Historical BrynhyfrydCastle
sitewill formpartofopen
spacenetwork
11
Sitting grandly atopBlackstoneHill, the
historicBrynhyfrydCastlewas a grand
sight to see.
Although the castle is long gone,
IpswichCityCouncil recently
purchased the siteof the former castle
tobe included as part of the city’s
open spacenetwork.
Consultation is nowunderway for the
BlackstoneHillMaster Plan, with the
oldBrynhyfrydCastle land identified as
a strategic and important recreational,
tourist andhistorical site.
Thehistoric castlewas ownedby
Welsh-born industrial coalminer Lewis
Thomas.
Constructed in the late 1880s,
Brynhyfryd (meaning ‘pleasant hill’ in
Welsh) was built over three levelswith
a tower and includedbeautiful building
materials including importedmarble
fireplaces andmantles, welsh slate for
floors and roofing and vast quantities
of pine and cedarwood.
The grand castle’s contentswere sold
off and thebuildingdemolished in the
late 1930s owing toundergroundmining
making the landunstable.
A largepieceof urbanbushland,
IpswichCityCouncil purchased the
site from JuxgoldGroup/Blackstone
International Pty Ltd for $1, who gifted
the land to the city.
Council has beenworkingwith
neighbouring landowners in the area
andwith theBlackstoneHillMaster
Plan External ReferenceGroup,
which includes representatives from
mountainbiking, bushwalking, mining,
history, local residents, geology and the
natural environment groups.
Careful considerationwill nowbe
undertaken todeterminehow the
recreational parkwill bemanaged.
Local
Snapshots
Councillor BruceCasos looks at the remainsof thehistoricBrynhyfryd
Castle. Insert: BrynhyfrydCastleduring its glorydays.
TheBoovalOzNightMarkets areamust visit.
FreeplantsattheMobile
Nursery
Following the successof themobile
nurseries last yearwherewe saw an
increase in thenumber of people
accessing theprogram for thefirst
time, we look forward tooffering the
followingnurseries toyou in2015:
• GeorgePalmer Park, SealySt,
SilkstoneonMarch21
• JackBarkleyPark, GledsonSt,
NorthBooval onSeptember 12
• HudsonPark, BrisbaneRd, EbbwVale
onOctober 17
Ipswich residents areentitled to six
freeplants everyfinancial year as
part of council’s FreePlant Program.
Division4 residents can collect
their freeplants and catchupwith
Councillor BruceCasos at oneof the
MobileNursery visits in2015.
Churchparadetohonour
ANZACCentenary
BundambaANZACObservance
Committee is planning anumber of
special events to acknowledge the
CentenaryofANZAC. To start the
special centenaryyear, anecumenical
churchparadewill beheld at the
SalvationArmyBundamba from 5pm
onMarch8. Residents arewelcome to
attend theparade togive thanks to
thosewho servedour country inyears
past.
Vikingscelebrate80years
TheVikings SwimmingClub recently
celebrated its 80th anniversarywith a
special carnival at theBundamba Swim
Centre. The swimming clubwas first
established in 1934 and is a family-
friendly club that caters for swimmers
of all abilities. TheBundamba Swim
Centre is a great facility and the club
meetsWednesdaynights between
October and Easter. Swimming is great
for young children andpeople looking
for adifferent formof exercise. Visit
formore informationor to signup.
