The heart of Townsville, a city of over 185,000 people, surrounds Castle Hill and Ross Creek, and follows Ross River inland. This entire scene can be surveyed from the summit of Mount Stuart, not to forget Castle Hill! Townsville City forms its own Local Government Area within the North Queensland Region. It is commonly referred to as the Commercial Capital of North Queensland.
Initially we frame the establishment of Townsville by investigating the opening of the Kennedy District; the founding of Townsville; the discovery of gold in its hinterland; and the development of the railways.
The Port of Townsville is the reason for the city’s existence and is one of Queensland’s four priority ports. It currently handles ‘10 million tonnes of cargo worth more than $10 billion to Queensland each year’. We chart the port’s astounding growth and investigate the exports of the meat, sugar and minerals industries – the three mainstays.
The Wulgurukaba people (traditional owners) and their initial contact with Europeans; initial European settlement; the impact of legislation, and the establishment of reserves, in particular Palm Island, are discussed. Also, we overview the Mabo Case (and profile Eddie Mabo) and point to the subsequent Native Title claims in the Townsville area.
A key feature of our book is the presentation of contemporary colour photographs and brief descriptions of 23 heritage-listed buildings.
Highlights of contemporary Townsville are discussed by presenting aspects from the 2021 census; and overviewing Lavarack Barracks, James Cook University, North Queensland Stadium, The Strand and ANZAC Memorial Park.
By engaging with this story, you’ll immediately appreciate the remarkable history and heritage of Townsville.