As part of the Ipswich Galvanized Festival, which celebrates Ipswich’s heritage of all forms, the Engineering Heritage Queensland group organised a tour of significant engineering sites in the area. 

The tour saw engineers and members of the public visit 17 heritage sites over four stops around central and north Ipswich. 

On board the bus, various members provided engineering information on the sites being visited, with extra detail being given at Sadliers Crossing rail bridge, the Klondyke coke ovens and the Ipswich and Rosewood Coalminers’ Memorial. 

The tour was based on the Engineering Heritage Ipswich walk/drive booklet, put together by the Engineering Heritage Committee in QLD (EHQ) in conjunction with Judith Nissen. The booklet and tour are a result of the committee’s hard work to research each location over more than a year. 

Queensland President Joseph Tam provided opening words for the tour, as he was unable to attend in person, thanking tour guide Judith Nissen and Brian Becconsall, Brian King and Ken Grubb from the committee. 

“Engineering heritage is more than just a reflection of the past, it is a testament to human ingenuity, creativity and adaptability. As you embark on this tour, I encourage you to immerse yourself in the history, appreciate the craftsmanship and let the innovations of the past inspire you,” he wrote. 

The local residents on the tour remarked that they passed the sites every day or so without ever thinking of the engineering involved – so now they better appreciate the work that had gone into developing them. 

Our engineering heritage membership groups and volunteers across the country play an important role to increase the recognition of the value of engineering in society. 

Engineers Australia would like to thank the whole Engineering Heritage Queensland committee for organising this event. More information about the Engineering Heritage Ipswich walk/drive booklet is available online. 

If you would like to connect with others interested in engineering heritage join the Engineering Heritage Australia (EHA) group on EA Xchange. On EA Xchange you can chat to likeminded engineers in the Engineering Heritage forum and keep up with the latest EHA updates.