Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast ofQueensland, Australia. With a population of 201,313 as of 2024,[3] it is the largest settlement inNorth Queensland andNorthern Australia (specifically, the parts of Australia north of theSunshine Coast). Townsville hosts a significant number of governmental, community and major business administrative offices for the northern half of the state.[6]
Part of the largerlocal government area of theCity of Townsville,[7] it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. The city is adjacent to the central section of theGreat Barrier Reef.[8] The city is also a major industrial centre, home to one of the world's largestzinc refineries, a nickel refinery and many other similar activities. As of December 2020, $30M operations to expand the Port of Townsville are underway, which involve channel widening and installation of a 70-tonne Liebherr Super Post Panamax Ship-to-Shore crane to allow much larger cargo and passenger ships to utilise the port.[9][10] It is an increasingly important port due to its proximity to Asia and major trading partners such as China.
Popular attractions include "The Strand", a long tropical beach and garden strip;Riverway, a riverfront parkland attraction located on the banks ofRoss River;Reef HQ, which has been under renovation since 2021, a large tropicalaquarium holding many of the Great Barrier Reef's native flora and fauna; theMuseum of Tropical Queensland, built around a display of relics from the sunken British warshipHMS Pandora;Castle Hill or as it was originally known, Cootharinga, the most prominent landmark of the area and a popular place for exercise; The Townsville Sports Reserve; andMagnetic Island, a large neighbouring island, the vast majority of which isnational park.
In 1846,James Morrill was shipwrecked from thePeruvian, living in the Townsville area among the Bindal people for 17 years before deciding to return to British society when the frontier of colonisation came to the region.[24][23]
In 1860,George Elphinstone Dalrymple led a maritime expedition to the region from Brisbane. The expedition sailed toCleveland Bay, finding a vast Aboriginal population. They landed on the shore near where the modern city of Townsville now stands and met with a number of Aboriginal people, giving them biscuits and tobacco. The Aboriginal people started to touch and feel all the expedition members and began "smacking their lips", which Dalrymple interpreted as an indication that they wanted to eat them. Another group of Aboriginal people came down, attacking them with a shower of stones and spears. Dalrymple and his men "were necessitated" to fire upon them, "repulsing them with loss." They landed again nearCape Pallarenda to obtain surveys from the hilltops but decided to descend to their awaiting dinghies as they noticed residents of three Aboriginal camps below were moving in their direction. These people were yelling and dancing "in a very hostile manner," and Dalrymple felt obliged to fire upon them. Dalrymple's group then made an "orderly retreat" to the dinghies, halting at intervals to fire upon those throwing spears. The crew that had remained upon theSpitfire had seen about eight armed Aboriginal men in canoes approaching them from nearbyMagnetic Island in an apparent attempt to board the ship. A discharge of a brass gun repulsed them.[25]
Townsvillec. 1870Anzac Cenotaph and Esplanade, Townsville,c. 1935
TheBurdekin River's seasonal flooding made the establishment of a seaport north of the river essential to the nascent inland cattle industry.[26]John Melton Black of Woodstock Station, an employee of Sydney entrepreneur and businessmanRobert Towns, dispatchedAndrew Ball, Mark Watt Reid and a detachment of 8 troopers of theNative Police under the command ofJohn Marlow to search for a suitable site.[23] Ball's party reached theRoss Creek in April 1864 and established a camp below the rocky spur ofMelton Hill, near the present Customs House onThe Strand.[23]
Edward Kennedy, aNative Police officer accompanying the group, recalled how his "boys" (the Aboriginal troopers) chased four or five local tribesmen into the ocean. Kennedy then stated that he "left the "boys" in the water, pumping lead and hurling derisive cries at them, neither of which seemed to reach their mark". A member of the expedition who was from a town in the south accidentally shot dead an elderly Aboriginal man. He said that he thought an alligator was stalking him. On the return journey to Port Denison, the group "dispersed" another Aboriginal camp in reprisal for the killing of a shepherd. After the fighting, the "boys" rounded up around 12 women, each taking turns based on their rank in selecting one. "In five minutes, each had chosen their spouse and the ceremony was complete."[27]
The next group of colonists, led by W. A. Ross, arrived at Cleveland Bay from Woodstock Station on 5 November that year. In 1866, Robert Towns visited for three days, his first and only visit. He agreed to provide ongoing financial assistance to the new settlement and Townsville was named in his honour.[23] Townsville was declared a municipality in February 1866, with John Melton Black elected as its first Mayor.[23] Townsville developed rapidly as the major port and service centre for theCape River, Gilbert,Ravenswood, Etheridge andCharters Towers goldfields.[26] Regional pastoral and sugar industries also expanded and flourished.
