Townsville facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Townsville Queensland
Townsville CBD and Ross River Port of Townsville and Marina Perc Tucker Regional Gallery Former Queen's Hotel on The Strand Castle Hill Townsville waterfront with North Queensland Stadium in the background
Townsville Location in Queensland
Population	201,313 (As of 2024)
• Density	290.369/km2 (752.05/sq mi)
Established	1865
Postcode(s)	4810
Elevation	15 m (49 ft)
Area	693.3 km2 (267.7 sq mi)(2021 urban)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
Location	1,348 km (838 mi) NNW of Brisbane 348 km (216 mi) SSE of Cairns 386 km (240 mi) NW of Mackay 1,267 km (787 mi) NNW of Sunshine Coast 1,434 km (891 mi) NNW of Gold Coast
LGA(s)	City of Townsville
County	Elphinstone
State electorate(s)	Townsville Thuringowa Mundingburra Burdekin Hinchinbrook
Federal Division(s)	Herbert Dawson
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 28.9 °C 84 °F 19.8 °C 68 °F 1,134.7 mm 44.7 in

Townsville is a major city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. It's the biggest city in North Queensland and Northern Australia, with over 200,000 people living there in 2024. Many people think of Townsville as the unofficial capital of North Queensland. It's home to many important government, community, and business offices for the northern part of the state.

Townsville is part of the larger City of Townsville area and is located in a dry tropical zone of Queensland. The city is very close to the central part of the amazing Great Barrier Reef. It's also a big industrial hub, with one of the world's largest zinc refineries and other important factories. The Port of Townsville is growing, with plans to make it even bigger for cargo and passenger ships. This port is important for trade with countries like China and other parts of Asia.

The city's economy is strong and varied, with key areas like defence, government services, healthcare, and education. Other important parts of its economy include making things, mining, transport, and moving goods around. Townsville is a leader in renewable energy, especially in green hydrogen and polysilicon. It's also known as Australia's 'fortress city' because it hosts a large part of the ADF, including one of Australia's biggest military bases and a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base. Townsville is the industrial heart of northern Australia, producing $15.1 billion in goods and services in 2023.

Some popular places to visit include "The Strand", which is a beautiful beach and garden area. There's also Riverway, a park along the Ross River. Reef HQ is a huge tropical aquarium where you can see many animals and plants from the Great Barrier Reef. The Museum of Tropical Queensland has interesting displays, including items from a sunken British warship. Castle Hill, also called Cootharinga, is a famous landmark and a great spot for exercise. Finally, Magnetic Island is a large island nearby, mostly covered by a national park.

History of Townsville

Early Days of Townsville

The Townsville area was originally home to several Indigenous groups, including the Wulgurukaba and Bindal people. The Wulgurukaba people say they are the traditional owners of the Townsville city area.

James Cook sailed past the Townsville region in 1770 but did not land there. He named nearby Cape Cleveland, Cleveland Bay, and Magnetic(al) Island. In 1819, Captain Phillip Parker King and botanist Alan Cunningham were the first Europeans to land and record their visit. Later, in 1846, James Morrill was shipwrecked and lived with the Bindal people for 17 years before being found.

How Townsville Started

Because the Burdekin River often flooded, it was important to create a seaport north of the river for the growing cattle industry. Robert Towns, a businessman from Sydney, sent Andrew Ball and his team to find a good spot. They found Ross Creek in April 1864 and set up a camp. The first group of settlers arrived on November 5, 1864. In 1866, Robert Towns visited and agreed to help the new settlement financially. The town was then named Townsville in his honour.

Townsville officially became a municipality in February 1866, with John Melton Black as its first Mayor. The town quickly grew as a main port and service centre for the goldfields nearby. Farming and sugar industries also grew. By 1891, Townsville had a population of 13,000 people.

In 1902, Townsville was officially declared a City.

The Townsville Cenotaph, a monument to remember soldiers, was started in 1923 and officially opened on ANZAC Day in 1924.

