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birds were events not to be missed. Overnight this was gone.
Despite strong efforts by Ipswich City Council to revive Reid’s, a
series of events saw the winding up of the Reid’s company, and the
loss of 170 jobs connected to the business. This was indeed a
tragedy for the city, one that has been difficult to turn around.
The
Top of Town Precinct
is another iconic area in Ipswich’s CBD
and has experienced the variability of success over time.
There are many original buildings still remaining and a more recent
resurgence in interest in this part of the city is seeing these lovely
old structures and the precinct itself, come back to life. There are
some wonderful stories about this part of the city. Before cars
became common-place, the Top of Town would be busy with
people walking to work, or perhaps heading to Isaac’s Bakery on
the corner of Brisbane and Waghorn Street for a freshly baked loaf.
There was a millinery shop run by the Misses Raymond and next
door was Goleby’s Saddlery. One building, the Old Flour Mill, is
iconic for a range of reasons. The building (now registered with the
National Trust) was designed by renowned Ipswich architect George
Brockwell Gill and is particularly significant architecturally because it
is a fine example of polychromatic brickwork in the Classical Revival
style. He also designed many of the area’s pubs, such as the City
View. Owned by Cribb and Foote for many years, the Old Flour Mill
was later bought by coach builder Mr William Johnson who came to
Ipswich in 1884. Mr William Johnson built sulkies and went from
sulky building to car sales; the Old Flour Mill became Johnson’s
Garage and was the local Valiant Dealership. From 1935 – 1966 the
top level of the Old Flour Mill was the home of 4IP, Ipswich’s first
radio station. The Johnson family sold the Old Flour Mill in 1966.
The
RAAF Base at Amberley
emerged in response to WWII and it
has now grown into the region’s largest employer with over 3,500
workers. The base is currently in the process of expansion and
includes the Amberley Aerospace Park. Recently the F111 aircraft
has been retired and the base has welcomed the arrival of the
F/A 18 Super Hornet Fighters.
In the latter part of the twentieth century, a decline in the range
of industries that had once formed the foundation of Ipswich’s
economic success effected the local economy and some hardship
resulted. However, a renewed optimism recently has seen a growth
in many aspects of Ipswich’s business community. The
Citiswich
Business Park is a substantial addition providing a venue for the
resurgence of industry in the Ipswich area. Citiswich is located at
the junction of three major highways, the Ipswich Motorway, the
Warrego Highway and the Cunningham Highway. Unlike an industry
in the past that was able to establish itself without considering
social or environmental issues, the Citiswich development is a
master planned industry hub covering a 335ha estate.
20 Ipswich 150: 1860 – 2010
Proud Past - Exciting Future
The Old Flour Mill in the Top of Town Precinct