TheAlligator Creek meatworks was established in 1879. Up to 1500 workers, many who resided in Townsville, would work at the factory. It helped to build up the economy of Townsville. Jack Flowers was a local of Townsville and started working at Alligator Creek when he was 13 years old (in 1913). He worked there for 58 years and would walk from Townsville to Alligator Creek.[28] In 1915, the train line extended from Townsville out to Alligator Creek and in 1946 there was a dispute with workers who left work 15 minutes early to catch the 4:30 pm train back to town and the factory threatened to sack 340 workers reporting that it wasn’t 15 minutes but some had stopped working at 3:45 or 4 pm.[29]
On 8 July 1866,Robert Towns imported the first boatload ofSouth Sea Islanders into Townsville to labour on the cane and cotton farms. They numbered 56 and arrived on the Blue Bell, which had brought them from theLoyalty Islands and theNew Hebrides.[30] Charges were made againstHenry Ross Lewin, the recruiter for Robert Towns, that some of the Islanders had beenkidnapped to work on the plantations.[31] In 1867, a magisterial enquiry was set up into the death of an Islander working on one of Towns' plantations. A pharmacist attending was of the opinion the death was caused by a lack of proper nourishment, the Islanders receiving only cornmeal for food. Other evidence was given by employees of the plantation company who claimed the labourers were treated well, and a verdict of death by natural causes was declared.[32] Recent research has shown that the many allegations of blackbirding and slave conditions relating to the recruitment and employment of South Sea Islanders in Queensland are baseless, and without foundation in fact or reliable historical evidence.[33][unreliable source?]
Townsville's population was 4,000 people in 1882 and grew to 13,000 by 1891.[23] In 1901 Lord Hopetoun made a goodwill tour of northern Australia and accepted an invitation to officially open Townsville's town hall, occasioning the first ever vice-regal ceremonial unfurling of the Australian national flag.[26] With Brisbane, in 1902 Townsville was proclaimed a City under the Local Authorities Act.[34]
Parade of 31st Battalion, Kennedy Regiment, marching down Flinders Street, Townsville, Queensland, 1937
The rural land surrounding the city was initially managed by the Thuringowa Road Board, which eventually became theShire of Thuringowa. The shire ceded land several times to support Townsville's expansion.[38] In 1986 the Shire became incorporated as a city, governed by theThuringowa City Council. The cities of Townsville and Thuringowa were amalgamated into the "new"Townsville City Council in March 2008, as part of the Queensland state government's reform program.[38]
In 1896, Japan established its first Australianconsulate in Townsville, primarily to serve some 4,000 Japanese workers who migrated to work in the sugar cane, turtle,trochus,beche de mer, and pearling industries.[39][40] With the introduction of theWhite Australia policy, the demand for Japanese workers decreased, causing the consulate to finally close in 1908.[40]
The Centenary Fountain built in 1959 to commemorate 100 years since the establishment of Queensland
At the beginning of 1942, Townsville had 30,000 inhabitants and between 5,000 and 7,000 of them voluntarily evacuated to other places.[41] During theSecond World War, the city was host to more than 50,000, andTownsville Naval Section Base.[42] American and Australian troops and air crew were stationed here, and Townsville became a major staging point for battles in theSouth West Pacific. A large United States Armed Forces contingent supported the war effort from seven airfields and other bases around the city and in the region. Many buildings, schools and 177 private houses were commandeered for use by the military.[43] Slit trenches were dug in many places, and 18 concrete air-raid shelters were built, six of them in Flinders Street.[44] The first bombing raid onRabaul, in Papua New Guinea, on 23 February 1942 was carried out by six B-17s based near Townsville.[citation needed]
In July 1942,three small Japanese air raids were conducted against Townsville, which was by then the most important air base in Australia.[47] On 25 July 1942 two JapaneseKawanishi Flying Boats dropped 15 bombs which landed near the mouth of the Ross River, only 370 metres (400 yd) east of oil tanks in the harbour.[48] On 28 July, one Japanese plane dropped eight 230-kilogram (500-pound) bombs near theGarbutt airfield. On 29 July 1942, a single"Emily" Flying Boat dropped one bomb at the Experimental Station ofOonoonba and seven bombs landed in Cleveland Bay where bomb craters are still clearly visible.[49] There were no deaths and structural damage was minimal, as the Japanese missed their intended targets of the railway, the harbour and the airfield and destroyed a palm tree at the Experimental Station of Oonoonba. Although the Japanese aircraft were intercepted on two of the three raids, none was shot down.[50]
In 1961 theUniversity of Queensland established a campus atPimlico, nearPimlico State High School, later developing a site atDouglas near the Army Barracks, and across the new Nathan Street Bridge. The faculties of Arts, Law, and Education, and several residential colleges, Union, St Mark's, and John Flynn relocated from central Townsville. This was followed by the relocation of St Raphael's college for women. A large modernist building was established. In March 1962, first year university students painted the stick figure depictingThe Saint on Castle Hill as a prank.[51][52]