Townsville and Thuringowa Merge

The land around Townsville was first managed by the Thuringowa Road Board, which later became the Shire of Thuringowa. Over time, land was given to Townsville for its growth. In 1986, Thuringowa became a city. In March 2008, the cities of Townsville and Thuringowa joined together to form the "new" Townsville City Council.

World War II Impact

During World War II, Townsville became a very important military base in Australia. More than 50,000 soldiers were stationed there.

Some of the military groups based in Townsville included:

• No. 3 Fighter Sector RAAF
• 1 Wireless Unit
• North Eastern Area Command HQ, Townsville
• Castle Hill, Townsville had underground tunnels and bunkers.

In July 1942, Japanese planes carried out three small air raids on Townsville. Bombs were dropped near the harbour, the Garbutt airfield, and at Oonoonba. No one was killed, and there was little damage.

Townsville from 1970 Onwards

On Christmas Eve in 1971, a very strong storm called Tropical Cyclone Althea hit Townsville and Magnetic Island, causing a lot of damage.

Eddie Mabo, who became famous for his work to overturn the idea of terra nullius (meaning 'nobody's land'), worked at James Cook University in Townsville. Here, he learned about the problems with terra nullius and decided to challenge the Australian government. The library at James Cook University is now named after him.

In October 2000, a peace agreement for the Solomon Islands was negotiated in Townsville.

Townsville's Urban Layout

The city centre of Townsville has seen a lot of new buildings and growth, making it a more popular place to live. A new train station and moving railway workshops freed up land for new homes, shops, and a performing arts centre. The skyline of Townsville's city centre has changed a lot with many new tall buildings.

Future growth of the city is planned to the west and north, in what used to be the City of Thuringowa. One big project is North Shore Estate, a new housing area for 5,000 homes. Another large development, Elliot Springs, is expected to be home to 26,000 people by 2057.

Geography of Townsville

Townsville is about 1,350 kilometres (840 miles) north of Brisbane and 350 kilometres (220 miles) south of Cairns. It sits on the edge of Cleveland Bay, which offers some protection from the weather. Magnetic Island is about 8 kilometres (5 miles) offshore, north of the city centre.

The Ross River flows through the city. This river is used for many fun activities like waterskiing, fishing, and rowing. The Ross River Dam, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the river's mouth, is the main water source for the city.

The old waterfront area on Ross Creek has a mix of old buildings and newer ones. The city centre is dominated by Castle Hill, a large red granite rock that is 292 metres (958 feet) high. From the top, you can see amazing views of the city, Cleveland Bay, and Magnetic Island. Townsville also has several parks, including three botanical gardens: Anderson Park, Queens Gardens, and The Palmetum.

Townsville's Climate

Townsville has a tropical savanna climate. This means it has a wet season and a dry season. Unlike some other tropical areas in Queensland, Townsville doesn't get as much rain in winter. This is because of its unique location. The winter months usually have clear blue skies, warm days, and cool nights.

Most of the rain falls during the six-month "wet season" from November to April. The average yearly rainfall is 1,134.7 millimetres (44.7 inches). However, the amount of rain can change a lot each year. The wettest 24 hours on record happened on January 11, 1998, when 548.8 millimetres (21.6 inches) of rain fell.

December is the warmest month, with average daily temperatures around 31.5°C (88.7°F) during the day and 24.1°C (75.4°F) at night. July is the coolest month, with daily temperatures around 25.1°C (77.2°F) during the day and 13.7°C (56.7°F) at night. Townsville gets a lot of sunshine, with an average of 8.5 hours per day.

