🏡 Meet Ballachulish: Newtown’s Federation Flagship

Ballachulish, Newtown’s hill-top showpiece, is a 1908 Federation-era Queenslander flaunting ornate fretwork gables, broad verandahs and commanding Ipswich and Brisbane skyline views.

Raised by civic pioneers Joseph and Elizabeth Rice, the timber villa later endured a post-war life as rental flats. A 1989 project stripped out partitions and reopened the verandahs, rescuing the house from decline.

From 2000, new owners Dr Timothy and Jennifer Rush reinstated the missing timber fretwork, added a discreet rear pavilion, and in 2007 bought adjoining 2 Blackstone Road to lay out today’s formal gardens.

Now a star of the Great Houses of Ipswich tours, Ballachulish stands as one of the city’s rare intact Federation treasures.

🔢 Key Numbers

• 4 Blackstone Road, Newtown – Ipswich address
• 117 years – approximate age (built c. 1908)
• 1,033 m² – total land area, including the 2007 garden block

📅 Key Dates

• c. 1908 – House completed as Beaufort Villa
• 1949 – Sold outside the Rice family; converted to flats
• 1989 – Major restoration reunites house as single residence
• 2000 – Rush family purchase and rename to Ballachulish
• 2007 – Rush family buy adjoining 2 Blackstone Road to enlarge gardens
• 2015 – Debut in Great Houses of Ipswich public tour

📌 Facts

• Beaufort Villa – Original house name. Named by Joseph and Elizabeth Rice after Elizabeth’s Welsh birthplace; the name means “beautiful fortress.”
• Ballachulish – Name since 2000. Renamed by Dr Timothy and Jennifer Rush after their favourite Scottish Highland village; Gaelic for “village of the narrows.”

Learn More →

🅿️ Colossal Car Parks of Ipswich

In this week’s Spotlight, we cruise through Ipswich’s concrete kingdoms—those mega car parks that swallow thousands of vehicles daily. Strap in for a quick lap of who’s winning the space race and which new decks are about to overtake the pack.

🏆 Ranking

1. Orion Springfield Central – 3,166 bays (Regional mall)
2. Riverlink Shopping Centre – 2,559 bays (Regional mall)
3. Redbank Plaza – 1,955 bays (Regional mall)
4. Booval Fair – 1,257 bays (Sub-regional mall)
5. Springfield Central P&R – 1,100 bays (5-level commuter deck, $44.5 m)
6. Nicholas St / Metro Underground – ~1,000 bays (CBD council)
7. Yamanto Central – 950 bays (Sub-regional mall)
8. Costco Bundamba – 825 bays (Warehouse retail)
9. Ipswich Hospital P1 + P2 – ~750 bays (Hospital decks)
10. Dinmore Station P&R – 484 bays (Ground commuter lot)

🏗️ New Capacity (2026-27)

• Ipswich Hospital Roderick St Deck – +875 bays → campus ~1,625 (opens 2027)
• Mater Hospital Springfield Deck – +590 bays → campus ~890 (opens 2026)

🗺️ State Context

• Brisbane Airport – ~9,000 bays (QLD’s biggest)
• Westfield Chermside – ~7,000 bays (largest retail deck)
• Grand Central Toowoomba – ~4,000 bays

Full Article →

No Chill

The best heated vest to warm up every Ipswich winter moment:

• 🐕 Morning and evening dog walk
• 🚗 Getting in the car before it heats up for school drop-off
• 🥕 Heading to the markets for a morning browse
• 🚶 Heritage-trail morning hike
• 🛤️ Rail-museum wander with family
• 🚂 Nostalgic Rosewood steam ride
• 🏉 Sidelines at kids’ weekend footy
• 🍖 Backyard barbie that runs past sunset
• 🔥 Camp-fire yarns at Ivory’s Rock
• ✨ Midnight stargaze from Denmark Hill

All of those are better with a warm vest hugging you.

Tap the chest logo and three carbon-fibre heaters deliver 3–10 h of safe, even warmth—no bulky jacket required. Machine-washable fleece, battery included. EOFY 20 % off sale.

See full specs →

Want to spread the word about your business, a project you’re working on, or just say hi to 3,400 neighbours?

Advertise on BULLETIN →

💬 30-Minute Listening Call with Arianna

Feeling overwhelmed or unheard? Book a free 30-minute Zoom chat: Arianna listens with empathy, no judgment or advice. Not therapy; if distressed, she’ll gently point you to Lifeline for support. Email Arianna to book: contact.hst.ipswich@gmail.com — Free · Private · Zoom

🎉 Free Bulletin Poster Spot

First to email jamey@ipswichinsider.com.au with “Bulletin 15” as the subject line gets a free poster/announcement in next week’s BULLETIN. 