The Tasmanian historianHenry Reynolds, arriving into Townsville in 1965 to fulfil a position as a lecturer at the nascentJames Cook University, noted the initial impressions the city had on him:
I arrived at the end of the long dry season, which had succeeded an usually poor wet season. Water was scarce. Gardens, parks, open space, the hills around were burnt off and bare. Clumps of dead grass collected wind-blown rubbish. Most of the houses stood up on stumps, perched uneasily between the baked earth and the vast vitreous sky. Townsville scarcely seemed to be a city at all. There was only one long main street, squeezed in between mud and mangroves on one side and the pink-brown granite of Castle Hill on the other. The sun arched high overhead. The shadows were short, sharp and intense. Many of the older people bore on their arms, necks and faces the ravages of a lifetime in the tropics. Almost everything was different - the light, the sky, the birds, insects, trees, the sounds and smells. But there was much that instantly appealed - brief, brilliant twilights, moon-drenched nights and, above all, the trade winds.[53]
In 1971Cyclone Althea with flooding slowed progress of infrastructural building, but by 1972James Cook University was established, with ecru academic gowns, quite different to those of older universities. From 1961, only the first years of studies for Medicine and for Veterinary Sciences were offered in Townsville, but the establishment of a new General Hospital at Douglas provided facilities necessary for the establishment of an independent Medical School.[citation needed]
In 1970,Queen Elizabeth II,the Duke of Edinburgh andPrincess Anne toured Australia including Queensland.[citation needed] The Queensland tour began on Sunday 12 April when the royal yachtBritannia entered Moreton Bay at Caloundra, sailing into Newstead Wharf. After visiting Brisbane, Longreach and Mount Isa the Royal Family travelled to Mackay.[citation needed] The royal party had a leisurely cruise to Townsville, taking four days to arrive after their departure from Mackay. On the morning of April 20, they were met by The Deputy Mayor of Townsville Mr. T. Aikens, M.L.A. and Mrs Aikens and Mr W.W. Shepherd, Chairman of the Townsville Harbour Board and Mrs Shepherd.[citation needed] The day’s program began with a cavalcade of progress at the Townsville sports reserve. The grounds were filled with crowds and children waving their Australian flag. It was a spectacle for the royal visitors and the local community who came out on the day.[citation needed]
Following lunch on board Britannia, the royal family were driven to the site of Queensland’s newest university, theJames Cook University, Townsville campus. In the presence of many dignitaries, HRH Queen Elizabeth II formally granted autonomy to North Queensland’s new educational institution. In 2020, James Cook University celebrated its 50th anniversary with a Treasures exhibition, showcasing 50 collection items from Special Collections, Eddie Koiku Mabo Library, James Cook University, Townsville.
The rare collection item – ‘James Cook University Development: Pimlico to the First Chancellor archival footage, 1960 – 1970’ was one of the Treasures selected for the anniversary year. The 12min film preserved on NQHeritage, the University Library’s Special Collections online repository, shows footage of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II arriving at the official ceremony and being introduced to the official party.[54] Their Royal Highnesses first appear in the film at 6:06 minutes.[55]
On Christmas Eve 1971, TropicalCyclone Althea, acategory 4 cyclone, battered the city and Magnetic Island, causing considerable damage.[56]
In 1973, Indigenous activistsEddie andBonita Mabo established theBlack Community School in Townsville, where children could learn their Indigenous culture rather than white culture.[57] Eddie Mabo worked as a gardener atJames Cook University from 1967 to 1975.[58] It was at the university in 1974 that he first learned of the implications of theterra nullius doctrine which held that he did not legally own the land he believed was his under the traditional land inheritance system of his people.[59][60]
Buchanan's Hotel in Flinders Street, regarded by architectural historians as Australia's most significant building in theFiligree style, was lost to fire in 1982.[citation needed]
In 1981 a land rights conference was held at James Cook University and Eddie Mabo made a speech to the audience where he explained the land inheritance system onMurray Island. The significance of this in terms of Australiancommon law doctrine was taken note of by one of the attendees, a lawyer, who suggested there should be a test case to claim land rights through the court system. Mabo decided to take on theAustralian Government.[61]Perth-based solicitor Greg McIntyre was at the conference and agreed to take the case; he then recruited barristersRon Castan and Bryan Keon-Cohen.[62] McIntyre represented Mabo during the hearings.[63] The James Cook University Douglas campus library is now named after Mabo.[64]
In October 2000, aSolomon Islands Peace Agreement was negotiated in Townsville.[66]
In February 2019, Townsville experienced amajor flood event, which caused five deaths. Floodwaters damaged approximately 3300 homes and about 1500 homes were rendered uninhabitable.
