Municipalities

The Colony of New South Wales passed the Municipalities Act 1857.  A meeting was soon held to launch a petition for Ipswich to become a Municipality, with this being granted on the 3rd March 1860.  The newly formed Colony of Queensland passed its own Municipalities Act 1864.

Divisional Boards

The Divisional Boards Act 1879 enabled local governments to form in any part of the Queensland Colony that was not already included in a municipality, with 74 new divisions being created, 7 of which would be in the Ipswich region.

Divisional Boards provided public services and amenities, including parks and reserves, cemeteries, libraries, recreational facilities, water and sanitation services, roads, bridges, wharves, street lighting, public health services, licenses and business registrations, markets and animals, town planning, and the control of noxious weeds and other pests. 

Boards were responsible for administering the Local Fund and property valuations for the purpose of determining and collecting rates.  They could pass by-laws within their jurisdiction, with the assent of the Governor-in-Council, and were required to submit an annual Statement of Revenue and Expenditure to the Minister. 

The Local Authorities Act 1902 abolished all divisional boards, creating instead city, town, and shire councils.

Shire Councils

The Local Authorities Act 1902 created Shires that performed the same function as the Divisional Boards they superseded.  The Shire Council was made up of a chairman, town clerk, and a number of other members.  The Council could appoint committees for special or general purposes, and appoint officers, who were paid for from the Local Fund.  The Minister would appoint an independent auditor to review financial statements and Council would submit an annual Statement of Revenue and Expenditure, which was published in the Government Gazette.

The local government boundaries were used for census collection, for police districts and pastoral districts. In 1879 the Divisional Boards Act created seventy-four new divisions not covered by the Act of 1864 or the Local Government Act of 1878. Since this time there have been many boundary changes, amalgamations and new divisions formed.

Brassall Shire was abolished 13th October 1916, with their last Council meeting held 3rd March 1917.  The area was divided between Ipswich Shire and Ipswich City Council.

When Bundanba Shire was abolished in 1916, the area was divided between Ipswich Shire and Ipswich City Council.

Mutdapilly Shire Council was abolished on 4th July 1905, with the area amalgamated into Rosewood Shire.

Normanby Shire was abolished on 29th January 1949 and divided between Moreton and Boonah Shires.

Formed from the former Purga Divisional Board, it became part of Ipswich Shire in 1916, although its Councillors remained in office until the 1917 council elections.

Rosewood Shire amalgamated with Mutdapilly Shire on 4th July 1905 to form a new Rosewood Shire.  It was later abolished in 1949, to be included in Moreton Shire.

In 1916, Walloon became part of the new Ipswich Shire, which was formed from parts of Brassall, Bundamba, Walloon, and Purga.  In 1917 it was renamed Moreton Shire.  Moreton Shire would amalgamate with Ipswich City Council in 1995.

City Council

Ipswich Town Council was formed on March 31st 1903.  When Ipswich was declared a city in 1904, the functions of the Ipswich Town Council were transferred to the new Ipswich City Council.