Townsville City, Queensland

This article is about the Townsville CBD suburb. For the metropolitan area, see Townsville. For the local government area, see City of Townsville. For other uses, see Townsville (disambiguation).

Townsville City Townsville,  Queensland
Townsville City centre
Townsville City
Coordinates	19°15′44″S146°48′57″E / 19.2622°S 146.8158°E / -19.2622; 146.8158 (City of Townsville (centre of suburb))
Population	2,945 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	1,470/km2 (3,810/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4810
Area	2.0 km2 (0.8 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	347 km (216 mi) SSE of Cairns 386 km (240 mi) NNW of Mackay 718 km (446 mi) NNW of Rockhampton 1,336 km (830 mi) NNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	City of Townsville
State electorate(s)	Townsville
Federal division(s)	Herbert
Suburbs around Townsville City: North Ward North Ward Coral Sea Castle Hill Townsville City South Townsville West End Railway Estate South Townsville

Townsville City is a coastal suburb at the centre of the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] In the 2021 census, the suburb of Townsville City had a population of 2,945 people. ^[1]

It is the city's central business district and a major hub for businesses of all sectors in the Northern Australia region.

Waterfront in the CBD

Geography

Townsville City is a strip of land along the northern-eastern bank of Ross Creek at its mouth at the Coral Sea , thus the suburb is bounded to the north by the Coral Sea and to the south-east by Ross Creek. It is overlooked to the west by Castle Hill. The land is mostly low-lying, just about sea level, apart from Melton Hill ( 19°15′21″S146°49′08″E / 19.2559°S 146.8189°E / -19.2559; 146.8189 (Melton Hill) ) which creates a natural boundary to North Ward to the north-west. ^[3]

The Breakwater Marina

North Ward Road (Denham Street) runs through from north to south-east. ^[4]

History

Townsville City is situated in the traditional Wulgurukaba Aboriginal country. ^[5]

Townsville City takes its name from Robert Towns, a merchant and entrepreneur, who was a pioneer financial supporter of pastoral development around the Ross River area. ^[2]

Services of worship for members of the Baptist Church commenced in Townsville in January 1888 in rented premises. In 1891 the Townsville Baptist Church bought the land and two cottages (at the rear of the allotment) from the original landholder, Duncan McVean, for £500. At the time the allotment took up one half of the length of Fletcher Street between Sturt and Walker streets ( 19°15′54″S146°48′36″E / 19.2650°S 146.8099°E / -19.2650; 146.8099 (Townsville City Baptist Church (former)) ). ^[6] In September 1893, a vacant Congregationalist church building in Denham Street and its contents were purchased and re-erected on the Sturt Street site. ^{[7] [8]} The first service was held on Thursday 23 November 1893. ^{[9] [10] [11]} In January 1903 the building was damaged by Cyclone Leonta. What could be salvaged was used to erect a church hall. A building fund was set up for a new church and hall, but it was not until 1922 that a replacement church was built. Having insufficient funds for new bricks, a disused powder magazine, eight miles from Townsville at Brookhill and purchased and the congregation dismantled and cleaned around 30,000 bricks. ^[6] In December 1921, tenders were called to erect a new brick church adjacent to the former church. ^[12] The building contract was signed for £832/6/- and the foundation stone was laid on 8 July 1922. ^{[6] [13] [14]} The new church opened on Saturday 23 September 1922. ^{[15] [16]} In 1981, the land and buildings were sold because the Townsville City Baptist Church and the Currajong Baptist Church were both too small, so the congregations decided to combine and bought a new property at Kirwan. ^[6]

St Anne's Church of England Girls’ School opened on 1 January 1917 with an initial enrolment of 71 students in Walker Street (now occupied by the Townsville City Council centre, approx 19°15′31″S146°48′52″E / 19.2585°S 146.8145°E / -19.2585; 146.8145 (St Anne's Church of England School for Girls (former)) ). It was operated by the Society of the Sacred Advent. From 1942 to 1945 during World War II when a Japanese invasion was feared, the school was evacuated to Ravenswood while the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force occupied the school's facilities in Townsville. In 1953, the need for expand results in the purchase of 23 acres (9.3 ha) of land in Mundingburra, where the foundation stone was laid in 1956. The Mundingburra site was officially opened on 13 April 1958 with the move to the new site taking place at the end of August 1958. Still Anglican, it is now a co-educational school known as the Cathedral School of St Anne and St James. ^[17]

Australian Taxation Office Building Opened in 2020

Demographics

In the 2011 census, the suburb of Townsville City had a population of 2,500 people. ^[18]

In the 2016 census, the suburb of Townsville City had a population of 2,910 people. ^[19]

In the 2021 census, the suburb of Townsville City had a population of 2,945 people. ^[1]

Built environment

The dominant land use in the Townsville CBD (Central Business District) is commercial but with a growing residential aspect. Office buildings include Northtown Office Tower, Verde Tower (Queensland State Government), 420 on Flinders (Ergon Energy and National Australia Bank, and Central Plaza (Drake International). Some companies that have offices in the CBD include Wilmar International, RID Insect Repellent, Suncorp Insurance, Adani Australia.