Inner-city high-density development has also created population growth andgentrification of the central business district (CBD). One significant contributor to CBD development was the construction of a new rail passenger terminal and re-siting of the railway workshops,[67] releasing prime real estate which formerly belonged toQueensland Rail for the development of residential units, retail projects and a new performing arts centre. The skyline of Townsville's central business district has undergone dramatic changes over the last few years, with a number of new highrise buildings, both commercial and residential, constructed.[68]
In the short term, much of the urban expansion will continue to the west and the north, in the former City of Thuringowa. The most significant of these is North Shore Estate, a newA$1 billion 5,000-lot housing estate, located close to theBruce Highway, just north of theBohle River.[69]
Medium-term city expansion will be focused on two major urban developments that have started in 2017 and 2018. Elliot Springs, a satellite city to the south of Townsville developed by national developerLendlease Group, is expected to be home to 26,000 people by 2057.[70] Additionally, theQueensland Government announced it will be offering 270 hectares (670 acres) of state-owned land (the former abattoir reserve), just south of theBohle River, for urban expansion.[71]
Townsville lies approximately 1,350 kilometres (840 mi) north ofBrisbane, and 350 kilometres (220 mi) south ofCairns. It lies on the shores of Cleveland Bay, protected to some degree from the predominantly south-east weather. Cleveland Bay is mostly shallow inshore, with several large beaches and continually shifting sand bars.Magnetic Island lies 8 kilometres (5 mi) offshore, to the north of the city centre. It, together with Castle Hill in the town centre and Mount Stuart to the south of the city, form a largequartz monzonite igneous province.[citation needed]
Castle Hill, a granite monolith in Townsville
TheRoss River flows through the city. Three weirs, fish stocking and dredging of the river in these reaches has resulted in a deep, stable and clean waterway used for many recreational activities such as water skiing, fishing and rowing. Thirty kilometres (19 mi) from the mouth (at the junction of Five Head Creek) is theRoss River Dam, the major water storage for the urban areas.
The historic waterfront onRoss Creek, site of the original wharves and port facilities, has some old buildings mixed with the later modern skyline. However, the central city is dominated by the mass of red granite ofCastle Hill, 286 metres (938 ft) high.[72] There is a lookout at the summit giving panoramic views of the city and its suburbs, including Cleveland Bay andMagnetic Island. There are a number of parks scattered throughout the city, including threebotanical gardens —Anderson Park,Queens Gardens andThe Palmetum.
Magnetic Island viewed from Castle Hill at sunrise
Townsville has atropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classificationAw). Owing to a quirk of geographical location, Townsville's winter rainfall in particular is not as high as elsewhere in the eastern coastal tropics of Queensland, such asCairns.[73] The winter months are dominated by southeasttrade winds and mostly fine weather. Further north the coastline runs north–south and the trade winds are lifted to produce rainfall right through the year. Townsville, however, lies on a section of coastline that turns east/west, so the lifting effect is not present. As a result, winter months are dominated by blue skies, warm days and cool nights, although at times significant rainfall may occur.[73]
The average annual rainfall is 1,095 millimetres (43.11 in) on an average 61 rain days, most of which falls during the six-month "wet season" from November to April. Because of the "hit or miss" nature of tropical lows and thunderstorms, and the powerful influence of theEl Niño–Southern Oscillation, variation from year to year is almost uniquely large for such a wet climate, being comparable only to a few cities inthe Northeast of Brazil (e.g.Fortaleza).[74] Since records at various urban locations started in 1871 twelve-month rainfalls in Townsville have ranged from a mere 217.9 millimetres (8.58 in) between December 1901 and November 1902 at the peak of theFederation Drought, to as much as 2,956.2 millimetres (116.39 in) between March 1990 and February 1991. On average, the driest year in ten can expect only half the mean rainfall, compared to around 64 percent in Brisbane, 68 percent in Sydney, and 72 percent in Darwin.
