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Ipswich 150 years in 2010
As Ipswich marks its sesquicentenary of municipality, the journey
from settlement to town to city is remembered. Wednesday
3 March 2010 was celebrated in the City as Ipswich Day to mark
the exact day that Ipswich was proclaimed a municipality. This
milestone marks the significant moment that Ipswich became
a township legally able to undertake its own governance. It is
the literal birth of the town and of the Ipswich Council.
The anniversary encapsulated much of what summarises Ipswich’s
journey with a Welcome to Country and traditional welcoming
dance by the Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal Dance Troop, a
proclamation by award winning Ipswich Town Crier Mark Overell
shadowed by the “Red Coats” (the Queensland Volunteers
Engineer Corps – City of Ipswich division), a rousing performance
by the visiting The Alaska Brass Ensemble, USAF Band of the
Pacific, Alaska brass band and the first presentations to volunteer
citizens of their certificates of Ambassadorship. The Ambassadors
program acknowledges the essential and active role that ordinary
citizens play in making the city a vibrant, inclusive and welcoming
place to live, work and visit. Formal proceedings concluded with
a presentation by the Collingwood Park State School Choir.
The 9th Force Support Battalion - Australian Army based at
RAAF Base Amberley, and the 382 Expeditionary Combat Support
Squadron/Defence Support RAAF Base Amberley both assisted
in the celebrations by preparing and serving the breakfast and
morning tea to the community throughout the event.
A month later, a special commemorative Council meeting was
held in the Civic Centre on Monday, 12 April 2010, with a town
crier announcing the arrival of the councillors who all engaged
with the spirit of the event by wearing period costume. Unlike
past special council meetings held to mark milestones, this
meeting included female councillors.
A new Mayoral Chain that had been specially commissioned to
include all the past mayors was presented on the evening. After
the conclusion of the regular council meeting, the councillors
welcomed chosen members of the community to be Ipswich
Ambassadors. Initially the number of Ambassadors was set to be
150, however true to the unbounded enthusiasm and community
spirit of Ipswichians, this number soon ballooned into more than
300. To have so many residents who encapsulate the city’s sense
of community and who are prepared to celebrate and advocate
for their place marks the true wealth of Ipswich.
A number of other major institutions in Ipswich are celebrating
150 years in 2010, including the Ipswich Turf Club, the Ipswich
Hospital and the Queensland Times. A wide range of other special
events mark Ipswich’s 150 years. For example in June the city hosts
the 10th Ipswich City and Country Bird Spectacular ‘Festival of
Feathers’ which attracts exhibitors from around the state and in
July Grandchester celebrates the 145th Anniversary of rail in
Queensland with
Steamfest
on Sunday, 25 July 2010 (held only
every five years) which entertains and educates over 5,000 visitors
with a range of special train rides, displays including working
blacksmiths and Cobb & Co Coaches. Throughout the year, the
Ipswich Art Gallery is hosting thematically linked exhibitions, and
the Ipswich Library is putting the local history collections to the
fore and featuring the material held in the Picture Ipswich archive.
With so much happening to celebrate Ipswich’s sesquicentenary,
and as technology has revolutionised communication over the
last 50 years, the Ipswich 150 website (
www.ipswich150.com.au
)
is the place to visit to find out all about events and celebrations.
At the close of the year, the website will become a different type
of resource – an archived digital capsule of the year that was.
But as much as the past is an element of the Ipswich 150
celebrations, so is the future. Today’s Council (just like that of
the centenary year) has the future in sharp focus and is firmly
committed to ensuring that what is put in place today, will
deliver the best outcomes for the city and the region in future.
Ipswichians are invited to be part of this process and to share
their vision of the future of the city. By going to the Ipswich 150
website and following the links, issues and ideas about the
growth and development of the city can be shared with others
and with Council.
Mayor Paul Pisasale Cr David Morrison
Divison 1
Cr Cheryl Bromage
Division 6
Cr Paul Tully
Division 2
Cr Andrew Antoniolli
Division 7
Cr Victor Attwood
- Deputy Mayor
Division 3
Cr Charlie Pisasale
Division 8
Cr Trevor Nardi
Division 4
Cr Sheila Ireland
Division 9
Cr Heather Morrow
Division 5
Cr David Pahlke
Division 10
Councillors in 2010