News and Media

20 July 2011

Making the switch to Ipswich
Ipswich is centrally located in the booming South East Queensland region of Australia. To the East is the capital city Brisbane, and to the West are the rural and agricultural areas of Brisbane and the Lockyer and Fassifern Valleys. The city is ideally positioned on the national road network – a 40 minute drive from Brisbane, an hour’s drive from the Gold Coast and 60 minutes drive from domestic and international air and sea ports.  RAAF Base Amberley is located only 8km from Ipswich along the Cunningham Highway, 50km south-west of Brisbane. Travelling time from RAAF Base Amberley by car to Ipswich is approximately 10 minutes. Travelling from Ipswich to Brisbane by train takes approximately 45 minutes.
The majority of suburbs in Ipswich are an ideal location to live.  However, some suburbs are outside the permitted 30km radius and require Defence approval before Defence families can select them.
Ipswich has a long association with RAAF Base Amberley, which continues to grow and strengthen. The base is an important part of Ipswich’s identity and plays a vital role within the city. What makes the Ipswich–RAAF Amberley relationship unique is the many retiring military personnel who have chosen to stay and make Ipswich their permanent home.   The RAAF base is only a 10 minute drive from Ipswich (8km along the Cunningham Highway).
Ipswich hosts a large number of free or low-cost family events like school holiday programs, movies in the park, and annual Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations. There is a world-class library and art gallery, and over 500 parks where families can play and have a picnic or barbecue.  There is also a variety of weekend markets in the region.
In terms of climate, Ipswich enjoys subtropical conditions, allowing outdoor leisure all year round. Average temperatures are 26°C in summer and 13°C in winter. Rainfall is concentrated in the warmer months, and between May and September cooler, dry weather prevails.
Ipswich offers over 40 state primary schools and seven state high schools, with many of the combined schools offering pre-school. There are also more than 25 private schools and colleges.
In addition, Ipswich has one university which is part of the University of Queensland and there are three TAFE colleges in the region.

There are several hospitals (public and private) in the area, as well as numerous medical centres, child health clinics, and pharmacies. 
There are a range of child care facilities in the Ipswich region, including one located adjacent to the RAAF base.  There is also a toy library and a playgroup at Amberley.
People enjoy living here because Ippy (as the locals call it) has a large country town feel about it and a strong sense of community.