Rainfall also varies considerably within the metropolitan area; it typically ranges from 1,136 millimetres (44.7 in) at centralTownsville City to 853 millimetres (33.6 in) atWoodstock, a southwestern suburb. The wettest 24 hours on record was 11 January 1998, with 548.8 millimetres (21.61 in) falling mostly in a 12-hour period after dark, which has since been dubbed the "Night of Noah" by Townsville residents.[75]
Climate data forTownsville Airport (19º15'00"S, 146º46'12"E, 4 m AMSL) (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1940–present)
December is the warmest month of the year with daily mean maximum and minimum temperatures being 31.5 °C (88.7 °F) and 24.1 °C (75.4 °F)[4] respectively. July is the coolest month with daily mean maximum and minimum temperatures being 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) and 13.7 °C (56.7 °F).[4] Townsville experiences an annual mean of 8.5 hours of sunshine per day, averaging 120.8 clear days per year.[73]
Townsville is governed by aCity Council, comprising an independently elected Mayor and 10 Councillors who each represent a separate division within the local government area.[79] Following local government reform undertaken by theGovernment of Queensland prior to the March 2008 elections, the previous entities of NQ Water, The City of Townsville and the City of Thuringowa were amalgamated.
In the2024 Townsville City Council election,Troy Thompson (Independent), was sworn in as Mayor of Townsville.[80] The previous Mayor of Townsville wasJenny Hill, a member of theLabor Party. Hill was elected in April 2012, replacing the retiring Les Tyrell and defeating main opposing candidateDale Last.[81][82] Tyrell was the immediate past Mayor for 17 years of the former local government authority, theCity of Thuringowa. The previous Mayor of Townsville for 19 years wasTony Mooney (Australian Labor Party). Hill faced a largely hostile chamber in her first term, with 'Townsville First' candidates winning the majority of divisions.[81] When local government elections were held in March 2016, Jenny Hill was re-elected as Mayor of Townsville.[83] She was re-elected in the 2020 Queensland local government elections.[84]
The city has a diverse economy with strengths in education, healthcare, retail, construction and manufacturing. It is a defence hub and is home to thousands of military personnel. It is also a major manufacturing and processing hub. Townsville is the only city globally to refine three different base metals —zinc,copper, andnickel — and it is planned in the near future to be home to a $2billionlithium-ion battery manufacturing facility developed by the Imperium3 consortium in partnership withSiemens.[85][86] Nickel ore is imported from Indonesia, the Philippines and New Caledonia and processed at the Yabulu Nickel refinery, 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of the port. Zinc ore is transported by rail from theCannington Mine, south of Cloncurry, for smelting at the Sun Metals refinery south of Townsville. Copper concentrate from the smelter at Mount Isa is also railed to Townsville for further refining at the copper refinery at Stuart.[citation needed]. The zinc refinery is one of the world's largest with an expansion from 2019.[87]
Townsville's population was 179,011 at the2021 census. The city has a younger population than the Australian and Queensland averages.[3] The city has traditionally experienced a high turnover of people, with the army base and government services bringing in many short to medium term workers. The region has also become popular with mine workers onfly in/fly out contracts.
In 2021, 9.0% of Townsville's population was of Aboriginal or Torres Strait islander descent.[88] In 2021, there were 21,180 people of Aboriginal or Torres Strait islander descent living in Townsville.[88]
James Cook University (JCU) is apublic university based in Townsville. Established in 1970, the main campus is located in the suburb ofDouglas.[91] JCU was the second university in Queensland and the first inNorth Queensland. The University has a strong and internationally recognised expertise in marine & tropical biology.[92] TheJCU Medical School was established in 1999 and is linked with the adjacent tertiary-levelTownsville Hospital. The Veterinary Sciences undergraduate facility is the newest in Australia.[93]
CQUniversity first established a presence in Townsville in 2014 with the opening of a Distance Education Study Centre in the CBD.[94] The University quickly felt the demand for a face-to-face teaching presence in Townsville and has since opened a purpose built campus in the city offering many on-campus courses including nursing, paramedic science, business and psychology as well as supporting growing numbers of online students.[95]
The city is home to the Townsville Saint, a 6 m (20 ft) stick figure depictingThe Saint on the northern cliff face of Castle Hill, painted by seven first-year University College of Townsville (which would later becomeJames Cook University) students on St Patrick’s Day, 17 March 1962. The figure went on to survive numerous attempts at removal. On 28 May 1993, The Saint became integrated with the heritage significance of the hill as a natural and cultural landmark.[98] In 2013, the Townsville City Council won legal ownership of The Saint as a trademark, protecting its use by the wider community.[99] The mystery of who painted the figure was revealed on the 40th anniversary (2002) to be Graeme Bowen, Lyall Ford, Rodney Froyland, David Greve, Peter Higgins, Barrie Snarski and Robert Sothman.[100] While adopted by theUniversity from the beginning, The Saint has become iconic, surviving opposition and attempts at removal.[101]
TheAustralian Festival of Chamber Music is an internationalchamber music festival held over ten days each July in Townsville.[102] The festival has been running since 1991, and attracts many acclaimed international and Australian musicians. Townsville also has its own orchestra, the Barrier Reef Orchestra, which presents concerts throughout North Queensland. TheTownsville Entertainment Centre, seating more than 5,000 people, is host to many national and international music shows, as well as sporting and trade shows.
