👜 Craft Your Own Leather Gear in Hands‑On Classes

Nathan & Terri teach leathercraft in their Woodend workshop. Small‑group 4‑ or 6‑hour classes let you craft and keep a belt, knife sheath, key pouch, bookmark or saddle bag. Ipswich Insider readers get 10 % off with code INSIDER10 – Explore classes →

🧱 Say Hello to Dorrington—East Ipswich's Brick Villa Built Alongside Girls' Grammar

Dorrington is a striking 1891 Federation-era Queen Anne red-brick villa designed by architect George Brockwell Gill for merchant William Haigh. Built by Worley & Whitehead in a town of timber homes, it still turns heads 134 years later.

• Architecture. Federation Queen Anne two-storey brick villa with sweeping verandahs and twin chimneys.
• Family. Haigh family moved in 1892 and kept the house 44 years.
• Name. Named Dorrington after an English village near Leeds.
• Oasis. Renamed The Oasis in 1944; wartime owners shared orchard fruit with neighbours.
• Subdivision. Grounds carved up during the 1940s–60s, shrinking the estate to 1,123 m².
• Sale. Only public auction fetched $63,000 on 21 January 1975.
• Heritage. Listed on Ipswich Heritage Register 1991; council plaque 2006.
• Today. Private home still largely intact after 134 years.

Explore Dorrington →

🌳🐨 The Ultimate Local’s Guide to Ipswich’s 12 Conservation Estates

In this week's SPOTLIGHT we're swapping suburb noise for birdsong.

Ipswich hides a dozen protected bush estates where sandstone cliffs, swamp tea‑tree wetlands and vine‑forest gullies still pulse with wildlife.

Some welcome hikers, some guard research‑only frontiers — but each is a slice of real nature stitched into our backyard.

Scan the line‑up then explore more in the ultimate local's guide at the link below.

• White Rock - Spring Mountain (2,992 ha) – Nugum sandstone bluff and 30 km of signed trails.
• Flinders - Goolman (2,250 ha) – Climb 678 m Flinders Peak from Hardings Paddock.
• Mount Grandchester (1,037 ha) – Ridge‑top hike planned once tracks are built.
• Kholo Reserve (158 ha) – Brisbane River vine‑forest sanctuary.
• Mount Beau Brummell (157 ha) – Spear‑lilies burst into bloom after cool fire.
• Purga Nature Reserve (139 ha) – Wheelchair boardwalk through swamp tea‑tree wetland.
• Hillview Drive Reserve (38 ha) – Bird hide on riverside floodplain loop.
• Stirling Road Reserve (33 ha) – Stronghold of Black‑breasted Button‑quail.
• Haig Street Quarry (23 ha) – Reclaimed basalt pit with lake and dog park.
• Ric Nattrass Park (13.7 ha) – Glider nest boxes ready for future residents.
• Denmark Hill Reserve (12 ha) – CBD lookout tower and Triassic fossil beds.
• Woodend Nature Centre (1.8 ha) – Viewing deck over a flying‑fox roost.

Explore the full guide →

Here are the top selling items in Australia this week (so far):

📦 Amazon.com.au Best Sellers

• Under desk treadmill
• 470 ml stainless THERMOS
• Insulated sports water bottle

🛍️ TEMU Hottest Items

• Garlic press
• Portable snack-bag sealer
• Mini USB reading light
• Night vision binoculars

Advertise on the Bulletin →

👝 TJ's Leathercraft classes teach you to craft a belt, wallet, knife sheath, bookmark or key pouch in under 6 hours. Small‑group Woodend classes supply all tools and materials. Use code INSIDER10 to save 10% percent. Explore classes →

🎭 Come From Away, a feel‑good musical directed by award‑winning Thomas Armstrong‑Robley, celebrates how 7,000 stranded passengers found refuge in Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11. Ipswich Musical Theatre Company, Civic Centre, 13‑21 Sep 2025. Show details here →

🏺 Collectormania Antique & Record Fair, Ipswich Showgrounds, Sat 26 Jul. Jewellery, vinyl, china and more. Indoors with cafe. 8 am‑2 pm. Entry $8; kids free. Details →

🗳️ Vote

🧩 Scramble

📍 GuessWhere

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

GuessWhere →

🤔 Trivia

⚖️ Teen Pleads Guilty To Redbank Plains Murder

A 17‑year‑old boy admitted murdering grandmother Vyleen White during a 2024 car‑park stabbing, Ipswich Children’s Court heard on 22 July. Sentencing will proceed in the Supreme Court; life imprisonment is possible. Read Full Story →

🏛️ Father Faces Manslaughter Charge Over Lake Drowning

Jaye Lee Walton, 42, faced Ipswich Magistrates Court on 17 July accused of manslaughter after his seven‑month‑old son was found unresponsive in a Chatsworth lake. Bail was refused and the matter returns on 4 August. Full story (ABC) →

