As Time Goes By….
Ever wondered what Ipswich looked like way back in 1947? Well lucky for us, the National Film & Sound Archive of Australia has a great film from that time which contains some excellent footage of the main street of the city, various industries, sports, schools, housing and recreational pursuits. To...
Bacelie ‘Bossie’ Martoo
Many Ipswich people remember the stories of a gentleman by the name of Bossie Martoo. Born Baceli Martoo in 1879 in Alexandria, Egypt he immigrated to Australia with his family when he was 20 years old. By this stage Ipswich was a growing bustling town with a wide...
Will Jones – Member of the Ipswich Vice-Regal Band
In 1879 a three-year-old William John Jones arrived in Australia with his parents Thomas Bowen Jones and Elvira Jones (nee Williams), and baby brother Thomas. The family had left behind their home in Pendarren, Wales and travelled for three months on the barque Earl Derby to a new...
Boody’s Store – Hungry Flats – Brassall
William Boody was born in Queensland in 1901. His first employment was at Cribb & Footes Department Store as a clerk. At the age of 21 his position was terminated as was the practice at the time because full adult wages had to be paid once you were...
Biggingee Sorabjee Poochee – Ipswich photographer
Biggingee Sorabjee Poochee was born in Bombay, India where he opened his first photography business in a studio on Military Square Lane. It is thought that Poochee first made his way to Australia in the early 1860’s upon which he married Mary Ann Williams in Parramatta, New South Wales....
Looking Back at Ipswich’s Fascinating Past
Looking Back – Footsteps through Ipswich was a free information awareness session that was held at the Ipswich Central Library on Tuesday 15 October 2013. One hundred Local History enthusiasts turned up to hear the fascinating tale of the Prussian-born explorer and naturalist Ludwig Leichhardt. Helen McMonagle, President...
Looking Back – Footsteps through Ipswich
Local History enthusiasts are invited to a free information session on 15 October 2013 to mark the 200th anniversary of Ludwig Leichhardt’s birth! Step back in time and learn more about this explorer as Helen McMonagle from the Royal Historical Society of Queensland talks about Leichhardt’s explorations and his connection to...
Woodlands of Marburg
Charles Smith came to Australia from England in 1864 and resided with his family in Ipswich for two years before they relocated to the Marburg area. Between 1866 and 1870, Charles acquired hundreds of acres of land in the Walloon Parish and in September 1870, he bought the...
The Old Flour Mill – Past and Present
The Old Flour Mill at the ‘Top end of Town’ was built in 1901 to house the Ipswich Flour Milling Company Ltd. Previously this site had been home to a Grocer, Mr M. J. Real and a Fruiterer, Mr W. G. Hinton. Mr Francis Kates, a parliamentarian...