The region has many renowned festivals, many which celebrate the international heritage of many that call North Queensland home. The Annual Greek, Italian and Indian Festivals are popular with the locals and tourists alike. TheStable on the Strand is celebrated each Christmas.
The Townsville Civic Theatre is North Queensland's premier cultural facility. Since its opening in 1978, the Theatre has been a centre of entertainment and performing arts, providing an environment to further develop the performing arts in Townsville and the North. TheatreiNQ is an independent professional theatre company based in Townsville, presenting four shows a year including the popular annual Shakespeare Under the Stars inQueen Gardens. Dancenorth Australia is a contemporary dance company based in Townsville, whose works tour all over Australia and the World. Dancenorth is the only performing arts organisation based in regional Queensland to be included in the Australian Government's National Performing Arts Partnership Framework.[103]
ThePerc Tucker Regional Gallery is the public art gallery of Townsville.[104] Located on the eastern end of Flinders Mall, the Gallery focuses on artwork relevant to North Queensland and the Tropics. Every second September the gallery presents sculpture artworks and art festival called StrandEphemera, exhibited over the two kilometre beachfront strip.[105] The City is also home to Umbrella Studios who regularly exhibit and promote the work of artists from the region.
Townsville has been a PechaKucha city since 2012. PechaKucha is a global storytelling platform running in more than 1,300 world cities. It celebrates people, passion, and creative thought through ideas shared visually, concisely and memorably. We are redefining authentic human connectivity through inclusive social engagement and technology. Upcoming and past events can be viewed at PechaKucha Night Townsville.
Cultural Fest in the Strand
The Townsville City Council and Townsville Intercultural Centre annually organises Cultural Fest in mid August. The festival has been held in various locations across the city over its history, and is currently held on the grounds of James Cook University. The Cultural Fest showcases the cultural diversity of the city and dance, food, and music from different ethnic groups in the region.
The city has several museums. The Maritime Museum of Townsville, also known as the Townsville Maritime Museum, is located as part of thePort of Townsville. Its features includeHMAS Townsville, SSYongala, and lenses from current and former lighthouses.[106][107] TheMuseum of Tropical Queensland (abbreviated MTQ) is a museum of natural history, archaeology and history. In addition to housing artifacts from the wrecks, the museum administers the shipwreck sites for HMSPandora and SSYongala.[108] The Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA) features the work of underwater sculptorJason deCaires Taylor, including the coral greenhouse at John Brewer Reef and the ocean siren at The Strand.[109]
The city has many restaurants, concentrated on Palmer Street in South Townsville, Flinders Street and along the Strand. The city also has a vibrant pub and night-club scene, many of them located in Flinders Street East.
19th century buildings on Flinders Street, the oldest street
There are many well-preserved old buildings in Townsville dating from the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, especially in Flinders Street which is the oldest street.[110] One of the most famous buildings is the Townsville Post Office, built in 1886 with a clock tower which was dismantled in 1942 and reconstructed in 1963/64. Another sightworthy building is the Australian Joint Stock Bank which was built 1887–88. Tattersalls Hotel which was built as early as 1864, the former Bank of New South Wales dating from 1887 and the former Bank of Australasia built in 1905 are sightworthy historic buildings as well.[111] TheAustralian Joint Stock Bank (1887–88), the Townsville Technical College dating from 1920/21, the Westpac Bank Building (1935) and the Great Northern Hotel with its large balconies which was completed in 1901 are worth a visit as well. The former Main Train Station opposite the Great Northern Hotel was built 1910–1913 and inaugurated on 24 December 1913.
