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Today we're stopping in at Gwennap, the heritage-listed brick homestead that's been part of St Michael's Nursing Home on Chermside Rd since the 1950s. We've updated the Ipswich Incline Index with 5 new steep streets. Finally, we're diving into a jam-packed Saturday with 18 local events. All the details below. Catch ya round. Gwennap (St Michael’s Nursing Home) at a GlanceHere’s Gwennap—the great brick house built by an Ipswich timber merchant. It sits opposite Queens Park tennis courts, you may know it as Lilliput Caring or St Michael's Nursing Home. Quick history:
What's cool:
By the numbers:
It's easy to overlook, but once you notice it, you'll realise this old brick beauty quietly holds a special place in Ipswich history. ⛰️ Ipswich Incline Index – updated with 5 new streetsA few months ago we mapped Ipswich's 10 steepest streets. Since then you have sent in heaps of tips on Facebook and Instagram. We ran the new streets through Google Earth Pro, checked them on the ground, and 5 new streets were steep enough to join the list – including 2 that now sit ahead of the Denmark Hill climbs. That brings the Index to 15 streets in total, and we have added a single leaderboard infographic so you can see all the rankings at a glance. Keep sending in suggestions and we will keep logging them. Want a poster here? Details → Hands on metal clay workshop with Ipswich artist Rebekah Walkarden at Sketchy Stuff Studios, Churchill. Turn soft clay into real metal jewellery in a relaxed Friday night class. Have a go → Rising Sun Hotel, Rare 1908 architectural drawings for Rosewood’s Rising Sun Hotel, by Ipswich architect Will Haenke, show the original two storey corner pub with turreted roof, wraparound verandahs and big bar and billiard room. Discover more → Dinmore: Home to Australia's Biggest Meatworks – JBS Dinmore sits on a 99 hectare site beside the Bremer River and is Australia's largest beef processing plant. It supports more than 1,800 local jobs and drives around $300 million a year in economic output for the Ipswich region. Discover more → $2.4m (est.) Karalee – grand 7 bed private riverfront estate on 2.4 acres with deep water access, huge entertainer decks, tennis court, spa and fruit trees, multi-gen layout plus subdivision upside. See full listing → 🗳️ Vote
🗳️ Last Week's Poll ResultsRight outside Ipswich, which area do you like most?
195 participants 🤔 Trivia
🧩 ScrambleUnscramble your GuessWhere hint📍 GuessWhereHow 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. Ipswich, GuessWhere →🏭 Odour-Hit Cell 3B Landfill Finally Shuts At New ChumCleanaway’s New Chum landfill, including the odour-hit Cell 3B, closed to new waste on 28 November 2025 after its final cell was filled, with the site now moving into remediation and rehabilitation. Residents in Riverview, Collingwood Park and nearby suburbs have lodged odour complaints for years, so the shutdown directly affects daily life in Ipswich’s east. Cleanaway → 🏟️ Ipswich Secures Olympic Venue Status And 2032 Legacy ProjectsBrighton Homes Arena in Springfield was confirmed in the state’s 2032 Delivery Plan as an Olympic competition venue, with Ipswich’s Leveraging 2032 roadmap reporting 59 actions and council escalating key Games legacy projects. For locals, having a confirmed Games venue and legacy agenda means decisions on transport upgrades, sports facilities and pre-Games training camps will shape Ipswich’s growth. Ipswich First → 🚧 Work Starts On $73.6 Million Ripley Road UpgradeConstruction has started on the $73.6 million Ripley Road and Fischer Road upgrade, rebuilding about 3km of roadway in three stages, with stage one between the Cunningham Highway and Monterea Road due by 2027. The upgrade aims to ease congestion for 22,000 vehicles using Ripley Road and help unlock about 11,000 new homes across the Ripley Valley. Shape Your Ipswich Video Fly-through → 🚗 New Landslip At Springfield’s Exit 33 Rekindles Traffic FearsState MP Charis Mullen reported another, smaller landslide at Springfield’s Centenary Highway Exit 33 this week, with Transport and Main Roads assessing the slope and advising a ramp closure may again be needed. After months of earlier closures from the January landslide, Springfield and Ripley commuters fear fresh disruptions and detours if Exit 33 traffic is restricted again. Facebook (Photo in comments) → 🌳 Council Flags Major Long Term Spending To Fix Mowing BacklogIpswich City Council has outlined a new grounds maintenance contract that will expand mowing contractors from two to 10 across 8,500 hectares and 550 sites, worth $60 million over 4.5 years with options to extend. The plan targets mowing backlogs and maintenance of new buy-back parks, designed to deliver care for sports fields, verges and open spaces as Ipswich grows. Ipswich City Council Meeting Minute → Quick-fire snippets—local buzz & chatter:
