Meet Almondsbury—Ipswich's Gothic Survivor

One block below Gooloowan, Almondsbury (36 Park St, West Ipswich) is Ipswich’s only remaining 1880s stone-and-brick Gothic cottage—hand-built by master mason George Williams and still lived in today.

📜 History & Origins

• 1883 self-build – Williams quarried Denmark Hill sandstone, laid every block, and named the house for his Gloucestershire village.
• Prestige pitch – Planting it 200 m down Macalister from Gooloowan let a tradesman prove he could match the city’s elite in craft and ambition.
• Parlour wedding 1895 – Daughter Clara married Frank Vincent here, starting a 90-year Vincent custodianship.

🏛️ Architecture & Design

• Rustic-Gothic look – Twin steep gables, a pointed-arch porch and lace verandah give Almondsbury the unmistakable Gothic outline locals spot from Park and MacAlister St.
• Polychrome fabric – Rough sandstone walls meet crisp red-brick trim—an 1880s colour punch rare in Queensland.
• Hidden signature – A tiny carved ‘W’ in the gable trim still marks Williams’s handiwork.

🔧 Key Changes

• 1950s sleep-out – One verandah bay was sheeted in; the original iron lace survives behind the wall.
• Early-1970s dormers – A pair of small gabled dormers added on the north roof to light a newly floored attic.
• Early-1990s reset – Concrete restump and like-for-like galvanised roof secured the structure for another century.
• 1998 kitchen wing – Discreet 22 m² weatherboard extension at the rear provides modern cooking space.
• 2015 stone rescue – 60 % state-funded lime-mortar repointing halted erosion and refreshed every joint.

🏠 Owners at a Glance

• 1883-1926 – George Williams family era.
• 1926-1988 – Clara (née Williams) & Frank Vincent and their descendants.
• Since 1988 – Private Ipswich family (bought for $171 500; modelled 2025 value ≈ $1.11 m).

⭐ Why It Matters

• Rare survivor – One of < 5 pre-1900 stone houses in Ipswich—and the only Gothic cottage.
• Craft showcase – Built as Williams’s live advertisement; he later helped erect Brynhyfryd mansion.
• Protection gap – Despite an ICC heritage plaque, Almondsbury still lacks formal heritage listing—its future depends on local advocacy.

Read more…

⛏️ Quarry Queries: Fast Facts on Ipswich's Biggest Rock Rippers

For this week’s Spotlight, we’re digging into Ipswich’s quarries — and no two pits are alike.

A quarry is an open-air mine where engineers blast, crush and grade solid rock into the raw ingredients that keep a city standing.

• Why we need them – Crushed stone is the backbone of concrete, asphalt, road-base, drainage layers and house slabs.
• How they work – Drill boreholes, fire controlled blasts, scoop the rubble into crushers, screen it to size, then truck it out.
• What comes out – Around Ipswich that ranges from hard basalt and meta-greywacke to limestone, shale and brick clay, each suiting different end uses.

The story begins nearly 200 years ago at Cunningham’s Knoll, where convicts chipped away at limestone, giving Ipswich its original name, “Limestone.”

A short stroll away, Ipswich Girls’ Grammar preserves an 1864 lime-kiln, a rare surviving relic of those early quarry days.

Queens Park hosts another piece of history—its Incinerator Theatre occupies an abandoned brick-clay pit repurposed by architect Walter Burley Griffin in 1936.

Brassall’s Haig Street Reserve now offers trails and picnic spots around a lake formed from a 1950s gravel quarry, while Denmark Hill’s “Triassic Park” features shallow shale pits once explored by fossil hunters.

Today, quarrying happens at a dramatically larger scale:

• Mt Marrow: 30 Mt total (so far); about 70 trucks daily, shifting 0.7 Mt annually.
• Boral Purga: 18 Mt total (so far); around 50 trucks per day, producing 0.5 Mt each year.
• Pine Mountain: 3–4 Mt total (so far); 6 daily trucks supplying road-base.
• Hard Rock (Redbank Plains): 6 Mt mined; now mothballed, set to become a 1,800-home residential community.

Check out the Quarry Queries graphic below, mapping the size, lifetime outputs, daily truck counts, and the future plans for Ipswich’s biggest rock suppliers.

Want a poster on the BULLETIN?

🍻 New Publican Wanted for Marburg’s 1881 Pub!

Built for Cobb & Co travellers and kept by the Bowdens since WWII, the heritage-listed Marburg Hotel (69 Edmond St) hits Ray White’s auction block Fri 30 May 10:30 am. On 6,748 m² with cedar bar, nine rooms and a fan-favourite beer garden, agents expect $2.2–2.8 million. Bid to own a slice of Warrego Highway folklore and keep the taps flowing for another century—who’ll raise the winning paddle? Info →

🚂 2004 | Heiner Road Overpass Listed

On 28 May 2004, Queensland added the 1865 Heiner Road Railway Overpass at North Ipswich to its State Heritage Register, securing one of the colony’s earliest rail relics. The stone abutments—now tucked beside Riverlink—once lifted horse-drawn carts over the newborn Ipswich-Toowoomba line, reminding us the region had rail before Brisbane did. Listing →

✈️ Did You Know?

