Meet Elamang – East Ipswich’s Hidden 1890s Mansion

Ever wondered what hides down that long plain driveway on Watson Street?

Meet Elamang, East Ipswich’s largest surviving 1890s timber villa.

Built in 1895 by Mayor Richard Watson as a love-gift to his bride, it still rules the skyline—even after neighbours grew up around it. A restump and build-in in 2021 gave it new rooms underneath without touching its Victorian grace.

At a Glance

• Style: Late-Victorian Queenslander—lace verandahs, octagonal bays—completely out of street view.
• Quirk: Watson named Watson St after himself and Fox St after his wife’s late husband.
• Update: Council-approved re-stump and build-in adds ground-floor space yet keeps heritage charm.

By the Numbers

• Address: 6 Watson St, East Ipswich
• Rooms: 17 off a 16 m hallway
• Heights & features: 13-ft ceilings, 4 Italian-marble fireplaces
• Land: 22 acres in 1895 → 2 500 m² today
• Heritage tag: Ipswich Character Place (local listing)
• Survivors: 6 houses from the 1890s remain—Elamang is the largest timber one.

Timeline

• 1895 – House completed by architect G. B. Gill.
• 1911 – Estate subdivided; driveway retained.
• 1924 – Purchased by the Cribb family.
• 1950 – Queensland Times converts it to staff flats.
• 1984 – Ben & Valma Petersen restore original layout.
• 2018 – T. & S. C. buy for $895 k.
• 2021 – Full house restump and build-in approved and completed.
• 2025 – Still privately owned.

Why Elamang Matters

One of just six 1890s houses left in East Ipswich — Elamang shows how a love-built timber villa can still steal the spotlight 130 years later.

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SPOTLIGHT: Redbank Motorway Estate

You’ve passed the mega-sheds opposite Redbank Plaza—but their heft hides in plain sight.

Inside the walls

DB Schenker paved the way, shifting its 47,000 m² 3PL campus from Brisbane Airport—Schenker's largest when opened in 2014.

Coles: 66,000 m², 34 m high, A$500 m robot DC—the hemisphere’s biggest food warehouse.

Australia Post: A$240 m, 49,000 m², 700 k parcels/day—Australia's biggest parcel facility.

FedEx: A$85 m, 27,866 m², 15 k parcels/hr—their QLD HQ and hub.

Rheinmetall: A$170 m MILVEHCOE armoured-vehicle plant with a $5 billion program pipeline—Rheinmetall's Aus/NZ HQ and Australia's only dedicated military-vehicle manufacturing precinct.

Origins

Goodman bought the disused 149 ha rail yard in 2014 for A$74 m, then spent A$350 m on pads, a four-lane bridge, 2 km storm-water tunnels and a 1km long 6 m levee (Monash Rd) to protect against 2011-level floods.

Sheds for Bapcor (44,473 m²), L’Oréal (14,533 m²), CHEP, Progress Rail and others push capex past A$1 bn.

Linked to A$6.5 bn in motorway upgrades, Redbank sits 25 min from the port and within same-day reach of 2.8 m people—a flood-proof freight fortress built for speed.

Estate layout:

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How to play: Look close at the photo (that's not the moon), guess where it was taken from in Ipswich. Click the link and drop your pin to see how close you can get.

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🧩 Scramble

🏛️ Husband, Brother Charged in Springfield Lakes Murder

Police discovered a 23-year-old woman dead inside her Ash Avenue home late 17 May and, within 24 hours, charged her 26-year-old husband and 28-year-old brother-in-law with murder. Rapid arrests heighten domestic-violence awareness and push the case swiftly through Ipswich courts. Full story →

🏛️ Purga Standoff Ends With Trio’s Arrest

Police declared an exclusion zone on Ipswich-Boonah Rd about 4:35 pm 19 May after reported gunfire, arresting three suspects and lifting the lockdown just after midnight. The swift resolution eased rural residents’ fears while spotlighting firearm-misuse concerns on the city’s southern growth corridor. Media Release →

🚧 Turbine-Truck Smash Keeps Mt Crosby Overpass on Life-Support

In the pre-dawn dark of Fri 16 May, a west-bound oversize convoy hauling a 27 m, 90-tonne wind-turbine tower for the Wambo Wind Farm missed its police-escorted exit at Tivoli and rammed the Mt Crosby Rd overpass, wedging the load and shunting girders 50 mm.

The hit shut all west-bound Warrego Hwy lanes for 12 hours and triggered kilometre-long tailbacks while Transport and Main Roads laser-scanned the 1960s bridge for hidden cracks.

Highway lanes reopened Sunday night, but the overpass itself is now limited to a single 20 km/h lane with a 30-tonne cap; heavy vehicles must detour via Dinmore, and nightly closures for inspections continue.

Engineers say a permanent fix—likely girder replacement—will take months; daily monitoring will stay in place until spring. Heavy-vehicle police are probing why the Qube Logistics rig ignored escort instructions, and TMR has flagged cost-recovery once liability is nailed down.

