MEMORIES of an Ipswich icon have been captured for the future by Ipswich City Council.
Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said images of the now closed local business Australian Hardboards had been donated to council for inclusion in the city's Picture Ipswich database.
Cr Pisasale said Picture Ipswich was a wonderful online database featuring historical images, film, documents and oral histories of people and places in Ipswich.
"Since its launch more than three years ago Picture Ipswich has grown from 150 images to a collection of more than 4300 images.
"The Picture Ipswich website offers a glimpse of people, families, places, businesses, way of life, and historical events in Ipswich.
"It acts as a valuable tool for researchers, students and the community to learn more about Ipswich.
"We have been grateful for the support of the local community which has helped us to shape and grow Picture Ipswich into a valuable online resource for the city.
"Australian Hardboards have now ensured that they will be long remembered through Picture Ipswich despite the business unfortunately closing its doors late last year.
"Council was pleased, via the Ipswich Library and Information Service, to receive some photographic images of this well-known local business.
"We thank Australian Hardboards for the special contribution they have made towards Picture Ipswich.
"Australian Hardboards started operations as Burnie Board Limited at Bundamba in 1958 making masonite and compressed hardboard.
"They closed their doors on December 17, 2010 as Bremer Park Limited, Australian Hardboards."
Division 8 Councillor Charlie Pisasale said he was particularly thrilled to see the Australian Hardboards' images as he was a former long-term employee of the company.
"These images bring back wonderful memories of the years I spent there between 1967 and 1995 when I was elected to Local Government and Ipswich City Council," Cr Charlie Pisasale said.
"Personally during my employment there I worked as the production planner, supervised two areas and was the safety and personnel officer."
Cr Pisasale said the company had approached council to help capture the mill's history and Picture Ipswich would act as a permanent repository for these images.
"I'm sure many former employees will also enjoy the walk down memory lane which these images inspire.
"We now have about 350 images from Hardboards including three volumes of photographs capturing the building of the Bundamba site from 1956 to 1958.
Cr Pisasale said the plant employed more than 300 people at times depending on demand.
"When you take into account the number of employees and the number of years in operation Australian Hardboards certainly did have a significant effect on our city.
"The factory commenced as Burnie Board then changed to Hardboards Australia in 1967 and in later years became known as Australian Hardboards.
"The Bundamba plant was a total entity where timber grown from its own forestry areas was processed to an end product of hardboard."
Cr Pisasale said he was pleased that Australian Hardboards had ensured photographic reminders of its time in the city would be available in the future.
"Picture Ipswich allows us to capture these images so future generations can have access to them.
"It is the ideal place for these images to be stored for the community."
The Picture Ipswich collection currently includes diverse subjects and collections such as:
