Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator

The Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator is a brick waste facility built into a hillside, featuring two connected gable-roofed sections and a prominent chimney on Milford Street. The structure was designed to process municipal waste through internal hoppers and burning chambers accessed via the elevated slope.

Built between 1936 and 1940 as a municipal waste facility during the Great Depression, this was the sole Queensland project by American architect Walter Burley Griffin. Local architect George Brockwell Gill oversaw its construction.

The structure transitioned from industrial use to an arts venue in 1969, now hosting performances by local theatre groups. This conversion reflects how the community reimagined an old utility building as a space for creative expression.

The site is accessible from Milford Street, and the hillside position helps orient visitors when approaching the building. The sloping terrain means different sections may require different routes to reach comfortably.

The facility employed a reverberatory burning system patented by Australian engineer John Boadle. This specialized combustion method represented a notable technical solution for its era.

Location: Queensland

Architects: Walter Burley Griffin

Website: http://ipswichlittletheatre.com.au

GPS coordinates: -33.81196,151.20177

Latest update: December 14, 2025 14:21