Riverway, Townsville facts for kids
Riverway is a fantastic parkland area located in the Condon suburb of Townsville, Australia. It first opened in July 2006 and stretches for about 11 kilometers along the beautiful Ross River. Riverway includes different sections like Pioneer Park, Loam Island, Apex Park, and Ross Park, which is near the Ross River Dam. The parts of Riverway that are fully finished and ready to explore are Pioneer Park and Loam Island. You can easily get to Riverway from the Thuringowa Central business area by following a pathway along the river.
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Tony Ireland Stadium
The Tony Ireland Stadium is a major part of the Riverway development. It's a huge sports stadium built to international standards, perfect for games like AFL and cricket. This stadium can hold more than 10,000 people, making it a great place to watch exciting sports events.
Riverway Arts Centre
The Riverway Arts Centre is a really cool building that blends right into the park. It has a special grass roof, which helps keep the building cool inside and means no green space is lost! Inside this unique building, you'll find the Pinnacles Art Gallery, where you can see amazing artworks. An Australian music group called The Necks even recorded one of their live albums, Townsville, here in 2007.
History of Riverway
Before Riverway became the awesome park it is today, this area was used as a camping reserve for the army. For a while, the land was unused, and people wondered what would happen to it. However, the Thuringowa Shire Council decided that the area should stay undeveloped for everyone in the community to enjoy. As more and more people moved to the Upper Ross area, there was a big need for places to relax and play, and this spot was perfect!
In the 1970s, work began to clear the land, remove unwanted trees, improve drainage, and mow the grass. A road that used to run along the river was closed to cars, and new clubhouses and toilets were built in 1971. It was a tradition to plant raintrees in the reserve, and the Thuringowa Council continued this. These old trees still stand today, providing shade along the road leading into Riverway.
During the early 1970s, the Council and local residents talked about what to name the reserve. Many ideas were suggested, but in October 1971, the Thuringowa Council officially named it the Pioneer Sporting Complex. Over the years, the Pioneer Sporting Complex received many small upgrades and is still used by lots of sports teams and clubs today.
How Riverway Was Built
The construction of Riverway happened in different stages.
- Stage One included building two fun swimming lagoons, the Riverway Arts Centre, the Pinnacles Gallery, the Riverwalk pathway, and adding public art and parklands.
- Stage Two involved building the Riverway Stadium, which is now known as the Tony Ireland Stadium.
- Stage Three covers the area around Apex Park and the Upper Ross Shopping Centre.
Itara at Riverway
Itara at Riverway is a modern residential area with 265 apartments. The money from these apartments helped to pay for the development of the Riverway parkland, making it possible for everyone to enjoy this great community space.
