The suburb is bounded to the west by Six Mile Creek, to the north-west, north, and north-east by the Brisbane River, to the east by Goodna Creek, and to the south-west by another segment of Goodna Creek.[3]
The Ipswich Motorway enters the locality from the east (Goodna) and exits to the west (Riverview).[3] The Main Line railway runs parallel but north of the motorway with two railway stations in the suburb:
The land use north of the railway line through to the river is a mix of industrial, commercial and agricultural use. The Redbank Railway Workshops being a major industry in the suburb. The land between the railway line and the motorway is predominantly residential. The land south of the motorway is a large tract of undeveloped bushland with further residential development in the far south of the suburb.[3]
History
The origin of the suburb name is from a description of the area provided by Major Edmund Lockyer whilst exploring in a boat along the Brisbane River.[2]
While the Redbank area is known for its agricultural and pastoral origins, it has a more varied history.[5]
In the late 1850s, the first farmers in the area settled on the river flats situated to the north of the current railway station. This settlement featured a brickworks, sawmill, stores, cottages, a school and nondenominational church, though due to severe flooding, it was relocated south of the railway station some years later.[5]
In the early years, the rich black loamy soil of the plains supported crops of maize, potatoes and fodder, while cotton became a significant crop in the 1860s and 1870s.[5] By the beginning of the 20th century, dairying became more important with the establishment of several creameries in the area.[5]
The late 1850s saw the establishment of the first secondary industry in the area, with a boiling down works and fellmongery owned by Mr John Campbell and Mr Town.[5]
Redbank's school was originally opened on July 1865 by the Roman Catholic Church on a 2-acre (0.81 ha) land parcel with an initial enrolment of 31 students. The building was used as both a school and a church. In 1881, it became Redbank State School. It closed on 30 September 1895, but reopened on 6 September 1897.[6] In 1951, a further 5.5 acres (2.2 ha) of land was acquired to expand the school site.[7]
Redbank Rifle Range operated from 1912 to 1980 south of the Redbank railway station. It was the home of a number rifle clubs over the years including Ipswich Railway Rifle Club, Ipswich City Rifle Club, Ipswich and District Rifle Club, which were involved in competitive target shooting. The 700-yard (640 m) firing mound was about 35 metres (38 yd) from the railway station with the targets 700 yards (640 m) away (approx 27°36′21″S152°52′32″E / 27.6057°S 152.8755°E / -27.6057; 152.8755 (Redbank Rifle Club (targets))).[9] During World War II, there was a large military camp and training area at the range with up to 6,000 Australian and American troops.[10] The development of the Ipswich Motorway reduced the length of the rifle range which led to the relocation of the Ipswich and District Rifle Club to South Ripley in 1972.[11][12]
The current Redbank Plaza Library was opened in 1998 and had a major refurbishment in 2010.[13]
In the 2016 census, Redbank had a population of 1,834 people. Redbank had an unemployment rate of 14.5%, more than double the Australian unemployment rate of 6.9%.[1]
There are no secondary schools in Redbank. The nearest government secondary school is Bellbird Park State Secondary College in neighbouring Bellbird Park to the south.[3]
^"Media Release". Ipswich and District Rifle Club. 4 December 2014. Archived from the original on 19 February 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
^"Public Libraries Connect"(PDF). Queensland Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-2017" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. November 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2018. November 2017. Archived(PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