One of the most impressive churches of Townsville is Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Cathedral which was built 1896–1902.[112] St. James' Anglican Cathedral was built in two stages 1887–1892 and 1959–1960.[citation needed]
Queens Gardens, laid out in 1870 in the Northern part of Townsville cover an area of 4 ha (9.9 acres). Originally they were a part of a botanical garden of 100 acres (40 ha) dedicated to the experimentation and propagation of tropical plants like breadfruit, mahogany, coffee and mangoes.[113]
The Strand is considered the most popular park of Townsville. In 1950,Tobruk Memorial Baths were inaugurated here.[114] The Strand is known for its Rock Pool and for various cultural events which take place here.[115]
Anderson Park covering an area of about 20 ha in the district of Mundingburra is mainly known for its ferns and pandanus. The park is named after William Andersen (1845–1935), the first curator of parks of the city. The park was laid out in 1929. Its design was prepared in 1962 by Allan Wilson, Superintendent of parks from 1959 to 1969.[116]
Townsville Palmetum, a park covering an area of 17 ha with about 300 species of plants, was inaugurated in the South of Townsville in 1988. Most of the 60 species of palms which are native to Australia can be seen here.[117]
The first park in the city centre which was namedAnzac Memorial Park later was laid out as early as 1912. A bandstand was built in the middle of the park in 1913.[118]
Townsville is the media centre for North Queensland, with four commercial and fivenarrowcast radio stations, North QueenslandABC radio station, three commercial television stations, one regional daily newspaper and one community weekly newspaper (both owned byNews Ltd). There are no local Sunday papers although The Sunday Mail (Qld) — based in Brisbane — does have a North Queensland edition. Media distributed on the World Wide Web include theTownsville Bulletin.
The most popular sport in Townsville isrugby league. In addition to the Cowboys in the NRL, Townsville and its surrounding suburbs host a number of local junior and seniorrugby league sides in the successfulTownsville District Rugby League, including A-grade sides: Brothers Townsville, Norths Devils, Souths, Western Lions and Centrals ASA Tigers. The local league has produced a number of Australian internationals such asGorden Tallis andGene Miles.
Townsville also hosts twoTouch Football associations. The Townsville/Castle Hill Touch Association (TCHTA) conducts competitions annually at its grounds at Queens Park, Townsville.[121] Thuringowa Touch Association (TTA) also conducts competitions at Greenwood Park,Kirwan.[122][123] Both competitions have produced a host of regional, state and national representative players and officials.
Townsville is also home toFootball Queensland North. Soccer is played by junior participants in the city. Major clubs include MA Olympic, Brothers Townsville, and Saints Eagles Souths FC. As of 2020, soccer had 3,614 participants in the region.[clarification needed][citation needed]
AFL Townsville operate a regional Australian rules football league in the region.Jake Spencer is the first local player to play in theAFL.[124]
Several Australian Test and ODI cricketers have come out of Townsville including fast bowlerMitchell Johnson,Andrew Symonds andJames Hopes. In 2012 Townsville hosted under 19 cricket World Cup preliminary matches, semi finals and the final featuring Australia and India.
The Townsville Running Festival is an annual event organised by the Townsville Road Runners that began with the first Townsville Marathon in 1972 and now also includes several shorterfun runs.[125][126]
One of Riverway's swimming lagoons, a free swimming and recreation area.
Townsville is hosting theWorld Triathlon Multisport World Championships from 15 to 25 August 2024.[127]
Townsville also has a go cart track and motocross track; Townsville had a 1/4-miledragstrip, but it closed its gates on 25 August 2012 due to urban development.
Rowing occurs at Townsville & JCU Rowing Club and Riverway Rowing Club. Both clubs cater to competitive masters, social, learn to row and school-based rowing programs. In 2009 the Townsville & JCU club won its first Queensland Club Premiership and in 2010Riverway club claimed theirs.[128]
Townsville has 3 Tennis Clubs. The Western Suburbs Tennis Club Inc., Tennis Townsville Inc. and Kalynda Chase Tennis Centre. Each year Tennis Townsville host the NQ Open Championships and Western Suburbs Tennis Club host the Townsville Open. These tournaments see Australian and international players competing for up to $10,000 prize money and the opportunity to improve their Australian Tennis Ranking.
