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December 1977 - Queensland Times
Ho ho ho! Charity was in the air in December 1977. The charitable residents of Ipswich donated their best beer and food for families and dads in need. Apex Australia visited Ipswich General Hospital while politician Bill Hayden visited Ipswich City Council workers before workplace health and safety was invented (at least they had shoes on).
It was a month of duos! Mickey Mouse and Santa held a Christmas party while former mayor James Finimore and current mayor George Hastings attended the opening of The Mary Ellen Hotel. Ipswich General Hospital was extended and Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser visited Ipswich to drink our finest beer (which he also did in November).
Just because it was Christmas that doesn't mean our tradies weren't busy. Ipswich General Hospital was extended, No. 2 Bell Street was near completion and the bridge on Cook Street was demolished.
And boy was Santa busy. He visited Ipswich General Hospital, Claremont Special School, Kambu and Brisbane Street. Wait a second... Who is that? It looks like watermelon Santa also visited Brisbane Street. All of those watermelons must have made fantastic pavlovas!
But that's only a snippet of everything that had happened in such a busy month. Explore the images below to see more stories that the Queensland Times was writing about in December 1977.