Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia’s largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast with the 2006 census recording the Townsville Statistical District (the urban centre) population to be 143,328 people. Townsville is seen as the unofficial capital of North Queensland as it hosts a significant number of governmental, community and major business administrative offices for the northern half of the state.
Popular attractions include ‘The Strand’, a long tropical beach and garden strip; Riverway, a riverfront parkland attraction located on the banks of Ross River; Reef HQ, a large tropical aquarium holding many of the Great Barrier Reef’s native flora and fauna; the Museum of Tropical Queensland, built around a display of relics from the sunken British warship HMS Pandora; and Magnetic Island, a large neighbouring island, the vast majority of which is national park.
Townsville is on the coast and enjoys an average of 320 days of sunshine a year. It is an appealing place for locals and a great jumping off point for visitors. A great spot for visitors wanting a taste of outback Australia while not venturing far from the coast.
It offers a quiet cosmopolitan feel with its good choice of restaurants & bars but also has a relaxing siesta style during the hottest parts of the day in high summer. Townsville takes great pride in being the unofficial Capital of North Queensland.
Townsville lies approximately 1,300 km north of Brisbane, and 350 km south of Cairns. It lies on the shores of Cleveland Bay, protected to some degree from the predominately south-east weather. Cleveland Bay is mostly shallow inshore, with several large beaches and continually shifting sand bars. Magnetic Island lies 8 km offshore, to the north of the city centre.
The Ross 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. Thirty kilometres from the mouth (at the junction of Five Head Creek) is the Ross River Dam, the major water storage for the urban areas. This is supplemented by pipelines from a smaller dam in the Paluma range to the north, and in times of drought, further water may be sourced by pumping from the Burdekin Dam. Because of the shifting sand bars at the mouth, Ross River is navigable only by small vessels, where speed and wash limits apply in most sections.
The historic waterfront on Ross Creek, site of the original wharves and port facilities, has some excellent old buildings mixed with the later modern skyline. However, the central city is dominated by the mass of red granite called Castle Hill, 292 metres high (just 8 metres short of being a mountain). There is a lookout at the summit giving panoramic views of the city and its suburbs, including Cleveland Bay and Magnetic Island. There are a number of parks scattered throughout the city, including three botanical gardens – Anderson Park, Queens Gardens and The Palmetum.
The North-East Coastlands Region is characterised by its somewhat dry, tropical climate (where the Outback meets the sea), with distinct seasonal weather patterns. The wet runs from November through March and produces heavy rainfall heralded by thunderstorms; yet, there is rarely any rain during the other part of the year. The area receives a lower annual rainfall than the “wet” tropics due to its northern coastal orientation, as the south east trade winds move parallel to the coast rather than perpendicular to it.
Townsville is the venue for the Annual Australian Festival of Chamber Music, which runs over ten days each year in July. The festival has been running since 1991, and attracts many acclaimed international and Australian musicians. The city also has its own orchestra, the Barrier Reef Orchestra, which presents concerts throughout North Queensland.
The region has many renowned festivals, celebrating some of the various international cultures that call the region home. The Annual Greek and Italian Festivals (Italian based in Ingham, north of Townsville and Greek based at Thuringowa’s Riverway) are popular with the locals and tourists alike
The city has a large and diverse range of restaurants representing many different cuisines of the world. The Palmer Street restaurant strip in South Townsville is home to many of these, and is the scene for an annual Jazz Festival. The city also has a vibrant pub and night-club scene, many of them located in Flinders Street East. Local and national music groups can often be found performing live in these venues.
The Townsville Entertainment Centre, seating 4500 people, is host to many national and international music shows, as well as sporting and trade shows. 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.
Townsville is connection point of two major National Highway routes, the A1 (Bruce Highway), and the A6 (Flinders Highway). The A1 connects Townsville to Cairns in the north, and Mackay, Rockhampton, and Brisbane in the south. The A6 connects Townsville to Charters Towers and Mount Isa in the west.
Numerous road projects are under construction or planned in the future, especially the Townsville Ring Road, which will eventually become the new A1 route bypassing the urban areas of the city.
The North Coast railway line, operated by Queensland Rail, meets the Western line in the city’s south. Rail services from Brisbane pass through Townsville and continue through to Cairns, including the regular Tilt Train service between Brisbane and Cairns. Townsville is a major destination and generator of rail freight services. Container operations are also common in the city. The products of the local nickel and copper refineries as well as minerals from the western line (Mt Isa) are transported to the port for trans-shipment to other destinations.
Townsville has a significant port at the mouth of Ross Creek. The Port of Townsville has bulk handling facilities for importing cement, nickel ore (for processing at the Yabulu Nickel Refinery), and fuel, and for exporting sugar and products from North Queensland’s mines. The port has three sugar storage sheds, with the newest being the largest under-cover storage area in Australia.
Townsville’s public transport system consists of bus services operated by Sunbus. Sunbus provides regular services between many parts of the city, and also operates several express routes. Public transport is also available from the CBD to Bushland Beach, a route run by Townsville’s Hermit Park Bus Service, Townsville’s biggest Charter Bus Service.
Regular ferry and vehicular barge services operate to Magnetic Island and Palm Island. The ferry service to both islands is operated by Sunferries. The City is served by Townsville International Airport, but hasn’t handled regular international flights since 2002. The Airport handles daily flights to Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, as well as to regional destinations such as Cairns, Mount Isa and Mackay.
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