicians

Musicians

Education

Colleges and universities

Secondary schools

Primary schools

Local attractions

External links

 

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