City of Ipswich facts for kids

Quick facts for kids City of Ipswich Queensland
Location within South East Queensland
City of Ipswich Coat of Arms
Population	229,208 (2021 census)
• Density	209.51/km2 (542.6/sq mi)
Established	1860
Area	1,094 km2 (422.4 sq mi)
Mayor	Teresa Harding
Council seat	Ipswich
Region	South East Queensland
State electorate(s)	Ipswich West Ipswich Bundamba Scenic Rim Jordan
Federal Division(s)	Oxley Blair Wright
Website	City of Ipswich
LGAs around City of Ipswich: Somerset Somerset City of Brisbane Lockyer Valley City of Ipswich City of Logan Southern Downs Scenic Rim City of Logan

The City of Ipswich is a special area in Queensland, Australia, managed by its own local government. It's located southwest of Brisbane, within the larger South East Queensland region. Ipswich includes the historic city of Ipswich and the countryside around it. In 2021, about 229,208 people lived in the City of Ipswich.

Where is Ipswich?

The City of Ipswich is in the middle of the South East Queensland area. It covers the western part of the Brisbane Metropolitan Area. The city spans about 1,094 square kilometers (422 square miles). It's about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of the center of Brisbane. To the east is the City of Brisbane, and to the west are farming areas like the Lockyer and Fassifern Valleys.

A Look at Ipswich's History

Ipswich Post Office around 1890

Ipswich during a big flood in 1893

Ipswich is one of the oldest local government areas in Queensland, second only to Brisbane. In 1859, people in Ipswich, then a town of 3,000, asked to become a proper municipality. This request was approved, and on March 3, 1860, the Borough of Ipswich was officially created. Its first elections were held on April 19, 1860, and John Murphy became the first Mayor.

Ipswich officially became a "City" on December 1, 1904. At first, the City of Ipswich only covered the central part of the town. Even some areas that are now considered inner suburbs were managed by different local councils back then.

How Ipswich Grew: The 1916 Plan

On October 13, 1916, a big change happened to how local areas around Ipswich were managed. Several smaller shires (like counties) were combined or changed. This plan helped the City of Ipswich grow by adding parts of the Brassall and Bundanba Shires. Other shires were also created or made larger, like the new Shire of Ipswich.

More Growth: The 1949 Plan

Another plan in 1949 further combined local governments in the Ipswich area. The City of Ipswich became much larger, growing from about 32 square kilometers (12¼ square miles) to 78 square kilometers (30 square miles). It took in more urban parts of the Shire of Moreton. This helped make Ipswich the size it is today.

Even More Land Added

The Shire of Moreton was fully joined with the City of Ipswich on March 11, 1995. This made the City of Ipswich even bigger.

Changes to Rural Areas

Over time, some rural areas that were once part of Ipswich were moved to neighboring regions. For example, in 2008, areas like Harrisville and Peak Crossing became part of the new Scenic Rim Region.

In 2012, a new housing project called Ecco Ripley began in Ipswich, showing the city's continued growth.

How Many People Live Here?

In 2016, the City of Ipswich had 193,733 people. By 2021, the population had grown to 229,208 people.

Your Local Council

The Ipswich City Council is made up of a mayor and eight councillors. These councillors represent four different areas, called divisions, with two councillors for each division. The mayor is chosen by all the voters in Ipswich.

Before 2020, the council had 10 councillors, each representing their own area. In 2017, the mayor at the time, Paul Pisasale, stepped down. Andrew Antoniolli then became mayor after a special election. Later, in 2018, the Queensland Government decided to temporarily replace all the councillors with an administrator to manage the council. This was done to ensure the council was running smoothly.

The current mayor, elected in 2024, is Teresa Harding.

Suburbs of Ipswich

The City of Ipswich includes many different towns and suburbs. They can be grouped into urban (city-like) and rural (countryside) areas.

Cameron Park at Booval, 2015 Urban Areas: Augustine Heights Barellan Point Basin Pocket Bellbird Park Blacksoil Blackstone Booval Brassall Brookwater Bundamba Carole Park Camira Churchill Chuwar Coalfalls Collingwood Park Dinmore East Ipswich Eastern Heights Ebenezer Ebbw Vale Flinders View Gailes Goodna Haigslea Ipswich Karalee

The Brisbane River at Riverview, 2013 Karrabin Leichhardt Moores Pocket Muirlea New Chum Newtown North Booval North Ipswich North Tivoli One Mile Raceview Redbank Redbank Plains Ripley Riverview Rosewood Sadliers Crossing Silkstone Springfield Springfield Central Springfield Lakes Swanbank Tivoli West Ipswich Woodend Wulkuraka Yamanto

Picnic facilities at Goolman, 2015 Rural Areas: Amberley Ashwell Calvert Deebing Heights Ebenezer Goolman Grandchester Haigslea Ironbark Jeebropilly Lanefield Limestone Ridges1 Marburg Mount Forbes1

Churchbank Weir at Peak Crossing, 2015 Mount Marrow Mutdapilly1 Peak Crossing1 Pine Mountain Purga Rosewood South Ripley Spring Mountain Tallegalla Thagoona The Bluff Walloon White Rock2 Willowbank Woolshed

¹ - shared with Scenic Rim Region
² - not to be confused with White Rock near Cairns Region

Cool Projects in Ipswich

Since 1994, Ipswich has worked on exciting technology projects. One big project was called Global Info-Links. It aimed to make Ipswich a leader in technology. A key part of this was building a new library with free public internet access. They also created a large computer network that people could join.

A council plaque at the Central Congregational Church Manse, 2015

The council also started putting up special brass plaques in 2000. These plaques mark important historical places around the city.

Services for You

Ipswich City Council runs four public libraries. You can find them in Ipswich Central, Redbank, Redbank Plains, and Springfield Central. The council also has a mobile library that visits many other suburbs. This includes places like Booval, Brassall, Goodna, and Rosewood.

Friends Around the World

Ipswich has "sister city" relationships with other cities around the world. This means they share culture and ideas.

• Nerima City, Japan (since 1994)
• Hyderabad, India (since 2010)