77-727: The Townsville Peace Agreement was signed in Townsville , Australia on 15 October 2000 between the Malaita Eagle Force and the Isatabu Freedom Movement . The Agreement successfully calmed the situation in Honiara and the Islands in general after the coup d'état of June that year. This article on military history is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to
154-489: 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 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 ,
231-559: 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 a gardener at James Cook University in the 1970s and 1980s. It was at the university in 1974 that he first learned of
308-600: A quarantine station although it took another ten years for the proper facilities to be set up at West Point. In November 1884 the Queensland Government accepted a tender from Leisner and Sparre to construct the quarantine station for £3645. It was only after the tender was accepted that the site on West Point on the north-west was actually chosen. In 1896 Cyclone Sigma tore across the island and through Townsville. At least 23 people died, many buildings destroyed and boats wrecked. The ketch Lalla Rookh
385-575: A treaty is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . 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 the Sunshine Coast ). It is unofficially considered the capital of North Queensland. Townsville hosts
462-441: 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
539-505: A bay and settlement called Nelly Bay to the east-north-east, Horseshoe Bay on its northern coast, and Cockle Bay Reef off the western coast. The island is a haven for wildlife. 76% of the island is Magnetic Island National Park, which is mostly located on the steep hilly interior and rugged north-western side. The highest point on the island is Mount Cook reaching 497 m (1,631 ft) above sea level. A citizen science project at Magnetic has over 3500 observations of 1126 species with
616-495: A bay, Nelly Bay to the east-north-east of Rocky Bay, followed by Geoffrey Bay , with Bremner Point as its northern arm. Horseshoe Bay is on the northern coast, and Cockle Bay Reef off the western coast. In the 2021 census , Magnetic Island had a population of 2,475 people. The Wulguru name for the island is Yunbenun . The first European accounts of the island come from Captain James Cook who, in 1770, while navigating
693-647: 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 the sugar cane, turtle, trochus , beche de mer , and pearling industries. With
770-536: 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 the first Europeans to record a local landing. In 1846, James Morrill
847-674: 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 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
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#1732780093947924-759: 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 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
1001-648: 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
1078-649: 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 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
1155-478: A number of bays around Yunbenun. Folklore of the local Wulguru tribe recounts a long association with the island and annual migrations to the mainland to avoid expeditions of head-hunters from Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait , which used the northern trade winds to travel south along the Queensland coast. This head-hunting nearly ceased following the arrival of missionaries, led by Samuel MacFarlane to
1232-511: 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 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
1309-520: 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 ; Castle Hill or as it was originally known Cootharinga, the most prominent landmark of the area and
1386-554: 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
1463-502: A significant anchorage and assembly point for large fleets and convoys operating in the south Pacific. As such, the Magnetic Battery , (AKA The Forts) an artillery battery and observation post, was built in the hinterland of Florence, Horseshoe and Arthur Bays. Picnic Bay also became a popular defence force rest and relaxation camp following the commandeering of a resort in the bay in 1939. The island slowly expanded following
1540-526: 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 is also a major industrial centre, home to one of the world's largest zinc refineries,
1617-474: 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 the court system. Mabo decided to take on the Australian Government . Perth -based solicitor Greg McIntyre was at
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#17327800939471694-468: Is a large 39.5 km (15.3 sq mi) National Park and bird sanctuary and walking tracks can be taken between the populated bays and to a number of tourist destinations such as the World War II forts. The island is a holiday destination with many hotels and several resorts in operation to cater for all levels of service. The public facilities and infrastructure on the island are managed by
1771-532: 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 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
1848-580: Is based in Mount Isa about 900 kilometres (560 mi) west of Townsville. Magnetic Island Magnetic Island ( Wulguru : Yunbenun ) is an island 8 kilometres (5 mi) offshore from the city of Townsville , Queensland, Australia. This 52 km (20.1 sq mi) mountainous island in Cleveland Bay has effectively become a suburb of Townsville. The island is accessible from Townsville Breakwater to Nelly Bay Harbour by ferry. There
1925-617: 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
2002-427: Is the traditional land of the Wulgurukaba people. It had a transient population of Aboriginal people well before European exploration of the area. They had seasonal camps at a number of bays, and travelled between the island and mainland using canoes . A number of Aboriginal burial sites are said to exist on the island, but have so far not been identified. Aboriginal middens and cave drawings can still be found in
2079-461: 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
2156-427: The 2006 census , Magnetic Island had a population of 2,107 people. In the 2011 census , Magnetic Island had a population of 2,199. In the 2016 census , Magnetic Island had a population of 2,335 people. In the 2021 census , Magnetic Island had a population of 2,475 people. Geographic features include Rocky Bay, Picnic Bay and Hawkings Point (around the settlement named Picnic Bay) around its southern point,
2233-554: 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
2310-685: The Garbutt airfield . On 29 July 1942, a single "Emily" Flying Boat dropped one bomb at 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
2387-579: 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
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2464-542: 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 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
2541-588: 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 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,
2618-738: 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
2695-617: 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 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
2772-640: The Townsville City Council . The island is part of the electoral district of Townsville in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland , and part of the Federal seat of Herbert , which is represented by Phillip Thompson . There are five settlements, namely Arcadia , Horseshoe Bay , Nelly Bay , Picnic Bay , and West Point . Geographic features include Rocky Bay , Picnic Bay and Hawkings Point , around its southern extremity,
