The last time Ipswich had a facelift

AS IPSWICH residents keenly await some action to follow all the talk of a new look city centre, the QT has decided to reflect back on the transformation that took place some 31 years ago.

Long-term residents may remember that Ipswich's CBD underwent a major facelift back in the mid 1980s, as the city picked up the pieces following the tragic Reid's department store fire.

A historic city swapped some of it's rustic charm for what was then a much more modern look.

With the help of Picture Ipswich, we have compiled a collection of before and after shots of some key locations to demonstrate just how much this city changed at that time.