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85-585: Before Hardwarehouse was absorbed into Bunnings in 2001, it was the largest corporately owned home improvement retailer in Australia and New Zealand with 62 stores and over 5,000 employees, as it traded under the BBC Hardware name. The first store was opened in the Sydney suburb of Bankstown on 3 October 1992. Despite the store having a larger selling space than the ones that opened later, it proved that

170-898: A Mitre 10 Mega store in Modbury . In 2008 the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) looked into its acquisitions of five Mitre 10 stores, as it deemed the purchases would be anti-competitive. In February 2009, the ACCC allowed the purchases, finding that the acquisition of the Mitre 10 stores did not significantly alter the level of competition in the relevant market. Over time, some smaller-format Bunnings stores have gradually been closed. However, six new stores were opened in Victoria in 2015, mainly in smaller regional markets and inner-suburban areas. Michael Schneider

255-441: A tropical savanna climate ( Köppen climate classification Aw ). Owing to a quirk of geographical location, Townsville's winter rainfall in particular is not as high as elsewhere in the eastern coastal tropics of Queensland, such as Cairns . The winter months are dominated by southeast trade winds and mostly fine weather. Further north the coastline runs north–south and the trade winds are lifted to produce rainfall right through

340-700: A Treasures exhibition, showcasing 50 collection items from Special Collections, Eddie Koiku Mabo Library, James Cook University, Townsville. The rare collection item – ‘James Cook University Development: Pimlico to the First Chancellor archival footage, 1960 – 1970’ was one of the Treasures selected for the anniversary year. The 12min film preserved on NQHeritage, the University Library’s Special Collections online repository, shows footage of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II arriving at

425-489: A camp below the rocky spur of Melton Hill , near the present Customs House on The Strand . Edward Kennedy, a Native Police officer accompanying the group, recalled how his "boys" (the Aboriginal troopers) chased four or five local tribesmen into the ocean. Kennedy then stated that he "left the "boys" in the water, pumping lead and hurling derisive cries at them, neither of which seemed to reach their mark". A member of

510-489: A fictional hardware shop in the animated television series Bluey . The series' creators were inspired by Bunnings when making the fictional shop. Since the development of the Bunnings Warehouse stores, three general operational formats exist: Bunnings Small-format Store (SFS), Bunnings Warehouse (WH) and Bunnings Trade Centre (TC). The smaller "Bunnings" stores stock a more limited range of hardware, whereas

595-562: A former B&Q store in Folkestone to be the fifth Bunnings store in the UK. On 25 May 2018, after mounting losses, Wesfarmers sold the UK and Ireland Bunnings/Homebase operation to Hilco for a nominal sum of £1. The 24 stores already rebranded as Bunnings reverted to the Homebase name, with some later closing under an agreed company voluntary arrangement . The failure of Bunnings in

680-488: A gardener at James Cook University in the 1970s and 1980s. It was at the university in 1974 that he first learned of the implications of the terra nullius doctrine which held that he did not legally own the land he believed was his under the traditional land inheritance system of his people. Buchanan's Hotel in Flinders Street, regarded by architectural historians as Australia's most significant building in

765-408: A government building contract, which led to the founding of a group of building companies which later became Bunning Bros Pty Ltd. They purchased their first sawmill the following year in the south west of Western Australia , and over the next few years, they concentrated more on sawmilling and timber distribution and less on building. In 1928, Robert Bunning's son Charles and Tom began working in

850-548: A hire shop, spare parts enquiry, colour matching, key cutting, pool water testing and gas swapping. Bunnings also provides gardening, craft, and woodwork do it yourself (DIY) workshops for children in-store, as well as for other groups in schools, nursing homes, and hospitals. The Bunnings staff are available to community groups for assistance with DIY projects. On weekends (and weekdays at some sites), Bunnings outlets regularly host sausage sizzles and cake stalls for community groups and causes. It has become an intrinsic part of

935-648: A mere 217.9 millimetres (8.58 in) between December 1901 and November 1902 at the peak of the Federation Drought , to as much as 2,956.2 millimetres (116.39 in) between March 1990 and February 1991. On average, the driest year in ten can expect only half the mean rainfall, compared to around 64 percent in Brisbane, 68 percent in Sydney, and 72 percent in Darwin. Rainfall also varies considerably within

