Colonisation & Dispossession

The history of Ipswich has many forgotten elements, including the dispossession of people, from our First Nations peoples to many people with varied backgrounds and circumstances who came to the area from 1827 onwards.

Limestone (Ipswich) had a large 'former convict' population after free settlement in 1842, with ticket of leave holders staying or moving into the district. Between 1848 and 1850, young women orphaned by the famine in Ireland, arrived in Australia, settling in cities and towns throughout Australia, including Ipswich.

The arrival of Chinese immigrants to the area saw an escalation of tension and prejudice in the community. This minority group were the recipients of attack in some instances, and they were referred to in the newspapers of 1848 as 'these yellow and beastly strangers'.

South Sea Islander men, the majority of whom had been forcibly taken from their homelands, worked for farmers and businessmen, including properties such as Woodlands at Marburg and the Bremer Mills at Bundamba.

The Sandy Gallop Asylum (later the Challinor Centre) was established in 1878 as a branch of the Woogaroo Asylum at Goodna, as a large institution for people with mental illness. Initially, it was intended to house elderly people from Dunwich and to relieve congestion in hospitals, but this quickly changed. People were placed into these institutions for many reasons and from many areas. The story of what became the Challinor Centre is the story of people who were removed from a home environment or another institution.

The Deebing Creek Mission was established as an Aboriginal reserve at South Deebing Creek Road, Purga between 1892 and 1914. It was relocated further out of town, to Purga in 1914, until its closure in 1948. People at the mission included traditional owners and First Nations people from around Queensland.

During World War I and World War II, Prisoner of War Camps were established in Australia and people considered to be 'enemy aliens' who were born in a foreign country such as Germany or Italy, or who were first generation Australians whose parents were from a country thought be the enemy, could have been interred in one of these camps.

With assistance from the community we hope that these stories and experiences can be told and shared. You can select upload in the left hand menu to add photographs or contact us directly for assistance.

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