🏗️ 5.83 ha Springfield Central Site Hits Market

Expressions of interest opened 18 July for “Vantage”, a 5.83 ha mixed‑use block beside Orion Lagoon. Analysts tip a $25–30 million sale as the site could host 400‑plus apartments, a hotel and hundreds of jobs. Real Commercial listing →

💰 Walloon College Scores $10.72 m Expansion Grant

King’s Christian College Walloon campus will receive $10.72 m from a $12.2 m state package announced 22 July to fund new classrooms, an art studio and roads ahead of its 2026 opening. State Gov't Statement →

🤠 Arts Fund Awards $99,765 To Nine Ipswich Projects

Ipswich Council awarded $99,765 through the Regional Arts Development Fund to nine local projects on 18 July. Grants of $1,700–15,000 back films, live music and First Nations art; next round opens 1 September. See winners →

Share Your Event Poster →

Collectormania Antique & Record Fair fills Ipswich Showgrounds Sat 26 July, 8 am‑2 pm. Hunt vinyl, jewellery, toys and more from 50+ dealers. $8 entry, kids free, free valuations, indoor cafe
See full details here

Come From Away lands at Ipswich Civic Centre 13–21 Sep 2025. It tells Gander, a Canadian town’s 9/11 story. Ipswich Musical Theatre Company presents this unforgettable show—tickets available now.
See show details here

Wednesday (23 July)

🆓 Trevallan Lifestyle Centre - Shogun Tools pop-up, Japanese tools demo 12:30-2 PM details

🍻🍽️ Hotel Commonwealth - Shrek Trivia night 6:30 PM info

🍻🍽️ Monte Lane Wine Bar - Quiz night 6:30 PM book

🍻🍽️ General Public - Trivia 6:30 PM info

💵 Brothers Leagues Club - Poker $25 reg 6 PM, play 7 PM

🆓 Booval Freemasons - Heartfulness meditation 7 PM info

🍻🍽️ Banshees Bar - Open-mic 7 PM info

🍻🍽️ Orion Hotel - Music Bingo 7 PM info

Thursday (24 July)

🆓 Bundamba Skate/Rotary Park - Creek clean-up 8 AM-1 PM more info

💵 Queensland Museum Rail Workshops - Little Engineers (age 2-5), exploring wheels 10:00-10:45 AM more info

🍻🍽️ Studio 188 - Open-mic 6 PM details

🍻🍽️ Club Services Ipswich - Trivia 6:30 PM info

🍻🍽️ Banshees Bar - Karaoke 7 PM-late details

💵 Ipswich Civic Centre - Joseph & the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat 7:30 PM (Thu-Sat, $20-35) info

Friday (25 July)

💵 Ipswich Art Workshop - Colour Crush workshop 10 AM-12 PM ($65) tickets

💵 Bakehouse Steakhouse - Bottomless Wine & Dine 90-min dinner ($69 pp) menu

🍻🍽️ Stony Creek Brewing - Live music 6-9 PM info

💵 Racehorse Hotel - Flip the Switch (rock/hip hop) 6:30 PM ($17.35) tickets

🍻🍽️ Falvey's Nightclub - Disney vs Nickelodeon Dance Party 7 PM (18+, VIP) more info

💵 Banshees Bar - Ghoul's Birthday Bash ($12) tickets

Saturday (26 July)

🆓 St Luke's Rosewood - Markets 7-11 AM info

🆓 QPS Open Day, Wacol - Open Day 9 AM-2 PM more info

💵 Summerland Camels, Harrisville - Bush Festival ($10) details

🆓 Robelle Domain Springfield - Witches Night Market 1-8 PM info

💵 Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna - Blues Arcadia farewell 4-7 PM info

💵 Ipswich Football Club - Arbantone Vibe Dinner Party 6 PM ($50) info

💵 Springlake Hotel - Elvis tribute 7 PM ($30) tickets

💵 Cambrian Hall - Christmas in July trivia 7 PM details

Sunday (27 July)

🆓 Orion, Main Street - Springfield Markets 8 AM-4 PM info

🆓 Opossum Creek Rehab Site - National Tree Day weeding 8:30-11 AM details

🆓 Providence Community Hub - Restorative Yoga 10-11:30 AM more info

💵 Creative Hearts Co, Brookwater - Young CEOs workshop 10:30 AM-12:30 PM ($35) tickets

🆓 Marburg Racing Venue - Family trots day 11 AM-8 PM

💵 Ipswich Turf Club - Race Day noon more info

💵 Swanbank Station - QLD Pioneer Steam Railway ride 1:30 PM details

Monday (28 July)

🆓 Citrine Spaces, Top of Town - Walking group 9-10 AM info

Tuesday (29 July)

💵 General Public, Nicholas St - Bowling league ($25) info

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