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1020-626: A satellite city to the south of Townsville developed by national developer Lendlease Group , is expected to be home to 26,000 people by 2057. Additionally, the Queensland Government announced it will be offering 270 hectares (670 acres) of state-owned land (the former abattoir reserve), just south of the Bohle River , for urban expansion. Townsville lies approximately 1,350 kilometres (840 mi) north of Brisbane , and 350 kilometres (220 mi) south of Cairns . It lies on

1105-502: A shower of stones and spears. Dalrymple and his men "were necessitated" to fire upon them, "repulsing them with loss." They landed again near to Cape Pallarenda to obtain surveys from the hilltops but decided to descend to their awaiting dinghies as they noticed residents of three Aboriginal camps below were moving in their direction. These people were yelling and dancing "in a very hostile manner" and Dalrymple felt obliged to fire upon them. Dalrymple's group then made an "orderly retreat" to

1190-1847: A total of 62 Hardwarehouse stores that operated across Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, there was two stores in the Australian Capital Territory , 29 in New South Wales , 14 in Queensland, two in Tasmania , eight in Victoria and five in Western Australia . In New Zealand, Hardwarehouse operated primarily in Auckland , with three stores across the region. ACT: Fyshwick , Phillip NSW: Artarmon , Ashfield , Bankstown , Bella Vista , Belrose , Blacktown , Bonnyrigg , Campbelltown , Caringbah , Coffs Harbour , Crossroads , Glendale , Kotara , Lidcombe , Lismore , Mascot , Minchinbury , North Parramatta , Penrith , Rockdale , Shellharbour , Tamworth , Thornleigh , Tuggerah , Tweed Heads , Villawood , Wagga Wagga , West Gosford , Wallsend and Wollongong Qld: Booval , Burleigh Heads , Cairns , Capalaba , Caboolture , Everton Park , Harbour Town , Indooroopilly , Maroochydore , Mount Gravatt , Oxley , Rockhampton , Toowoomba , Townsville and Underwood Tas: Kings Meadows and Moonah Vic: Bayswater , Doveton , Maribyrnong , Moorabbin , Notting Hill , Nunawading , Thomastown and Wendouree WA: Cannington , Innaloo , Morley , O'Connor and Whitfords Auckland: Burswood , Manukau and Rosedale Bunnings Bunnings Group Limited , trading as Bunnings Warehouse or Bunnings ,

1275-445: A very numerous Aboriginal population. They landed on the shore near to where the modern city of Townsville now stands and met with a number of Aboriginal people, giving them biscuit and tobacco. The Aboriginal people started to touch and feel all the expedition members, and began "smacking their lips", which Dalrymple interpreted as an indication that they wanted to eat them. Another group of Aboriginal people came down, attacking them with

1360-484: Is Australia's 'fortress city', home to a large part of the strategic capability of the ADF , offering essential services including maintenance and supply chains including one of the largest military bases in Australia as well as a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base that can accommodate most military aircraft in service. Townsville is the industrial heart of northern Australia with a GRP of $ 15.1 billion in 2023. The city

1445-461: Is also a major industrial centre, home to one of the world's largest zinc refineries, a nickel refinery and many other similar activities. As of December 2020, $ 30M operations to expand the Port of Townsville are underway, which involve channel widening and installation of a 70-tonne Liebherr Super Post Panamax Ship-to-Shore crane, to allow much larger cargo and passenger ships to utilise the port. It

1530-472: Is an Australian household hardware and garden centre chain. The chain has been owned by Wesfarmers since 1994, and has stores in Australia and New Zealand. Bunnings was founded in Perth , Western Australia in 1886, by brothers Arthur and Robert Bunning , who had emigrated from England. Initially, a limited company focused on sawmilling , it became a public company in 1952 and subsequently expanded into

1615-472: Is an increasingly important port due to its proximity to Asia and major trading partners such as China. Dominant sectors of its diverse economy include defence , administration , health and education , manufacturing , energy , transport and logistics . The city is a national hub for renewable energy , in green hydrogen and polysilicon , as well as the centre of CopperString 2032 being Australia's largest renewable transmission project. Townsville

1700-528: Is served by Townsville Airport and the Port of Townsville , the largest general freight and container port in northern Australia. 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;