Townsville Rainfall Data mm (inches)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Total
Highest rainfall	1,141.7 (44.9)	960.8 (37.8)	696.2 (27.4)	546.2 (21.5)	180.8 (7.1)	111.4 (4.4)	173.7 (6.8)	258.2 (10.2)	84.4 (3.3)	252.8 (10.0)	345.2 (13.6)	458.0 (18.0)	2,399.8 (94.5)
Highest 24-hour rainfall	548.8 (21.6)	317.6 (12.5)	366.5 (14.4)	271.6 (10.7)	96.0 (3.8)	93.0 (3.7)	89.8 (3.5)	134.2 (5.3)	64.6 (2.5)	89.4 (3.5)	132.8 (5.2)	206.8 (8.1)	548.8 (21.6)
Average rainfall	270.1 (10.6)	298.7 (11.8)	192.4 (7.6)	66.4 (2.6)	31.7 (1.2)	21.2 (0.8)	14.9 (0.6)	16.1 (0.6)	10.4 (0.4)	23.4 (0.9)	58.4 (2.3)	127.7 (5.0)	1,134.7 (44.7)
Lowest rainfall	8.8 (0.3)	4.2 (0.2)	2.0 (0.1)	0.3 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.2 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	397.6 (15.7)
Bureau of Meteorology

Tropical Cyclones in Townsville

Like most of North Queensland, Townsville can be affected by tropical cyclones. These strong storms usually happen between December and April. Some major cyclones that have hit Townsville include Cyclone Althea (1971) and Cyclone Yasi (2011). Townsville also experienced big floods in January 1998 due to Cyclone Sid.

How Townsville is Governed

Townsville has offices for many state and federal government groups.

Local Government in Townsville

Townsville is run by a City Council. This council includes a Mayor and 10 Councillors, who are all elected by the people. Each Councillor represents a different area of the city. In 2008, the cities of Townsville and Thuringowa joined together to form one larger Townsville City Council.

In 2024, Troy Thompson became the Mayor of Townsville.

State Government in Townsville

In the Queensland Parliament, five different areas cover the Townsville Region. These areas are:

• Electoral district of Burdekin
• Electoral district of Hinchinbrook
• Electoral district of Mundingburra
• Electoral district of Thuringowa
• Electoral district of Townsville

Federal Government in Townsville

Most people in Townsville are represented in the Australian House of Representatives by Phillip Thompson. Some southern suburbs are part of the Division of Dawson, represented by Andrew Willcox. Some northern suburbs are in the Division of Kennedy, represented by Bob Katter.

Townsville's Economy

Townsville has a strong and varied economy. It's good at education, healthcare, retail, building, and making things. It's also a big centre for defence, with thousands of military staff living there.

Townsville is the only city in the world that refines three different basic metals: zinc, copper, and nickel. There are also plans for a large lithium-ion battery factory. Nickel ore is brought in from other countries and processed north of the port. Zinc ore and copper concentrate are brought by train from mines and refined in Townsville. The zinc refinery is one of the biggest in the world.

Townsville has several large public facilities because of its size and location. These include:

• The biggest campus of James Cook University, the oldest university in northern Queensland.
• The main office of the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
• The headquarters of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
• The large Army base at Lavarack Barracks.
• RAAF Base Townsville.

People and Population

In 2021, Townsville had a population of 179,011 people. The city has a younger population compared to the average for Australia and Queensland. Many people move to Townsville for work, especially for the army base and government jobs. The area is also popular with mine workers who fly in and out for their shifts.

In 2021, 9.0% of Townsville's population were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This means there were 21,180 people of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent living in Townsville.

Education in Townsville

Townsville has over 60 private and state schools for primary and secondary education. Townsville Grammar School is the oldest co-educational school on the Australian mainland.

Universities in Townsville

James Cook University (JCU) is a public university with its main campus in the suburb of Douglas. It was founded in 1970 and was the first university in North Queensland. JCU is known worldwide for its expertise in marine and tropical biology. The JCU Medical School started in 1999 and is connected to the nearby Townsville Hospital.

CQUniversity also has a campus in Townsville, offering many courses like nursing, paramedic science, business, and psychology.

Vocational Training in Townsville

The city is home to campuses of TAFE Queensland North, which provides technical and further education. There are also campuses for Queensland Agricultural Training Colleges and Tec-NQ.

Culture, Events, and Festivals

The city is known for the Townsville Saint, a 6-metre (20-foot) stick figure painted on the side of Castle Hill. It was painted by seven university students in 1962 and has become a famous landmark.

The Australian Festival of Chamber Music is an international music festival held in Townsville every July. Townsville also has its own orchestra, the Barrier Reef Orchestra. The Townsville Entertainment Centre hosts many national and international music shows and sports events.

