Ipswich Heritage Program

A vision to protect historic places for future generations led to the creation of a Heritage Action Plan for Ipswich. On 14 June 1990, Ipswich City Council adopted the Plan and made a commitment to the most ambitious heritage action then undertaken in Queensland and one of the most ambitious heritage programs undertaken anywhere in Australia. It is notable that this approach was implemented prior to the enactment of state heritage legislation.

Goal

The goal of the Ipswich Heritage Program, as adopted by Council on 14 June 1990 was 'to identify places of cultural significance within the City of Ipswich and to encourage their conservation'.

Foci

The four key foci of the program were:

1. The identification, documentation, analysis and protection of places of cultural heritage significance through a comprehensive and integrated package of cultural heritage provisions in the Ipswich Planning Scheme with over 7000 places protected, including individually listed places as well as houses and buildings in defined character areas. Central to the integration of heritage matters in the Ipswich Planning Scheme was the inclusion of “heritage registers” as a schedule to the Planning Scheme and the use of extensive heritage character zones. This enabled the heritage register and zones to be used in achieving desired conservation outcomes directly through the operation of the development provisions.
2. Educational activities including the Ipswich Heritage Adviser Service and the Heritage Information Kit for property owners, school teachers and students.
3. Raising awareness of the City’s heritage assets through promotional activities such as an Annual Heritage and Design Awards, Historical Markers and Heritage Trails.
4. The Ipswich Heritage Advisory Committee which was established to provide the Ipswich City Council with community input into its heritage initiatives.

REVISED PROGRAM 

The Heritage Program was revised in 2020 and a new focus was developed. The four key foci of the program remain relevant but with over thirty years of accomplishments in the heritage field it was time to review and reinvigorate the Ipswich Heritage Program.

Objective

The objective of the Ipswich Heritage Program is to identify, conserve and promote the history and heritage of Ipswich.

Key elements of the Heritage Program

• Heritage Consultation.
• Heritage Research and Interpretation.
• Heritage Promotion.
• Heritage Training and Education.
• Identification, documentation and protection of places of local cultural significance.

Ipswich Heritage Network Group

A key element of Heritage Consultation was the reestablishment a heritage group, the 'Ipswich Heritage Network Group' which is comprised of representatives of organisations and groups who were members of the former Ipswich Heritage Consultative Committee.

Heritage Program Theme

The revised Heritage Program includes a theme based on Ipswich Architects, builders and tradesmen. Using this one theme a range of projects could evolve including research resulting in:

• An online resource of documents for individual Architects, Builders and Tradespeople.
• Heritage Trails (printed, audio, online).
• School resources.
• Interpretative materials.
• A new range of Colouring Ipswich pages.