The Heavenly Garb of Ipswich

I've always liked Ipswich. As a city it seems to take its heritage a lot more seriously than neighbouring Brisbane (where I live) does. Maybe its the underdog theme, but it is obvious that the people of Ipswich see heritage as a way to raise the profile of Queensland's oldest provincial city and make it a great place to come and visit for those of us who appreciate a bit of history. It takes care of its old buildings and celebrates them, whereas Brisbane shows off a select few and screws the rest in the name of making a quick $ (the most recent example being the Regent Cinema). I also appreciate the down-to-earth working-class nature of the place too, having been raised on a council estate myself.

So it was a particular pleasure for BRGHS president Tracey Olivieri and myself to pick up the cheque this week for the 2011 'Viva Cribb Bursary'. This bursary is awarded each year to a project that fosters an appreciation of the local history and heritage of Ipswich. It is named in honour of Viva Cribb, a dedicated champion of history in Ipswich and a great-granddaughter of Benjamin Cribb, a notable early resident of the city.

Tracey receives the cheque from Cllr Pahlke

Our project involves the research, writing and publication of a book called In Heavenly Garb: The Headstones of the Ipswich General Cemetery. This work follows on from our Rock of Ages: South Brisbane Symbolism (2008). The aim is to not only explain and display (in colour) the rich headstone symbolism that can be found within the cemetery, but to use those stones to tell the story of colonial Ipswich.

Tracey already has an extensive knowledge of the cemetery from her work as Lead Project Officer on a recent heritage cemeteries project with the Ipswich City Council, and is familiar with each and every headstone in this and other burial grounds around the city. We have now begun selecting and photographing the stones that will feature in the book, and researching the lives of the people buried beneath them. Each cemetery is a unique reflection of the place they serve. Long-forgotten names remind us who lived there in harder times, how long they lived, and maybe where they came from and how they died. The Welsh, Hebrew and German inscriptions on some of the Ipswich headstones, and the Chinese names in the 'Pagan' section of the cemetery, point to the varied ethnic history of the town.  

A blackmith's headstone, Ipswich Cemetery

Headstone of a native of the Isle of Man, Ipswich Cemetery

It will be great to work on a full-colour book for the first time, and we intend to produce a really good publication that will be a credit to Ipswich. Hopefully, In Heavenly Garb will be just one of a growing number of publications focussing on this place, because it is clear that as we go through the 21st century Ipswich will become the preeminent Heritage City of Queensland.