Welcome from Mayor Paul Pisasale
This year Ipswich is sharing our story with the rest of Australia during our sesquicentenary year. It is 150 years since we were proclaimed a municipality in 1860 when the district population was just 3000.
Ipswich's birthday year in 2010 allows us to celebrate an important chapter in local history as we acknowledge a century and a half of development and the building of a city we know today. It is a year to celebrate what we love about our city, pay tribute to the past and build on our desires and dreams for the future.
Centrepiece of those celebrations is the annual Ipswich Festival which is recognised as one of the fastest growing festivals in Queensland. It is a major highlight and signature event for Ipswich. The festival provides us with a chance to showcase the many wonderful attributes of the region, not only locally, but also throughout Queensland and the nation.
Our city is our home and the Festival fosters and encourages an atmosphere which brings families together to enjoy the many free attractions. Each year we also encourage and welcome visitors to join together with local residents for fun, music and free family entertainment. Queens Park and the Ipswich Nature Centre are also popular destinations during the Festival.
Ipswich's talented performers are showcased in a spectacular program of staged events supported by nationally recognised artists. Ipswich is a city with a beating cultural heart and soul and the festival is a major contributor to our feeling of well-being.
In our 150th year it is also important to thank the sponsors. They are critical to the success of the festival. Please support sponsors wherever possible and thank them for their generous support. Welcome to the 2010 Ipswich Festival.
Mayor Paul Pisasale
City of Ipswich