Advertise your event to 6,500 locals: Let's chat Events Labels:🆓 Free entry Wednesday (3 December)🍻🍽️ Ipswich Turf Club - race day 12 PM details 💵 Springfield YMCA - Ipswich Thriving Seniors Choir 1-2 PM ($5) full thriving seniors calendar 🍻🍽️ Banshees Bar and Artspace - Open Mic 6 PM info 🍻🍽️ General Public - Trivia 6:30 PM info 🍻🍽️ Hotel Commonwealth - Music Bingo 7-9 PM info Thursday (4 December)🆓 Ipswich Central Library - Carols in the library 10-11am details 🆓 Bunnings, West Ipswich - Christmas Family Event 5-7pm info 🍻🍽️ Club Services Ipswich - Trivia 6:30 PM info 🍻🍽️ Orion Hotel - Trivia 7-10 PM ($1) details Friday (5 December)🍻🍽️ Orion Hotel - Live music 4pm-close info 💵 Ipswich State High School Performing Arts Centre - Westside Legends concert 6-8:30 PM ($15-25) tickets 🍻🍽️ Stony Creek Brewing - Live music: Just Jamie 6-9 PM info 💵 CSI - Club Services Ipswich - 30th anniversary 7-10 PM ($15) tickets 💵 Banshees Bar & Artspace - Dead Head Redemption, Lewin Grimley & The Broken Strings and Damien J Johnson 7-11 PM ($11) info Saturday (6 December)🆓 Nicholas St Precinct - Handmade Expo Christmas Extravaganza 8am-noon details 💵 Goodna Neighbourhood House - Lego workshop (kids) 9 AM ($30) info 🆓 Queensland Raceway - XMAS Bash, all day events info 🍻🍽️ Stony Creek Brewing - 12 beers of Christmas 12-8 PM info 💵 Camira Courts - Social Badminton 12:30-2:30 PM ($9.50) book fast 💵 Ipswich Civic Centre - The Art of Emotion 1 PM ($29-$39) tickets 🍻🍽️ The Rosewood Hotel - Rosewood Rocks Music Festival 3pm details 💵 Ipswich Showgrounds - Enchanted Christmas 4-9pm ($5) details 🆓 Marburg Showgrounds - Marburg Christmas Carnival 4-8pm info 🆓 Top of Town, Ipswich - Xmas Lapz with Santa 5-9pm info 💵 NY Dance Studio, Raceview - Pizza Party 5-7:30 PM ($10) tickets 💵 George Hogg Performance Venue, East Ipswich - Holiday Harmonies 6 PM ($15-35) info 💵 Soul Nook, Marburg - sunset sound healing 6-7 PM ($32) tickets 🍻🍽️ Stony Creek Brewing - Live music: Kayla Rose 6-9 PM info 💵 Springfield Lakes YMCA - Christmas trivia night 6-9 PM ($20-$30) info 💵 North Ipswich Bowls Club - Dancing with the Queens 6-9:30 PM ($25+) tickets 🆓 Bundamba Salvos - Christmas Concert 6:30pm info 🆓 Brothers Leagues Club - Elvis tribute show 9:30-11:59 PM info Sunday (7 December)🆓 Robelle Domain Parklands - Springfield Christmas Markets 8am-1pm info 💵 Ipswich Turf Club - Art Dolls of Australia Convention 9 AM-3 PM more info 💵 Ipswich Civic Centre - Under the Sea cheer and dance 9:30 AM ($15-$37.50) details 🆓 Heritage Poultry Farm, Moggill - Sunday Farm Day 10am-12:30pm info 🆓 Cityhope Church, Ripley - Tree Lighting Festival 6:30pm details 🆓 Wildey St, Raceview - Community Carols under the BIG TREE 7-8:30pm info Monday (8 December)🆓 New Adventure Walk Weekly - Coffee walk (free) w/Kez @thingstodoIpswich 9am follow her page for details Tuesday (9 December)🍻🍽️ Hotel Metropole - Trivia 7pm info 😎 Top 5 Upcoming Events:12 Dec - Rosewood Christmas Festival, Rosewood Showgrounds info 12-21 Dec - Christmas in Ipswich, Nicholas St Precinct info 13 Dec - Ripley Markets Christmas Edition details 13 Dec - Springfield Carols, Robelle Domain info 14 Dec - 30th Annual Toy Run, Brassall Shopping Centre info All upcoming events →🧩 This Week's AnswersScramble Answer: COMMERCIAL HOTELThe Commercial Hotel, a 1917 timber pub by architect Will Haenke, sits right on the edge of Timothy Molony Oval, looking over the jacaranda-lined green to St Mary’s. Forced to close as a bar in 2022 after council safety action, its freehold sold in April 2024 (est. $700k) and the landmark now waits on a new use. GuessWhere Answer:📍Taken from Timothy Molony Oval in Woodend looking at the Old Commercial Hotel. This Week's Trivia Answer:b) Illegal parking on footpath – 549 requests. This service request accounted for 10% of all customer service requests. Abandoned vehicle compliance – 423. Illegal dumping investigation – 412. Unregistered dog – 398. 📊 Last Week's ResultsThe Trivia:For much of the 1900s, Ipswich's West Moreton coalfield was mainly:147 participants ❌ A.) A decent-sized local coalfield — 10% guessed wrong ✅ B.) A major state-level coal producer — 48% guessed correct ❌ C.) Australia's premier coalfield — 42% guessed wrong 📍 GuessWhere:GuessWhere #037
—Jamey (Facebook · Instagram)
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