The region has many popular festivals that celebrate the different cultures of people living in North Queensland, such as the Annual Greek, Italian, and Indian Festivals.

The Townsville Civic Theatre is the main cultural centre for North Queensland. It hosts many performing arts events. TheatreiNQ is a local professional theatre company that puts on shows, including "Shakespeare Under the Stars" in Queen Gardens. Dancenorth Australia is a contemporary dance company based in Townsville that tours its shows around Australia and the world.

The Perc Tucker Regional Gallery is Townsville's public art gallery. It focuses on art from North Queensland and tropical areas. Every two years, the gallery presents a sculpture and art festival called Strand Ephemera along the beachfront.

The Townsville City Council and Townsville Intercultural Centre hold an annual Cultural Fest in August. This festival celebrates the many different cultures in the city with dance, food, and music from various ethnic groups.

Townsville has several museums. The Maritime Museum of Townsville shows items related to the city's port and sea history. The Museum of Tropical Queensland (MTQ) is a museum of natural history and history. It has items from shipwrecks and manages shipwreck sites. The Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA) features underwater sculptures.

The city has many restaurants, especially on Palmer Street and Flinders Street. There are also many pubs and nightclubs, mostly on Flinders Street East.

Architecture in Townsville

Townsville has many well-preserved old buildings from the 1800s and early 1900s, especially on Flinders Street, which is the oldest street. The Townsville Post Office, built in 1886, is a famous building. Other historic buildings include the Australian Joint Stock Bank (1887–88) and the Great Northern Hotel (1901). The former Main Train Station, a grand building, was completed in 1913.

Two impressive churches are Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Cathedral (built 1896–1902) and St. James' Anglican Cathedral (built in two stages, 1887–1892 and 1959–1960).

Parks in Townsville

Queens Gardens, located in the northern part of Townsville, were started in 1870. They were originally part of a larger botanical garden used for growing tropical plants.

The Strand is considered Townsville's most popular park. It's known for its Rock Pool and for hosting many cultural events.

Anderson Park, covering about 20 hectares, is famous for its ferns and pandanus plants. It was laid out in 1929.

The Townsville Palmetum, a park with about 300 plant species, opened in 1988. It has most of the 60 palm species that are native to Australia.

The first park in the city centre, later named Anzac Memorial Park, was created in 1912. A bandstand was built there in 1913.

Media and Communications

Townsville is a media hub for North Queensland. It has several radio stations, including the North Queensland ABC station. There are also three commercial television stations. The city has a regional daily newspaper and a community weekly newspaper.

Sports and Recreation

Townsville is home to several sports teams that play in national competitions. These include the North Queensland Cowboys (National Rugby League), who play at Queensland Country Bank Stadium. The Townsville Fire (Women's National Basketball League) play at the Townsville RSL Stadium.

Queensland Country Bank Stadium is the home ground for the Cowboys. Townsville also hosted some matches for the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup. Tony Ireland Stadium has a stadium for international cricket and AFL. Townsville was also a host city for basketball games during the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The most popular sport in Townsville is rugby league. Besides the Cowboys, there are many local junior and senior rugby league teams. Many famous Australian players, like Gorden Tallis and Gene Miles, came from the local league.

Townsville also has two Touch Football associations. These competitions have produced many talented players.

Football Queensland North is based in Townsville, and soccer is popular among junior players.

Townsville and Districts Rugby Union runs a successful rugby union competition. Townsville has also produced Australian national rugby union players.

AFL Townsville runs a regional Australian rules football league. Jake Spencer was the first local player to play in the AFL.

Several Australian Test and ODI cricketers, including Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Symonds, have come from Townsville. In 2012, Townsville hosted matches for the Under 19 Cricket World Cup.

The Townsville Running Festival is an annual event that includes a marathon and shorter fun runs.

Townsville is hosting the World Triathlon Multisport World Championships from August 15 to 25, 2024.

The Reid Park Street Circuit hosts the Townsville 400 for the Supercars Championship every July.

Townsville also has a go-kart track and a motocross track.