The Townsville Hospital is a 580-bed university teaching hospital in the suburb ofDouglas.[133] The Townsville Hospital was formally located in North Ward whose main building serves an example of theStreamline Moderne style of architecture.It is co-located with theJames Cook University School of Medicine. The hospital caters for the city of Townsville, as well as people in the north as far asThursday Island andPapua New Guinea, west toMount Isa and south toSarina. During the year 2010, the hospital admitted 54,941 patients, and had 60,676 presentations to the emergency department. The hospital is also the major tertiary maternity centre, with 2,308 babies delivered in 2010.[133]
The Townsville Hospital underwent a $437 million redevelopment as of 2011, delivering an additional 100 beds, a four-storey expanded Emergency Department, expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and expansion of oncology services.[134] The Emergency Department will be the largest in Queensland.[citation needed]
There are four other public health campuses in Townsville: theKirwan Health Campus,[135] the Magnetic Island Health Service Centre,[136] the North Ward Health Campus[137] and the Townsville Hospital Dentist, located inNorth Ward.
Townsville is the intersection point of the A1 (Bruce Highway), and the A6 (Flinders Highway) National Highways. TheTownsville Ring Road, planned to become part of the re-routed A1 route bypass, circumnavigates the city.
The biweeklyInlander train service departing Townsville at the start of its 21 hour journey toMount Isa
Townsville has a public transport system contracted toTranslink, which provides regular services between many parts of the city. Public transport is also available from the CBD toBushland Beach.[138] Regular ferry and vehicularbarge services operate toMagnetic Island andPalm Island.[139][140]
Construction of railways in the area of Townsville started as early as 1879, and the first railway line was inaugurated in 1880.[141] The line to Mount Isa which is used byThe Inlander today was inaugurated in 1929.[142] The railway lines to Cairns and Brisbane which are used by theSpirit of Queensland were inaugurated in 1929 as well. The former train station, a very representative building at the end of Flinders Street, was completed in 1913. The presenttrain station of Townsville was opened in 2003.
TheTilt Train service connectsTownsville railway station toBrisbane in the south andCairns in the north. Townsville is a major destination and generator of rail freight services. TheNorth Coast railway line, operated byQueensland Rail, meets the Western line in the city's south.[143] Container operations are also common and the products of the local nickel and copper refineries, as well as minerals from the western line (Mount Isa), are transported to the port via trains. ThePort of Townsville has bulk handling facilities for importing cement, nickel ore and fuel, and for exporting sugar and products from North Queensland's mines.[144] The port has three sugar-storage sheds, with the newest being the largest under-cover storage area in Australia.[145]
Victory in the Pacific 80th anniversary commemorations (VP80) held on Flinders Street in August 2025
In addition to the 3rd Brigade, other major units based in Townsville include the5th Aviation Regiment,[149] equipped with MRH-90 and Chinook helicopters, co-located at the RAAF Base in Garbutt and the10th Force Support Battalion based at Ross Island.[150]
The Army also maintains anArmy Reserve brigade in Townsville designated the11th Brigade. This formation is similar in structure to the 3rd Brigade, in that it has reserve soldiers only. There were also two active cadet units, 130 ACU located within Heatley Secondary College and 15 ACU located on Lavarack Barracks as of 2010, previously located atIgnatius Park College.[151]
TheRoyal Australian Air Force'sRAAF Base Townsville, in the suburb ofGarbutt, houses the Beech KingAir 350 aircraft fromNo. 38 Squadron RAAF. This unit operated theDHC-4 Caribou aircraft until late 2009; it re-equipped in the short term while protracted analysis for a more appropriate Battlefield Transport and Utility aircraft continued. This detachment provides support to the Army units in Townsville. The base is also a high readiness Defence asset and is prepared to accept the full range of RAAF aircraft types and other international aircraft.[152]
Townsville is also the staging point for the movement of personnel and materials to the remote parts of Northern Australia and many overseas locations.[153]
^"Townsville".Queensland Government. Department of Environment and Resource Management. 3 February 2009. Archived fromthe original on 1 September 2009. Retrieved20 September 2009.
^"Schedule 1: Regional overviews"(PDF). Environmental Protection Agency, Government of Queensland. p. 13. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 10 August 2008. Retrieved20 September 2009.
^"Vincent".Queensland Government. Department of Housing. 14 September 2004. Archived fromthe original on 13 September 2009. Retrieved20 September 2009.
^corporateName=Queensland State Archives (7 April 2015)."Number 55 – Statement by James Morrill [Morrell] (1863)".Number 55 – Statement by James Morrill [Morrell] (1863).Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved10 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^"CLEVELAND BAY".The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XXI, no. 2, 653. Queensland, Australia. 28 July 1866. p. 7.Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved30 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
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