1785-617: Is susceptible to tropical cyclones . They usually occur between December and April, forming mainly out in the Coral Sea, and usually tracking west to the coast. Notable cyclones to affect the Townsville Region have been: Cyclone Kirrily (2024), Cyclone Yasi (2011), Cyclone Tessi (2000), Cyclone Sid (1998, in particular damaging The Strand and causing major flooding ), Cyclone Joy (1990), Cyclone Althea (1971), Cyclone Leonta (1903), and Cyclone Sigma (1896). The city

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1870-461: Is the warmest month of the year with daily mean maximum and minimum temperatures being 31.5 °C (88.7 °F) and 24.1 °C (75.4 °F) respectively. July is the coolest month with daily mean maximum and minimum temperatures being 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) and 13.7 °C (56.7 °F). Townsville experiences an annual mean of 8.5 hours of sunshine per day, averaging 120.8 clear days per year. Like most of Northern Australia, Townsville

1955-554: The 2022 Australian federal election . Some of the suburbs on the southern fringe of the urban area are part of the Division of Dawson and are represented by Andrew Willcox , representing the Liberal National Party . Some of the northern suburbs of Townsville, known collectively as the "Northern Beaches", are included in the Division of Kennedy which is represented by Bob Katter ( Katter's Australian Party ), who

2040-478: The Filigree style, was lost to fire in 1982. In 1981 a land rights conference was held at James Cook University and Eddie Mabo made a speech to the audience where he explained the land inheritance system on Murray Island . The significance of this in terms of Australian common law doctrine was taken note of by one of the attendees, a lawyer, who suggested there should be a test case to claim land rights through

2125-629: The Flybuys Loyalty program to allow customers to collect points at both stores. In 2022, Bunnings sought to expand its commercial business by doubling the number of frame and truss processing plants it owns from three to six by 2024. In 2023, Bunnings expanded its pet care and cleaning product ranges, reflecting the company's repositioning as a home improvement destination. In early 2024, Bunnings temporarily rebranded one store in each Australian state and in New Zealand to "Hammerbarn",

2210-683: The Government of Queensland prior to the March 2008 elections, the previous entities of NQ Water, The City of Townsville and the City of Thuringowa were amalgamated. In the 2024 Townsville City Council election , Troy Thompson (Independent), was sworn in as Mayor of Townsville. The previous Mayor of Townsville was Jenny Hill , a member of the Labor Party . Hill was elected in April 2012, replacing

2295-663: The Howard Smith Group , including BBC Hardware (previously Nock & Kirby ) and big-box offshoot Hardwarehouse . This supplemented the Bunnings national network by several dozen stores, many of them large Hardwarehouse stores in Sydney, Brisbane and New Zealand. Hardwarehouse had been dominant in New South Wales and Queensland, but the purchase complemented Bunnings' prior domination in Victoria , where Hardwarehouse had only seven stores to Bunnings' twenty at

2380-467: The Museum of Tropical Queensland , built around a display of relics from the sunken British warship HMS  Pandora ; Castle Hill or as it was originally known Cootharinga, the most prominent landmark of the area and a popular place for exercise; The Townsville Sports Reserve; and Magnetic Island , a large neighbouring island, the vast majority of which is national park . Aboriginal peoples such as

2465-603: The Sunshine Coast ). It is unofficially considered the capital of North Queensland. Townsville hosts a significant number of governmental, community and major business administrative offices for the northern half of the state. Part of the larger local government area of the City of Townsville , it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland, adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef . The city

2550-565: The University of Queensland established a campus at Pimlico , near Pimlico State High School , later developing a site at Douglas near the Army Barracks, and across the new Nathan Street Bridge. The faculties of Arts, Law, and Education, and several residential colleges, Union, St Mark's, and John Flynn relocated from central Townsville. This was followed by the relocation of St Raphael's college for women. A large modernist building

2635-842: The Wulgurukaba , Bindal , Girrugubba , Warakamai and Nawagi originally inhabited the Townsville area. The Wulgurukaba claim to be the traditional owners of the Townsville city area; the Bindal had a claim struck out by the Federal Court of Australia in 2005. James Cook visited the Townsville region on his first voyage to Australia in 1770, but did not land there. Cook named nearby Cape Cleveland, Cleveland Bay and Magnetic(al) Island . In 1819, Captain Phillip Parker King and botanist Alan Cunningham were

