Discover Ipswich Magazine 2019

Welcome to Queensland's Heritage City

IPSWICH – it turns out this Queensland city, just to the south-west of the state’s capital of Brisbane, is a whole lot more than a pretty heritage city. It is a region of country towns and villages made up of forward-thinking modern communities. This vast countryside is dotted with farms – some you can visit – and with windmills and old sheds... those perfect Instagram backdrops. The heritage theme is woven deep into this tapestry. The large majority of Ipswich city cafés and restaurants have risen up in character-filled century-old buildings. One recent example is Bakehouse Steakhouse in an 1875 bakery. Grand architectural landmarks, including around 7,000 heritage-listed sites, hark back to an era when coal and rail fuelled the economy. Old traditions live on in regular steam train services run by the Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway. Ipswich’s prominent place in the birth of rail in Queensland is spectacularly embraced by The Workshops Rail Museum. Ipswich is also home to the oldest designated park in Queensland – Queens Park which includes the only free zoo in South-East Queensland and Japanese-themed Nerima Gardens. But if it’s action adventure you seek, Ipswich has this covered too, with more than its share of world-class mountain biking trails and unforgettable tours in helicopters, trikes and hot air balloons. We are also proudly home to a motorsport precinct that hosts local and national events throughout the year, and driver experiences you can tackle yourself. Come and see for yourself why Queensland's beautiful heritage city never felt so young! Cover image: Sunset at Flinders Peak, the tallest peak in the greater Brisbane and Ipswich regional areas, by Emily-Ann Marskell Photography Image on this page: The Workshops Rail Museum

3 | DiscoverIpswich.com.au