2849-529: 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
2926-494: The Australian coast, called the island Magnetical Island , as a magnetic pull interfering with his vessel's compass appeared to emanate from the island. People have since explored the general area of Magnetic Island with various instruments to discover what might have caused the effect that Cook reported, but nothing has been discovered. Local names for the island are "Maggie Isle", "Maggie Island", or "The Island". Yunbenun
3003-667: 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 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 ,
3080-485: 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 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
3157-584: The Japanese aircraft were intercepted on two of the three raids, no Japanese planes were shot down. In 1961 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
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3234-487: The Torres Straits in 1871. J.M. Black, funded by Robert Towns , founded the township of Townsville on the mainland nearby. As Townsville developed through the mid-19th century, Magnetic Island became a valuable location for the gathering of hoop pine and granite , the latter of which was used in the reclamation of land for the Port of Townsville, and for construction of Townsville's Customs House. Picnic Bay
3311-796: 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 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
3388-496: The Townsville Harbour Board and Mrs Shepherd. The day’s program began with a cavalcade of progress at 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,
3465-433: 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
3542-476: 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
3619-518: 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 the first time. In 1993,
3696-653: The end of the Second World War . In 1953, Centaur House, a memorial convalescent and rest hostel for nurses, was officially opened in Geoffrey Bay. In late December 1971 Cyclone Althea hit the North Queensland coast directly crossing Magnetic Island. The island, along with much of the mainland, was devastated with 90% of the island's houses damaged or destroyed, some simply lifted off their foundations and tossed into trees. The island, along with
3773-466: The first years of studies for Medicine and for Veterinary Sciences were offered in Townsville, but 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
3850-418: 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 the dinghies halting at intervals to fire upon those throwing spears. The crew which had remained upon
3927-496: 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 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
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#17327800939474004-510: 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 was host to more than 50,000, and Townsville Naval Section Base . American and Australian troops and air crew, and it became
4081-472: 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 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
4158-598: 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,
4235-753: The mainland, soon recovered. In July 2012, a six hectare (15 acre) section of the island was granted to the Wulgurukaba Yunbenun Aboriginal Corporation under freehold title and a further 55 hectare (135 acre) section under a Deed of Grant in Trust . In 2009, as part of the Q150 celebrations, the Magnetic Island was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "Natural attraction". In
4312-405: 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
4389-437: The most observed species the koala and the most observed marine species the goldstripe butterflyfish . Magnetic Island is famous for its fishing opportunities. Fish around the island include: mackerel , giant trevally , queenfish , coral trout , blackspot tuskfish , tuna , fingermark, red emperor and sea perch . As of 2013, there are over 800 koalas estimated to be present on the island; this population represents
4466-540: 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 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
4543-424: The northern limit of their geographic range. The areas of the island that are not covered by the conservation area are open for development subject to local authority approval. As of 2018 the island was undergoing an economic boom. The wreckage of SS City of Adelaide is located off the shore of Cockle Bay, the island and is a popular tourist attraction. The five villages of the island, which contain most of
4620-437: 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 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
4697-522: 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
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#17327800939474774-480: 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
4851-502: The royal yacht Britannia entered Moreton Bay at Caloundra, sailing into Newstead Wharf. After visiting Brisbane, Longreach and Mount Isa 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
4928-578: 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 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
5005-466: 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
5082-444: The units based in Townsville were: In July 1942, three small Japanese air raids were conducted against Townsville, which 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
5159-439: 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
5236-424: 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 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
5313-440: 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 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
5390-470: 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
5467-435: 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 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
5544-458: Was followed by the relocation of St Raphael's college for women. A large modernist building 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
5621-405: Was named after its popularity as a picnic spot for European tourists from the mainland during the 19th century , before Magnetic Island was first inhabited by Europeans. In the mid-19th century the island became a popular location for the collection of stone and coral needed for development on the mainland. Even substantial quantities of gold were mined in 1886. In 1875, the island was set aside as
5698-563: 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
5775-715: Was responsible for much of the development of Magnetic Island through tourism. In 1901 he started a regular ferry service to the island with his ship the Bee . Twelve months later this ship was wrecked on the rocks at Nobby Head, Picnic Bay, and the Phoenix was built by Hayles' sons to replace the vessel. The Hayles company remained operating services to Magnetic Island with a large number of different vessels until 1988. Magnetic Island became an important defensive position during World War II because of its proximity to Townsville, an important military base, and its views over Cleveland Bay ,
5852-465: 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 a very numerous Aboriginal population. They landed on
5929-470: Was torn off its moorings and found later on Magnetic Island. (She was able to be recovered and continued to carry loads of timber up and down the coast, until being wrecked off the Queensland coast in 1899. ) By 1890 a resort had been started in Picnic Bay. In 1898 Robert Hayles Sr was so impressed by the potential of Magnetic Island he sold his other interests to build a resort on the island. Hayles
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