The City of Ipswich is the second-oldest local government area in Queensland after Brisbane and also Queensland’s fastest growing city.
With its rich, well-preserved heritage and burgeoning culture of innovation, Ipswich is renowned not only as one of the world’s most intelligent and liveable communities, but also as a region of spectacular natural beauty and open spaces. Enjoying a prime position in central Southeast Queensland, Ipswich is only 35 minutes from Brisbane, 45 minutes from the Gold Coast and domestic and international air/sea ports and bordered by the beautiful rural and agricultural areas of the Brisbane, Lockyer and Fassifern valleys.
Major Event Hosting
Along with its well-established reputation as host city to regular local, national and international arts and culture events, including the Ipswich Festival, Ipswich Show and CMC Rocks Festival, Ipswich has also established itself as a premier sporting events host. Already the home of the annual Ipswich Cup, Queensland Open Golf Championships, Winternationals and Queensland 400 V8 Supercars, interest in Ipswich as a stellar sporting destination is at an all-time high.
The Ipswich region has hosted state, national and international level sports of all disciplines, including netball, basketball, football, hockey, rugby, cross-country, endurance events, mountain biking, swimming and a wide range of other sporting and recreational pursuits.
For more information about major event hosting, licensing and fees, visit the Holding an Event in Ipswich webpage.
Athlete Training Destination
With its rich and well-established sporting history and tradition, Ipswich is the training home to many high-profile sports teams and athletes. The city’s proud sporting history displayed on the honour board at the North Ipswich Reserve Corporate Centre is testament to its sporting prowess and an increasing number of athletes are choosing Ipswich as the preferred training base from which to build their state, national and international reputations across Australia and overseas.
Sporting Stars and Accolades
- Ipswich Little Athletics Centre has established an award-winning reputation, receiving a number of honours, including the coveted Andrea Harvey Administration Award.
- Ipswich was the winner of the Challenge, Achievement and Pathways in Sport (CAPS) Centre of the Year award in the Centre Promotional Award category.
- Olympic swimmers Montanna McAvoy and Leah Neale, silver medalist in the Rio 2016 Olympics, are counted among the budding swimming, track and field athletes being nurtured in the ‘sporting nursery’ of Ipswich.
- Ipswich is home to numerous Australian sporting representatives, including Andrew Campbell (baseball), Jordyn Holzberger (hockey) and Deborah Acason (weightlifting), as well as a host of rugby league, rugby union, football and AFL players representing their sport at the highest levels in the country.
Superior Sporting Facilities
The City of Ipswich is home to over 60 sport and recreation facilities catering to over 150 clubs and organisations. With the growth in sporting event interest and the infrastructure in place to host a wide range of sporting events, Ipswich is developing a comprehensive portfolio of state, national and international-standard competition venues. Ipswich City Council is committed to managing the increasing demand for high-level sporting facilities while at the same time balancing the sports and fitness needs of the community as a whole.
Sports Science Expertise
The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) has been part of Ipswich since 2006 and its newest campus is proudly situated on one of the city’s beautiful heritage sites. The leafy campus is 55 minutes from Brisbane city, 75 minutes from the Gold Coast and accessible via public transport and students and faculty enjoy grand vistas across the city and a stunning library featuring a living rainforest.
Home to USQ’s School of Health and Wellbeing, USQ Ipswich includes custom-built paramedic training facilities and new clinical nursing laboratories, sports fields, a café and a gym. University-qualified sports performance and health and exercise graduates are in high demand as the community develops a greater awareness of their health and fitness.
For more information on USQ Ipswich and its sport and exercise offerings, visit the USQ Queensland website.
Open Spaces and Natural Environment
Ipswich boasts over 8,500 hectares of open space and 550 parks and reserves to suit the diverse recreational needs of the community. Ipswich City Council continues to develop new, improved parks and reserves and upgrade existing parklands to provide modern, stylish facilities connected to the natural environment.
Facilities such as playground equipment, strength and agility stations, exercise equipment, BBQs, natural areas, shelters and picnic areas are free for public use on a shared basis and cannot be reserved.
Other popular locations, such as sporting fields, halls, chapels and some open areas, have been set aside within parks and reserves specifically to cater for special activities and events and for commercial use.
For more information about the parks, reserves and facilities in Ipswich visit the Parks and Reserves webpage and view the Parks and Reserves Guide (PDF, 1.4 MB).
For further information on hosting your sporting event in the City of Ipswich email sportrecreation@ipswich.qld.gov.au