Discover Ipswich Visitor Guide 2025

IPSWICH HERITAGE

Woodlands of Marburg

Heritage houses and buildings you can view in Ipswich

St Mary’s Catholic Church

By Wendy Hughes

Historic commercial properties that have been repurposed include: The original rail workshops in North Ipswich built in 1864 – now the Queensland Museum Rail Workshops The former technical college, built from 1897 to 1937, at 88 Limestone Street – now home to Stony Creek Brewing Company Uniting Church Memorial Hall, built in 1895 and designed by the city’s famed architect George Brockwell Gill, is now home to Ipswich Antique Centre An elaborate brick building that started life as an incinerator and was designed by Walter Burley Griffin in the 1930s is now home to Ipswich Little Theatre Company The Old Flour Mill on Brisbane Street in the Top of Town precinct was originally the site where the region’s wheat would be milled before being sent by river or rail to Brisbane. Today it is filled with unique businesses including The Soul Cauldron and, upstairs The Mill Coffee Shop and Embers & Twine Woodlands of Marburg which is perhaps one of Ipswich region’s best known country landmarks, built in the late 1800s as the stately home of Thomas Lorimer Smith – an enterprising timber merchant and sugarcane grower. He and wife Mary raised 11 children here. Today Woodlands is a loved wedding and events venue with accommodation.

Ipswich’s city centre has had a massive remastering in recent years, bringing a contemporary allure to the spaces in which we live, work and play. But the backbone of the city’s architectural aesthetic dips back into a rich history. Grand heritage homes still line many a street across the older parts of town and repurposed commercial buildings lend character to our restaurants, shops and offices. In all, there are more than 7,000 heritage listed buildings in Ipswich. While exploring, be sure to check out St Mary’s Catholic Church on Mary Street – often mistakenly but understandably referred to as a cathedral. This loved landmark boasts two huge spires reaching skyward and a stone wall across the road still has the imbedded hand-forged hitching rings where the congregation once tethered horses and carts on Sundays. For some of the greatest examples of grand Queenslander homes built in the 1800s when the town was booming with coal, wool and timber industries, head to Denmark Hill where privately owned houses such as The Palms and Lakemba command views across to the D’Aguilar and Teviot Ranges.

Heritage home The Palms near Denmark Hill

Ipswich Little Theatre (Incinerator)

Cooneana Homestead

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