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2720-529: The "hit or miss" nature of tropical lows and thunderstorms, and the powerful influence of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation , variation from year to year is almost uniquely large for such a wet climate, being comparable only to a few cities in the Northeast of Brazil (e.g. Fortaleza ). Since records at various urban locations started in 1871 twelve-month rainfalls in Townsville have ranged from

2805-614: The Bunnings Warehouse brand, and iconic in Australian culture. Bunnings reported AU$ 16.871 billion in revenue for the fiscal year 2020–2021, which was a 12.5% revenue growth from the 2019–2020 fiscal year, where Bunnings reported AU$ 14.999 billion in revenue. In February 2016, Bunnings' parent company Wesfarmers bought the United Kingdom-based hardware chain Homebase for £340 million. The chain's 265 stores in

2890-651: The Experimental Station of Oonoonba and seven bombs landed in Cleveland Bay where bomb craters are still clearly visible. There were no deaths and structural damage was minimal, as the Japanese missed their intended targets of the railway, the harbour and the airfield and destroyed a palm tree at the Experimental Station of Oonoonba. Although the Japanese aircraft were intercepted on two of the three raids, no Japanese planes were shot down. In 1961

2975-543: The Royal Family travelled to Mackay. The royal party had a leisurely cruise to Townsville, taking four days to arrive after their departure from Mackay. On the morning of April 20, they were met by The Deputy Mayor of Townsville Mr. T. Aikens, M.L.A. and Mrs Aikens and Mr W.W. Shepherd, Chairman of the Townsville Harbour Board and Mrs Shepherd. The day’s program began with a cavalcade of progress at

3060-640: The Townsville sports reserve. The grounds were filled with crowds and children waving their Australian flag. It was a spectacle for the royal visitors and the local community who came out on the day. Following lunch on board Britannia, the royal family were driven to the site of Queensland’s newest university, the James Cook University , Townsville campus. In the presence of many dignitaries, HRH Queen Elizabeth II formally granted autonomy to North Queensland’s new educational institution. In 2020, James Cook University celebrated its 50th anniversary with

3145-518: The UK and 15 in Ireland were intended to be rebranded with the Bunnings name within five years. The first Bunnings store in the UK was opened at the end of January 2017 in St Albans , four months later than planned to ensure the adopted format was suited to the UK public. The company planned to use that store as a test model prior to fine-tuning and expanding in that region. In April 2017, they bought

3230-477: The UK and Ireland has been called "the most disastrous retail acquisition in the UK ever". House brands of Bunnings include: Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland , Australia. With a population of 179,011 as of the 2021 census , it is the largest settlement in North Queensland and Northern Australia (specifically, the parts of Australia north of

3315-598: The business, eventually becoming directors after their father's death in 1936; Charles was a qualified engineer and Tom a chartered accountant. The company secured several major contracts in the 1930s, including for timber fittings on major Perth buildings, timber supply contracts on the Eastern Goldfields , and railway sleeper contracts in Ceylon and South Africa. Further expansion occurred during World War II, where Bunnings co-operated with its rival Millars , and in

3400-433: The central business district (CBD). One significant contributor to CBD development was the construction of a new rail passenger terminal and re-siting of the railway workshops, releasing prime real estate which formerly belonged to Queensland Rail for the development of residential units, retail projects and a new performing arts centre. The skyline of Townsville's central business district has undergone dramatic changes over

3485-535: The ceremony was complete." The next group of colonists, led by W. A. Ross, arrived at Cleveland Bay from Woodstock Station on 5 November of that year. In 1866 Robert Towns visited for three days, his first and only visit. He agreed to provide ongoing financial assistance to the new settlement and Townsville was named in his honour. Townsville was declared a municipality in February 1866, with John Melton Black elected as its first Mayor. Townsville developed rapidly as

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3570-466: The chain was rebranded as Hardwarehouse. Subsequently, the chain expanded by opening new stores in Melbourne , Perth and Queensland . This followed with the chain's expansion into New Zealand. Since 1994, Hardwarehouse opened up to 14 stores a year. By 2001, the chain had 59 stores in Australia and three in New Zealand. On 13 June 2001, Howard Smith Limited , owner of BBC Hardware and Hardwarehouse,