Full Story →
Overpass Opens →
Warrego/Mt Crosby Upgrade →

🤠 Ipswich Show Pulls 35,000-Plus Crowds

The 152nd Ipswich Show filled Warwick Rd showgrounds 16-18 May with fireworks, stunt riders and livestock judging, drawing an estimated 35,000 visitors across the long weekend. Strong turnout injected cash into local vendors and underlined the event’s cultural pull ahead of planned showground upgrades. IpswichShow Instagram →

🏛️ Ram-Raid Rips Into Limestone St Jeweller

Thieves used a stolen hatchback to ram Pennywise Jewellers on Limestone St about 4:30 am 15 May, grabbing trays of gold before fleeing, The smash-and-grab revived CBD security worries, though repairs finished within a day and the store reopened for business.

🏉 Ipswich’s Finefeuiaki Makes Maroons Extended Squad

Maroons coach Billy Slater added 19-year-old Ipswich State High alumnus Kulikefu Finefeuiaki to Queensland’s 20-man extended squad on 19 May ahead of State of Origin Game I, Selection puts a home-grown star on the national stage and energises rugby-league programs at Ipswich SHS and junior clubs city-wide. Announcement →

Wednesday (May 21st)

🆓 Hotel Commonwealth – Themed trivia with food, drinks & prizes, 6:30-8:30 PM info

🆓 Monte Lane Wine Bar – Best quiz night in Ipswich (drinks 💵), from 6:30 PM book

🆓 Booval Freemasons Centre — Learn to meditate 6:30–7:30 PM info

🆓 General Public, Nicholas Street Precinct — Trivia (free, food & drink 💵) 6:30 PM info

💵 Studio 188 – “The Unscripted Adventures of Improv High”, 7:00 PM tickets

💵 Brothers Leagues Club, Raceview — $25 poker (reg by 6 PM) 7 PM start

🆓 Banshees Bar & Artspace — Open-mic 7 PM. info

Thursday (22nd)

🆓 Stony Creek Brewing – Trivia & craft beers, 6:00 PM book

🆓 Club Services Ipswich — Trivia Thursday 6:30-9 PM info

🆓 Banshees Bar & Artspace — Karaoke 7 PM-late details

Friday (23rd)

💵 Primary Disco (kids), Westside Christian College Primary Campus - 5:30-7:30pm tickets

💵 Wallon Hotel — Fred Brophy touring boxing tent 7-11pm ($50) tickets

💵 Banshees Bar & Artspace - Dive into nautical folk songs and sea shanties with The Salty Sirens and Haystack Mountain Hermits, 7 PM ($20) tickets

🆓 Orion Hotel — U2 Tribute Night! Relive classic hits live with friends (Live music from 3pm) tribute starts 9 PM details

Saturday (24th)

💵 Ipswich Historical Society - Discover the art of blacksmithing with a hands-on class on hand forging techniques, perfect for enthusiasts. 7:30AM-3:30PM info

💵 Hidden Vale Adventure Park - On the Edge Trail Running Series - Round 2: 20km, 10km or 5km full details

💵 Spartan Trifecta Weekend, Ivory’s Rock (Peak Crossing) — Choose 5 km Sprint to 50 km Ultra (plus kids’ race) through creeks, bushland & volcanic rock details

💵 Willowbank Raceway — Off-Road Park (BYO side-by-side or trail bike) details

🆓 Raceview Scout Den — Pop Up Market & Car Boot Sale 9:30AM-2PM info

🆓 Stony Creek Brewing (88 Limestone Street) - Live music with Kayla Rose 6-9pm info

💵 Wallon Hotel - Fred Brophy touring boxing tent 7-11pm ($50) tickets

💵 Banshees Bar & Artspace - Dive into a night of psychedelic rock with Ben Ely and The Mungo Fungo Band, Mother Magnetic, and Fly Agaric. Perfect for gig-goers! 7 PM ($15) tickets

💵 Racehorse Hotel - Enjoy a night of raw and rowdy country music with Travis Collins on his Boots, Beer & Barstools Tour, 8 PM ($51) tickets

🆓 Falvey's Nightclub - Celebrate Pirate Party with free entry (VIP wristband 💵), themed drinks, and a chance to win prizes! Perfect for adventurers, 8 PM info

Sunday (25th)

🆓 Ipswich Cycle Track - Join a reflective 5km Walk to Remember to honor loved ones and support Ipswich Hospice, featuring live music and activities, from 8AM to 2PM info

🆓 Marburg Pacing Association Race Day - Enjoy a country family day at the races with activities & food for all. May 25, 11 AM - 8 PM

Monday (26th)

🆓 City of Ipswich Pipe Band hall, Limestone Park — Toastmasters celebrates 10 years in Ipswich with The Big Speech special event 6:45-9:00pm info

Tuesday (27th)

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—Jamey
Ipswich Insider (Facebook, Instagram)
Eastern Heights, Ipswich, QLD 4305

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