🗳️ Vote

🧩 Scramble

📍 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

🏗️ Federal-Council Funds Deliver $3.5 M Clubhouse At Silver Jubilee

Spring Mountain’s new clubhouse was delivered this week with $1.97 m from Canberra and $1.55 m from Ipswich Council, adding four change rooms, clubroom, commercial kitchen and terraced seating for league and netball. Full story and image →

🌳 Ipswich Delivers 55,000 Free Green Bins City-Wide

Some 55,000 households are receiving 240-litre garden-organics bins at no extra cost to rates, expanding the three-bin system to 85,000 properties and forecast to divert 18,000 t of green waste each year. Media Release →    PDF Flyer →

🏛️ Residents Invited To Shape Western Growth Corridor Blueprint

Council has opened public consultation on the Western Growth Corridor plan, underwritten by a $500,000 federal Housing Support Program grant. The strategy will steer housing, transport and conservation as the district swells from 10,000 to a projected 70,000 residents. Have your say here →

💰 Stage 2 DA Lodged To Double Ripley Town Centre Retail

Developer Verso Projects announced on 16 June a development application for almost 9,000 m² of extra retail—including a second supermarket, club/tavern and large-format outlets—set to roughly double the centre’s footprint. Facebook announcement →    Developer project page →

🚧 Rainforest Walk Reopens At Robelle Domain After Flood Repairs

Springfield Central’s Rainforest Walk is back in service after crews repaired the damaged embankment and replaced sections of the timber boardwalk wrecked by the 2022 floods. The treetop loop returns in time for the winter school-holiday crowds. Facebook →

🏉 Jets Crush Capras 38-8; Force Fall 93-78 To Thunder

Ipswich Jets women romped past CQ Capras in their BMD Premiership rugby-league debut, while Ipswich Force women were outgunned by Logan Thunder in NBL1 North basketball. The emphatic victory launches the Jets’ inaugural campaign; the Force slip to 3-5 despite Kahlaijah Dean’s 27-point haul.

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Wednesday (18 June)

🆓 Monte Lane Wine Bar — Quiz night, 6:30 PM book

🆓 General Public, Nicholas St — Trivia, 6:30 PM info

💵 Brothers Leagues Club — $25 poker, reg 6 PM, play 7 PM

🆓 Booval Freemasons Centre — Heartfulness meditation, 7 PM more info

🆓 Banshees Bar — Open-mic, 7 PM info

🆓 Orion Hotel — Karaoke, 8 PM-late

🆓 Brothers Leagues Club — Origin II live on the big screen, meal deal + jersey draw, 8:05 PM details

Thursday (19 June)

🆓 Club Services Ipswich — Trivia, 6:30 PM info

💵 Creative Hearts Co., Brookwater — Wellness circle (breathwork + art), 6:45 PM tickets

🆓 Banshees Bar — Karaoke, 7 PM-late details

🆓 Hotel Commonwealth — Trivia, 7 PM info

Friday (20 June)

💵 Imbibis Distillery — Tour & tasting with the distiller, 2 PM tickets

💵 Studio 188 — “Stitch in the ’swich” comedy, 8 PM tickets

💵 Stony Creek Brewing — Live music: Just Jamie, 6-9 PM info

💵 Banshees Bar — Sue Ferrers folk, doors 7 PM tickets

Saturday (21 June)

💵 Ipswich Historical Society — Fire-tool blacksmith workshop, 7:30 AM-3:30 PM ($315) tickets

💵 Booval Freemasons Centre — ASIST suicide-intervention course, 8:30 AM-5 PM (2 days, $275) tickets

🆓 Springfield Lakes — Yoga retreat, 9-10:30 AM info

💵 Orion Hotel — Ipswich Cup lunch + after-party, 12 PM ($130) tickets

💵 Brothers Leagues Club — Cup day package, 12:30-4:30 PM ($100) tickets

💵 Ipswich Art Workshop — Relaxed native-bloom watercolours, 1:30-3:30 PM tickets

🆓 Royal Mail Goodna — Urban Chiefs live, 4 PM info

🆓 Kalina, Springfield — Outdoor movie night, 4:30-8 PM details

💵 SOPA Showcase, Springfield Central HS — Dance gala, 5:30 PM ($20) info

💵 RVSSC PAC — Creative Edge dance show, 5:30 PM ($15) tickets

💵 Rosewood Hotel — Drag trivia & show, 6:30 PM ($27) tickets

🆓 Walloon Hotel — Line dancing, 7 PM info

💵 Banshees Bar — Kathleen Turner Overdrive + guests, doors 7 PM tickets

💵 Falvey’s Yamanto — Ipswich Cup after-party, 8 PM tickets

💵 Hotel Commonwealth — After-races party, live duo, from 5 PM (bus $5) tickets

Sunday (22 June)

💵 Hidden Vale Adventure Park — “Outlaw” downhill MTB series, 8 AM details

💵 Swanbank Station — Vintage diesel trip (75 min) tickets

💵 Ipswich Art Gallery — Sketchbook & gouache workshop, 9 AM ($50) tickets

🆓 Blackstone Hall — Heartfulness meditation, 9-10 AM info

🆓 Providence Hub — Restorative yoga + coffee chat, 10-11:30 AM details

🆓 Marburg Pacing Assoc. — Family trots, food & racing, 11 AM-8 PM

💵 Orion Hotel — Long-lunch package + live tunes, 12-3:30 PM ($69) more info

💵 Cambrian Centre — Teddy Bears’ Picnic choral concert, 2:30 PM tickets

Monday (23 June)

🦗

Tuesday (24 June)

💵 Brookfield Gardens — Small-space gardening workshop, 10 AM ($35) tickets

🧩 This Week's Answers

📊 Last Week’s Results

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

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