3655-476: 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 such as water skiing, fishing and rowing. Thirty kilometres (19 mi) from the mouth (at the junction of Five Head Creek) is the Ross River Dam , the major water storage for the urban areas. The historic waterfront on Ross Creek , site of

3740-422: The country. In April 2021, Bunnings announced it would acquire tile retailer Beaumont Tiles. The ACCC ruled that the purchase of Beaumont Tiles outlets would not reduce competition as Bunnings was not currently in the field in a big way. Bunnings has said it will continue to run Beaumont Tiles the way it has been and with the same management team. In November 2021, both Bunnings and Officeworks partnered with

3825-679: The court system. Mabo decided to take on the Australian Government . Perth -based solicitor Greg McIntyre was at the conference and agreed to take the case; he then recruited barristers Ron Castan and Bryan Keon-Cohen. McIntyre represented Mabo during the hearings. The James Cook University Douglas campus library is now named after Mabo. On 3 June 1992, the High Court of Australia ruled in favour of Eddie Mabo in Mabo v Queensland (No 2) recognising native title in Australia for

3910-506: The dinghies halting at intervals to fire upon those throwing spears. The crew which had remained upon the Spitfire had seen about eight armed Aboriginal men in canoes approaching them from nearby Magnetic Island in an apparent attempt to board the ship. They were repulsed by a discharge of the brass gun. The Burdekin River 's seasonal flooding made the establishment of a seaport north of

3995-506: The establishment of a new General Hospital at Mount Louisa provided facilities necessary for the establishment of an independent Medical School. In 1970, Queen Elizabeth II , the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Anne toured Australia including Queensland. The Queensland tour began on Sunday 12 April when the royal yacht Britannia entered Moreton Bay at Caloundra, sailing into Newstead Wharf. After visiting Brisbane, Longreach and Mount Isa

4080-454: The expedition who was from a town in the south accidentally shot dead an elderly Aboriginal man. He said that he thought he was being stalked by an alligator. On the return journey to Port Denison, the group "dispersed" another Aboriginal camp in reprisal for the killing of a shepherd. After the fighting, the "boys" rounded up around 12 women and each took turns based on their rank in selecting one. "In five minutes, each had chosen their spouse and

4165-486: The first Europeans to record a local landing. In 1846, James Morrill was shipwrecked from the Peruvian , living in the Townsville area among the Bindal people for 17 years before deciding to return to British society when the frontier of colonisation came to the region. In 1860, George Elphinstone Dalrymple led a maritime expedition to the region from Brisbane. The expedition sailed to Cleveland Bay , finding

4250-644: The first boatload of South Sea Islanders into Townsville to labour on the cane and cotton farms. They numbered 56 and arrived on the Blue Bell which had brought them from the Loyalty Islands and the New Hebrides . Charges were made against Henry Ross Lewin , the recruiter for Robert Towns, that some of the Islanders had been kidnapped to work on the plantations. In 1867, a magisterial enquiry

4335-680: The first ever vice-regal ceremonial unfurling of the Australian national flag. With Brisbane, in 1902 Townsville was proclaimed a City under the Local Authorities Act. The foundation stone of the Townsville Cenotaph was laid in Strand Park on 19 July 1923. It was unveiled on 25 April 1924 ( ANZAC Day ) by the Queensland Governor , Sir Matthew Nathan . The rural land surrounding the city

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4420-766: The first time. In 1993, the New South Wales Rugby League announced that a team from Townsville would be admitted to the expanded, nation-wide competition, and the North Queensland Cowboys made their debut in the 1995 ARL season . In October 2000, a Solomon Islands Peace Agreement was negotiated in Townsville. In February 2019, Townsville experienced a major flood event , which caused five deaths. Floodwaters damaged approximately 3300 homes and about 1500 homes were rendered uninhabitable. Inner-city high-density development has also created population growth and gentrification of

4505-400: The introduction of this concept was successful. BBC Hardware continued market testing to further develop the concept and help it gain traction in the retail hardware market. Another store was opened at Rockdale in 1993, and two more at Thornleigh and Caringbah in 1994, to reflect the continuous market testing. In July 1994, Howard Smith Limited bought BBC Hardware from Burns Philp and

