Former State Government Insurance Office, Brisbane Street, Ipswich

In Ipswich, SGIO was first located at 205 Brisbane street, before moving to new premises at 134 Brisbane Street in 1958. This new office was constructed on the former site of the A.C.B. Sell for Less Store.

The building was designed by the Government Architect, J. R. Way who started his training in the office of the Government Architect. Way commenced as an assistant architect in the architectural branch of the Department of Public Works in 1934.

He progressed to Assistant Chief Architect and Chief Quantity Surveyor and in 1951 was appointed Acting Chief Architect and Acting Quantity Surveyor. The following year, Way was appointed Chief Architect and Chief Quantity surveyor. He retired from the office in 1958 and was succeeded by E. J. A. Weller.

A photograph of the Ipswich Office appears on page 74 of ‘Buildings of Queensland’, 1959 published by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects to record architecture in Queensland. The forward reads:

 
"This is a story of Queensland expressed in the bricks and stones of its buildings. They tell of pioneers inspired by memories who fashioned comely shelter from crude materials. They tell of belief in the future of a country new to statehood. They tell of wars and depressions and blighted crops as they tell of progress and expansion. They tell of a modern people ready to apply means and methods of contemporary building, of architects who design them and of the industry that makes modern building possible.

The sculpture on the external facade appears to be mining related. It could be the work of Queensland Artist, Len Shillam who worked with his partner Kath on many civic sculptures in South East Queensland.