The Marina and Castle Hill

Townsville City is home to many regional offices of government organisations as well as many private companies, serving as a hub for northern Queensland. There has been extensive construction in the city centre over the last 20 years. As of 2020 some new projects include Flinders Lane, ^[20] a new home for the Australian Taxation Office ^[21] and recently completed is the Queensland Country Bank Stadium that opened 29 February 2020 with a concert by Elton John. In coming years new projects under construction will include new offices for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, ^[22] a new access stairway to Castle Hill, ^[23] and completion of the Townsville Courthouse upgrade.

Amenities

CityLibraries Townsville operates a public library in Flinders Street. ^[24]

The suburb is home to the Perc Tucker Gallery and Umbrella Studio for Contemporary Arts.

Saints Theodores Greek Orthodox Church is at 654 Sturt Street ( 19°16′02″S146°48′26″E / 19.2673°S 146.8071°E / -19.2673; 146.8071 (Saints Theodores Greek Orthodox Church) ). Their feast day is the first Saturday of Lent. ^[25]

Education

There are no schools in the suburb. The nearest primary schools are Townsville South State School in neighbouring South Townsville to the east, Townsville West State School in neighbouring West End to the south-west and Townsville Central State School in neighbouring North Ward to the north-east. The nearest secondary school is Townsville State High School in neighbouring Railway Estate to the south. ^[3]

Events

The Northern Australia Festival of Arts and the Northern Fringe Festival are hed annually in the months of July and early August.

The Townsville Eats monthly food festival on the last Friday of every month.

The Sunday Cotters Markets are held every Sunday in Flinders Street. ^[26]

Heritage listings

Main article: List of heritage sites in Townsville City, Queensland

Townsville CBD has a large number of heritage-listed sites.

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Townsville City (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Townsville City – suburb in City of Townsville (entry 44648)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 19 September 2020.
3. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland . Retrieved 12 October 2020.
4. Google (26 April 2023). "Townsville City" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
5. "Traditional Landowners - History and Heritage". Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
6. "Potters House (entry 602253)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
7. "Queensland". The Week . Vol. XXXVI, no. 924. Queensland, Australia. 8 September 1893. p. 27. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2021– via National Library of Australia.
8. "BAPTIST ASSOCIATION OF QUEENSLAND". The Brisbane Courier . Vol. L, no. 11, 163. Queensland, Australia. 24 October 1893. p. 5. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2021– via National Library of Australia.
9. "QUEENSLAND". The Brisbane Courier . Vol. L, no. 11, 186. Queensland, Australia. 20 November 1893. p. 5. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2021– via National Library of Australia.
10. "SUMMARY OF NEWS". The Brisbane Courier . Vol. L, no. 11, 190. Queensland, Australia. 24 November 1893. p. 4. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2021– via National Library of Australia.
11. "1893 Townsville". Baptist Church Archives Queensland. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
12. "Advertising". Townsville Daily Bulletin . Vol. XXXVII, no. 12411. Queensland, Australia. 14 December 1921. p. 5. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2021– via National Library of Australia.
13. "Queensland Baptist churches by date of erection/opening". Baptist Church Archives Queensland. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
14. "1922 Townsville rebuilt 1955". Baptist Church Archives Queensland. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
15. "Advertising". Townsville Daily Bulletin . Vol. XXXVIII, no. 12, 352. Queensland, Australia. 23 September 1922. p. 5. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2021– via National Library of Australia.
16. "Church Services". Townsville Daily Bulletin . Vol. XXXVIII, no. 12, 352. Queensland, Australia. 23 September 1922. p. 4. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2021– via National Library of Australia.
17. "Our Story". The Cathedral School. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
18. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Townsville City". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
19. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Townsville City (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
20. "Flinders Lane to revitalise CBD". Townsville City Council. 11 March 2019. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
21. "ATO downsizes in Melbourne, upsizes in Townsville". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment Co. 13 July 2018. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
22. "We're moving: new location in Townsville CBD". Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
23. "New Castle Hill connection". Townsville City Council. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
24. "Using your libraries: locations and opening hours". Townsville City Council . Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
25. "Sts Theodores, Townsville, QLD". Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia . 25 December 2020. Archived from the original on 25 December 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
26. "Shopping & Markets". Townsville City Council . 31 July 2020. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.