4590-409: The larger "Bunnings Warehouses" contain a more comprehensive hardware range and garden supplies, including plants. The big box format accounts for 167 stores of the network of 280. Bunnings Warehouse offers a variety of additional services, both in-home and in-store. The in-home services are mainly installations, assembling, quotes and consultancy for multiple products. The in-store services include

4675-598: The last few years, with a number of new highrise buildings, both commercial and residential, constructed. In the short term, much of the urban expansion will continue to the west and the north, in the former City of Thuringowa. The most significant of these is North Shore Estate, a new A$ 1 billion 5,000-lot housing estate, located close to the Bruce Highway , just north of the Bohle River . Medium-term city expansion will be focused on two major urban developments that have started in 2017 and 2018. Elliot Springs,

4760-611: The loss of 145 jobs as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic . This left Bunnings with 41 New Zealand stores, including 12 in Auckland. In Australia, Bunnings unsuccessfully lobbied the Victorian state government to exempt its 168 stores from closure during the second Melbourne lockdown . However the company was allowed to continue fulfilling online orders, and subsequently its online business expanded and grew due to continuing demand despite various periods of restrictions around

4845-464: The major port and service centre for the Cape River , Gilbert, Ravenswood , Etheridge and Charters Towers goldfields. Regional pastoral and sugar industries also expanded and flourished. The Alligator Creek meatworks was established in 1879. Up to 1500 workers, many who resided in Townsville would work at the factory. It helped to build up the economy of Townsville. Jack Flowers was a local of Townsville and started working at Alligator Creek when he

4930-503: The managing director of Bunnings. This was quickly followed by the opening of three more Bunnings Warehouse stores in Melbourne. Since then, new stores have been opened across Australia approximately every three months on average. Development in Sydney and Brisbane proved more difficult than in other areas, as large blocks of land in the metropolitan area were limited. In 1997, the remaining smaller-format McEwans stores were renamed as Bunnings stores. In August 2001, Wesfarmers bought

5015-465: The many allegations of blackbirding and slave conditions relating to the recruitment and employment of South Sea Islanders in Queensland are baseless, and without foundation in fact or reliable historical evidence. Townsville's population was 4,000 people in 1882 and grew to 13,000 by 1891. In 1901  Lord Hopetoun made a goodwill tour of northern Australia and accepted an invitation to officially open Townsville's town hall, occasioning

5100-430: The merchandising and sawmilling operations of Hawker Siddeley , which "almost doubled the size of the company". In 1983, it bought out Millars and, in 1990, the Alco Handyman hardware operations. In 1993, Bunnings bought a company that operated Harry's and Lloyd's in South Australia, Campbell's in Queensland, and McEwans in Victoria and New South Wales. (This company had been spun off from Harris Scarfe in 1989.) Many of

5185-405: The metropolitan area; it typically ranges from 1,136 millimetres (44.7 in) at central Townsville City to 853 millimetres (33.6 in) at Woodstock , a southwestern suburb. The wettest 24 hours on record was 11 January 1998, with 548.8 millimetres (21.61 in) falling mostly in a 12-hour period after dark, which has since been dubbed the "Night of Noah" by Townsville residents. December

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5270-403: The military. Slit trenches were dug in many places, and 18 concrete air-raid shelters were built, six of them in Flinders Street. The first bombing raid on Rabaul , in Papua New Guinea, on 23 February 1942 was carried out by six B-17s based near Townsville. Some of the units based in Townsville were: In July 1942, three small Japanese air raids were conducted against Townsville, which

5355-490: The official ceremony and being introduced to the official party. Their Royal Highnesses first appear in the film at 6:06 minutes. On Christmas Eve 1971, Tropical Cyclone Althea , a category 4 cyclone, battered the city and Magnetic Island, causing considerable damage. In 1973, Indigenous activists Eddie and Bonita Mabo established the Black Community School in Townsville, where children could learn their Indigenous culture rather than white culture. Eddie Mabo worked as

5440-522: The original wharves and port facilities, has some old buildings mixed with the later modern skyline. However, the central city is dominated by the mass of red granite of Castle Hill , 286 metres (938 ft) high. 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 . Townsville has

