Heritage Architecture Tour with Mark Tendys, City Architect
Ipswich Art Gallery Brisbane Street Façade. Image by Louis Lim.
14 Sep 2025
Ipswich Art Gallery Brisbane Street Façade. Image by Louis Lim.
| Dates | Sunday 14 September |
|---|---|
| Times | 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM |
| Cost | FREE | Bookings Required |
| Booking | Please be sure to book via the link below |
| Age | Recommended for 12 years and over |
Delve into the hidden histories of Ipswich Art Gallery's building with Mark Tendys, City Architect.
Traverse the Gallery’s heritage-listed building to discover the architectural legacy and evolution of Queensland’s oldest Town Hall as the cultural hub of Ipswich.
Join Mark Tendys as he surveys the hidden facets and unique features of the building which reveal its previous uses over its 164 year history, and contribution to the life and character of its city.
Please meet at the Ipswich Art Gallery Information Desk.
Supported by Ipswich Festivals
Mark Tendys
Appointed as the inaugural City Architect for Ipswich City Council, Mark Tendys holds over 25 years of experience in architectural practice.
He is a strong advocate for preserving Ipswich’s unique heritage and character, championing a sustainable and strategic approach to the city’s urban growth and evolving development.
About our Building
Our heritage-listed building was originally the Mechanics’ School of Arts, built for a cost of 150 pounds and opened in 1861 by Governor Bowen. In 1864, the building was extended to the Brisbane Street frontage. By 1869, the Ipswich Municipal Council had moved in and the building became the Town Hall for the people of Ipswich.
For more than a century the Town Hall was a significant site in the public life of Ipswich, playing host to a gala dinner for the Prince of Wales in 1920, wartime dances for American armed forces in the 1940s and everything from roller-skating to immunisation clinics. It was even briefly home to the city’s department store after fire destroyed Reids in 1985.
In 1999, the building was renovated and extended, to again provide the cultural hub of the city. Heritage features have been restored, including the magnificent proscenium arch, scissor beam roof and arched windows. The hall, which was the hub of community life for over 100 years, has taken on a new life as a major public art gallery and museum.
Brisbane Street, looking towards Limestone Hill, Ipswich 1884 | Robyn Buchanan Collection, Ipswich Genealogical Society.
Courtesy Picture Ipswich, Ipswich City Council.
Interior of Town Hall, Brisbane Street, decorated for the visit of Prince Of Wales 1920.
Whitehead Studios
Ipswich Post Office and Art Gallery, Brisbane Street, Ipswich 1959 | Courtesy Picture Ipswich, Ipswich City Council.
Ipswich Art Gallery, d'Arcy Doyle Place Entrance. Image by Kelley Sheenan.