‘Fluffy’s fence’: Ipswich community rallies to save Brassall ‘tourist attraction’

It brought joy to thousands during the dark two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, but now families in this South East Queensland region have been forced to say goodbye to the more than 1000 stuffed animals that make up “Fluffy’s fence”.

Dozens of Ipswich residents have expressed their devastation and anger at the news a popular “tourist attraction” borne of community spirit during the Covid-19 pandemic will be destroyed in the next week.

‘Fluffy’s fence’, a memorial which now features about 1118 stuffed toys on Windle Rd, Brassall, was created by local resident Robert Skele during a Covid-19 lockdown period last year.

He had hoped the stuffed toys would put a smile on people’s faces — particularly children’s faces — and alleviate some of the anxieties and stresses that came with each new day of the pandemic.

The concept and installation grew and morphed with time and became, to some people, a place where they could honour loved ones lost.

Ipswich City Council has now revealed it plans to tear down the memorial in the next week, following a complaint by a resident.

“The fluffy toys are on council land and a council fence. Council received a complaint, and this complaint was investigated,” a council spokeswoman said.

“While (the) council understands and acknowledges the compassionate circumstances for the builder of the memorial, the placement of the stuffed toys does not meet council’s Public Monuments and Memorials Policy and will be removed in the next week.”

More than 1000 stuffed toys currently line the Brassall fence and are expected to be pulled down by Ipswich City Council in the next week. Picture: Jessica Baker

Ipswich mum Lara Haynes said her children Ella and Joel “loved every bit” of the fence when they visited just before Christmas last year.

“They went along reading each message and once I explained they said ‘oh that’s nice’ and they said the man that put them on the fence was very nice to do such a lovely thing and they laughed so hard at some of the messages,” Ms Haynes said.

“ … I’d say it cheered them up for sure. They were talking about the fence still when we returned home.”

Another local mum Natasha Opdam said it “really annoyed” her that an act intended to bring smiles to children’s faces could be considered a problem by anyone.

“I’ve worked in the childcare industry for over 20 years,” she said.

“So much has been taken away from children over the past few years with just Covid-19 alone; it would be such a shame to see this be ripped down.”

Ipswich residents have been invited to visit the fence this week, for the last time, and take home any stuffed toys they like. Picture: Jessica Baker

After hearing the news the fence would be taken down by the council, Ms Opdam drove her two little girls Faith and McKenna Murray to see the installation.

Several signs have been placed in front of the fence and read: “Fluffies. Take what you want. The council, due to a couple of complaints, are coming to pull them down.”

An Ipswich City Council spokeswoman said the role the community installation has played in lifting people’s spirits has been documented through both photos and a story on the council’s history record, Picture Ipswich, which can be viewed by anyone at anytime.

The decision to tear down the fence comes as West Moreton Health announces the permanent closure of Ipswich Hospital’s Court St Fever Clinic, where close to 50,000 tests were administered over the past three years, perhaps signalling the end of the city’s years-long Covid-19 chapter.