5525-424: The post-war period which saw the creation of a workshop in Manjimup and timber mills in south-west Western Australia and north Queensland. In 1952, Bunnings became a public company, Bunning Timber Holdings Pty Ltd, expanding into retailing and purchasing several hardware stores. Charles and Tom Bunning became joint managing directors in 1956, with Charles becoming chairman two years later. In 1970, Bunnings bought

5610-538: The remaining Hardwarehouses were renamed Bunnings Warehouse. The Howard Smith Group purchase also included Benchmark Building Supplies, a New Zealand chain of 32 stores, including nine Auckland stores. These were also closed or rebranded as Bunnings by 2003. Until then, Bunnings had just three New Zealand stores. By 2008, it had 14 large warehouse stores in the country. From 2004 to 2008, Bunnings purchased and re-branded Mitre 10 stores in Griffith , Kempsey , Randwick and Wodonga , Magnet Mart in Griffith and

5695-679: The retail sector, purchasing several hardware stores. Bunnings began to expand into other states in the 1990s and opened its first warehouse -style store in Melbourne in 1994. As of 2022, the chain has 381 stores and over 53,000 employees. Bunnings has a market share of around 50 percent in the Australian do it yourself hardware market, with competing chains including Mitre 10 , Home Hardware and various independent retailers around Australia. Bunnings runs community events outside or in its stores, including sausage sizzles and do it yourself workshops. In 1886, brothers Arthur and Robert Bunning left London to settle in Perth , and soon gained

5780-480: The retiring Les Tyrell and defeating main opposing candidate Dale Last . Tyrell was the immediate past Mayor for 17 years of the former local government authority, the City of Thuringowa . The previous Mayor of Townsville for 19 years was Tony Mooney ( Australian Labor Party ). Hill faced a largely hostile chamber in her first term, with 'Townsville First' candidates winning the majority of divisions. When local government elections were held in March 2016, Jenny Hill

5865-403: The river essential to the nascent inland cattle industry. John Melton Black of Woodstock Station, an employee of Sydney entrepreneur and businessman Robert Towns , dispatched Andrew Ball , Mark Watt Reid and a detachment of 8 troopers of the Native Police under the command of John Marlow to search for a suitable site. Ball's party reached the Ross Creek in April 1864 and established

5950-466: The shores of Cleveland Bay, protected to some degree from the predominantly south-east weather. Cleveland Bay is mostly shallow inshore, with several large beaches and continually shifting sand bars. Magnetic Island lies 8 kilometres (5 mi) offshore, to the north of the city centre. It, together with Castle Hill in the town centre and Mount Stuart to the south of the city, form a large quartz monzonite igneous province. The Ross River flows through

6035-411: The slogan in Australia. New Zealand ads and stores continue to use the slogan at present. After the acquisition, the first Bunnings Warehouse was opened on August 24, 1994 in the Melbourne suburb of Sunshine . Present at the official opening were the Victorian premier Jeff Kennett , American actor Richard Karn who played Al Borland on the television sitcom Home Improvement , and Joe Boros,

6120-409: The stores acquired were subsequently closed, with only the best-performing sites being retained. Bunnings Limited was bought out by Wesfarmers in 1994 for $ 600 million. In late-1995, the 'Red Hammer' symbol was introduced and is still in use today. In June 1996, the company's trademark slogan "Lowest Prices Are Just The Beginning" was introduced. In February 2020, the company discontinued the use of

6205-532: The sugar cane, turtle, trochus , beche de mer , and pearling industries. With the introduction of the White Australia policy , the demand for Japanese workers decreased, causing the consulate to finally close in 1908. At the beginning of 1942, Townsville had 30,000 inhabitants and between 5,000 and 7,000 of them voluntarily evacuated to other places. During the Second World War , the city

6290-535: The time of the buy-out. At the time of purchase, the market leader was Mitre 10 with a 12% market share, but the inclusion of the Hardwarehouse and BBC Hardware stores brought Bunnings market share to 13.5%. Hardwarehouse and BBC Hardware stores retained their branding for a year, while television advertisements were tagged with each of Bunnings Warehouse, Hardwarehouse and BBC Hardware during this transition period. Lower-volume stores were closed and, in 2002,