RAAF Base Amberley (Lot 1 on Defence Plan YAMB) dwarfs every land parcel in Ipswich, spreading 1,600 ha across a single title for Australia’s largest air-force base. Runner-up is Lot 9999 at Woogaroo Forest—160 ha of untouched bush—now approved for nearly 1,000 homes (see Top News Story above).

🗳️ Vote

📍 GuessWhere

How to play: Look close at the photo, guess where it was taken from in Ipswich. Click the link and drop your pin to see how close you can get.

GuessWhere →

🤔 Trivia

🧩 Scramble

🌳 Koala Habitat at Risk in 1,000-Home Plan

Ipswich council approved Stockland’s precinct plan for nearly 1,000 houses in Woogaroo Forest, clearing up to 160 ha of the city’s last intact bushland. Ecologists warn koalas and rare “virtuoso” songbirds could vanish, highlighting conflict between housing growth and new nature laws. The Guardian →

🏛️ Purga Shooting Suspect Denied Bail

Magistrate Grace Kahlert refused bail for Nikolaus Blyton, 34, who faces 11 charges after shots were allegedly fired during a rural break-in at Purga on 19 May. The case returns mid-June, underscoring alarm over rising gun crime in outer Ipswich. ABC News →

🍕 Vapiano Signs On in $311 M City Renewal

Italian chain Vapiano will open beside HOYTS in the $311 million Nicholas Street Precinct later this year. The lease lifts council-owned retail occupancy to about 90 percent, boosting the CBD’s night-time economy. Media Release →

🏥 Flood-Damaged Goodna Centre Reopens as Health Hub

After major post-flood repairs, council has reopened the former Goodna Cultural Centre as a low-cost fitness hub offering boxing, Pilates, yoga and Zumba. Officials aim to match the 90 percent weekly occupancy achieved at hubs in Redbank Plains and Riverview. Story →

🤠 Festival of Horsepower Set to Draw 55,000

The month-long Festival of Horsepower roars from 31 May with drag racing, the Winternationals and the Ipswich Cup tipped to attract more than 55,000 visitors. Council expects millions in visitor spending across hotels, venues and tracks. Media Release →

🏃‍♂️ Park2Park Fun-Run Axed After 20-Year Streak

Ipswich Hospital Foundation has cancelled the 2025 Park2Park, citing rising event costs despite thousands of annual participants and two decades of fundraising. Organisers will explore cheaper formats and outline 2026 plans early next year. IHF Statement →

🏉 Jets Stun Dolphins in 22-20 Comeback

Ipswich Jets overturned a 10-point deficit to beat Redcliffe 22-20 at Kayo Stadium on 24 May, climbing to sixth on the Hostplus Cup ladder. Winger Liam Maddaford’s late double kept local finals hopes alive. Results →

Want a FEATURED EVENT with a poster?

Wednesday (28 May)

🆓 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

🆓 Brother Leagues Club - State of Origin Game 1 Live 8pm, Burger and beer deal info

Thursday (29 May)

🆓 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 (30 May)

🆓 Stony Creek Brewing - Live music: Rebecca Lee Nye 6-9pm hear Rebecca

💵 Ipswich State High School - “SING OUT! A Musical Theatre Celebration” features talented casts in a showcase of musical theatre 6pm (fri + sat) tickets

🆓 Orion Hotel - Harry Potter trivia night...Gather your squad for a casual evening of trivia with a twist, tasty food, and chances to win, from 6:30PM info

Saturday (31 May)

💵 Willowbank Raceway - Wunternationals Warm-up 7am (sat + sun) tickets

🆓 Infinity Pole Aerial Dance (Blacksoil) - Open day with free trials for kids and teens, starts 9am details

🆓 Ipswich Art Gallery - NEW TODAY: Kids Clay Creatue Feature 10am-12:30 and 1:30-4pm details

🆓 Ipswich Showgrounds - Ipswich Pipe Band Championships free entry starts at noon info

💵 Studio 188 - Enjoy a night of live music with Rich Danger and the Revenge among others, suitable for all ages at 5:30 PM tickets

🆓 Hardings Paddock - Enjoy an evening of stargazing with Brisbane Astronomical Society, explore constellations and view galaxies at Flinders-Goolman Conservation Estate, 6 PM tickets

💵 Cambrian Centre - Join us for an evening of encore performances featuring show choir hits and solos, starting at 7:30 PM tickets

💵 Ipswich Civic Centre - Experience the unforgettable tunes of Fleetwood Mac with Seventh Wonder and the Brisbane Pops Orchestra, at 8 PM tickets

Sunday (1 June)

🏎️ Festival of Horsepower - Officially Starts everything here

🆓 Heritage Poultry's Farm Day - Take the ferry across and enjoy a family morning with animals, face painting, and food, in Moggill at 10am more info

Monday (2 June)

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Tuesday (3 June)

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🧩 This Week's Answers

📊 Last Week’s Results

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

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