The Cotton and Wool Industry of Ipswich
In 1861 the Ipswich Cotton Company was established at East Ipswich by Cribb, Walker and Brown. The premises consisted of extensive brick buildings and outhouses within view of the railway station at East Ipswich. This was the only cotton mill in Australia at the time and they manufactured...
Ipswich Houses – “Kyeewa”
Kyeewa is located on 1 York Street, East Ipswich. The house itself is a single storey structure made from strong unpolished sandstone that has stood the test of time. The story of Kyeewa and how it came to be is an interesting one, and it starts with a legal dispute that...
110 years – Ipswich as a city
On 01 December 1904, Ipswich was proclaimed a city. At the time Ipswich’s population was 8637 and the city covered not much more than a few CBD blocks. Before 1902, the concept of a city did not formally exist in Queensland. However, with the creation of The Local Authorities Act of 1902, clause...
Ipswich Memories – Moustaches and Beards
In the spirit of the month of November and more specifically the Movember Foundation, The Viva Cribb Local History Room has created a special moustache and beard display which shows members of the old Ipswich community in all their moustachioed glory. We have trawled through Ipswich’s photographic archives to...
Ipswich remembers : Tag Day 1914
Tag Day was a fundraising initiative established in December 1914 in an effort to support British and Irish families whose fathers, brothers and sons were fighting in The Great War. Patriotic tags and badges were an important form of fundraising during World War 1. Many tags and badges...
Made in Ipswich – Chamber of Manufacturers
On 24 October 1929, representatives from manufacturing firms in Ipswich and the surrounding district formed an association with the principal aim of fostering a preference for locally manufactured goods. One of the ways the Chamber of Manufacturers fulfilled their aim was by exhibitions of locally made goods. At the...
Brickworks and Potteries of Ipswich
In the early pioneer days Ipswich was a hub of industrial growth. From its early establishment as the town of Limestone, Ipswich was the producer of many primary materials for Queensland’s early houses and buildings. Some of the more prominent factories included several saw mills, cotton plantations, a...
Hancocks Timber Mill, North Ipswich
Thomas Hancock senior came to Australia from Cornwall with his family in 1856 and moved to the West Moreton District in 1864. He and his sons worked as Sawyers in the Pine Mountain area and established a sawmill in the Rosewood scrub area around 1867. Cut logs were...
Percy Manders – Boating on the Bremer
In 1932, as an addition to his trucking business, Percy Manders purchased a 40 foot cargo vessel from Foggitt Jones Pty Ltd and began operating a regular transport service between Brisbane and Ipswich. This vessel, Eclipse, carried 18-20 tons of mixed cargo and made three return trips each...