6375-439: The year. Townsville, however, lies on a section of coastline that turns east/west, so the lifting effect is not present. As a result, winter months are dominated by blue skies, warm days and cool nights, although at times significant rainfall may occur. The average annual rainfall is 1,095 millimetres (43.11 in) on an average 61 rain days, most of which falls during the six-month "wet season" from November to April. Because of

6460-464: Was 13 years old (in 1913). He worked there for 58 years and would walk from Townsville to Alligator Creek. In 1915 the train line extended from Townsville out to Alligator Creek and in 1946 there was a dispute with workers who left work 15 minutes early to catch the 4:30pm train back to town and the factory threatened to sack 340 workers reporting that it wasn’t 15 minutes but some had stopped working at 3:45 or 4pm. On 8 July 1866 Robert Towns imported

6545-549: Was also affected by the 2019 Townsville flood , the convergence of a monsoon and a slow-moving tropical low. Townsville has offices of many State and Federal Government agencies, such as Centrelink and the Australian Taxation Office . Townsville is governed by a City Council , comprising an independently elected Mayor and 10 Councillors who each represent a separate division within the local government area. Following local government reform undertaken by

6630-657: Was appointed Managing Director, Bunnings Group in May 2017 following his appointment as Managing Director, Bunnings Australia & New Zealand in March 2016. In October 2019, Bunnings acquired specialist tool retailer Adelaide Tools. At the time, the business had five retail outlets, a mower centre and an online store. The business was rebranded as Tool Kit Depot. In mid-May 2020, Bunnings announced it would close seven stores in New Zealand in Ashburton , Hornby , Hastings , Cambridge , Rangiora , Te Awamutu , and Putāruru with

6715-522: Was bought by Wesfarmers . The chain began its transition with the stores trading as Bunning by the end of 2001. During the transition period, three of the acquired Hardwarehouse stores in Australia were closed, as the rest of the stores were reformatted by late 2004. A number of former Bunnings stores that were converted Hardwarehouse stores were converted into retail bulky goods stores, or repurposed for other uses. A few other stores were demolished and rebuilt for larger Bunnings Warehouse stores. There were

6800-523: Was by then the most important air base in Australia. On 25 July 1942 two Japanese Kawanishi Flying Boats dropped 15 bombs which landed near the mouth of the Ross River, only 370 metres (400 yd) east of oil tanks in the harbour. On 28 July, one Japanese plane dropped eight 230-kilogram (500-pound) bombs near the Garbutt airfield . On 29 July 1942, a single "Emily" Flying Boat dropped one bomb at

6885-465: Was established. In March 1962, first year university students painted the stick figure depicting The Saint on Castle Hill as a prank. In 1971 Cyclone Althea with flooding slowed progress of infrastructural building, but by 1972 James Cook University was established, with ecru academic gowns, quite different to those of older universities. From 1961, only the first years of studies for Medicine and for Veterinary Sciences were offered in Townsville, but

6970-476: Was host to more than 50,000, and Townsville Naval Section Base . American and Australian troops and air crew, and it became a major staging point for battles in the South West Pacific . A large United States Armed Forces contingent supported the war effort from seven airfields and other bases around the city and in the region. Many buildings, schools and 177 private houses were commandeered for use by

7055-844: Was initially managed by the Thuringowa Road Board, which eventually became the Shire of Thuringowa . The shire ceded land several times to support Townsville's expansion. In 1986 the Shire became incorporated as a city, governed by the Thuringowa City Council . The cities of Townsville and Thuringowa were amalgamated into the "new" Townsville City Council in March 2008, as part of the Queensland state government's reform program. In 1896, Japan established its first Australian consulate in Townsville, primarily to serve some 4,000 Japanese workers who migrated to work in

7140-563: Was re-elected as Mayor of Townsville. She was re-elected in the 2020 Queensland local government elections. In the unicameral Queensland Parliament five electorates cover the Townsville Region: The majority of the population of Townsville is represented in the Australian House of Representatives by Phillip Thompson of the Liberal National Party , reelected as the member for the Division of Herbert at

7225-417: Was set up into the death of an Islander working on one of Towns' plantations. A pharmacist attending was of the opinion the death was caused by a lack of proper nourishment, the Islanders receiving only cornmeal for food. Other evidence was given by employees of the plantation company who claimed the labourers were treated well and a verdict of death by natural causes was declared. Recent research has shown that

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