Goodna is held together by the people who turn up — running junior football, organising the Jacaranda Festival, coaching swim squads, hosting community lunches, and quietly keeping the suburb the kind of place where neighbours still say hello on the street.
If you’re new to Goodna, looking to give back, or simply wanting to find your tribe, here are some of the community groups, sporting clubs and volunteer organisations that make the suburb tick.
Sporting clubs
Goodna and District Rugby League Football Club
Strong junior program and senior teams. Based at RJ Richardson Park, 135–137 Brisbane Terrace. A pillar of the local community since the early 20th century.
Gailes Golf Club
Originally founded in 1924 as the Goodna Golf Club, now located just west of Goodna along the railway line. Open to members and visitors.
JUST Sports & Fitness Goodna
Run the Goodna Aquatic Centre with Learn to Swim programs, swim squads, aqua aerobics and gym memberships.
Local cricket & sports clubs
Junior and senior cricket, soccer, netball and other sports competitions across the broader Ipswich region.
Cultural & community groups
Goodna Community Association
The not-for-profit organisation behind the Goodna Jacaranda Festival. ABN 74 940 319 583. PO Box 6, Goodna QLD 4300. Phone: 07 3737 3529.
Pacific Islander community groups
Multiple Samoan, Tongan and broader Pacific Islander cultural associations meet regularly — particularly active around the Jacaranda Festival.
Battle of the Bands & Quest for Talent
Annual performing arts competitions run as part of the Jacaranda Festival, supporting young local musicians and performers.
Local seniors groups
Multiple seniors social clubs meet regularly across Goodna and neighbouring suburbs.
Community gardens & environmental groups
Active across the Ipswich region — including Brisbane River care groups.
Volunteer service organisations
Lions, Rotary and similar service clubs serve the broader Ipswich area.
The Goodna Community Association
If there’s one community group that defines Goodna’s civic life, it’s the Goodna Community Association — the not-for-profit volunteer organisation behind the annual Goodna Jacaranda Festival. Operating since the festival began in 1968, the association brings together hundreds of volunteers each year to deliver one of South East Queensland’s most-loved community events.
Goodna Community Association
PO Box 6, Goodna QLD 4300 · Phone: 07 3737 3529 · Web: goodnajacarandafestival.com · ABN 74 940 319 583. Sponsorship, stallholder and volunteer enquiries welcomed via the festival website.
The Association also runs and supports the Quest for Talent, the Battle of the Bands competition, and various year-round community initiatives — and is always looking for new volunteers, sponsors and stallholders.
How to get involved
There are dozens of ways to plug into Goodna’s community life — many of them as simple as turning up. Some practical starting points:
- Volunteer at the Jacaranda Festival — the easiest way to meet half the suburb in one weekend. Contact the Goodna Community Association.
- Join a sporting club — Goodna Rugby League, Gailes Golf Club, the Aquatic Centre swim squads, or junior sports teams.
- Attend a school P&C meeting — Goodna State School, St Francis Xavier and Westside Christian College all have active parent associations.
- Join a cultural association — particularly active in the Pacific Islander, Samoan, Vietnamese and Filipino communities.
- Get involved with your local church — most run community programs alongside services.
- Reach out to your local councillor — Cr Paul Tully represents Division 2 of the City of Ipswich, including Goodna.
Year after year schools from around the region gather at the Goodna Jacaranda Festival to perform for their parents, family and our community.
Local government & representation
Goodna sits within the City of Ipswich, in Division 2, currently represented by Councillor Paul Tully. At a federal level, Goodna is part of the Division of Oxley, currently represented by Milton Dick MP — the Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives — whose electorate office is located in Goodna.