Collingwood Park, a residential suburb, is east of the Ipswich, next to the historic suburb of Redbank. Its eastern boundary is delineated by Goodna Creek and the western boundary by Six Mile Creek. Housing development began circa 1980 with the establishment of two HIA display villages. Redbank Plaza is large shopping mall, located on the northern boundary of the suburb. The main thoroughfare is Collingwood Drive which runs south from Redbank Plaza shopping centre.
History
The surburb was named and bounded on 28 August 1982. Throughout the 1980s, Collingwood Park was marketed as, "The Dress Circle Suburb of Ipswich". The suburb's name implied a "leafy" residential area which differentiated it from nearby Redbank, the site of several collieries and industries: a map, c1940, showed the area as devoid of any development apart from a perimeter road. Notable events which drew attention to the area included 13th Australian Scout Jamboree, 1982–83, the annual Collingwood Park fun run and the 1983 radio 4BK house giveaway and concert held on the site of the current state school. Collingwood Park State School opened on 28 January 1986. WoodLinks State School opened on 1 January 2011. At the Collingwood Park recorded a population of 6,622 people. In the, Collingwood Park had a population of 7,104 people.
Education
Collingwood Park State School is a government primary school for boys and girls on the corner of Burrel and Hannant Streets. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 558 students with 45 teachers and 23 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program. WoodLinks State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at WoodLinks Way. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 608 students with 41 teachers and 28 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program. There are no secondary schools in Collingwood Park. The nearest secondary schools are in Redbank Plains and Bellbird Park.
Collingwood Park has on and off ramps to the M7 Ipswich Motorway going both east to Brisbane and west to Ipswich. The suburb has several regular Translink bus services. Less than away is Redbank railway station which is on the Ipswich train line.
Governance
Ipswich City Council operates a public library at Redbank Plaza. Jo Ann Miller – State Member for Bundamba, is the local member of State Parliament, and lives locally in Collingwood Park. Collingwood Park is in the Federal seat of Oxley. The local member is Bernie Ripoll.
Parks and recreation
Dodrill Park on Whitlam Drive, is named after a highly regarded local resident. Goupong Park on Namatjira Drive, Robert Anderson was a Ugarapul tribal man and was known by his tribal name "Goupong", meaning frog in the Ugarapul language. This was the language of the traditional people and custodians of the land known today as Ipswich. Robert Anderson was raised at the old Deebing Creek Mission Station and worked on many properties throughout Queensland as a young man. His athletic ability was recognised when he defeated world – record holder Arthur Postle of Pittsworth in a sprint on the Charters Towers goldfields in 1904. Many of his descendants still remain in the traditional country of this great Ugarapul man today. The Strike Monument commemorates The first strike in Queensland which took place at the Redbank Mine owned by Campbell and Towns. On 7 June 1861, a deputation of miners confronted Robert Campbell with demands including a pay rise of one shilling a ton. Campbell rejected the claims, the miners went on strike and were later arrested and tried for illegally conspiring to injure Campbell's interests. The jury found them not guilty. The park also has a skate/BMX bowl and other facilities, and is a popular recreational location for the young people of the suburb. Banjo Patterson Park on Laurie Drive, has barbecues, a cricket pitch for social matches, a half court basketball court, and a leash-free dog running area. Both Goupong and Banjo Patterson Park are popular venues for children's parties and other social gatherings. Bailey Street Reserve is a large, temporarily named council reserve which runs from Bailey street to Six Mile Creek. It covers an area which once contained an open cut coal mine. Where it meets the creek, there is a significant freshwater lagoon which is an important habitat for several species of water fowl and a number of other species have been classified as rare, endangered or vulnerable under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 and Nature Conservation Regulation 1994.
