Today we’re doing a lap of Pommer Street in Brassall, fresh off its Best Street win in Ipswich’s Christmas Lights Competition, then sharing a holiday hours cheat sheet so you don’t get caught out by closures around town. All the details below. Merry Christmas, and thanks for reading and replying each week.
🎄 Peek behind the scenes of Ipswich’s “Best Street” winners in the Christmas Lights Comp: Pommer St
Pommer St in Brassall (24, 26 and 32) won Best Street in Ipswich’s Christmas Lights Comp this year.
We got a behind-the-scenes look at 24 and 26. Here’s what “winning” actually looks like.
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Spend: tens of thousands of dollars in decorations.
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Setup: 8 weeks before switch-on (24 and 26).
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Pack-down: 2-3 weeks back into boxes and storage.
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Scale: 300+ powered light sets and plug-pack items per main house.
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Power: 50+ powerboards across 24 and 26.
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Reality: zoning, labelling, weather protection, endless Bunnings trips, and late-night fixes when something trips.
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Maintenance: lights come off mid-December just to trim hedges, then go back up.
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For families: 26 nights lights-on (30 Nov–25 Dec) and 1,000 glow sticks for visitors.
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Prize: $500 and a council “Best Street” sign.
This kind of effort is happening right across Ipswich. Every great lights house is pouring heaps of time and money into December (plus November and January) so kids and families can have a magic night out.
Go behind the scenes →
Merry Christmas, Ipswich 🎄
Thanks for a huge year. It has been a blast researching and writing 41 issues of Ipswich Insider. For this newsletter (#041), we’ve grown to exactly 6,701 locals reading. I read every single email reply and love hearing your Ipswich stories.
If Ipswich Insider saved you time this year, or gave you some level of enjoyment, shouting me a coffee is the simplest way to support it. It helps cover the software costs and the hours behind the weekly events, headlines, and guides.
Wishing you a safe, relaxed Christmas and a cracking New Year. Cheers – Jamey
🎁 Shout a Christmas Coffee →
⏰ Your Ipswich Holiday Hours Cheat Sheet
I pulled together the confirmed holiday trading hours across Ipswich so you do not get stuck at a closed door.
Quick answers for groceries, coffee, chemists, bottle shops, and the big centres, across 24 Dec, 25 Dec, 26 Dec, 31 Dec, and 1 Jan.
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Christmas Eve: most big retailers shut at 6pm, bottle shops trading later.
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Christmas Day: a handful of places are still open, including an IGA, a few cafes and booking essential restauraunts.
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Boxing Day + New Year’s Day: mostly open, shorter hours.
Open the cheat sheet →
📚 NEW: Rev Arthur Trevor Foote’s expanded Footprints in Ipswich History is out now. It traces the Foote family and Ipswich City Joinery, with loads of historic photos and local detail.
Trevor and his daughter Juanita live at 26/24 Pommer St and took me on a walk-through of their 2025 Best Street Christmas Lights houses.
Less than 200 copies of the new expanded edition are left, so if you love the heritage stuff in Ipswich Insider, you’ll love this book. Let’s rally behind locals who put in this kind of effort researching and documenting Ipswich history and sell them out to make his Christmas.
$25 posted. Order: footearthur@gmail.com or text 0409 889 386. Email Trevor your details here →
🗳️ Last Week's Poll Results
What are you most likely to say to a cashier at the shops before you leave?
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72% Thanks
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20% Have a good one
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8% Cheers
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0% Ta
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0% Too easy
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0% No worries
233 participants – Thank you for voting!
| What was Ipswich's coldest ever Christmas Day max temp? |
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🧩 Scramble
Unscramble your GuessWhere hint
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.