Rowing is popular at the Townsville & JCU Rowing Club and Riverway Rowing Club. Both clubs offer programs for competitive rowers, social rowers, and school groups.

Townsville has three Tennis Clubs. These clubs host tournaments where Australian and international players compete.

Townsville Speedway is a venue for speedway racing, including motorcycle speedway.

Infrastructure

Transport in Townsville

Townsville is where two major national highways meet: the A1 (Bruce Highway) and the A6 (Flinders Highway). The Townsville Ring Road helps traffic bypass the city.

Townsville has a public transport system with regular bus services. There are also ferry and vehicle barge services to Magnetic Island and Palm Island.

Railway construction in Townsville began in 1879. The railway lines to Mount Isa, Cairns, and Brisbane were all opened by 1929. The current train station opened in 2003.

The Tilt Train service connects Townsville railway station to Brisbane in the south and Cairns in the north. Townsville is a major hub for rail freight services. The Port of Townsville handles large amounts of goods, importing cement, nickel ore, and fuel, and exporting sugar and minerals from mines.

The city is served by Townsville International Airport. It has direct domestic flights to major cities like Darwin, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, as well as regional flights.

Defence Facilities

The Australian Army has a very strong presence in Townsville. The Army's 3rd Brigade is based at Lavarack Barracks. This brigade is a light infantry group that includes two infantry battalions and a cavalry unit. It's a high-readiness brigade that has been sent on missions outside Australia many times.

Other important Army units in Townsville include the 5th Aviation Regiment, which uses helicopters, and the 10th Force Support Battalion, which provides logistics support.

The Royal Australian Air Force also has a presence in Townsville. RAAF Base Townsville, located in Garbutt, houses aircraft from No. 38 Squadron RAAF. This base is ready to accept various RAAF aircraft and other international planes.

Townsville is also a key point for moving military personnel and supplies to remote parts of Northern Australia and overseas. The Australian Navy's large ships often visit Townsville to train with the Army units based there.

Community Groups

The Townsville branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the CWA Hall in Pimlico.

Sister Cities

Townsville has several sister cities around the world:

• Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
• Shūnan, Yamaguchi, Japan
• Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan
• Changshu, Jiangsu, China
• Suwon, Gyeonggi, South Korea
• Foshan, Guangdong, China

Notable People from Townsville

Athletes

• Jarrod Bannister (1984–2018), Australian Olympian
• Natalie Cook (born 1975), Australian Olympic beach volleyball player
• Renita Farrell-Garard (born 1972), Australian hockey player and dual Olympic gold medalist
• James Hopes (born 1978), Australian cricketer
• Mitchell Johnson (born 1981), Australian cricketer
• Laurie Lawrence (born 1941), Australian Olympic swimming coach
• Gene Miles (born 1959), Australian rugby league footballer
• Jack Miller (born 1995), Australian MotoGP rider
• Greg Norman (born 1955), former golf world number one
• Andrew Symonds (1975–2022), Australian cricketer
• Gorden Tallis (born 1973), Australian rugby league footballer
• Johnathan Thurston (born 1983), North Queensland Cowboys NRL Premiership winning co-captain
• Libby Trickett (born 1985), Australian Olympic swimmer

Journalists

• Julian Assange (born 1971), editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks
• Yvonne Sampson (born 1980), sports journalist

Artists

• Billy Doolan (born 1952), Australian Indigenous artist

Military Personnel

• James Cannan (1882–1976), former Australian major general

Lawyers and Politicians

• Patricia Staunton (born 1946), Australian magistrate

Scientists and Mathematicians

• Joe Baker (1932–2018), marine scientist
• Terry Hughes (born 1956), marine biologist studying coral reefs
• Helene Marsh (born 1945), environmental scientist studying dugongs
• John Veron (born 1945), expert in corals and reefs

Other Notable People

• Harriet Dyer (born circa 1988), Hollywood film actress
• Rachael Finch (born 1988), Miss Universe Australia 2009
• Natalie Weir (born 1967), Australian choreographer

See also

In Spanish: Townsville para niños