Chuwar, a partly developed residential suburb, is 8 km north-east of central Ipswich. It lies between the Brisbane River (Colleges Crossing) and the former colliery district of Tivoli.
The name originated in 1848 as a parish name given by the colonial surveyor, James Warner. In 1886, when the area had been occupied by farmers, the name 'Chuwar' was given to a settlement around the intersection of Mt Crosby and Junction Roads.
Chuwar extends north from Tivoli into a horseshoe bend of the Brisbane River. At one time entirely in the Ipswich local government area, Chuwar was divided along Blackwall Road in 2000, the northern part being put in the city of Brisbane.
Chuwar has the Colleges Crossing recreation area on its eastern border, along with the Karalee drive-in shopping centre and most of its residential development. It also has the Tivoli raceway for motorcycle racing, including dirt track and speedway. Chuwar north has an electricity substation and a water treatment plant.
Floods 2011
Colleges Crossing and adjoining river-side open space are low-lying, and during the floods of January 2011 the crossing was impassable for motor traffic, requiring a long detour to get over the Brisbane River.
The park at Colleges Crossing was funded in 2013 to enable it to become more flood resilient.
Chuwar's census populations have been:
| census date | population |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 1572 |
| 2011 | 1875 |
