Becoming A City (1900s-1910s)

Ipswich at the start of the 20th Century
The town of Ipswich entered the 20th century with confidence. The 1890s had been marked by devastating floods, a severe financial depression and uncertainties about the effects of Federation. Although these uncertainties continued, the new century also brought exciting new possibilities. Technology was making an impact on everyday life as the first motor cars appeared in the streets, telephones were installed and the first moving pictures entertained audiences. Women gained the vote without suffragette-style conflict and general working conditions improved.

Queen Victoria, for so long a symbol of permanence and stability, died in January 1901 after a reign of more than 60 years and a new king took her place. In Ipswich, as in the rest of Australia, loyalty to Britain and its monarch remained strong and large public events marked the royal funeral and subsequent coronation. Ipswich people were taking part in Australia’s first overseas conflict, the Boer War, and had gained a greater sense of their own place in world affairs. Colonel Deacon, several times Mayor of Ipswich, was one of the volunteers.

Some migrants were still arriving at the Immigration Depot at North Ipswich and in December 1900, four young women from the ship Jumna were in residence, hoping to gain employment as housemaids or nursery-maids.

The most obvious sign of early 20th century confidence in Ipswich was a minor building boom. People complained in 1900 that builders were so busy that “some little difficulty is experienced in getting them to give prices for small jobs”. Large projects which would usually have produced tenders from numerous contractors were now lucky to receive three or four quotes. Houses were being built in great numbers and new estates were opened up – even the historic old Grange racecourse site at Raceview was sold off for subdivision in 1901. Some of the new houses at this time were small rental properties built by investors but others were major residences including Fairy Knoll, completed in 1901. Many existing houses were also being renovated or “embellished” by their owners.

Several of the town’s landmark public buildings were constructed during this period. Arguably the most impressive of them all was the new St Mary’s Church. Preparations began in 1900, when a new brick hall was built to provide a temporary place of worship. The old stone church completed in 1860 was then demolished and work on the new church began. It was to be a church of cathedral proportions, based on a design by the architect F.D.G. Stanley but supervised by Brisbane stone mason and contractor Patrick Nugent. For several years, people watched as the church gradually took shape and it was finally opened and blessed in October 1904. [1]