🏟️ Ipswich Sprinter Gout Gout Named Australian Athletics Male Junior Athlete Of The Year
Australian Athletics named Gout Gout its 2025 Male Junior Athlete of the Year, citing performances including his 20.02-second 200m in Ostrava. The Ipswich Grammar School sprinter won the national junior honour after a season assessed from 1 January to 30 November 2025. Australian Athletics →
🌳 Enviroplan Report Highlights 32-Hectare South Ripley Conservation Purchase
Council's 2024-25 Enviroplan progress report says $5,478,476 was spent, including buying 32 hectares at South Ripley in March 2025 and turning it into a conservation estate. The purchase strengthens a wildlife corridor between Flinders-Goolman and White Rock-Spring Mountain, adding protected habitat for species including koalas. Ipswich City Council →
🚧 Purga School Road Bridge Upgrade Hits Major Milestone In $7.9m Project
Bridge deck units have been installed on the new Purga School Road bridge as part of Ipswich City Council's $7.9m bridge and 1.6km road upgrade, due for completion by late April 2026. The project replaces the ageing single-lane timber bridge with a two-lane concrete crossing, improving access and flood resilience for Purga commuters. Ipswich City Council → 🚨 Springfield Chosen For New HOPE Hub Supporting Domestic Violence Victim-Survivors
The Queensland Government announced Orion Springfield Central will host one of three new HOPE Hubs, set to open in early 2026, backed by $7.8 million over five years. Run by Beyond DV, the hub will connect victim-survivors to wrap-around support, including trauma-informed programs and housing, legal and financial help. Queensland Government → 🎓 Council Signs $4.5m Maxima Deal For Apprenticeships And Traineeships
Ipswich City Council signed a new agreement with Maxima Training Group worth $4.5 million over three years, with an option to extend for two more years. The deal is expected to provide at least 15 apprenticeship or traineeship placements within council each year. Ipswich City Council →
Quick-fire snippets—local buzz & chatter:
Events Labels:
🆓 Free entry
🍻🍽️ Free, buy food/drink
💵 Ticketed
Wednesday (24 December)
💵 Ipswich Turf Club - Race day 12-5pm info
🆓 St Paul’s Anglican Church - Family Service 5:30pm / Midnight Mass 11:30pm
🆓 St Mary’s Catholic Church - Family Vigil 6pm / Midnight Mass 11:30pm
🆓 Ipswich Lutheran Church - Services: St John’s 4:30pm, Bethany 5:30pm, Grace 7pm
🆓 Hope Centre Springfield - Christmas Eve Service 6:30pm
🍻🍽️ CSI Ipswich - Hot Box Night 5pm-8:30pm info
Thursday (25 December)
🎄 Merry Christmas to you and yours! Friday (26 December)
🏏 The Ashes Boxing Day Test (Aus vs Eng) - starts at 9:30am AEST (Live on Ch 7/Kayo) info Saturday (27 December)
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Sunday (28 December)
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Monday (29 December)
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💵 Springfield YMCA - Ipswich Thriving Seniors Gentle Exercise 9:30-10:30 AM ($5) info
Tuesday (30 December)
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🎆 New Year's Eve Events:
31 Dec – NYE Twilight Picnic in the Park, Providence Market Green details
31 Dec – 80s/90s New Years Eve Party, Brothers Leagues Club details
31 Dec – New Years Eve Beach Party, Orion Hotel info
31 Dec - NYE 2025 Live Music, Hotel Commonwealth details
31 Dec – Springfield Central Fireworks (9pm), Springfield Central Sports Complex info
31 Dec – South Ripley Fireworks (9pm), Ironbark Park (South Ripley Sports Fields) info
31 Dec – Ipswich Central Fireworks (9pm), Limestone Park info
31 Dec – Rosewood Fireworks (9pm), Rosewood Showgrounds info
31 Dec – Goodna Fireworks (9pm), Evan Marginson Park info
31 Dec – Cowboy Countdown, Club Parkview details
31 Dec – Back to the 80’s Party, Club Services Ipswich details
31 Dec – NYE Karaoke, Mihi Tavern details
All upcoming events →
🧩 This Week's Answers
Scramble Answer: POMMER STREET
Pommer Street, Brassall, honours Harry Pommer, a Swedish-born Ipswich entrepreneur. In the 1890s he helped run the North Ipswich Ice and Butter Factory, supplying locals before household refrigeration became common.
GuessWhere Answer:
📍Taken from Pommer Street looking at #24 Pommer St Christmas Lights display.
This Week's Trivia Answer:
c) It maxxed at just 22.8°C in 2006 on Christmas day.
📊 Last Week's Results
The Trivia:
What did it cost to build the David Trumpy Bridge in 1965
Trivia #040
176 participants
❌ A.) $150,000 — 14% guessed wrong
✅ B.) $1.5 million — 62% guessed right
❌ C.) $15 million — 23% guessed wrong
❌ D.) $150 million — 1% guessed wrong
📍 GuessWhere:
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Players: 189
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Average guess distance: 1.1 km
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Farthest guess: 14.6 km
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Closest guess: 1m (wowzers!)
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