| Ipswich Town Hall | |
|---|---|
 Old Ipswich Town Hall, 2017 (note the blank clock face) | |
| Location | 116 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia |
| Coordinates | 27°36′53″S 152°45′33″E / 27.6147°S 152.7591°E |
| Design period | 1840s–1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | 1861–1879 |
| Architect | James Percy Owen Cowlishaw |
| Architectural style(s) | Classicism |
| Official name | Old Town Hall, Mechanics School of Arts, School of Arts |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600566 |
| Significant period | 1860s–1870s, c. 1941 (fabric) 1860s–1980s (historical, social) |
| Significant components | council chamber/meeting room, tower - clock, office/s, proscenium arch, hall |
  Location of Ipswich Town Hall in Queensland | |
Old Ipswich Town Hall is a heritage-listed former town hall at 116 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by James Percy Owen Cowlishaw and built from 1861 to 1879. It is also known as Mechanics School of Arts and the School of Arts. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.[1][2]
Since its inception in 1861 the building has had many uses, and several extensions. The old town hall was originally the Ipswich School of Arts, incorporating a library and meeting rooms. The façade of the building fronting Brisbane Street dates from 1864 and is 2 stories of brick with render finish and rich decoration.
The Ipswich Town Council assumed control of the building in 1869 when the School of Arts committee experienced financial problems. By 1892 it was felt that the town hall was too small and an extension was designed by well-known architect George Brockwell Gill who is responsible for many beautiful and heritage listed buildings in Ipswich.
In the late 19th century and first half of the 20th century the hall was used for adult education classes, staging of plays and concerts, boxing tournaments, immunisation clinics, and the Red Cross Chelsea Flower Show. During the 1940s dances were a big drawcard. The hall closed to the public and became council offices in 1969.
- ^ "Old Town Hall (entry 600566)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
Text may have been copied from this source, which is available under a Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
- ^ "Ipswich Heritage Study".
